An Engine for Change - A Chronicle of the Engineering Council

1996-1998: THE RUDGE YEARS 141was in their interests to back us. The Government indicated a willingness to part-fund thecampaign and that was the position when I left the EngC. Afterwards the campaign was puton hold for lack of resources but I still feel both that it was essential in the long term and thatthe EngC needed to give a lead.“It was interesting to watch the transformation of attitudes of members of the InstitutionCouncils after becoming Engineering Council Senators. Their hostility usually lasted only afew months until they realised both the enormous efforts made by the EngC to accommodatethe wishes of the Institutions and the ‘no-win’ response. Virtually without exception, theyradically changed their views but this was of little help as their parent Institutions then sawthem as having ‘gone native’.“The Council itself suffered from a number of fundamental weaknesses. Although theelection process following the Fairclough Initiative was overtly democratic, most voters hadlittle idea for whom they were voting and the result was that not all members had theappropriate weight. Others who had the required experience and personality were not alwaysprepared to submit themselves to a democratic process. Sadly, too, some who arrived byother routes, e.g. Government nomination, and who had all the qualifications including greatachievements in the engineering world, also found it difficult to make much of a contribution.Enormous importance thus fell on the Chairman himself who carried disproportionate weight.I was immensely fortunate during my time as Director-General that the Chairman, Dr AlanRudge, was never found wanting in providing the leadership, shouldering the burden ordisplaying the wisdom to find a way through the maze.“As far as the internal arrangements in the Council are concerned, my view was always that itwas well served by dedicated and able staff. Areas such as WISE, the YEB Competition andthe Environment Award for Engineers were run on an absolute shoestring and yet producedsome of the most excellent events and publicity the Profession ever had.“The policing of the Profession through the Institution certification and licensing programmewas meticulously carried out. Despite it being largely a matter of peer review, there wasplenty of scope for mighty Institutions to regard the process as demeaning. Small Institutionson the other hand could have felt threatened by being unreasonably asked for efforts beyondtheir resources. The EngC nevertheless consistently avoided these twin dangers, much to thecredit of the BER staff involved.“The Engineering Council Examination remained a wonder and an enormous credit to theCouncil for its high standards and with a tiny staff the consistently successful setting andadministration on a worldwide basis.“The financial reporting and discipline were completely reorganised to operate to the highestcommercial standards. The EngC was recognised as an Investor in People and its internalommunications were revolutionised by a comprehensive and all-embracing intra-net thatwent a substantial way towards cutting the paper load.”The Fourth Director GeneralMike Heath served as Director General until June 1998 and was succeeded by MalcolmShirley BSc CEng FIMarE who had enjoyed a primarily naval career. He had served as an© Engineering Council UK 2004