Capacity Building

ASCE in cooperation with the American Association of Engineering Societies (AAES) and its member societies are working to provide engineering services in the third world in the following forms: professional volunteers, institutional support, establishment of standards, and providing academic resources. This work is part of a greater cooperative effort: - Engineering for a Better World. The US Department of State, World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO), and AAES are collaborating on this program with the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Engineering for a Better World was created in response to the US rejoining UNESCO, and a challenge from the United Nations to have science and technology play a greater role in development.

ASCE is supporting the initiative under the auspices of the AAES through the World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO).  Currently AAES chairs the WFEO Committee on Capacity Building.  

Capacity building has been defined as"...the building of human, institutional, and infrastructure capacity to help societies develop secure, stable and sustainable economies, governments and other institutions through mentoring, training, education, physical projects, the infusion of financial and other resources, and most importantly, the motivation and inspiration of people to improve their lives."

With this role comes a wide range of responsibilities, one of which is to mobilize cooperation amongst engineering societies around the world. In collaboration with Volunteers for Prosperity and USAID, AAES is working towards a partnership that will make available volunteer engineers from firms, government agencies, and academia, to be sent around the world to assist with capacity building.

ASCE and AAES, through its member societies, have access to hundreds of thousands of engineers across the United States (and millions around the world). These engineers come from many disciplines and can provide practical support, advisory services, training and education.

Opportunities for engineer involvement exist for Agricultural Engineers (Food Production, Food Processing, Farming Technology, Soil Maintenance); Civil Engineers (Infrastructure Development, Urban Planning, Water Supply, Homes, Sanitation, Roads, Bridges, Buildings, Public Works Agencies, Structures, Watershed Management, Land Planning); Electrical/Computer Engineers (Energy, Communication, Computer Technologies, Information Technology Capacity, Electrical Systems); Environmental Engineers (Pollution Controls, Regulation of Environment, Safe Energy Consumption); Industrial Engineers (Infrastructure Support, Logistics Planning, Improving Productivity); Mechanical Engineers (Energy, Machinery, Water Pumping Stations); and Medical/Bio Engineers (Discovering Potential Threats, Testing Environment for Disease).

Afghanistan Reconstruction Project - Call for Engineering Firm Mentors

This is a call for expressions of interest by US-based engineering firms and members of their senior staff to become mentors for principals of fledgling private engineering firms in Afghanistan, securing roles in the reconstruction effort which will be a robust marketplace for many years. Please contact ASCE staff: Mike Sanio - msanio@asce.org   703-295-6116.

In the aftermath of the war on the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan, the US Government committed to the re-establishing of governmental structures and physical infrastructure for the new Afghanistan. ASCE has partnered with the Society of Afghan Engineers (SAE), a Virginia-based 501 (c) (3) not-for-profit organization, established in 1993 for the purpose of providing opportunities for the Afghan Diaspora in the engineering profession to participate in the reconstruction of Afghanistan and the rehabilitation of its engineering capability. This partnership has developed a US Trade and Development Agency grant funded project which in November 2006 resulted in a contract between Kabul University (representing the Afghan Government) and ASCE to Provide Technical Assistance Services for Professional Engineering Capacity Building.

This project, consistent with ASCE’s mission and member interests, will provide training in the formation and growth of engineering consultancies, collaboration with Kabul University and other Afghan technical universities in creating professional development centers (including professional societies) for the design and construction professions and business incubators for private sector strengthening, opportunities for US-based firms to mentor fledgling Afghan engineering firms toward developing partnerships to participate in Afghanistan’s reconstruction, and some specific elements to encourage and facilitate needed improvements in the education and training; licensing and development, of future engineers and technicians. As a companion objective, the project is expected to facilitate communication between US professional societies and the design and construction professions in Afghanistan with the expectation of establishing sustaining, supportive relationships.