19th ASIA PACIFIC ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION TRANSPORTATION WORKING GROUP

 Brunei Darussalam,  2-6 April, 2001

STEERING COMMITTEE: HUMAN RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT 
(INCLUDING TRAINING, RESEARCH AND EDUCATION)

PROJECT GROUP ¡¥TOWARDS MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF 
TRANSPORT PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS¡¦

Review of Progress on Existing Project

Interim Report on Stage 4

(Framework for Recommended Practices)

 AUSTRALIA 

 19^TH APEC TRANSPORTATION WORKING GROUP (TPT-WG) MEETING

BRUNEI DARUSSALAM,  2-6 APRIL, 2001

Australia

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PURPOSE OF INTERIM REPORT

• To report work progress on Stage 4 of the project ¡¥Towards Mutual Recognition of Transport Professional Qualifications¡¦, being undertaken by the Ambidji Group Pty Ltd (Ambidji).

BACKGROUND

In October 2000, at the APEC Transportation Working Group meeting in Miyazaki, Japan, the project was endorsed to progress from Stage 3 to Stage 4, where Stage 4 was to produce a framework for recommended practices in mutual recognition of transport professions.

A selected tender process, managed by Australia, let to the engagement of Ambidji as the consultant for Stage 4.

Ambidji is a Melbourne-based company that provides management, consulting, systems engineering and operational services worldwide.  The company was selected on the basis of its expertise and experience relevant to the six transport professions selected for the project:

1.      railway engineers;

2.      air traffic controllers,

3.      flight (cockpit) crew; and

4.      licensed aircraft maintenance engineers;

5.      intermodal/logistics managers; and

6.      long-distance truck drivers.

Ambidji commenced work on Stage 4 work in February and is expected to deliver a draft framework on 26 March 2001.  The draft will be circulated for consideration by the project group at the TPT-WG-19 meeting in Brunei.

SCOPE OF STAGE 4 WORK

Stage 4 (as envisaged in the original project proposal) involved:

• setting up a framework for recommended practices (for mutual recognition) ¡X for APEC-wide distribution as a basis for a dialogue among professional bodies and regulatory authorities in the region, and

• developing a mechanism to facilitate recognition ¡V relating to transparency; consistency; quality assurances in accreditation and recognition systems (that is, producing a possible model for ¡¥mutual recognition arrangements¡¦).

STAGE 4 ¡V PROJECT MILESTONES

• 15 February 2001: Ambidji commenced Stage 4 work;

• 26 March 2001: Ambidji to provide the Project Steering Committee with a draft model for recommended practices for mutual recognition;

• 3 April 2001: consideration of Ambidji¡¦s work in progress by the TPT-WG-19 meeting;

• July/August 2001: Ambidji to provide the Steering Committee with a draft report;

• October 2001: the Steering Committee to submit a draft report for TPT-WG-(20) consideration;

• Late October 2001: Ambidji to finalise a draft Stage 4 report to include comments from TPT-WG-(20);

•  November 2001: Ambidji to produce a final report; and

• January 2002: Project Overseer to submit an ¡¥evaluation¡¦ report.

RECOMMENDATION

That the project group note the commencement of the project and consider the work (its direction and appropriateness) to date undertaken by Ambidji (as provided in the report submitted to members in the week prior to the TPT-WG-19 meeting).