Introduction

I was very impressed by a recent report from the American Society of Civil Engineers entitled Achieving the Vision for Civil Engineering in 2025: A Roadmap for the Profession. That report set out a mission statement for civils as follows: ?Entrusted by society to create a sustainable world and enhance the global quality of life, civil engineers serve competently, collaboratively, and ethically as master: planners, designers, constructors, and operators of society?s economic and social engine?the built environment; stewards of the natural environment and its resources; innovators and integrators of ideas and technology across the public, private, and academic sectors; managers of risk and uncertainty caused by natural events, accidents, and other threats; and leaders in discussions and decisions shaping public environmental and infrastructure policy.? At the Ontario Centre for Engineering and Public Policy (OCEPP), we share these goals and hope they will be exemplifi ed in this journal. To that end, I am very pleased to welcome back Gail Krantzberg to these pages. A professor of civil engineering at McMaster University and director of its Dofasco Centre for Engineering and Public Policy, Gail is the driving force behind a conference to be held next April called Making the Lakes Great that will assess the impact of climate change on the Great Lakes. In her article, Gail and her collaborator, Roddi Bassermann, provide an excellent primer on the issues to be attacked at that conference. This issue also includes a fascinating exchange on the subject of global engineering. Alex Kobelak, a former PEO president, takes issue with ?A global engineer for the global Volume 2 No 1 | January 2010

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community? that appeared in our May issue by Adrian Chan and Jonathan Fishbein. We?ve also included the authors? reply. The international fl avour of this issue is also demonstrated by a young Concordia prof, Govind Gopakumar, who looks at infrastructure challenges in the developing world. Govind draws some interesting parallels to First Nations? communities in Canada and makes some thoughtful recommendations on the intersection between engineering and social development when it comes to successful infrastructure projects. In keeping with our practice of casting a spotlight on various dimensions of the public process, the last three articles provide some handy advice to engineers who want to effect change. Brian Gaston, a P.Eng. and an assistant deputy minister in the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, has some useful lessons on how to communicate to senior executives. No matter how compelling your argument may be, you risk not being heard unless you can communicate it clearly and succinctly.

In this issue:

How our energy future affects our water future By Gail Krantzberg and Roddi Bassermann . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The global engineer redux By Alexander Kobelak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Global engineering begins at home: A response to Kobelak By Jonathan Fishbein and Adrian D.C. Chan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Vol 2 No 1 | January 2010 Don Marston, that rare combination of lawyer and professional engineer, demystifi es the world of dispute resolution boards and the contributions that engineers can make. Finally, Dale Lynch and Jason Easton report on the efforts of PEO?s East Toronto Chapter to mobilize practising engineers to contribute to the policy-development process. Following on a very successful workshop in October, participants broke up into several issue-based groups to explore how engineers could become involved more actively. This model is well worth emulating in other chapters. Please don?t hesitate to share your thoughts with me (dwallace@ocepp.ca). I really enjoy hearing from you. One fi nal word: OCEPP is now on Facebook! Come visit. Just search on Ontario Centre for Engineering and Public Policy. Donald Wallace Executive Director Ontario Centre for Engineering and Public Policy Making community water and sanitation partnerships sustainable: Some lessons By Govind Gopakumar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Communicating effectively to executives By Brian Gaston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Engineers and dispute resolution boards: A sensible approach for infrastructure projects By Donald L. Marston . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Piloting a workshop on engineering and public policy engagement By Dale Lynch and Jason Easton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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