Jim Perry running for Director - Region 9
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Jim's bio, click here. |
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| 1. In order to possibly promote increased attendance, would you be supportive of a more affordable Annual Meeting registration fee scheme for the members? |
| By international standards, the Annual Meeting already represents a very good value for money, and I would not recommend a fee decrease at this time, although I would recommend watching the economy over the next two years and attendance, and revisit this question next year and the year after. I do believe however that additional discount rate categories should be introduced including a government employee and academic rates, plus a discounted rate for attendees coming from developing countries. |
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| 2. How would you propose membership be increased in North America and internationally? |
| Again, I believe that membership is a good value for money already. However, I believe the introduction of discounted membership rates in the categories described above could help expand membership, especially internationally. |
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| 3. What do you see as the two most significant challenges facing your position and how would you address these two challenges |
Region 9, being a new and diverse geographic entity offers numerous challenges and opportunities. The biggest challenge is to build the sections both in terms of membership in the existing sections and in terms of creating new sections. A strong base from African powerhouses in South Africa and Nigeria needs to be expanded into Kenya and other rising nations where demand is growing. French speaking Africa is an area where I believe I can be of particular service. The Director of Region 9 should be working toward the creation of an eventual independent African Region. In Europe, the AACE is particularly weak at the moment. We should build on our Norwegian base to expand south into the Baltic States and Germany. Central and Eastern Europe represent a large potential market, where our certification programs should logically find fertile ground, and Turkey has to be a high priority, with potentially useful knock-on effects for Region 7. Western Europe, Central and Eastern Europe and Turkey are markets where again I believe I can be of particular service.
The second challenge is to bring along the certification training into these new and existing Region 9 markets. Working with the Approved Education Provider program is one avenue that has to be developed widely, and we need to look at adapting our materials for local application. |
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| 4. What are your thoughts on the AACE International membership category of “Emeritus”? |
| If Amendment 2 to the AACE to the Constitution & Bylaws is voted the “Emeritus Member” classification would be eliminated. In the case of the AACE, this makes sense because of the confusion with the “Honorary Life” classification, which in fact has a higher prerequisite. |
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| 5. What do you see is working right with the association today; in general or specifically? |
| The AACE has generated a fantastic program of in-depth training, conferences and publications, as exemplified by the Recommended Practices pamphlets, which are unmatched by any other organization. |
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| 6. What do you see as needing improvement with the association today; in general or specifically? |
| I have to be honest and say that I have been out of the US for 24 years, and I am not knowledgeable enough to comment on the state of the association in detail in the US. What has drawn me to the AACE however is the huge potential for growth internationally, because there are simply not enough good opportunities to study project controls in so many parts of the World. This is not a fact which is lost on the AACE, the opposite is true, but we need a bigger push to adapt ourselves to different market places and needs. |
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| 7. For the areas where you see the association needs improvement, how should they be addressed? |
| We have already begun to address the issue of “internationalization” with the first International Total Cost Management Conference in Dubai next November. A conference like this one fills a double role as an educational and marketing tool. Sections also need to be helped to organize smaller scale meetings and networks, and funds allocated for publicity in local trade publications. The development of an AEP network, discussed below, and adapting the training programs for local practices has to be structured and nurtured. |
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| 8. What value to the association does the Approved Education Provider (AEP) program provide? |
| With the high need for training internationally, this program of I suppose franchising to some degree the delivery of certification training is essential to meeting the demand. It is key to keep in mind that the concept requires the acceptance of injecting a commercial entity into our not for profit association. The upside of the AEP concept though in growing international markets, is that the commercial motive generates publicity and awareness in addition to the essential work which volunteer Section officers are doing. Of course the AACE must be vigilant in monitoring the quality of the programs, and that the selection of any AEP be made through an objective and transparent process. The Regional Director has a great responsibility in this regard, and the AACE’s reputation must always be the paramount criteria. |
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| 9. How would you propose the value of the AEP program to AACE members be increased? |
| Speaking strictly from an international point of view, regional AEPs are going to be more attractive to an AACE member from that region. If the training is adapted to his environment, and the personnel have experience in his region, clearly the process is going to be more meaningful. In most international situations, I think this is a “chicken and the egg” question. I feel it is a good AEP program which will bring members to the AACE in the first place. |
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| 10. What are your thoughts relative to the association expanding internationally, including into China? |
| Obviously as a candidate for Director of Region 9, I consider international growth the AACE’s biggest opportunity for the next generation of project controls professionals. China is not only an obvious market, but it is an open market to management education. I also work for a group called the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC), and I have seen the Chinese market respond enthusiastically to that group’s international standard forms of contracts, including the concept of Dispute Boards, and they are investing a great deal in training in this regard. There is absolutely every reason to believe our certification training would be equally well received. The AEP concept would be again key to this expansion. However, China is by far not the only exciting major market. India, Brazil and Russia, among others, also merit our concerted attention. |
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