people were present to benefit from it. The management board reflected on this and it has been decided there will be no London Conference in 2018 and a separate announcement will be made about the AGM.
One of the new innovations, successfully launched this year, was the roll out of semi-regular IIMS online seminars using the Zoom platform. Over 130 delegates have joined the various 90 minute presentations. As well as taking the live feed, delegates receive a copy of the presentation and a video made of it too. Watch out for more online seminars coming in 2018. It is a great way to learn and be involved without having to leave your desk!
Committee involvement
Time has come for the process of succession planning to take place and a refresh of the make-up of the various committees. Age catches up with us all eventually and to ensure a seamless transfer in the mid-term, this is being addressed now. I welcome expressions of interest from any member who feels they might like to contribute to the Professional Assessment and/ or Education Committees. We also need some new members on the IIMS management board in a non- executive capacity. These roles are not onerous and are on a voluntary basis, although travel expenses are reimbursed should you need to attend any face to face meetings. If this would interest you, then make contact with head office.
The Marine Surveying Academy (MSA) surges onwards
If you had told me three years ago that IIMS and MSA would be playing a leading role and making a significant difference in two distinct and highly important areas of the marine sector, I would have not believed you. But the simple fact is that the work we are doing in the areas of superyacht coatings inspections and the accreditation of inspectors working in the offshore auditing arena has put us at the very heart of these sectors.
Hilary Excell is the Business Manager, responsible for the growth and development of MSA and this has been a buoyant year. After a slow start, the Registered Marine Coatings Inspectors (RMCI) programme has sprung into life later in the year. Over 100 coatings experts have now achieved the qualification and been through the course and examination. Leading consultancies such as Wrede and CCS have put their teams through the programme. Increasingly now, the superyacht yards and builders are insisting on only qualified RMCI being allowed to do the inspections.
The other area of operation is the eCMD Accredited Vessel Inspector programme which we run on behalf of the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA). From humble and quite slow beginnings, this programme has gained significant momentum. This year we had the opportunity to meet many of those enrolled in the scheme at the inaugural eCMID AVI seminar in Amsterdam in April, followed by another gathering in Singapore. Over 400 have now come forward to be assessed and over 350 have gained the accreditation. This is of particular relevance as from 1 January 2018, IMCA is closing out
28 | The Report • December 2017 • Issue 82
those who are not recognised by accreditation and these people will not be able to enter details on to the new eCMID database. Inevitably we expected an upturn in interest and demand and so it has proved. A flood of applications for accreditation has been received in the last quarter of 2017. There will certainly be some challenges for us to manage in the coming weeks as this deadline looms and then becomes a reality. There are new guidance notes to prepare, new CPD to devise and new content added to the
ecmidvesselinspectors.com web site. 2018 promises to be a very full on and eventful year for Hilary and her new team, not least as we evaluate several other similar accreditation courses that we may bring to market in due course.
And finally my personal thanks
There are simply far too many people to name individually, but there are many people who contribute to the success of the organisation, many unsung heroes amongst them. My thanks to my colleagues who have stood by me throughout the year. I am also appreciative of those who have written for The Report Magazine and given freely of their time to present at the various seminars and training events around the world for your benefit. I also say thank you to the various Committee Chairmen and committee members, Regional Directors and the various international branch secretariats. And finally I want to thank the management board for their continued support.
I wish you all the best for the festive period and may you have a prosperous year in 2018.
Mike Schwarz Chief Executive Officer
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