THE ETHIOPIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERS AND ARCHITECTS SOCIATION (ECEAA)

Challenges, Opportunities & Accountability of the Ethiopian

Consulting Engineers & Architects Association (ECEAA)

THE ETHIOPIAN CONSULTING ENGINEERS AND ARCHITECTS

SOCIATION (ECEAA)

• Outline of the presentation1. Background on ECEAA1.1 Statutes & Objectives1.2 Code of Professional Ethics & Rules of Professional

Conduct1.3 Membership of ECEAA

2. Existing situation of ECEAA3. Challenges & Opportunities4. Consultants’ Accountability5. The way Forward

Background of ECEAA

Statutes:• ECEAA was established in December, 1999• Registered under the new rules of Societies and Association AgencyObjectives:• To provide reliable and complete consultancy services to customers • To work towards securing reputable consultancy services• To promote consultancy services to the Consulting Engineers and Architects• To cause the existence , strength, review and observance of the code of Ethics & Rules of Professional Conduct of the consultancy services of the Consulting Engineers & Architects

Background of ECEAAPowers and duties

Consultants’ Role in the Growth of the Construction Industry

• To Cause Strengthening of the quality &

reliability of consultancy services• To cause issuing and reviewing of the Code of

Ethics & Rules of Professional Conduct, • To Cause promoting the horizon of the services, • To Exert all effort toward strengthening the

ECEAA members cooperation, relationship and integrity

• To Cause organizing meetings, conferences, workshops, seminars,

Background on ECEAAPowers and duties (cont’d)

• To cause submitting ECEAA’s constructive contribution in creating conducive operating environment for the consulting engineers and architects services,

• To liaise with relevant stakeholders in order to ensure the legitimacy of the consulting engineers and architects services and the powers and duties of the ECEAA,

• To Create and develop working relationship with other sister associations,

• To arrange favorable condition for members of the ECEAA when engaged to work abroad,


ECEAA Code of Professional Ethics & Rules of Professional Conduct

• ECEAA has established the code of professional ethics & Rules of Professional conduct for its members since August 2000;

• ECEAA Services require : Honesty, Impartiality, Fairness, Integrity, Competence, Equality and Dedication to the growth of the Construction Industry.

• ECEAA Members shall perform under a standard of professionalism requiring adherence of high principles of ethical conduct to serve the public, clients and the profession


ECEAA Membership

Membership is open to all consultantsi) Road Consultantsii) Architectural Firmsiii) Water Consultantsiv) Sanitary and Mechanical Consultantsv) Electrical Consultants

Members pay membership fee – annually Members have to accept the code of

professional ethics and rules of Professional Conduct

ECEAA Members Classification


Category

CAT1

CAT 2

CAT 3

CAT 4

CAT 5

CAT 6

Total

ECEAA Members

7 2 31 10 3 53

% 14 4 58 19 5 100

Existing Situations of the Construction Industry

• The construction sector in Ethiopia is growing and taking on an increasingly significant role in the development of the Ethiopian economy.

• Construction of roads, buildings, and development projects in the education and health sector, hydropower, irrigation, dams, agro-industries and agricultural activities are being undertaken all over the country.

Existing Situations…… (cont’d)

Major current Construction Sector programs:• Road Sector Development programs by ERA

and the Regional Road Authorities • The different Universities and higher

education facilities being constructed all over the country

• Urban Housing Construction projects being undertaken by MoUD and Construction

• The 2000 km long railway currently being designed by local Consultants

Existing Situations (cont’d) Services Rendered by Consultants Road Sector – Clients are government bodies

like ERA, and Regional Road Authorities• Feasibility Studies,• Environmental and Social Impact Assessment• Detail Engineering Design Services,• Design Review and supervision services,• Supervision Services• Consultancy in the design/build services with

contractors and clients.

Existing Situations……(cont’d)

• Building SectorClients are: i) Public/Government bodies

ii) Private individualsiii) Others

• Water Sector Clients are i) Ministry of Water Resources and

Energy ii) Non governmental

organizationsiii) Regional water resources

bureau

Road Sector --Performances and growth of Consultancy Services during RSDP I, II& III (13 yrs)

• Out of 434 projects carried out in the past 13 years of RSDPs 64% were by local consultants with growth as follows

• RSDP I ---- 63 projects by local consultants 52 projects by foreign consultants

• RSDP II ----138 projects by local consultants 65 projects by foreign consultants

• RSDP III --- 79 projects by locals 38 projects by foreign


Road Sector -Performances and growth(cont’d)

According to ERAConsultancy fees for the above projects

were 1.6 billion Birr where as the value of the works contract was 21.3 billion.

Average consultancy fee 7% of the total project cost The fees are high because of foreign consultants.

Presently for local consultants Average design fee -- about 1 %

Avg. supervision fee – less than 3%

RSDP IV Potential Over a period of the coming 5 years, ERA’s

RSDP IV plan is expected to accomplish• Rehabilitation of trunk roads……………… 728 km• Upgrading of trunk roads ……………………1089 km• Upgrading of link roads……………………….3934

km• Construction of link roads …………………..4331 km• Periodic maintenance of roads…………….4700 km These figures do not include those carried out by

Regional Road Authorities and Woredas.


Total Projected demand in Billions ETB

Under the RSDP IV Program.

The estimated cost for the Road Sector works in the five year GTP is around 125 Billion Birr

Challenges of ECEAA

The general state of the domestic construction industry in Ethiopia is characterized by :

• According to the Licenses and Registration office renewed licenses for the current year include about 102 Highway and Bridge Consultants (HBC) and Consulting Architects and Engineers (CAE) with grades ranging from 1 to 5

• According to ERA in its recent introduction of RSDP IV the number of consultants participating in the road sector is 25 with a plan to increase their number to 50.

• IS IT POSSIBLE TO DO SO?

Challenges of ECEAA (cont’d)

To obtain licenses it is required to have the following professionals for the different categories and grades of consultants.

The question is are there sufficient number of professionals for 50 Consulting Firms.

Professionals needed in Licensing of Consultants

Highway and Bridge Consultants

Type of Professional Gr.1 Gr.2

Gr.3 Gr.4 Gr.5

Gr.6

Prac. Prof. Highway Engr.

1 1 1 1 1

Prof. Location Engr. 1 -

Prof Road Engineer 1 -

Prof Material Engr. 2 1 1 1 1

Prof. Geologist 1 1

Prof Photogrammetrist 2 1

Prof. Bridge Engr. 2 1 1

Prof. Road Constr. Engr.

1 1

LICENSING REQUIREMENTS

Grade 1-5 Consultants needPracticing Professional Highway Engineer Professional Material Engineer

Grade 1-3 Consultants need additional Professional Bridge Engineer Professional Photogrammetrist (required for

Gr. 1&2)

Challenges of ECEAA

• Shortage of Qualified Professionals and lack of commitment,

• Deficiencies in technical, managerial, financial and entrepreneurial skills,

• Limited experiences and participation in road and bridge works, or provision of related consulting services.

• Low Service fees & absence of minimum fee rates

• Difficulties in managing design or supervision assignments due to the shortage of experienced engineers/or staff leaving before the end of a project without valid reasons

• Inadequate availability of referencesTopographic maps, EMA maps are more

than 60 years old.Geological Maps,Soil and Geotechnical related information• Lack of modern equipment & instrument in

the local market,• Lack of investment incentive(duty free

privileges ) for consultants to import the necessary 4x4 field vehicles, laboratory & surveying equipments, software and computers, instruments and publications.

• Lack of comprehensive capacity building interventions for the Consulting Industry

Challenges of ECEAA Client – Consultant Relationship is aggravated

by Lack of professionalism Shortage of qualified Staff Unreasonably low priceConsultant – Contractor Relationship Not healthy Not professional and Unethical

Evaluation of Consultants by ERA (Will be dealt with later)

ECEAA Opportunities Growing market in the construction sector –

roads, building, water , power telecom Growing market share of National consulting

Engineers in the consulting business Development of the construction sector policy. Development of encouraging private-public

Dialogue and partnership with the stakeholders, Development of the special consultative

meetings of ECEAA with ERA to design common working procedures and streamline issues arising in the implementation of projects

Improving enabling environment in the construction sector.

Consultants AccountabilityBrief Notes on ERA’s Proposal on

Consultants’ accountability

ERA is saying that Consultants should be accountable for their performances and out put in areas of :- i) Surveying works,

ii) Estimation of quantities,iii) Poor Quality of designiv) Improper Contract Documents

Consultants Accountability (cont’d)ERA is making consulting firms and professionals

accountable for their inadequate design and supervision and the costly output as a result.

ERA requires from Consultants risk free designs,ERA requires no errors in surveying works and ,Requires Consultants to be custodians of GPS and

BMs until construction begins.ERA requires earthwork quantities, structures, and

other BoQ items to be worked out accurately. No increases or decreases of quantities are accepted

– No safety factor or “ No Factor of Ignorance is allowed.”

Consultants Accountability (cont’d)ERA requires water tight contract documents, ERA requires designs to have no cost overrunERA requires designs not to result in extensions

of contract time.

If a consultant commits any of the above errors ERA is proposing punitive measures that will bar

consultants and professionals from participating in the sector for as much as 1 - 3 years.

Consultants Accountability (cont’d)What do Consultants think about “ the

Proposal on Accountability”Consultants say there can not be a 100%

problem or error free design.Consultants can not be responsible for the

well being of survey GPS and BMs monuments after completion of designs.

Consultants say major factor in producing designs with problems is INSUFFICIENT TIME given for designs

Lack of feeling of partnership b/n ERA & Consultants

Lack of healthy communication b/n ERA & Consultants

Consultants Accountability (cont’d)

Steps showing wherethe punishment isInitiated and where It is getting approval.

Starts at project Counterpart desk and goes up to the DG.

• Consultants are not in the picture and hence seems no chance of defending themselves or their work.

Director

Director General

DDG Engineering

Director Regions

Project Counterpart

The way forward

Collaborate with government & development agencies in designing a comprehensive and practical capacity building scheme for the development of the Domestic Construction Industry (DCI)

Creating various opportunities for the development of ECEAA members through training, diversification and networking

Be provided on – the – job training and advisory services to the consultant Engineers(CE) involved in the multi-year construction – capacity building program.

● Actively engage in public-private Dialogue for addressing ECEAA issues and constraints by taking advantages of the conducive atmosphere created.

Strengthen consultative committee of ERA and ECEAA to discuss in detail the accountability issues. WE ARE READY.


Thank you for your attention !!!!