An Engine for Change - A Chronicle of the Engineering Council

228A CHRONICLE OF THE ENGINEERING COUNCILcontinuous change and understanding of the issues involved, albeit their kindness andthoughtfulness during my recovery from a heart attack was tremendous.John Waters IEngCouncil MemberInitially outstanding progress was made with co-operation with many associated institutions.I was involved with the following:CET publications:Engineers & Risk issues:Engineers & The Environment:Career Break video:A Call to ActionCET - A National System for Engineering(a consultative document)CET National Pilot Scheme.Management & Business Skills for Engineers.Code of Practice.Guidelines on Risk Issues.Code of Professional PracticeGuidelines on Environmental IssuesThe Other HalfThe publications and issues listed above all met with significant success.Career Break progress was limited as the Government, at that time, gave less focus than thecurrent Government to these issues. At that time the Engineering Council was regarded asone of the leading organisations on Career Break Issues. Much of the research data is stillrelevant.Bernard DawkinsSometime CET/CPD ExecutiveAt the beginning of my appointment, I realised that the first hour of each day was spent inreplying to letters of complaint from various institutions, mostly in connection withregistration. Most of them had some justification. It was clear that the relations with theInstitutions in this area could be improved, so I also set a target to try to achieve animprovement. This proved to be timely because of the ‘unification’ initiative of Sir JohnFairclough.As far as the structure of the Engineering Council is concerned, I achieved my main objectiveof improving a particular aspect of the relationship between the EngC and the Institutions.This was the move to introduce Quality Assurance of the procedures within each Institutionfor assessment for registration, coupled with more comprehensive guidance from the Councilfor each section of the register. This was not without pain, but the complaints subsequentlyfell dramatically. The whole structure was changed with the creation of the new Council, butthe new structure incorporates the quality assurance system that was introduced.Professor Keith FosterDirector Engineering Profession 1990-95I joined specifically to help produce and launch the Code on Risk and was determined thatdespite the doubts and in some cases quite severe opposition from the professionalInstitutions that this overarching statement of good practice should be promulgated under theauspices of the Engineering Council. When this had been achieved and using what I had© Engineering Council UK 2004