The Role of FIG

1
FIG: Federation Internationale
des Geometres
• Founded in Paris in 1878;
• Federation of national associations;
• Represents all surveying disciplines;
• UN-recognised non-government organisation (NGO);
• Its aim is to ensure that the disciplines of surveying
and all who practise them meet the needs of the
markets and communities that they serve;
• It provides an international forum for discussion and
development aiming to promote professional practice
and standards
2
Who are the members of FIG?
• Members of FIG consist of:
• Member associations
• national associations representing one or more of the disciplines of surveying;
• Affiliates
• groups of surveyors or surveying organizations undertaking professional activities but
not fulfilling the criteria for member associations;
• Corporate members
• organizations, institutions or agencies which provide commercial services related to
the profession of surveyor;
• Academic members
• organizations, institutions or agencies, which promote education or research in one or
more of the disciplines of surveying.
• An individual may be appointed as a correspondent in a country where no
association or group of surveyors exist that is eligible to join FIG as a
member.

3
The Aims of FIG
• The International Federation of Surveyors is a
United Nations-recognized non-governmental
organization whose aim is to ensure that the
disciplines of surveying and all who practice them
meet the needs of the markets and communities
they serve.
• The Federation realizes its aim by promoting the
practice of the profession and encouraging the
development of professional standards.

4
The Aims of FIG
• The objectives of FIG, as stated in its Strategic Plan are to:
1. Represent its members in international forums;
2. Develop professional standards;
3. Support the development and improvement of foundational
education and continue professional development;
4. Provide a forum for the development of policies, statements,
and strategies;
5. Evaluate and disseminate technical and professional
information;
6. Facilitate the evolution and development of the profession;
7. Form strategic alliances with relevant bodies; and
8. Promote the profession.

5
• Com 1: Professional Standards and Practice
• Com 2: Professional Education
• Com 3: Spatial Information Management
• Com 4: Hydrography
• Com 5: Positioning and Measurement
• Com 6: Engineering Surveys
• Com 7: Cadastre and Land Management
• Com 8: Spatial Planning and Development
• Com 9: Valuation and the Management of Real Estate
• Com 10: Construction Economics and Management
6
• Commission 1: Professional Standards and Practice
• Codes of ethics and guidelines relating to the provision of
services; standards of business practice and total quality
management; the operation, management and structure
of surveying practices; international legislation affecting
the profession; and the role of surveyors in public service.
• Commission 2: Professional Education
• Education and teaching methods; continuing professional
development and training; the interaction between
education, research and practice, and an encouragement
for the exchange of students and personnel between
countries.

7
• Commission 3: Spatial Information Management
• Land and geographic information systems; their design,
establishment and administration; methods used for the
collection, storage, analysis, and dissemination of, and
access to, data within those systems.
• Commission 4: Hydrography
• The marine environment; hydrographic surveying; data
processing and management; nautical charts and
bathymetric maps-analogue, digital, and electronic.

8
• Commission 5: Positioning and Measurement
• The science of measurement; acquisition of accurate,
precise, and reliable survey data related to the position,
size, and shape of the natural and artificial features of the
earth and its environment.
• Commission 6: Engineering Surveys
• Acquisition, processing, and management of topographic
and related information throughout the life cycle of a
project; setting out methods in engineering projects;
validation and quality control for civil construction and
manufacturing; deformation prediction, monitoring,
analysis, and interpretation.
9
• Commission 7: Cadastre and Land Management
• Land management and administration; cadastral reform
and multi-purpose cadastres; parcel-based land
information systems and computerization of cadastral
records; cadastral surveying and mapping; land titling,
land tenure, land law, and land registration; land
consolidation; national and international boundaries.
• Commission 8: Spatial Planning and Development
• Regional and local structure planning; urban and rural
land use planning; planning policies and environmental
improvement; urban development and implementation;
environmental impact assessment.
10
• Commission 9: Valuation and the Management of Real
Estate
• Valuation of property; property investment and development
finance; management of property; maintenance of systems to
ensure the efficient use of resources; investment planning;
advice on housing finance.
• Commission 9: Construction Economics and Management
• Construction economics, including quantity surveying, building
surveying, cost engineering and management; estimating and
tendering; commercial management including procurement,
risk management and contracts; project and program
management including planning and scheduling.

11
Mission statement - The five ”F”;
• Focus on modern technologies, technical development and
assist surveyors through guidelines and recommendations
• Facilitate and follow technical development through
collaboration with other commissions and other
international organisations
• Foster and support research and development and stimulate
new ideas.
• Formulate and formalise collaboration with manufacturers
on the improvement on instruments and associated software
• FIG Events – use these to present and promote the work of
the Commission and its working groups

12
The Role of FIG
• Professional Development
• Global forum for professional discussions and interactions through
conferences, symposia, commission working groups, …..
• Institutional Development
• Capacity building through Institutional support for educational and
professional and institutional development at national level
• Global Development
• Cooperation with the UN agencies, FAO, UN-HABITAT and World Bank, and
sister organizations through Joint Board of Geospatial Information Societies.
• Information and Communication
• Website, annual review, publications
• FIG Office
• Administration, finances, services

13
• FIG is an UN recognized NGO representing the surveying
profession in about 100 countries throughout the world.
• FIG has adopted an overall theme for the next period of
office (2007-2010) entitled “Building the Capacity”.
• This theme applies to the need for capacity building in
developing countries to meet the challenges of fighting
poverty and developing a basis for a sustainable future,
and, at the same time, capacity is needed in developed
countries to meet the challenges of the future in terms
of institutional and organizational development in the
areas of surveying and land administration.

14
• In general, FIG will strive to enhance the global
standing of the profession through both education
and practice, increase political relations both at
national and international level, help eradicating
poverty, promote democratization, and facilitate
economic, social and environmental sustainability.
• FIG can facilitate support of capacity development
in three ways:

15
• Professional development
• FIG provides a global forum for discussion and exchange of
experiences and new developments between member
countries and between individual professionals in the
broad areas of surveying and mapping, spatial information
management, and land management. This relates to the
FIG annual conferences, the FIG regional conferences, and
the work of the ten technical commissions within their
working groups and commission seminars. This global
forum offers opportunities to take part in the development
of many aspects of surveying practice and the various
disciplines including ethics, standards, education and
training, and a whole range of professional areas.
16
• Institutional development
• FIG supports building the capacity of national mapping
and cadastral agencies, national surveying associations
and survey companies to meet the challenges of the
future. FIG also provides institutional support to
individual member countries or regions with regard to
developing the basic capacity in terms of educational
programs and professional organisations. The
professional organisations must include the basic
mechanisms for professional development including
standards, ethics and professional code of conduct for
serving the clients.

17
• Global development
• FIG also provides a global forum for institutional
development through cooperation with international
NGO´s such as the United Nations Agencies (UNDP, UNEP,
FAO, HABITAT), the World Bank, and sister organisations
(GSDI, IAG, ICA, IHO, and ISPRS). The cooperation includes
a whole range of activities such as joint projects (e.g. The
Bathurst Declaration, The Aguascalientes Statement), and
joint policy making e.g. through round tables. This should
lead to joint efforts of addressing topical issues on the
international political agenda, such as reduction of
poverty and enforcement of sustainable development.

18
• FIG, this way, plays a strong role in improving the
capacity to design, build and manage surveying and
land administration systems that incorporate
sustainable land policies and efficient spatial data
infrastructures.

19