Annual Convention Town Hall Meeting To Tackle Engineer Shortage Town Hall Guest speaker Vivek Wadhwa of Duke University More and more member firms are having their daily operations affected as a result of the increasingly difficult task of finding enough qualified engineers to meet demand. The realities of this industry-wide dilemma, and the industry response needed to reverse the shortage, will be the focus of an important Town Hall meeting at the upcoming ACEC Annual Convention, May 6-9 in Washington, D.C. Vivek Wadhwa, of the Duke University Pratt School of Engineering, will be a guest speaker. Wadhwa, who has conducted extensive research on the engineer shortage, last year testified before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce on the importance of improving the nation's science and math curriculum, as well as ways to ensure that engineering graduates remain within the engineering profession. Easy Convention registration is available by clicking here. Register online and receive an additional five percent off the published price*. Bring two people from your firm and receive an even greater registration discount! Make your hotel reservations early by contacting the Grand Hyatt Hotel at 202-582-1234. Reference ACEC and receive the discounted room rate of $245 plus tax. ACEC's discounted room rates are available through April 17 or until the rooms in the block are gone, whichever occurs first. Further information is available by contacting meetings@acec.org or by calling 202- 347-7474 * Does not apply to 2nd member price and cannot be combined with any other discounts.

Members Encouraged To Participate In ACEC-Sponsored Benchmark QBS Study ACEC has commissioned a team from the University of Colorado and Georgia Tech to conduct important empirical research on the value of Qualifications-Based Selection (QBS). ACEC members are encouraged to participate in the study which will involve data collection on projects from throughout the nation. A website explaining the nature of the study and project information being solicited can be reached by clicking here. "This project will fill a critical need," said ACEC President Dave Raymond. "While there is a great deal of evidence on the value of QBS, there has not yet been an exhaustive, comprehensive and empirical study on it." University of Colorado Professor Paul Chinowsky and Georgia Tech University Professor Gordon Kingsley will lead the research effort. Both have extensive experience with engineering and construction industry issues. The researchers will obtain data on as many projects as possible, including life-cycle costs, client satisfaction, schedule, and the achievement of community/societal goals such as sustainability. As part of this data pool, the research team will examine examples of both horizontal and vertical projects where QBS was used, as well as projects procured through a cost-based or other non-QBS procedures. The website is designed to assure that participation in the study is quick, easy and confidential. Deadline for project nominations is March 31. Professor Chinowsky is available to answer questions about the research at paul.chinowsky@colorado.edu. Further information is also available by contacting Steve Hall, ACEC's vice president of Government Affairs at shall@acec.org or Jeffrey Beard, ACEC's vice president of Business Affairs at jbeard@acec.org.

WRDA Passes House Committee ACEC's aggressive water agenda in Congress continued this week as the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved an ACEC-backed bill to reauthorize the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). H.R. 1495 authorizes over $14 billion to fund hundreds of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects, including significant projects along the Upper Mississippi River system, the Gulf Coast and in the Everglades. The bill also includes a new peer-review requirement for projects in excess of $50 million. While ACEC has taken the position to support responsible oversight to ensure that tax dollars are being well invested in Corps projects, it opposes efforts to impose unreasonable requirements that would stand in the way of good projects moving forward. ACEC is closely reviewing the new House peer-review requirement to determine its impact. WRDA has traditionally been reauthorized on a biannual cycle, but it has not been extended since 2000 because of the debate within Congress over the need for additional project oversight.

Flawed Contractor "Reform" Bill Clears House The House passed a contractor "reform" bill this week that has drawn opposition from ACEC and numerous business groups concerned over the measure's impact on firms working for federal agencies. Sponsored by the Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), the "Accountability in Contracting Act" (HR 1362) includes a number of problematic provisions, including language that would result in the public disclosure of company audit reports that include confidential and proprietary information. The Council is an active part of a multi-association coalition working to ensure that engineering firms and other contractors are dealt with fairly in relations with federal clients. "We need to stay vigilant in the coming months, as we will likely see additional pieces of legislation come down the pike that could make it more difficult for companies that do business with the federal government," said Jay Farrar, senior vice president, CH2M Hill. ACEC's focus now turns to the Senate to slow down and defeat the Waxman bill and other related measures.

Boston Is The Site For Business of Design Consulting This Summer The Business of Design Consulting June 20–23, Boston                     28 PDHs This four-day immersion course for engineering firm executives and managers focuses on contemporary business management topics in the areas of Human Resources and Leadership, Finance and Business Management, Legal and Risk Management, Information Technology, and Marketing. The approach is practical and hands-on featuring leading practitioners who specialize in the A/E environment as the faculty. Click here for details and to register.

BIM Innovators Offer New In-Depth Course On Concept—From Potential to Pitfalls Building Information Modeling (BIM): The Promise and The Reality for A/E/C Firms June 7–8, Philadelphia                     11 PDHs ACEC's newest course offers attendees a comprehensive analysis of this new technology in an informative one-and-a-half days. Designed for COOs, IT management, project managers and company principals, the program will cover BIM as a concept, demonstrate how it is being put into practice, plus examine the potential and the risks. Click here for details and to register.

Upcoming Online Seminars Coaching for Success March 21, 1:30–3pm                     1.5 PDHs Participants will analyze the basics of a coaching relationship and gain tools to use for building strong team skills and encouraging the spirit and benefits of teamwork. Dan Ryan, The Human Capital Group, explores the practice of this important skill in new and practical ways. Click here for details and to register. Business Continuity Planning: Lead the Charge, Rally the Troops and Get Out of the Way March 28, 1:30–3pm                     1.5 PDHs Robert VanArsdall, XL Design, presents an important discussion on how to select the future owners and leaders of your company. This seminar provides up-to-date guidelines on what is and is not working in business continuity planning. Click here for details and to register. *Early registrants will receive reminder e-mail notification in advance of the event.

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