FIDIC | Member Benefits | International Federation of Consulting Engineers

Member benefits

FIDIC undertake a wide variety of activities across a wide global base. FIDIC’s member associations and their member firms therefore can potentially benefit from any number of FIDICs activities.

Advocacy and stakeholder engagement – As part of FIDIC you gain the benefit of FIDIC’s global reputation and stakeholder relations. It’s important our members and their member firms are not only seen, but also heard!

Attendance at FIDIC events which vary from large multinational conferences that attract high-level decision makers from across both government and the private sector.
Attendance at technical committees or smaller events where members play a key role in helping to develop solutions for industry issues. This engagement and expertise can then be fed into the FIDIC policy workstreams.
Advocacy across all of the FIDIC operations. This can include involvement including with FIDIC staff ensuring that the policy work of FIDIC and its members reaches the correct decision-makers.
Access to global institutions. The FIDIC brand, given the breadth and use of its contracts globally, enables FIDIC to engage with truly transnational organisations such as multinational development banks, including the World Bank, influential expert organisations and institutions, such as the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and the World Economic Forum.

Policy development and influence – As part of FIDIC you have the opportunity to engage in FIDIC’s policy workstreams. Don’t follow the debate, join it! Set the agenda and make it global.

FIDIC and its committees are in the unique position to engage with its members on their policy work and assist with policy development not only in national markets but the take such work and expertise across trans-national markets and globally.
FIDIC is in the process of refreshing and establishing a new and more extensive policy framework which will engage with its national member associations.
FIDIC aims to influence global policy and activity and support national initiatives based on global best practice.

Member rates for you and your members at FIDIC’s world leading conferences – FIDIC’s events provide important global, regional and national opportunities as part of the members’ networks. FIDIC offers discounted rates to members.

These events are usually multi-day events and are a combination of:

Formal engagement and networking, including dinners/evening sessions
Informal engagement and networking, including lunch/evening sessions
Sessions on specific topics, which could be industry focused or focused on products and services that FIDIC offers, such as its contracts
Keynote speakers
Interactive voting on key issues and topics to engage participants
App-based solutions to allow conference attendees to network
Promotional material, occasionally including free collateral

Industry intelligence for you and your members

CEO Update – Every few months the CEO of FIDIC provides a personal update to member associations outlining the activities that FIDIC has undertaken and the benefits it provides to members. This update also provides an outline of future activities that provide an opportunity for member associations and their member firms to engage with global activities or FIDIC activities in their region/country.

Annual report – Accountability and informing members of our activity are important. For this reason, as part of our annual report, we outline for members important trends and updates. The report also provides a springboard for countries, public sector organisations and companies that want to learn about FIDIC and its members. As a member association, you will receive a listing in our annual report providing your organisation with the benefits of the FIDIC brand and exposure to the global market in which FIDIC operates.

Members’ newsletter – As a member of FIDIC, you will receive updates and information on both FIDICs and industry events and policy work. This intelligence is provided to keep member associations abreast of issues that affect your members at a national, transnational and global level

Contract Users’ Newsletter – The contract users committee helps in the development and the publication of the contract users’ newsletter. This provides updates, technical articles, guidance and tailored advice about the region in which the contract users’ forum is taking place. It provides both a tailored message for their events and a wider message for the FIDIC membership.
As a member of FIDIC, you will not only benefit from access to this newsletter, but also access to the events and committee meetings that take place as part of the continued development of the FIDIC global contracts suite.

Briefing notes – FIDIC produces these to provide more detailed information to member associations. These briefing notes provide member associations with a resource to demonstrate the knowledge and intelligence they can provide their members across a wide variety of subjects and countries.

Access to a suite of FIDIC contracts and services – The backbone of FIDIC's publications is FIDIC's selection of Contracts and Agreements. These contracts provide a global standard and enable all parties to save time and money by making the process of contract negotiation more efficient. They also allow parties to better manage their contractual risk.

Specialist agreements

Construction Subcontract, 1st Ed 2011
Dredgers Contract, 1st Ed 2006
Dredgers Contract, 2nd Ed 2016 (2016 BLUE-GREEN BOOK) ed. 1999

Contract translations - all FIDIC documents are published in English and, depending upon the need, in other languages. English is the language of reference in case of a legal dispute. Where organisations have undertaken to translate FIDIC documents, especially conditions of contract, FIDIC continues to ensure that these can be opened up to the wider global market.

Contract guides – As part of its suite of contracts, FIDIC continues to issue guidance to help users. This guidance is developed with the FIDIC contracts committee which brings together users and experts from across the globe to ensure that the FIDIC contracts continue to evolve and are

positioned in the best way to aid users. As a member of FIDIC associations have the opportunity to engage in the process of forming and shaping the FIDIC contracts and guidance notes. This ensures the contracts remain up to date and relevant for the sector.

Bespoke contracts - in a very limited number of special cases, FIDIC is prepared to licence organisations to prepare bespoke contracts for clients. See the FIDIC licence agreements and contact guide for further information.

Special editions - in a very limited number of special cases, FIDIC is able to issue special watermarked electronic editions of documents for printing by organisers of courses and similar events, and for organisations who wish to supply FIDIC contracts to potential bidders. For more information, please contact FIDIC.

FIDIC contract training – FIDIC training events are conducted by FIDIC Accredited Trainers, who are international experts with thorough knowledge of FIDIC contracts and business practices. They have extensive experience in the practical use of FIDIC contracts in international projects and have been assessed by FIDIC to ensure the best quality of its training events.

As a member of FIDIC, member associations receive preferential rates for their members and are able to contact and work with FIDIC to designed tailored courses.

FIDIC’s recent activities with multilateral development banks (MDBs) mean that as a member association you are able to provide your members with a resource that enables them to engage proactively in discussion and project bids which utilise FIDIC contracts.

Access to FIDIC adjudication service – FIDIC maintains and regularly scrutinises the President‘s list of Approved Dispute Adjudicators.

FIDIC contracts call for the appointment of one-to- three-person Dispute Adjudication. Boards (DAB), either at the commencement of a contract, or in response to a dispute arising during the contract. The 2017 FIDIC contract suite requires a DAB at the outset.
FIDIC organises adjudicator training and assessments for those applying for inclusion on the FIDIC President's List of Approved Dispute Adjudicators and FIDIC Accredited Adjudicators.

Whilst every effort is generally made by parties to avoid or resolve disputes early, sometimes this is not possible. The adjudication service not only builds on the FIDIC contracts but ensures that dispute resolution for member associations firms is done in a fair way.

By having such a service and by promoting the FIDIC contracts, FIDIC is helping to ensure that standards and recognised practices for adjudication are set globally.

Standard Letters and Notices – FIDIC provides a number of standard letters and notices to compliment the FIDIC suite of contracts. As with the contracts, these help to provide clarity, certainty and reduce administrative cost for all parties involved.

As a member of FIDIC, you are engaged in the development of such documents for your members. These standardised documents help to establish a quality standard and also enable your member firms to operate efficiently, not only in their own market but also in other international markets in an increasingly global world.

The opportunity for you and your members to engage with FIDIC committees and councils

FIDIC maintains a number of committees and councils that bring together experts across the globe in various fields. They do not only provide members with the opportunity to comment on FIDICs work but also to network with other industry professionals and stakeholders. Current committees and councils include:

Business Practice Leadership Committee (BPLC)
Contracts Committee (CC)
Integrity Management Committee (IMC)
Membership Committee (MC)
Sustainable Development Committee (SDC)
Future Leaders Advisory Council (FLAC)
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Advisory Council (DEIAC)
International Financial Institutions Committee (IFIC)
Directors and Secretaries Advisory Council (DNSAC)
Digital Transformation Committee (DTC)

FIDIC regional groups – These groups help to connect the global activities of FIDIC with transnational regions. They allow members to engage at all levels of influence and stakeholder engagement.

FIDIC Africa - FIDIC Group of African Member Associations.
FIDIC Africa represents the interests of the industry in the African region and supports FIDIC activities at the national and regional levels. The Group also organises the annual FIDIC Africa Conference, the major event organised for networking and capacity building in the consulting engineering sector in Africa.
FIDIC Asia Pacific - FIDIC Asia-Pacific Member Associations
FIDIC supports key areas of the consulting engineering industry by broadening representation and enhancing the industry's profile. FIDIC activities in some regions are coordinated with the help of regional groups of national member associations. FIDIC associations in the Asia-Pacific region are grouped together in FIDIC Asia Pacific.
FIDIC Europe/EFCA - The European Federation of Engineering Consultancy Associations (EFCA) has member associations in 28 countries, and is the sole European federation representing the engineering and related services industry, which employs one million staff, the majority of whom are highly skilled in a breadth of disciplines.
FIDIC Latin America/FEPAC - The Pan American Federation of Consultants. It was created in 1971 with the denomination FELAC, a Latin American federation that became a Pan-American in 1993.
FIDIC North America - FIDIC North America is the FIDIC Group of North America Member Associations. FIDIC North America represents the interest of the industry in the North America region, and supports FIDIC activities a the national and regional level. The group also organises the annual FIDIC North America Conference, the major event organised for networking and capacity building in the consulting engineering sector in North America.

Raising your association’s and your members’ profile – As a member of FIDIC your association will feature on our website, which is visited by companies and stakeholders across the globe. This provides your association with a visibility both on the website and via search engines that is derived from the strength of the FIDIC brand.

In addition, you can also feature in the FIDIC annual report and will receive opportunities to promote your association, its staff and your members at the various activities we undertake annually.

Letter of ascension – FIDIC is able to provide a letter of proof to your members of their independence to operate on international projects. Without such assurance your member firms will not be able to access a number of unique opportunities, and FIDIC is keen to ensure that we keep these opportunities open to companies that are able to provide professional services.

Future Leaders Programme – The Future Leaders (FL) is a group of young professionals within FIDIC. It was formed in 2004 to provide young professionals with the opportunity to participate actively in FIDIC with their peers and to develop the next generation of consulting engineering industry leaders.

This programme continues to flourish.

Access to the FIDIC team – FIDIC’s team provides member associations with a direct contact point to understand FIDIC’s activities. These activities will at times include being able to leverage and utilise FIDIC resources to advertise and provide services to your members without impacting on your own resource levels. As a member of FIDIC, you and your member firms get access to FIDIC’s extensive network and a chance to influence their work programme and the future of this industry.

Use of the FIDIC branding on your association’s website – Member associations are able to use the FIDIC logo and branding on their website. This provides the following benefits:

Shows commitment to engaging on a global platform
Encourages new member firms in your region to join
Leverages FIDIC’s reputation to improve your own
Where possible FIDIC will provide materials to supply to your members