Vol. XXVI, Number 43
November 11, 2005
1015 15th Street, NW
8th Floor
Washington, DC 20005-2605
202-347-7474
Fax 202-898-0068
www.acec.org
E-mail acec@acec.org
Alan D. Crockett, Director, PR
Ann Brandstadter,
Editor/Designer

ACEC Means
Business

Next Market Forecast Series Event—U.S. Energy Association

Thursday, November 17
12:30pm–1:30pm ET
ACEC Headquarters, Washington, DC or at your desktop

Barry Worthington, executive director of the U.S. Energy Association will discuss "Bracing for the Winter: The Energy Challenge in America" at the next Market Forecast Series event on Thursday, November 17.

The price of energy affects every aspect of business. Energy prices are projected to reach all-time record highs this winter.

Worthington will discuss causes of the increases and projections for the future.

Members $109/non-members $129

Click here to register.

Project Management Books

Visit the ACEC Online Bookstore to see project management books and all of the other available titles at www.acec.org/publications.

Building Design Management
Colin Gray and Will Hughes     $47.95

Building Design Management explains the processes, roles and responsibilities of those involved in building design, and shows how to maximize efficiency.

Well-structured and easy to read, this guide is invaluable to both students and practitioners in project management.

Click here to order.

The Practical Guide to Project Management Documentation
John Rakos, Karen Dhanraj, Scott Kennedy, Laverne Fleck, Steve Jackson, James Harris     $65

The Practical Guide to Project Management Documentation provides a complete and reliable source of explanations and examples for every possible project-
related document. From the proposal, business case, and project plan, to the status report and final post-project review.

Includes a CD-ROM with Microsoft Word files, which readers can use to develop their own project documents.

Click here to order.

Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling, 8th Edition
Harold Kerzner, Ph.D.     $80

Completely revised and streamlined for course use including expanded problems and exercises.
Content refocused on the critical aspects of project management.
Supplemented by instructor packages for both academic use and corporate trainers, includes online PowerPoint presentations, student workbook, instructor's manual, and new case studies.

Click here to order.

November Online Seminars

November 15
Profit Engineering
Paul Bryant, Consultant
Click here to register.

November 16
Service-Centered Selling
Mel Lester, The Business Edge
Click here to register.

November 29
Mastering the Marketplace—How to Differentiate Your Engineering Firm
Suzanne Lowe, Expertise Marketing, Inc.
Click here to register.

November 30
Quality—Why Clients Are So Hard To Please
Robert Aan Arsdall, XL Design Professional
Click here to register.

 
Minuteman Fund Helps ACEC/Washington Defeat Gas Tax Repeal


ACEC/Washington Executive Director Bill Garrity
In a major victory for ACEC/Washington and the Minuteman Fund, voters in Washington State appear to have defeated a ballot initiative on Tuesday that would have overturned a previously adopted increase in the state's gas tax to fund needed infrastructure improvements.

The referendum, titled "Initiative 912" sought to roll back legislation signed into law earlier this year that increased the state's gas tax by 9.5 cents a gallon to help finance $8.5 billion in state transportation projects. While ballots are still being counted, it appears that Initiative 912 will be rejected by a 53 percent margin, according to Washington State election officials.

Last month, ACEC joined in ACEC/Washington's fight against the measure with a Minuteman Fund grant, recognizing that repeal of transportation funding already passed by the state legislature was a precedent that would have serious adverse implications even beyond Washington State.

“Passage of I-912 would have had a devastating effect on our firms who have invested so much to secure adequate transportation funding in our state,” said ACEC/Washington Executive Director Bill Garrity. "Engineers were the stars of this campaign. Our grass roots effort was tremendous. Engineers dominated the phone banks and we had hundreds making calls over the last two weeks. In my view that turned the tide.

“We greatly appreciate the sacrifices our membership made and the tremendous support provided by ACEC National.”

AHP Legislation Introduced In Senate


Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY)
Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY), chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, has introduced Association Health Plan (AHP) legislation that seeks to help businesses obtain affordable health insurance through national trade associations.

The Health Insurance Marketplace Modernization and Affordability Act of 2005 (S. 1955) represents the first serious effort to pass an AHP bill in the Senate in many years.

While the House has passed similar legislation on many occasions in past years, including passage of an AHP bill last July, the Senate has failed to act until now. Enzi's committee has jurisdiction over AHP and other health-related issues, and his leadership is seen as critical to moving legislation through the Senate and to conference with the House.

ACEC is one of a few national associations that offer its members the benefit of a fully-insured AHP. Senator Enzi's legislation aims to reduce the administrative burden on plans like ACEC's, and open access to firms, particularly smaller firms, in states that cannot currently participate in ACEC's AHP.

"I think it's a step in the right direction," said ACEC Life/Health Insurance Trust President Derrell Johnson. "We commend Chairman Enzi for his commitment to this issue and we look forward to working with the committee in moving this bill forward."

Engineering Leaders To Discuss Industry's Future Dec. 7-9 in San Diego


William A. Draves
ACEC is teaming up with the American Institute of Architects Continuing Education System (AIA/CES) to offer a special senior management retreat focusing on the A/E industry of the future.

The 2005/2006 North American A/E Leadership Retreat, to be held December 7-9 at the Hotel Del Coronado in San Diego, will include presentations on future changes in the technical and social world; what will be the future economic strength and growth sectors, and what issues will significantly impact the design and construction industries of the future.

The retreat will feature leading A/E/C industry futurists: William A. Draves, an internationally recognized consultant and author of the new book: Nine Shift: Work, Life and Education in the 21st Century, and Paul Chinowsky, organizer of the National Academy of Engineering's Engineer of 2020—an initiative designed to prepare today's engineers for the anticipated changes to the profession of the future.

Attendance to the A/E Leadership Retreat will be limited to the first 40 registrants, so register early. Further information is available on the ACEC homepage—www.acec.org. Click on the A/E Leadership Retreat icon at the right of the screen.

Millennium Challenge Corporation Embraces QBS; ACEC Advocacy Reaps Dividends

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has responded to ACEC's advocacy efforts by embracing QBS to procure engineering services for significant international development programs.

MCC is a government corporation established to distribute international development grants based upon a country's commitment to specific political, economic and social policies as demonstrated through quantifiable performance indicators. Agency funding will be $1.7 billion for F.Y. '06.

Since MCC's inception in January 2004, the ACEC International Committee has been working to build a relationship with the Agency, and impress upon it the importance of QBS in the selection of engineering services.

Last week, MCC posted a procurement notice for engineering services that specifically cited the Brooks Act in indicating that the procurement will be QBS under FAR Subpart 36.6. This is the second such procurement in the last two months for major engineering work.

"MCC now clearly understands that the engineering component of these infrastructure programs is fundamental and critical to their overall success, and that QBS must be employed," said ACEC International Committee Chairman Gregs Thomopulos.


Copyright © 2005 by the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC). All rights reserved. No part of this newsletter may be reproduced, stored in any form of retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, photographic, or other means without the prior written permission of ACEC.


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