FIG Young Surveyors Network

Work Plan 2015-2018

TERMS OF REFERENCE

FIG is the International Federation of Surveyors (Fédération Internationale des Géomètres). It is an international, non-governmental organisation (NGO) whose purpose is to support international collaboration for the progress of surveying in all fields and applications. The FIG YSN is established under its umbrella to address the interests of Young Surveyors worldwide. The definition of a Surveyor can be found on the FIG Webpage:
www.fig.net/about/general/definition/index.asp

Based on this definition Young Surveyors and Young Surveying Professionals are defined as:

Young Surveyors (YS)

Surveyors aged 35 years or under
Students of surveying and all related studies Young Surveying Professionals (YSP)
Young Professionals of surveying and all related studies within 10 years of graduation from a Bachelor or Masters degree

AGENT OF CHANGE

Surveyors of Tomorrow - it is us who gonna make a difference in the world! With an estimated 70% of undocumented land worldwide, increasing effects of climate change, increasing population growth and increasing conflicts over the limited resource of land we are facing several challenges - but, and this is the exciting part of it, we have the tools, we have the technology and we have the knowledge. It is time to get our feet on the ground. It is the era of change and we can be that change. It is the era of digital developments which leads to changes in the methods of data collection. With the growing use of UAVs, affordable and manageable use of laserscanning, the improvements and global all time availability of GNSS, satellite and aerial imagery for spatial units identification and the increasing accuracy in a second step, data collection gets faster, cheaper and more easy applicable. Through data harmonisation the data collected can be scaled up and combined for different areas of application. The management of this data and understanding of the required accuracy and quality is essential. By embracing new approaches and initiatives like e.g. the Fit for purpose approach and other initiatives lead by UN Bodies, NGOs and business partners, surveyors can make a difference.

We are the next generation, the surveyors of tomorrow, together with the FIG Council and its Commissions, UN-Bodies, NGOs and businesses.

In our Working Groups and Mission Statements we introduce how we inspire and empower the Young Surveyors to be those agents of change!

WORKING GROUPS

The FIG Young Surveyors Network operates through its Working Groups on developing capacity and relevant tools in the key area defined through the Mission Statements and current FIG presidents theme:

‘Ensuring the Rapid Response to Change, Ensuring the Surveyor of Tomorrow’ - through developing a suite of toolkits for Young Surveyors world wide. So, ways for Young Surveyors and Young Professionals are outlined to engage with FIG, FIG commissions, FIG members and partners.

The mission statements will be achieved through 5 Working Groups develop toolkits for each. Those toolkits should encourage and facilitate resilience in our profession through collecting ideas and suggestions for the use and further development by Young Surveyors world wide. The toolkits can be seen as an interactive checklist and as a solid basis to start from. They can be seen as ‘work in progress’ as they should be developed further and adapted to the regional context. With the toolkits developed over the 4 year term period we would like to inspire, encourage and sustain the work all Young Surveyors are doing.

MISSION STATEMENT

Explore the needs of Young Surveyors worldwide
Inspire and Empower Young Surveyors to be the Surveyor of Tomorrow - to be the agent of Change
Lift the Young Surveyors Network to the next level that fits the needs and the purpose of the Network
Ensure the involvement of YS in each of the 10 FIG Commissions
Ensure that Young Surveyors are well represented at national and international platforms
Link Young Surveyors with their national surveying associations and FIG Commissions
Work in partnerships and Organise events, workshops, trainings and meetings together with all FIG members
Prepare Young Surveyors for their future roles through mentoring and trainings
Increase the awareness of FIG and the FIG YSN through social media
Facilitate a worldwide YSN through Fostering and Supporting the establishment of regional YSN

WORKING GROUP - SOCIAL MEDIA

Our ‘ding’ is to give you the tools and knowledge on how you can pimp up your professional life through networking and using social media as a powerful source of inspiration and communication. It’s about being inspired and inspire others through sharing. The FIG YSN is well represented on various social media platforms as you can see below:

FIG Young Surveyors

FIG Young
Surveyors Network

Fig_young

Those platforms and the Young Surveyors participating are increasing rapidly. With more than 5000 members in the Facebook group, 750 followers on Twitter and 1100 professionals following the LinkedIn group it is more lively and vibrant.

Working Group Projects:

Coordination of the various platforms, Collect and Share relevant information
Raise awareness on ‘How to Use Social Media for Your Professional Development’ during Young Surveyor events
Collect the input gained from those events and Develop a toolkit on ‘How to pimp up your professional career through the use of Social Media’

WORKING GROUP - EVENTS

Working together that’s what we do and that’s what we aim for. One of the most important part of all the activities is the lively presence of Young Surveyor s dur ing FIG and FIG partner events. Young Surveyor Meetings, conferences and activities during these events are mostly organised by Young Surveyors in cooperation with the hosting association or partner. For each of the FIG events there is one local Young Surveyor responsible, provided through the national member association, to be the link between the local organising committee and the FIG Young Surveyors Network.

Specific Working Group Project:

Develop a toolkit on ‘How to organise events’
Extend co-operation with national associations, other host associations and FIG Commissions
Organise events in co-operation with FIG Commissions and FIG member associations
Work together with national and international sponsors

WORKING GROUP - MENTORING

Since our start in 2006 we work in close cooperation with passionate surveyors. They help us to establish the network of today. To continue tomorrow we would like to strengthen the bridge between the professionals and the ‘rookies’ of the profession. Mentoring is one way to ensure that knowledge is passed on to the next generation of Surveyors. There is one sustainable way in inspiring young people through remembering what we are passionate about in our profession as well as showing opportunities and giving them responsibilities. Challenges everybody has to face in a career can be guided through the help of a colleague, good friend and mentor. Therefore the aim is to create a database of people who would like to be a mentor and YSs who would like to be a Mentee. The next step is to link the experienced professionals with the ‘rookies’. How the mentoring succeed is the responsibility of yourself but the FIG Young Surveyors Network can help and support with the first step.

Specific Working Group Projects:

Identify mentors and mentee at international, regional, national and FIG Commission level
Organise mentor sessions during the Young Surveyors Event
Develop a toolkit with careers tips and tricks

WORKING GROUP - PARTNERSHIPS

The FIG YSN worked in close co-operation with FIG Commissions to organize workshops, trainings and meetings. We are also working closely with other FIG members and partners. As in the past there has been events organised with NGO’s such as UN-Habi tat GLTN, UN GGIM, CLGE etc. Also the Young Surveyors Network is supported and sponsored to host meetings and workshops by FIG Corporate members and organisations.

The aim is to enlarge and expand those partnerships and co-operations with other NGOs and businesses as well as universities and so create an international platform of exchange.

The events provide valuable knowledge, skills and expertise to the Young Surveyors and Young Professionals. Within this working group the co-operation with these partners will be further strengthened.

In the following the partnerships with the commissions, the national associations, the NGO’s and the business are further elaborated.

...with 10 FIG Commissions and FIG Foundation

During this term it is our mission to involve the Young Surveyors more in each of the 10 FIG Commissions. It is important that Surveyors from all generations contribute to the work of FIG. Together with the Commissions and the FIG Foundation we make sure that the Young Surveyors are well represented and become active members. Young Surveyors are encouraged and supported in taking a dedicated and specific role in each Commission.

During the Young Surveyors Conferences and Meetings the Commissions have to be well represented and included in the program. Either in person or through a presentation by a representative of the Commission. On the other hand Young Surveyors will also be supported in taking part and taking and active role in the Commission meetings and session during FIG Working Weeks and Congresses - taking place approximately once a year. Also during FIG Working Weeks and Congresses it will be ensured that Young Surveyors can take part in the traditional Commission dinners. Also Young Surveyors are encouraged to apply for grants and scholarships provided by the FIG Foundation. So we work together with the FIG Commission and the FIG Foundation to build a sustainable future for the profession. Within the partnership we explore together with the FIG Commissions and the FIG Foundation how we can work together and make sure Young Surveyors are not just well represented but active.

Specific Working Group Projects:

Extend the co-operation with the 10 FIG Commission and FIG Foundation
Ensure each Commission has at least 1 Young Surveyor representative
Ensure that Young Surveyors contribute and participate to the Commission Meetings
Involve FIG Commission and FIG Foundation in Young Surveyors events

...with Regional and National associations

Regional and National Associations have an important role in the promotion and involvement of Young Surveyors. The FIG Young Surveyors Network emphasis the need of this involvement and work together with regional and national associations on awareness raising and on how to best address Young Surveyors and get them involved.

Partnerships with regional and National associations are of great importance not just for individual Young Surveyors but also for the Network in general. Through partnering with e.g. CLGE we establish a Young Surveyor Representative Role on the Executive Board and through partnering with e.g. DVW and BDVI from Germany a European Meeting for Young Surveyors has been organised. During this term we strive to raise more awareness and support together with Regional and National associations to involve Young Surveyors in their boards, commissions and activities.

Specific Working Group Projects:

Raise awareness about the National and Regional associations in the FIG Young Surveyors Network
Raise awareness about the FIG Young Surveyors Network in the National and Regional associations
Develop an overview of Young Surveyors involved in their national and regional associations
Develop an overview of best practices of co-operations between National, Regional associations and the FIG Young Surveyors Network

...with Non-Governmental Organisation

Through the last years partnering with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) became a key area of FIG and the FIG Young Surveyors Network. Together with UN-Habitat GLTN we organised various Social Tenure Domain Model (STDM) Trainings of Trainers and Workshops. This partnership lead to a worldwide recognition and so also other NGOs are keen to partner more with FIG and for us especially with FIG YSN. We would like to foster these partnerships and would like to provide local Young Surveyor Ambassadors for regions in which various NGOs would like to pilot projects. We are keen to learn through partnering with various NGOs on how we can make a change in this generation. At the same time through working together we are showing that surveyors are not just able to be that change but also want to be that change and so the profession in general is benefiting.

So far identified NGOs we are already working together or would like to work together:
UN-Habitat GLTN, UN-GGIM, World Bank, FAO, Namati, Slum Shack Dwellers International

Specific Working Group Projects:

Continue conducting Trainings, Workshops, Conferences and Meetings together with FIG and FIG related NGOs
Participate in Trainings, Workshops, Conferences and Meetings and actively take part in drafting statements and outcomes of those
Foster the partnerships already established and extend those

...with Corporate Members

FIGs Corporate Members support and sponsor the FIG YSN for various events and participation in business days. This is a great honor and shows us that our work is also recognized by business partners. Our profession is technology driven and we, as engineers, are passionate about the newest technology.

It is imperative to work closely together with businesses to ensure all Young Surveyors are getting informed on what's new and what the latest trends are. Benefiting both, businesses and YS is the attendance and participation in User Days. YS who would like to present on their current work, projects or research are encouraged and if possible supported to do so. Also we would like to foster the engagement of Young Surveyors in business events through active involvement of them. So participation fees can be reduced and Young Surveyors get the chance to experience those events through a different angle.

For each event the FIG YSN is organising we offer various Sponsor packages mostly also including presentations and direct involvement in Workshops during the program. As an international Network we are also aware of our responsibility to ensure that business are keeping interested in supporting our activities.

Specific Working Group Projects:

Ensure the FIG Young Surveyors Network is working closely together with businesses and FIG Corporate members
Ensure that sponsors and supporters are satisfied with its representation during sponsored and supported events
Foster and extend the partnership with business and FIG Corporate members

WORKING GROUP - POLICY ISSUES

Our Network is quite ‘young’ and in having the 3rd term of a FIG Young Surveyors chair it is our duty to work together with FIG on introducing some policy issues. We would like to review the election process and the terms for the 4th and future chairs of the FIG YSN together with the FIG Council and all FIG members.

Our proposal is to establish equal and fair election processes, starting in the FIG Working Week 2016 in Christchurch, New Zealand. The chair-elect will take over the position of the Vice-chair of Administration for a 2 year term. So it is ensured that the Network can continue its valuable and sustainable work with the best prepared future chair.

The aim of this Working Group is also to have a look at general policy issues and terms used. It will also investigate if there are ways to improve the link with each commission.

Specific Working Group Projects:

Work on a proposal for an election process for the upcoming chair position
Review the terms of the FIG YSN
Propose ways to firmly strengthen the link between the YSN and the commissions
Develop a toolkit based on the projects above