Progress Report for the 2000 General Assembly

The FIG Task Force met twice at the Sun City Working Week and a ‘core membership’ of individuals willing to be actively involved in the work was agreed. Almost all contact since has been by email.

In summary, the following activity has taken place since the 1999 General Assembly, building on the results of the questionnaire distributed in early 1999 (and presented to the 1999 GA):

• An area of the FIGTree has been created for Task Force material;
• Links with the Central Secretariat of ISO have continued to be developed, with a further meeting in November 1999; that meeting agreed how to submit the FIG Statement on the Cadastre to ISO for formal consideration (less formal methods in 1999 having failed to achieve progress) and the Statement was sent to the ISO Secretary General in February 2000;
• We continue to be active in ISO Technical Committee (TC) 211, with experts reviewing draft documents, and FIG providing comments and offering support as TC211 considers how to promote its work;
• significant involvement in the debate on how to take forward the TC211 work item on the qualification and certification of personnel (this has also involved the FIG Task Force on Mutual Recognition), with FIG representation at the TC211 meetings in Cape Town in March 2000;
• The necessary links with other ISO TCs have been confirmed in place (TC59) or created (TC172); we have agreed with the ISO Central Secretariat that we will not seek liaison status with TC204 pending an ISO review of the TC later in 2000;
• A limited amount of work has taken place on the guide for member associations and others as to how best to become involved in the work of the standardisation bodies.

Key further activity to be completed before the 2000 Working Week in Prague is:

• Drafting the Guide for member associations and others (so that a final draft can be created by the end of the Prague week);
• Continuing to work with the International Valuation Standards Committee to see how FIG can work with them to best effect;
• Building stronger links with the Commissions, to see what elements of their work (past, present and future) have impacts for standards activity. The system of Commission representatives on the Task Force has not been particularly effective and the issue will be discussed with ACCO during the Prague Working Week.

In Prague, two papers on standards will be presented – one on the general issues and one on technical standardisation activity. The Task Force will meet to review the draft Guide, ascertain the relevant Commission material for standards, and agree a plan for 2000/01.

The Task Force is therefore making steady progress towards its objectives, although the progress has been heavily dependent on a small number of individuals within the Task Force. I also wish to recognise the excellent support provided by Markku Villikka and the staff of the FIG office.

An update of this report will be presented verbally to the 2000 General Assembly.

Mr Iain Greenway
13 Hazelbury Park
Clonee
Dublin 15
IRELAND
Tel + 353 1 802 5316
Fax + 353 1 820 4156
Email iain.greenway@btinternet.com