Two recent events have highlighted how the International Marine Contractors Association and the Chartered Institution of Civil Engineering Surveyors (ICES) are working closely to promote the importance of hydrographic and civil engineering surveying in the marine environment and the competency of their respective members.
Under the terms of the 2014 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed by both organizations, offshore survey personnel who have completed competence portfolios based on the IMCA framework can use this as a demonstration of their competence for membership of ICES. Likewise IMCA will promote recognition of the competence of ICES members to its international offshore contractor membership where companies have competence management schemes in place based on the IMCA model.
“Working together to improve levels of competence, a vital step to ensuring there are enough trained and competent people to undertake important projects, was a major factor in the signing of the MoU. Indeed, it provides members of each of our organizations with something of a win:win situation. We are now taking things a step further,” explains IMCA’s newly appointed Technical Director, Richard Benzie (photo)
“We have recently seen two important milestones in the cementation of the IMCA:ICES relationship. On 2 September, ICES spoke about its professional qualification route for offshore surveyors at the IMCA Competence & Training Seminar in Aberdeen; and in early October an ICES representative addressed IMCA’s Offshore Survey Committee in Aberdeen. We are also exploring a number of other areas where there may be opportunities for further fruitful cooperation.”
ICES Chief Executive Officer Bill Pryke commented: “I am delighted that both organisations have already acted on our MoU. ICES has tremendous respect for the work IMCA does in promoting standards and competence in the offshore survey industry. By working together to support individuals and contractors, we can ensure all those involved in offshore survey are competent and operate within a professional environment that recognises and nurtures their skills.”
Although the MoU talks primarily about surveyors, as Richard Benzie explains, other roles covered within IMCA’s competence frameworks are not excluded. “Typical examples would be those of geophysicists and data processors. Ed Danson, a much respected offshore survey industry figure, a former member of our Offshore Survey Committee and former president of ICES, has mapped IMCA’s survey competence frameworks against the requirements for technical membership of ICES and has found a positive level of synergy between each organization’s approach to competence assessment.”
