On 21 November, the Interstate Consultants Engineers Guild held a strategic discussion in Kyiv, attended by FIDIC leaders and representatives from the Ukrainian Government, Parliament and engineering community. The discussion focused on the importance of professional engineering support, transparent pricing and digital tools in protecting communities from mistakes, losses and corruption risks.

For communities, this is an indication of the times: the quality of local project management will determine how quickly and safely the country can be rebuilt.

Why communities need a consulting engineer

 

 

Oleksandr Nepomniashchyi, President of ICEG, emphasised, ‘Engineering is not an expense, but an investment that prevents millions of losses and guarantees the quality of reconstruction.’

The participation of such specialists is an international standard. Alfredo Ingletti, President of FIDIC, confirmed that Ukrainian engineers demonstrate a high level of professionalism and play an important role in reconstruction, ‘Engineering shapes societies. It creates connections, develops economies, and safeguards well-being. Together, we are building a bright future.’

 

 

Adam Bialachowski, Vice President of FIDIC and representative of EFCA, emphasised that European companies are ready to work in Ukraine, provided the rules are transparent, ‘For European engineering companies to be present in Ukraine in the long term, there must be fair and predictable rules, transparent calculations, and good conduct on the part of all participants in the reconstruction process.’

 

When the community faces construction alone

 

Anatolii Berkuta from the Confederation of Builders described a situation that many community leaders are familiar with: school principals or chief physicians are forced to act as clients for complex projects, despite not always having the necessary expertise. This can result in legal issues and problems with regulatory authorities.

Mr Berkuta explained, ‘A consulting engineer is both a professional and a service provider. A team of specialists is behind it: some work on pricing, while others work on design solutions. This is the only way to ensure professional support from conception to commissioning.’

 

New rules: Digital transparency in pricing

 

 

Nataliia Kozlovska, Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories, presented government decisions that directly affect the work of communities:

• launch of a new electronic pricing system in the Unified State Electronic System in Construction Sector;
• creation of a Building Materials Codifier;
• launch of a ‘Market Price Database’;
• transition to an open and market-oriented model of fund management.

The Deputy Minister concluded, ‘Transparent pricing is the foundation of trust. Trust, in turn, is the basis for attracting investment. These approaches are fully consistent with FIDIC standards.’

Position of MPs: consulting engineers are standard practice, not a luxury

MP Hanna Bondar reminded the audience that, worldwide, the involvement of a consulting engineer is standard practice for ensuring efficiency and preventing corruption, ‘A consulting engineer is not a luxury. They guarantee quality, act as an independent arbitrator and filter out corruption in construction projects. Their role must be enshrined at a systemic level.’

 

Key findings for communities

 

The participants in the discussion agreed on several important points:

• High-quality engineering protects projects from financial risks, delays, and errors.
• An independent consulting engineer is one of the most effective anti-corruption tools in construction.
• Digital solutions and new pricing bring community projects up to the level of the requirements of international partners.
• Ukraine has the opportunity to develop a modern European engineering project management system, which would open up global markets.

The ICEG’s strategic meeting confirmed that consulting engineers are becoming a fundamental element of transparent, high-quality reconstruction. It also confirmed that the state, Parliament and international partners – particularly FIDIC – are ready to support the development of this institution in Ukraine.

This is a clear signal to communities: those who build professionally are trusted, supported, and financed.