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Ammon News - The International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) Business Practice Leadership Committee held a webinar to discuss the selection of engineering consultants for each project, according to a FIDIC press release.

The webinar, titled: "Evolving practices for the selection of engineering consultants," was held on Tuesday, and it saw the participation of experts and speakers from the private and public sectors, as well as international organisations.

Government Tenders Department (GTD) Director-General Mahmoud Khleifat and Arabtech Jardaneh Group Chairman Bisher Jardaneh were among the key speakers, along with representatives of FIDIC, the World Bank and a number of high-end engineering firms, the press reads.

The webinar further elaborated on the selection of the right consultant in terms of proper qualifications such as skill, experience, managerial abilities and how owners/clients need to be careful when the cost of service shifts from being a selection criterion to a discriminating factor.

Khleifat commented on the event, "The webinar comes at a time when the Jordanian government has approved the public procurement policies document and issued the Government Procurement Regulation No. 8 of 2022 based on best international standards and is currently finalising the Standard Purchase document for Technical Services."

Khleifat noted the significance of the Government Procurement Regulation No. 8 of 2022, which enhances the role of consultancy engineering offices in the implementation of government projects.

Jardaneh, in turn, said, "This webinar shed light on the importance of engineering consultants and their vital role in the success of projects, taking into consideration that choosing the most appropriate expertise leads to meeting all the needs of the owner of these projects and achieving high-quality and value for service."

He pointed out that Jordanian engineering consulting firms have a good reputation and a distinguished position on the local and international levels due to the expertise and efficiency of their human resources.

The release highlights that the webinar is one of the future events that align with 2022's objectives to promote quality- and cost-based selection in government procurement of A/E services.

The Ministry of Public Works and Housing, through the Government Tenders Department, is collaborating with partners in the Jordanian Engineers Association, the Jordanian Construction Contractors Association, the Engineering Offices Commission and the A/E Business Council to review the Standard Procurement Document for the Purchase of Technical Services in preparation for submission to the Permanent Technical Committee for Contracts and approval by the Ministerial Procurement Policies Committee.