COGAN Project Launched to Improve Competency in Geotechnical Analysis

NAFEMS announces the launch of the COGAN (Competency in Geotechnical Analysis) European project this month.

The main aim of this Leonardo da Vinci European Transfer of Innovation project is to follow on from the exceptional work accomplished during the CCOPPS and EASIT2 projects, but with the focus being on the geotechnical industry.

Modern geotechnical design (in common with other industry sectors) is increasingly reliant on engineering analysis. However, such techniques are barely covered in a university education and concerns persist surrounding inappropriate use of analysis tools by untrained staff, as demonstrated by benchmark studies (e.g.COST Action C7) and previous needs analyses (FENET, EASIT).

The goal is totransfer the innovative outputs from the highly successful CCOPPS project including its work-based e-Learning modules, and EASIT2 project (www.easit2.eu/) including its competency framework, to the geotechnical sector of the construction industry. With three core partners from the EASIT project involved in COGAN, it is clear that there will be further innovations transferred.

The project will be executed by a strong EU-wide partnerships all engaged in engineering analysisin the construction sector and managed by NAFEMS. The project partners include:Geofem Ltd., TERRASOLUM S.L., Mott MacDonald, Technische Universität Graz,Skanska Sverige, EnginSoft Spa and Wesi Geotecnica.

The main outcomes from COGAN - all firsts for geotechnical analysis – will include:

• An Educational Base to direct staff development, consisting of around 1000 Statements of Competence in about 15 topic areas, adapted from the EASIT Educational Base;
• A Competence Framework utilising the EASIT generic framework, built around the Educational Base, to allow formal recording of competence achievement, with links to wider professional/company competence frameworks;
• Two E-Learning Modules for work-based learning, to achieve in depth the learning outcomes in two selected core competencies, and to promote the development of further modules by training providers.

The project was launched this month and will run for two years.

To keep up-to-date on the project, please visit www.cogan.eu.com.