Work Plan - 2003-2006

THEME "SHAPING THE CHANGE"

The incoming Council has identified the motto “Shaping the Change” as appropriate because of the following reasons: The world and its societies are changing rapidly and so does the profession of surveyors. The most essential changes for FIG are the continuing process of democratisation and the increasing commitment of the profession to sustainability and more equity all over the world. This happens in coincidence with the well-known principles of good governance and the development towards a civil society. To protect and to develop the position of the profession in international and national surroundings and to assist the transition to the already adopted new administrative structure of FIG the important challenge for the new Council is to shape the change within and outside FIG in 2003–2006. The leading topics are the following:

1. Promoting democratisation <
2. Increasing participation both numerical and multicultural
3. Taking on responsibility in global and national affairs
4. Learning from each other
5. Helping in the process of globalisation
6. Broadening the view and practice of the profession
7. Co-operating and communicating
8. Searching optimal structures
9. Increasing professionalism
10. Enhancing and assessing of quality and costs

INTRODUCTION

• This Work Plan provides direction for the Council in the management of the Federation, for the FIG-Office in the administration of the Federation and for the technical Commissions in the development and execution of their Work Plans. It is the first time that the terms of both the Council and Commission Work Plans cover the same period. This is a very important breaking point to get more efficiency in the output of FIG. As the Managing Board of the Federation, the Council has the responsibility and authority for fulfilling this Work Plan. Its role is either as an executor or, in the case of commission–led activities, as a facilitator and co-ordinator.
• The incoming Council will support and continue the long-term strategy of FIG:
  • promote and enhance the global standing of the profession by informing relevant stakeholders of the contribution which surveyors can make to the solution of relevant problems (e. g. to the UN global campaigns, Agenda 21 etc.)
  • support the growth of the profession by encouraging the active development and progressive enhancement of national member associations
  •  identify and influence the creation of appropriate best or good practice, international standards and qualifications relevant to the practice of surveying
  • maximise the contribution of surveyors to the development of the knowledge economy/society to identify approaches which help deliver the agenda for global sustainable development and
  • support and contribute towards supporting international humanitarian needs.
  The Council will continue the successful policy of the US Council, particularly in being directly responsive and responsible for the needs of the member associations and their individual members. The Council will increase the identification of our profession on the colourful and multilingual background of the whole world.
  
  It is recognised that the commissions are the implementers of FIG policies and programs – with other words “the heart and spirit of FIG”.
• Against this background the incoming Council sets the following goals:
  • By passing on the responsibility to all Vice Presidents the Council will see to it, that more direct contacts are available for members and commissions as well as for external organisations; the Council will take care as well, that the FIG Office as central contact is financially secure and able to work efficiently for the long term.
  • FIG should extend service for the member associations and, where necessary, improve it.
  • The aims of Council and commissions even better should be brought into line as regards schedule and contents without interfering with the independence and the responsibility of the commissions.
  • The successfully developed role of FIG as an internationally recognised NGO, particularly by UN agencies, should be further extended; the co-operation with other NGOs, especially with professional sister organisations, should be developed further to avoid overlapping of content and time of events.
  • Main emphasis has to be the encouragement of young professionals and the support of the profession particularly in developing countries. Therefore the FIG Foundation should be extended to a powerful instrument.

MANAGEMENT

• Quality of profession (e.g. by review of papers, co-operation with scientific organisations etc.) and high profile of FIG
• Commitment for sustainability (e.g. by implementing the FIG Agenda 21, Bathurst Declaration, Nairobi Statement etc., especially describing what we are really willing to do, for example in spatial planning, land management, land use, secure tenure, inclusive cities etc.)
• Contributions for knowledge society and education (e.g. better use of the Education Database by universities, academic members and member associations)
• Participation and concentrated broadening (continuing democratisation process and multicultural approach of FIG, membership expansion focussed on certain regions – e.g. the Arabic countries and Latin America - to be continued )
• Creating of networks for mutual learning and recognition (especially with associations close to the profession by establishing memoranda of understanding, describing the benefits of academic membership, appealing students and young people to participate activities within FIG)
• The PR for the professional contributions to society and human life
• Regionalisation in respect of globalisation (more regional or continental activities) – Communication within FIG (making FIG more popular to the individual members, demonstrating the benefits of FIG to the member associations and members for example by conclusions or resolutions after each FIG event and publishing on the FIG web site and in the national newspapers, FIG World Report, etc.)
• Cost management and professionalism (more joint commission activities, avoiding of overlapping meetings by better co-ordination of the events, new income possibilities by making FIG responsible on congresses, fairs and other events).

Membership Affairs
The Council will continue the successful work of the previous Councils to extend membership

• especially in under-represented regions; therefore regional activities of FIG as joint events with local associations are of special interest.
• by encouraging university departments to belong to and to contribute to FIG as academic members; this can happen by promoting the benefits of education database and the results of commission work as well as by joint activities.

To increase participation in the work of FIG the incoming Council will –

• encourage members to play a full part in FIG by participating in meetings, nominating and supporting delegates to commissions and candidates for the future Councils and commission vice chairs. This intention is directed particularly at young professionals for a creative mixture of experience and enthusiasm.
• reinforce and communicate the benefits of membership of FIG to member associations and their members by providing regular and relevant information e.g. by resolutions after each event, brief FIG reports for member associations newsletters and professional magazines, the planned FIG world report on good practices and promotion and better distribution of the multilingual dictionary.

External Relationships
As a world-wide acting Federation, which represents nearly 100 countries, FIG has to take on more and more responsibility in international affairs. This issue has to be expressed in external relationships, work of commissions, finances and representation by the Council. The incoming Council will continue the very successful work of the previous Councils and feels strongly committed to the efforts of UN agencies for good governance, sustainability and other global campaigns.

The incoming Council therefore will

• develop, deepen and broaden the contacts with international agencies and nongovernmental organisations
• maintain active communication and joint conferences with United Nations’ organisations, the World Bank, the World Trade Organisation, aid agencies and other non-governmental and governmental organisations
• co-operate with other associations with interests in developing countries; encourage the development of networks between commissions and within specific geographical zones to enable good educational practice to be communicated and for the establishment of mutual support systems
• co-operate with the World Trade Organisation in the promotion of professional standards and of global markets for surveying services, and
• produce publications (for example good practice reports or documentation of conferences etc.) of common interests and engagements.

Commissions
FIG was founded 1878 as a technical/scientific association and this still is the destination the “FIG ship” has to be navigated to. Recognising this opportunity as the strongest the Council will fully integrate and implement the results of the important task force on commission structure into its work to strengthen the technical/scientific contribution of FIG to the world of surveyors.

The Council will

• be responsible with all its members for the co-ordination of commission work
• support the commissions to organise joint meetings with other FIG
• commissions and external bodies
• support the commissions to work out a good practice report to be presented by each commission for the handover in Munich 2006

Getting a better co-ordination between commission meetings and working weeks or other FIG events to get less fees and travel costs for the participants / delegates is an additional aim of the Council. 

ADMINISTRATION

Personnel
The resources and staff in the FIG office will be considered against the new services and activities provided and the new income that could be generated through organising FIG events. The Council will perform annual reviews of the FIG office and its staff and will cooperate in close contact with the Director, FIG office.

Finance

1. The FIG office will collect membership and corporate membership fees and other income and generate new income from assisting and organising events etc. The Council assists the FIG office in getting new members.
2. The FIG office will provide support to the Council in the preparation of annual budgets, and will prepare cash flow statements and publish accounts after auditing by a public accountant.
3. The FIG office will pay bills of the organisation as approved by the Council.
4. The FIG office will maintain a proper set of books detailing the financial activity of FIG.
5. The permanent financial reserves should reach by the end of 2006 a minimum of 400,000 Swiss francs. In the long run these reserves should end up by 1.5 times the annual income of the Federation to guarantee the operation of the FIG office. To achieve this aim the membership should be increased, the corporate members should be motivated to increase their sponsorship, further corporate members are to be acquired and other sources of income shall be generated (e.g. the commercialisation of the fairs).
6. The hosting of the permanent FIG office in Copenhagen is guaranteed by the contract between the FIG and the Danske Landinspektørforeing (DdL) free of charge. The Personal Assistant to the Director is financed by the DdL/KMS (National Survey and Cadastre, Denmark) until the end of the year 2003. Afterwards the FIG has to cover these costs from its annual budget.
7. The strategy of supporting countries with low or low-middle income economies will be followed up.

Meetings of the Council
Council
The meetings of the Council will take place in regular intervals, at minimum four times a year including one meeting during the Intergeo fair and one during the FIG working week, either in Germany or any other convenient place depending on home country of the Vice President to be elected in 2002 or in the FIG office.

Working Weeks

• 2003: Eilat, Israel
• 2004: Athens, Greece
• 2005: Cairo, Egypt
• 2006: Munich, Germany, XXIII Congress

XXIII Congress 2006

The Council will progress arrangements for the XXIII FIG Congress in Munich in 2006 which will be implemented as a joint congress with the German “Intergeo”.

COMMUNICATION

FIG web site
The FIG web site will be further developed as the main communication channel between the Federation, its members and individual surveyors in the member associations.

The FIG web site will include all contact information to the Council, Commissions and permanent institutions. All FIG publications together with proceedings from the FIG congresses, working weeks and regional events will be available on the FIG web site. Proceedings from commission seminars and symposium will be available either on the Commission web site or when desired on the FIG web site.

To help the administration of the Commission web sites place on the FIG server will be offered to the Commissions.

To help member associations that are not able to administrate their own web sites FIG will offer limited space on the FIG server for national member association’s web site.

Annual Review
The Council will continue to publish the FIG Annual Review as a promotion material to external partners and to member associations to promote FIG in their respective countries to promote the profession and to make FIG more commonly known.

Bulletin
The FIG Bulletin will be published 3-4 times a year (the FIG Annual Review could cover one quarterly bulletin). The Bulletin will include news from FIG, its events, co-operation with the United Nations and from member associations.

The possibility to start publishing FIG Journal will be studied. This could include both material now published in the Bulletin but also professional and scientific articles from the FIG conferences and other events. Decisions will be made based on the economical conditions and advertisement income.

Monthly electronic newsletter
The Council will study the possibility of producing monthly newsletter including material that could be abstracted and translated to national newsletters and journals (national FIG page). This material will be circulated through email distribution lists.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS

The individual responsibilities of the members of the Council shall be as follows:  

President (Holger Magel)  

• provide the professional leadership of the Federation
• take appropriate initiatives to ensure that the Federation achieves its principal objectives as laid down in the statutes and defined within the plan of work
• clarify and communicate a future vision for the Federation and oversee the development of the Federation’s strategic plan
• promote the Federation to external agencies and ensure the co-ordination of the Federation’s relations with such agencies
• lead a supporting group for UN relations (members to be nominated)
• recommend and ensure the appointment of ad hoc commissions or task forces to undertake specific tasks which are not within the ambit of the commissions or to assist the work of the Council
• consult the General Assembly whenever a question arises outside the administrative powers of the Council
• submit a written report to each meeting of the General Assembly.  

Vice President – Deputy President (Andreas Drees)  

• deputize for the president, support the president
• chair the Advisory Committee of Commission Officers
• encourage members to play a full part in the Federation’s activities, inter alia and as appropriate by nominating delegates to commissions, participating in meetings, and contributing to and distributing publications and computer-generated information
• be responsible for broadening the membership base
• chair and participate in task forces as appropriate §  report as required to meetings of the General Assembly 
• co-ordinate the development of a Good Practice Report together with ACCO representative
•  support commissions 7, 8 and 9
• ensure that commission chairs develop their plans of work for inclusion in the Federation’s work plan
• ensure that commission chairs implement tasks assigned to them in congress resolutions and included in their work plans
• ensure the contribution of the commissions to the Good Practice Report
• ensure liaison as required between the commissions
• consult commission chairs and the member associations regarding nominees as vice-chairs.
• in the field of work of the supported commissions
  • be responsible for co-operation with other international and with regional bodies
  • ensure the maintenance, co-ordination and development of the Federation’s liaison with non-government organisations and other professional bodies
  • maintain contact with sister and other international organisations according to the decisions of the Council
  • assist professional development, by ensuring that technical meetings are organised in all parts of the world, including less developed countries and those in economic transition, and co-operate on these issues with other international and regional bodies.  

Vice president – Membership affairs (T.N. Wong)  

• be responsible for membership affairs and maintain contact with member associations according to decisions of the Council
• encourage members to play a full part in the Federation’s activities, inter alia and as appropriate by nominating delegates to commissions, participating in meetings, and contributing to and distributing publications and computer-generated information
•  be responsible for broadening the membership base
• lead on links with member associations within Asia and the Pacific region §  co-operate with other international and with regional bodies within Asia and the Pacific region according to the decisions of the General Assembly
• chair and participate in task forces as appropriate
• report as required to meetings of the General Assembly
• support commissions 4, 5 and 10
  •  ensure that commission chairs develop their plans of work for inclusion in the Federation’s work plan
  • ensure that commission chairs implement tasks assigned to them in congress resolutions and included in their work plans
  • ensure the contribution of the commissions to the Good Practice Report
  • ensure liaison as required between the commissions
• consult commission chairs and the member associations regarding nominees as vice-chairs.
• in the field of work of the supported commissions
  • be responsible for co-operation with other international and with regional bodies
  • ensure the maintenance, co-ordination and development of the Federation’s liaison with non-government organisations and other professional bodies
  • maintain contact with sister and other international organisations according to the decisions of the Council
  • assist professional development, by ensuring that technical meetings are organised in all parts of the world, including less developed countries and those in economic transition, and co-operate on these issues with other international and regional bodies.  

Vice president – Information Policy (Bettina Petzold)  

• be responsible for contacts with the permanent institutions
• develop the Federation’s information policy
• develop the Federation’s marketing
• encourage members to play a full part in the Federation’s activities, inter alia and as appropriate by nominating delegates to commissions, participating in meetings, and contributing to and distributing publications and computer-generated information
• be responsible for broadening the membership base
• chair and participate in task forces as appropriate §  report as required to meetings of the General Assembly
• support commissions 1, 3
  • ensure that commission chairs develop their plans of work for inclusion in the Federation’s work plan
  •  ensure that commission chairs implement tasks assigned to them in congress resolutions and included in their work plans
  • ensure the contribution of the commissions to the Good Practice Report
  • ensure liaison as required between the commissions
• consult commission chairs and the member associations regarding nominees as vice-chairs
• in the field of work of the supported commissions
  • be responsible for co-operation with other international and with regional bodies
  • ensure the maintenance, co-ordination and development of the Federation’s liaison with non-government organisations and other professional bodies
  • maintain contact with sister and other international organisations according to the decisions of the Council
  • assist professional development, by ensuring that technical meetings are organised in all parts of the world, including less developed countries and those in economic transition, and co-operate on these issues with other international and regional bodies.  

Vice president – Fundraising and Corporate Members (Ralf Schroth)  

• be responsible for financial strategy and its implementation
• ensure the preparation of annual budgets and long term financial policy §  develop fundraising policies for the Federation
• enhance sponsorship
• provide the link between the Federation and the FIG Foundation
• provide the link between the Federation and its corporate members §  encourage members to play a full part in the Federation’s activities, inter alia and as appropriate by nominating delegates to commissions, participating in meetings, and contributing to and distributing publications and computer-generated information
• be responsible for broadening the membership base
• chair and participate in task forces as appropriate §  report as required to meetings of the General Assembly
• support commissions 2, 6
  • ensure that commission chairs develop their plans of work for inclusion in the Federation’s work plan
  • ensure that commission chairs implement tasks assigned to them in congress resolutions and included in their work plans
  • ensure the contribution of the commissions to the Good Practice Report
  • ensure liaison as required between the commissions
• consult commission chairs and the member associations regarding nominees as vice-chairs
•  in the field of work of the supported commissions
  • be responsible for co-operation with other international and with regional bodies
  •  ensure the maintenance, co-ordination and development of the Federation’s liaison with non-government organisations and other professional bodies
  • maintain contact with sister and other international organisations according to the decisions of the Council
  •  assist professional development, by ensuring that technical meetings are organised in all parts of the world, including less developed countries and those in economic transition, and co-operate on these issues with other international and regional bodies.  

Congress director – ex-officio (Thomas Gollwitzer)  

• draw up the agenda and programme for the congress, for approval by the General Assembly §  ensure the despatch of all documents relevant to the congress
• be responsible for all the congress arrangements
• consult the Council on congress matters that relate to the Federation’s policies and work plans - for example, the format and content of the opening and closing ceremonies
• submit periodic reports to the General Assembly.  

 ACCO representative – ex-officio (Gerhard Muggenhuber)  

• represent the interests and proposals of the technical commissions in the Council
• co-ordinate the development of a Good Practice Report together with Vice President §  disseminate information between the Council and Commisions.