|
|
Professional Associations |
|
 |
Criteria.
Documentation of the R. Biasca’s membership in associations in his field, which require achievements of their members, as judged by recognized national and international experts in their disciplines or fields.
In this web site chapter, I will demonstrate that I belong to relevant professional associations, which require achievements to obtain the membership and that I have been officer elected by peers in some of them. On the other hand, I have made relevant contributions to some societies. Some professional associations that require little more than experience in the profession and payment of membership fees are mentioned to demonstrate activities in the fields related to the specialization.
A. MEMBERSHIPS AND THE OCCUPATION FIELD.
There is a particular emphasis in the fact that the memberships should be to organizations related to management consulting. As noted earlier (see Specialization chapter), there is a confusion about my education/specialization/occupation.
In Argentina for example, there is no organization dedicated to management consultants or no certification process for management consultants.
B. ELITE INTERNATIONAL ENGINEERING ASSOCIATIONS
This topic was partially covered in the Prizes chapter.
- International Engineering Academies. Argentine Academy of Engineering. www.acadning.org.ar .
Member of CAETS (International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences), www.caets.org
The Argentine Academy of Engineering, as some other academies in the world (like the Chinese Academy or the Italian Academy) are institutions composed by the most distinguished professionals in the country. The Argentine Academy has less than 40 full members, of different engineering specialties. A few other members (known as corresponding members) exist and normally live in other countries. Today, only three members have background in Industrial Engineering and Management. The screening process is thorough and rigorous. To be elected for that institution is the ultimate award a person can reach in the country; admission is like to obtain a Nobel Prize at the local level. The Government, judges, universities and different organizations take the advice of the Academy as the ultimate word or decision.
Candidates are fully investigated and all aspects of the person and professional achievements are considered.
Please, do not compare this academy to the US Academy because there are some differences, although both organizations are members of CAETS.
I joined this institution in year 2000. See a letter from the President and a photo of the ceremony in www.biasca.com/ingles/academies/argentine_academy_of_engineering.html
Further information can be found in the English section of the web site www.acadning.org.ar/ENGLISH.htm
- International Engineering Academies. Pan American Academy of Engineering,
API (www.apingenieria.org/indexen.htm).
I was designated as a Charter Member in 2002. API is the first professional international institution in the engineering field that gathers individual engineers from different countries (in this case America, including US and Canada), that are chosen by peers through a rigorous selection process. At the present moment, there are 59 (10 from the US, 10 from Brazil, 15 from Mexico, 6 from Argentina and the rest from other countries). I am one of the six Argentine members. The organization has also some special kind of members (called Corresponding Members that play a different role, with fewer obligations). See a letter from the President in
www.biasca.com/ingles/academies/pan_american_academy_of_engineering.html
C. ARGENTINE INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING ASSOCIATIONS
- Argentine Council for Industrial Engineers. Elected Officer, www.cpi.org.ar .
This organization is an independent institution that belongs to the Argentine Government and was created in 1944. It regulates the industrial engineering profession in legal matters, and is usually consulted by local and federal government. The Council determines what professional is a Certified Industrial Engineer. Industrial engineers that work in certain activities should be certified by this council that has jurisdiction in Buenos Aires and, for certain matters, in the whole country. The institution also awards very few awards to recognize contributions to the IE profession and judges ethical conflicts. It has also secondary activities such as professional conferences. I received the Council Publications Award in 1991, an award dedicated to Argentine Industrial engineers (members or not of the Council, living in any place of Argentina or the world) that had published relevant contributions to the profession.
I have worked as Certified Industrial Engineer (number 1536) between 1968 and 2002, and I have been a Council officer for ten years in three different terms. Officers are elected by its peers in free elections for a term of four years. Once they are elected, officers choose between themselves who is going to be the President, Vice-president, etc. Those terms were:
 1984-1986 (officer)
1986-1990 (Vice-president in the period 1986-1988)
1994-1998 (Secretary in the period 1994-1996).
D. CONSULTING ASSOCIATIONS
Example. I belong to the Alliance of Professional Consultants, Denver, Colorado, USA. www.apconsultants.org/default.asp
After arriving to the US, I passed the certification process to be considered a “Professional Consultant”. See Membership Criteria in www.apconsultants.org/joinapc.asp
E. ACTIVITY and PROJECTS in ENGINEERING, BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION AND ECONOMIC ASSOCIATIONS
I have been member of different professional societies related to my field of specialization. Memberships to these societies require certain qualifications and payment of professional dues.
However some examples are mentioned to show that my role has been active in some of them.
- US Engineering Organizations.
American Institute of Industrial Engineers, www.iienet.org
This is the largest professional society in the IE profession in the world, if the members’ amount is taken into consideration. I have been member during the last 30 years and have contributed to the creation of the Argentina Chapter and others. The following evidence is available: three membership certificates, a plaque for the service as President, and five bronze awards. The web site dedicated to the Argentina Chapter can be seen in www.biasca.org
Another example is the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. I have a Member certificate mand the certificate as Certified manufacturing Engineer, by the Computer and Automated System Association.
- Business Administration Associations. Present memberships.
At the present moment, I am member of:
American Academy of Management (www.aomonline.org),
The Society for Advancement of Management,
The Minnesota Council for Quality.
- Management and Economics Societies. Some past memberships.
There were various past memberships, like the
The American Management Association,
The American Purchasing Society,
American Society for Quality Control,
The American Economic Association, .
- Management Societies. Some important roles.
Example: APICS (formerly the American Production and Inventory Control Society, now the Educational Society for Resource Management; www.apics.org/default.htm ). I have a letter and a certificate that indicates that I have been Coordinator/Representative for all South American countries in the 1970’s.
F. ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
Only a few and quite different examples are mentioned.
- Alumni Associations. Fulbright Program.
Hubert H. Humphrey North-South Fellowship Program. www.iie.org/pgms/hhh .
The program was established in 1978 and it is still active. Created by the US Government, it is included in the activities of the Fulbright Program. The Institute of International Education runs the administration of the program, which is financed by Federal Funds. It was established for distinguished middle-career professionals and I was in the first group (1979) and the only Fellow from Argentina. After finishing the program, I had an active role in the formation of the H.H.Humphrey Fellows in Argentina and I have been officer in Argentine Fulbright Alummni Association some years ago. As part of the efforts to develop creative projects, in October-November, 1988, I was one of the coordinators of an Argentine Executive Mission, sponsored by USIA (United States Information Agency) that visited companies, international organizations, universities and governmental agencies.
- Other memberships.
An example of present memberships that are useful for the management consultant role is the World Trade Center. http://www.wtcdn.com.
|
|