AACE International is at the top of the mountain when it comes to its technical prowess in all things related to cost engineering best practices. Strip all else away but AACE’s Recommended Practices and related technical documents, and a deep and foundation stands by which any organization can build and maintain their cost engineering function for excellence.
AACE’s technical excellence and willingness of its members to mentor this greenhorn engineer in the 1980s in how best to apply that excellence for the benefit of my career and company put me on my AACE volunteering journey. It has led me to understand why it is critical to pay it forward to following generations while improving the profession. One way I have paid it forward was to happily devote my thoughts and time into the development of AACE’s suite of recommended practices.
While I can’t hold a candle to the giants in this industry that paved the way for the Association, I think it is important for many reasons that we should all spend time providing detailed input into RP development and improvement. While my area of experience is fairly narrow in the cost and schedule areas of claims and disputes, just about every AACE RP indirectly is related. Thus, not only do I learn a lot by pointing my mind in helping draft RPs, but it continually expands my horizon on all things cost engineering.
Another key aspect of why it is important for all of us to devote significant time to RP development is that unless all different perspectives (personal and organizational) are provided, an RP becomes just a few individuals’ narrow opinion and not a consensus. I strongly urge everyone to spend just a few hours each month providing input in AACE’s Recommended Practice development. Everyone will be better for it. Most importantly, you and your family can be proud of your efforts.
AACE and its members can be justifiably proud of marking a key milestone of 100 Recommended Practices published that have become the baseline for many projects and contracts. Please join me in helping AACE develop the next 100.