www.www.buonovino.com

[roark.sol1]

Dear All,

I think there are already may fronts open like ECI, CEAI, AICTE etc. on the
WHO aspect of the licensing procedure. But the problem I have, is that they
seem to be going on & on & on & on & on........(oh I forgot, it is the usual
"In Thing" in India), Well then let them go on & on & on & on & on......

There has been a lot of discussion till now, now its time to put the issue
on its head & turn it upside down and do something about it. Here goes.....

We have 500+ members in SEFI. There is a healthy mix of academicians, young
turks, grandfathers & students. We can tap this resource to create, what I
can coin as an "Internet based Voluntary Accreditation Program (call it
eVAP)" by SEFI.

The very basics are something like this. We can form a blue ribbon group (I
hate the word committee, as they tend to go on & on...), who can design this
Program. Any member interested in going thru this program (that is why it is
called Voluntary), can download the test material and submit it back via
email within a prescribed time frame (that is why it is called Internet
based), which can then be evaluated by the blue ribbon group & some rating
(信用)的响应。成员的哈ve taken this Program,
along with their credits are then permanently displayed on the web site.
These credits can become something like a credit-rating-system used for
banks & limited companies, and may start having an impact on the profession
and the market forces. We can have a trial run with a particular field of
structural engineering, say building design (maximum practitioners in this
field, and maximum need for accreditation is also for this field)

Now this is a very basic sketch of an idea, which can be developed quickly
thru an interactive discussion group specially set up for this at SEFI. And
within a week we can be ready with a framework.

But now for the big catch...

Uptill now whatever SEFI has been able to do, is totally on a voluntary
basis (both the finances needed for the web space, web traffic, page design,
programming etc. and the efforts and the time for organizing things,
searching the web for useful links, page contents, correspondence, and so
on) by its team
comprising of just 5 people, all in different cities.

SEFI cannot take up this project without finances. There will be some
expenses involved in this exercise and some fee may be levied to cover the
examination costs.

So as a first test, if you feel that your answer to all of the 4 points
given below is in YES, please send a blank email toevap@www.buonovino.com

1) this idea can work and will have a valid and positive impact in our
profession,
2) and thus ready to participate in the discussion for formulating the
sketch to its final framework.
3) and ready to pay for taking the accreditation. (Let us estimate it to be
Rs 2,500/- for the present)
4) and be satisfied (and not crib) about the credit you received

Since in the first trial run we need to have a critical mass to be able to
start it off, if by the end of the next week (April 6, 2003) we can get 150+
responses, we are ON.

Well so much for dreaming, now I will wait for the brickbats (this is India
remember).

Regards

Pankaj Gupta

Posted via Email

[mishramk at hotmail.com]

Pankaj Gupta wrote-

[roark.sol1]

Dear Mishra,

Firstly let me say that you have pointed out a very valid point in relation
to the proposed eVAP, and I wholly agree with you that the website should
only list the names of the accreditated participants and not their grades or
credits.

Secondly what I want to say is that you should realize that what I presented
was an IDEA and not what is GOING TO BE DONE or SHOULD BE DONE. As I had
also suggested in my email, it will take some time to frame things up, and
等SEFI可以建立半岛软件下载一个讨论组this one for that
discussion to set up the philosophy, logistics, selection of the blue ribbon
group, evaluation procedures etc. But that is only when we get a good
response for the idea initially, otherwise it would be a waste of time for
us all, if there is not enough enthusiasm or participation in formulating
the framework. It is not something we would want to do all by ourselves on
an adhoc basis.

Again I must also say you were very right with voicing this concern, and
this may be the reason that the response to eVAP has not been upto the
expectation. My expectations on the response were based upon the demand for
the same by so many in this econference...TO DO SOMETHING ...which led me to
try out to do something. But it seems that people only like to talk, and
urge everybody else (besides themselves) to do something, but when it comes
for them to do anything their first response is always to back out under any
pretext. This is a sad fact in our country & I think the ONLY reason for the
sad state of this country (and not only our profession).

Well, since the idea has already been tossed, and there has been at least
some positive response (onevap@www.buonovino.com), even if it is not upto the
expectation, we will wait and see till April 6, and then decide to go ahead
or shelve the idea.

Regards

Pankaj Gupta

Posted via Email