Engineering Inc. - March/April 2013 - (Page 19)
Protecting
By maureen conley
Your Interests
highlights From aCEC Coalitions
Council of American Structural
Engineers (CASE)
Design Professionals Coalition
(DPC)
Member Firms: 161
Mission: to promote best practices
and risk management services for
structural engineers
Member Firms: 54
Mission: to promote the business
interests of ACEC’s large firms
Small Firm Council (SFC)
Member Firms: 138
Mission: to help engineering firms
having fewer than 50 employees to run
their businesses more profitably
DPC
Design Professionals Coalition
Founded in 1983
O
ne of the most pressing issues facing
structural engineers is a nationwide
push to introduce structural
engineer licensing requirements, explains
CASE Chair John Mercer, president of
Mercer Engineering, P.C., in Minot, N.D.
Some states already have such requirements,
but many do not. CASE is working to
ensure sensible licensure requirements and
an equitable transition process for “older”
engineers—those structural engineers who
have spent the majority of their careers
practicing as licensed professionals.
At the same time, CASE wants to make
sure that licensure requirements do not
supplant the focus on risk management that
is essential to good structural engineering
business practice. CASE is also promoting
its Ten Foundations of Risk Management—
elements that range from a firm’s culture
to communication practices to properly
defining scope and negotiating clear and
fair contracts. To maintain awareness of
these practices, CASE offers a suite of new
and existing resources, including guidelines,
generic contracts and productivity tools.
The coalition is broadening its reach by
networking at the local level and making
presentations at state-level Member
Organization meetings.
p
rotecting the opportunity for firms of
all sizes to compete for government
contracts was the original reason for
DPC’s creation and remains our core objective today,” says DPC Chairman Anthony
Bartolomeo, president and CEO of Pennoni
Associates in Philadelphia. Today those
contracting opportunities face new challenges—from funding constraints on public
projects to a continued push to “in-source,”
or keep the work within the government. As
DPC works to educate legislators, the need
to prevent the government from competing
with private design firms is at the forefront,
he says.
To confront these challenges, Bartolomeo
says DPC is working within ACEC and
other like-minded organizations to focus
legislators on the importance of providing
long-term funding for important infrastructure projects. A major push this year will be
reauthorization of funding for wastewater
infrastructure under the Clean Water Act.
Despite legislative activity in the past two
Congresses, the Clean Water Act is long
overdue for reauthorization. In addition,
Congress is expected to begin work this year
on funding a long-term transportation bill.
MAP-21 provided funding for surface transportation programs for fiscal years 2013 and
2014—and expires Sept. 30, 2014.
I
n contrast to discipline-specific ACEC
coalitions, SFC focuses on the business
of running a small business regardless of
technical discipline, says SFC Chair Gregg
Hughes, principal and vice president at
Palmetto Engineering and Consulting in
Greenville, S.C. “If you feel like a small
firm, you probably are” and could benefit
from SFC membership, Hughes says.
SFC members work within ACEC and
at the local level to promote the benefits
of SFC. Hughes cites the “entrepreneurial
myth” in urging small engineering firms to
join—“just because you are a great engineer
or designer, that doesn’t necessarily mean
you will be great at running an engineering
or design business.” Small firm owners wear
“many hats” and must make quick decisions
on contracts, per diems, bank covenants and
more.
Through the provision of reading lists,
training, documentation and open forums,
SFC affords its members with resources and
information to help them grow and protect
their small firms. Compared to their large
firm colleagues, small firms don’t have the
resources to downsize, belt-tighten and
be selective on projects and clients. Small
firms need to be alert to the small mistake
that could put them out of business. SFC’s
ultimate goal is to help small firms run their
businesses with greater effectiveness and
agility, notes Hughes.
MaRCh / apRIl 2013
ENGINEERING INC.
19
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Engineering Inc. - March/April 2013
Engineering Inc. - March/April 2013
Table of Contents
From ACEC to You
Market Watch
Legislative Action
A Fresh Look at U.S. Energy Policy
Record-Setting Year for ACEC/PAC
Protecting Your Interests
Sky’s the Limit
6 Ways to Keep Cash Flowing
2013 Annual Convention Preview
Guest Column
Decision Makers
Business Insights
Members in the News
Mergers and Acquisitions
Engineering Inc. - March/April 2013
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