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For over 50 years, NAFA Fleet Management Association has challenged itself to be the preeminent source of fleet education, information, networking, and advocacy for the entire fleet profession. While NAFA’s primary mission, during this period of time, has largely focused on the United States and Canada, the Association is now looking to extend its reach across the globe.
“Many countries are active in fleet management, but none appear to have a harmonized approach to fleet management education,” said NAFA President Gayle Pratt. “By expanding overseas, we hope to harmonize terminology and methodologies and enable fleets to truly report global fleet operations.”
NAFA is seeking a qualified resource to develop, promote, and deliver an instructor-led, introductory-level fleet management seminar in venues outside the continental United States and Canada. The seminar will be based on NAFA’s highly successful Fleet Management Seminar and use NAFA-approved materials, terminologies, and recommended practices. A Request for Proposal may be downloaded from NAFA’s official website. Bids will be accepted until October 31, 2008.
“With this request for proposals facilitated by the NAFA Foundation, NAFA hopes to partner with one or more companies who find a good business case for meeting the fleet management education demand,” explained NAFA Senior Vice President Chris Amos, CAFM. “NAFA is offering its full range of education resources which are proven in the United States and Canada as well as a diverse group of experienced fleet managers to review or develop new materials. The major disciplines and core competencies of professional fleet management are universal. Many best practices are as well, though the impact of laws, regulations, regional economics, and culture create variation in many others. Using NAFA seminar materials as the foundation, partners would customize and augment the curriculum and deliver presentations where sufficient demand exists to make seminars profitable.”
NAFA has long been well respected for its educational programs. The Association offers the most popular and significant fleet management certification, the Certified Automotive Fleet Manager (CAFM) program and runs educational seminars throughout the United States and Canada.
“NAFA’s Fleet Management Seminar is widely and universally acknowledged as the best source of basic fleet instruction, so it makes sense that this is the first tool we use to reach those broader markets,” said Phillip E. Russo, CAE, NAFA’s Executive Director. “The goal of the RFP is to deliver the best fleet education to as many fleet professionals as possible, while firmly establishing NAFA as the source of that education. This is the first concerted, coordinated and long-term effort that NAFA has launched and one that we hope will be the start of a more prominent presence for NAFA outside North America. We are not limiting ourselves to one location or even one partner. We can easily envision working with several partners who help us deliver the FMS simultaneously to Europe, Asia, South America, and anywhere else there is a market.”
According to Pratt, NAFA has identified certain regions that show an excellent opportunity for professional fleet management education and several fleet professionals have approached NAFA, on their own, regarding the prospect of holding a fleet management seminar in their part of the world. Moving beyond the United States and Canada would further enhance NAFA’s reputation as the premier resource for fleet management education and fleet knowledge.
For more information, please contact NAFA Foundation President Jim Anselmi at jimscmc[.]bellsouth.net or (336) 621-1000.
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gwien[.]nafa.org 
