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1.
Historical Background
The consulting industry in Nepal
received new opportunities and
challenges from early-seventies
when government departments
started using private
professional to provide services
in small scale engineering
projects. Since then, though the
industry is in a continuous path
of growth, the parallel support
from the concerned quarters of
the formulation of appropriate
polices, regulations and
environment for healthy
development could not take
place.
Thus, in order to protect the
interest of consulting industry
of the country, the Society of
Consulting Architectural &
Engineering firms, Nepal (SCAEF)
was registered with the then HMG/N
on November 20, 1990 under the
collective endeavor of the
professional consulting firms.
The Government has recognized
SCAEF as the National Body on
August 15, 1996 and has designed
Ministry of Physical Planning
and Works as “Line Ministry” to
look after the interest of SCAEF
and its member firms on February
22, 2005. The Public Works
Directives (PWD), January 2002,
published by the then HMG/N
requires the consulting firms to
be registered with the
professional societies mandatory
for getting short listed to
participate in proposal
submission.
2. The
Goals
SCAEF is a non-government
organization established with
the broader goals to develop the
consulting industry in Nepal.
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by
contributing to nation
building through the
provision of skillful and
professional services.
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By
safeguarding the
professional rights,
interest, privileges and
duties of the consulting
profession.
3. The
Objectives
The objectives of SCAEF are to:
(a) encourage the development
and upliftment of the business
and professional interest of
Nepalese Consulting firms.
(b) Create a conducive
atmosphere for healthy
competition amongst consulting
firms.
(c) Create a situation conducive
to greater participation by
Nepalese Consulting in
development projects within
Nepal and abroad and lessen
Nepal’s dependence on foreign
consultants
(d) Enable small firms to render
consulting services in large
scale projects through joint
ventures, and
(e) Setup affiliation with
international societies and
associations.
4.
Eligibility for Membership
The
constitution of SCAEF has laid
the following eligibility
criteria for membership:
(a) Membership is limited to
Nepalese registered consulting
firms only.
(b) Companies operated by
employees of Government and
Government owned corporations
are not eligible for the
membership.
(c) The member shall strictly
adhere to the constitutional
provisions are the directives
given by the Executive Committee
of SCAEF.
(d) For membership with voting
rights, at least one of the
proprietors or partners or
directors of the firm shall be
graduate from a recognized
institution in the field
recognized by Nepal Engineering
Council for its membership. Such
proprietors or partners or
directors should have full time
involvement in the firm.
(e) The Consulting Firm
registered, but not matching the
criteria as mentioned in (d)
above can only be an affiliated
member with no voting rights.
5.
Activities and Achievement of
SCAEF in the Last 16 Years
Of the
several actions undertaken, the
following are some of the major
achievement made by SCAEF to
wards the development of
Consulting Services:
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A
remarkable solidarity has
been shown by the member
firms towards the
institutional and
professional development of
the society.
-
A firm
stand taken by the member
firms in protest against the
detrimental provisions in
the Financial Administrative
Regulation (FAR) used by the
then HMG/N and other
Nepalese institutions for
the procurement of the
consulting services, has led
to the amendments in the
then HMG/N’s Financial
Administration Regulations
with the following results:
» The lowest bidding system has been abolished for selection of
consultants and QCBS system
with the weightage of 80%
for technical and 20% in
general, for financial
proposal has been adopted by
the government while
evaluating the proposal.
» The abolishing of the bid bond and performance bond.
» Tax Deduction at Source of Payment has been reduced from 15% to 1.5% of
the total payable amount.
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A firm
commitment by the member
firms to render professional
and qualitative services
during the discharge of
their duties
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With
the constant effort of SCAEF,
the Government owned
consultancy firm NEPECON has
been dissolved as the
competition was not in equal
footing
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Designation of Ministry of
Physical Planning and Works
as “Line Ministry” to look
after the interest of SCAEF
and its member firms
(February 22, 2005)
Obtaining of membership and
continuation of
participation in the
international forum of FIDIC
and TCDPAP
-
Recognition of SCAEF by
various national and
international institutions
as a National Body of
Consulting Industry in Nepal
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Established link with
International Trade Center
UNCTAD/GARE (ITC) for
Technical Consultancy
Development Programme for
Asia and the Pacific (TCDPAP)
-
Persuasion in the practice
and implementation of “Code
of Conduct” prepared by
SCAEF in order to promote
ethical behavior among the
consulting firms
-
Organizing programmes like
discussions, workshops,
seminars, talk programmes
etc. are regularly held to
enlighten the importance of
consulting services
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Professional support
programmes organized in
order to enhance the
capability and
institutionalization of
consulting industry
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Following its broader goals,
SCAEF is assisting the
government and other
agencies in various
activities of national
importance, such as:
» Provision of expert advice on formulation of Terms of Reference (ToR),
general condition of
contracts and procedures for
the selection of consultants
» Contribution to the government’s efforts in preparing pertinent
national laws, by-laws,
regulations, code of
practices, standards etc.
» Contribution to the subject matters of national interest namely
formulation of development
plans, sectoral strategy,
human resources development
etc.
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Earthquake awareness
programmes are being held
through the Earthquake
Awareness cell of SCAEF in
association with NSET, which
eventually led to the
formation of National Forum
for Earthquake Safety (NFES)
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Preparation of Proposal for
the Development of
Appropriate and Supportive
Policies and Regulation for
the Development of the
Consulting Industry, as a
result, the Construction
Industry Development Act is
already prepared in draft.
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Preparation of National
Policy Paper on “Prospect
and Constrains of
Public-Private-Partnership
in Urban Waste Management”
for Government of Nepal,
2006.
6.
International Membership
SCAEF has
acquired the following
international memberships
7. SCAEF’s
Representation in Various
National Committees
The
recognition of the importance of
SCAEF has led to its
representation in the following
national committees:
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Construction Industry
Development Board (CIDB)
headed by Hon. Ministry of
Physical Planning and works
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CIDIC,
Construction Industry
Development Implementation
Committee under Ministry of
Physical Planning and Works
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Drafting of Public Works
Directives for the
Government
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Building Construction
Management Committee under
Ministry of Physical
Planning and works (MPPW)
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Nepal
national Committee,
International Commission of
Irrigation and Drainage (NENICID)
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Nepal
Standard Standardization
Committee formed under Nepal
Bureau of Standards
Construction Industry
Training Center (CITC)
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NEFS,
National Forum for
Earthquake Safety
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Standard Document & Building
Code Sub Committee for the
Construction Enterprise
Development Council under
MPPW
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Road
Maintenance Fund under the
then Ministry of Works and
Transport
8. Hosting
of National and International
Events
SCAEF has
been entrusted to host the
following National and
International Events
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International Workshops for
TCDPAP on “Consultancy in
the Next Millennium”, June
26-28, 1998 organized by
SCAEF in collaboration with
APCTT, ESCAP and ITC
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SAARC
Seminar on “Managing BoT
Infrastructure Development”,
July 28-30, 1999, jointly
organized by SCAEF, NICMAR
(India) and Nepal
Engineering College.
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Seminar on “Development of
Domestic Consulting
Services”, on various dates
jointly organized by SCAEF,
the Asian Development Bank,
Manila and Construction
Industry Training Centre
(every year)
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Seminar and Workshop on
“Role of Service Industry to
be included in the Tenth
Five Year Development Plan
of Nepal”, for National
Planning Commission of Nepal
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National seminar on
“Environmental and Quality
Management Systems” in the
ESCAP region jointly
organized with RECAST,
Nepal, the focal point of
APCIT
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Seminar on “Role of A/E
Consultants and Designers in
promoting Earthquake Safety
Initiatives”, July 2003
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Training Programme on
“Quality Management in
Consulting Services”,
jointly organized with
TCDPAP on Aug 22, 2003
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Two
Workshop on “Strengthening
Relationship with
Professional
Societies/Organization”
January 11 and December 12,
2004
9.
Training Avenue
SCAEF
jointly with Federation of
Contractors Association of Nepal
and Nepal Engineering College
has formed Construction Industry
Training Center (CITC) for
training construction related
manpower.
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