Annual Reports
Overview
This section provides access to the activities and reports of the Technical Advisory and Outcomes Committee (TAOC), including those from previous terms.
The TAOC prepares two main reports during each ISSMGE presidential term: a Mid-Term Report, prepared halfway through the four-year term, and an End-of-Term Report, prepared at its conclusion. Both reports are based on information submitted by the ISSMGE Technical Committees (TCs) through an online survey completed directly by TC Officers on the ISSMGE website.
The questionnaire consists of approximately 20 questions covering different aspects of the TCs' activities, achievements, performance, and future plans. The information collected enables the TAOC to monitor and evaluate TC performance, identify key achievements and areas for improvement, and provide an overview of their contributions to the ISSMGE.
Below, the main activities and reports from the 2022-2026 term are presented, followed by reports and relevant documentation from previous terms.
Technical Oversight Committee 2022-2026: Summary
During the 2022-2026 term, the Technical Oversight Committee (TOC) worked closely with the ISSMGE Technical Committees to strengthen the TC network, support effective leadership, promote communication and collaboration, encourage new initiatives, and monitor TC activities and achievements.
The work of the TOC was supported by its Leadership Team, the TOC Support Team, and the ISSMGE Vice-Presidents, whose contributions facilitated communication and interaction with the Technical Committees across the different ISSMGE regions.
TOC Leadership and Support Teams during the 2022-2026 term, together with the ISSMGE Vice-Presidents who supported interaction with the Technical Committees across the different regions.
Strengthening the Technical Committee Network
An important focus during the term was strengthening the operation and governance of the Technical Committees. The Guidelines for ISSMGE Technical Committees and ISSMGE Honour Lectures were revised to clarify procedures for TC Chair elections, introduce a motion of confidence for Chairs seeking a second term, and establish clearer procedures for the selection of Honour Lecturers.
The renewal of TC leadership was actively supported throughout the term. In addition, TC207 and TC208, which were inactive at the beginning of the term, were successfully reactivated with new leadership teams, while two new Technical Committees were established: TC223 Bio-Geotechnics and TC310 Space Geotechnics.
Four new ISSMGE Honour Lectures were also approved during the term: the Scott Sloan Honour Lecture (TC103), the M2M Honour Lecture (TC105), the Sustainability in Geotechnical Engineering Honour Lecture (TC307), and the Intelligent Geotechnics Honour Lecture (TC309).
Interaction and Collaboration among Technical Committees
Strengthening interaction among TCs was another important objective. Information collected through the TC reporting process was used to map existing and planned interactions across the Technical Committee network. The resulting network provided a useful tool for identifying existing collaborations and opportunities for new interdisciplinary activities.
Interactions among ISSMGE Technical Committees during the 20222026 term. The network mapping was used to visualize existing and planned interactions and to identify opportunities for increased collaboration among TCs.
Regular TOC - TC Chairs meetings provided another mechanism for communication and collaboration. At least one meeting was organized each year, with two sessions using the same agenda to accommodate different global time zones. These meetings were used to clarify the Guidelines and operational procedures, discuss TC activities and upcoming events, share successful initiatives, and strengthen interaction between the TOC and the TCs and among the TCs themselves.
Supporting New Initiatives
The TOC introduced funding for small projects to stimulate new TC activities, encourage collaboration, and support innovative initiatives. Three projects illustrate the range of activities supported during the term:
- TC306 Geo-Education received support for an initiative connecting geotechnical engineering education with broader engineering education research, including the participation of Prof. Jennifer Case as a keynote speaker at GEE 2025 and collaboration with TC103 and TC106.
- TC308 Energy Geotechnics received support to develop an open-access GIS platform for mapping energy geotechnics projects worldwide and encouraging contributions and collaboration across several TCs.
- TC211 Ground Improvement received support for the Ground Improvement Through the Lens photography initiative, designed to broaden participation, strengthen academiaindustrypractice engagement, and increase the visibility of contributors and activities within the field.
The TOC also supported and encouraged initiatives developed directly by the TCs. Examples included the TC105 Student Video Competition, the Mark Randolph Award for outstanding PhD research in offshore geotechnics proposed by TC209, and the interdisciplinary Pre-Rankine Conference organized by TC206 in collaboration with several other Technical Committees.
ISSMGE Interactive Technical Talks
The TOC played a leading role in coordinating and supporting the ISSMGE Interactive Technical Talks (IITTs), an educational initiative bringing together early-career and renowned geotechnical engineers from academia and industry. As of July 2026, the talks had generated 27,531 video views, more than 2,500 hours of viewing time, and 2,810 new subscribers through IITT content.
Monitoring TC Activities and Supporting ISSMGE Events
TC activities were monitored through structured surveys and reporting, including mid-term and end-of-term assessments. The information collected provided an overview of TC membership, meetings, technical events, publications, Honour Lectures, collaboration, and other activities, while also helping identify areas where additional support or action was needed.
The TOC also coordinated TC participation in major ISSMGE events, including ECSMGE 2024 in Lisbon, PANAMGEO 2024 in La Serena, and the 21st ICSMGE 2026 in Vienna. This included facilitating opportunities for TC workshops, courses, meetings, technical sessions, and other activities associated with these conferences.
These activities and the experience gained during the 2022-2026 term provided the foundation for the evolution of the Technical Oversight Committee into the Technical Advisory and Outcome Committee (TAOC), with an increased emphasis on collaboration, support, and meaningful technical outcomes.
Conclusions and Outlook
The 2022-2026 term represented an important period of development and consolidation of the ISSMGE Technical Committees and their activities. Significant progress was made in strengthening communication and collaboration between the TOC and TC leadership teams, improving monitoring and reporting procedures, and supporting initiatives that contribute to the advancement and dissemination of geotechnical knowledge.
Initiatives such as the regular TOCTC Chairs meetings, the Small Projects Initiative, and the mid-term and end-of-term reporting processes proved valuable in promoting engagement, sharing experiences, and supporting the activities of the TCs.
The experience gained during this term also highlighted opportunities to further strengthen the contributions of Technical Committees. While conferences, workshops, lectures, publications, and other activities remain essential to the ISSMGE mission, greater attention could be given to the tangible outcomes and longer-term impact generated through these activities.
Building on these achievements, the 2026-2030 term introduces an enhanced emphasis on supporting TCs in translating their activities into meaningful and lasting outcomes. This evolution is reflected in the transition from the Technical Oversight Committee (TOC) to the Technical Advisory and Outcomes Committee (TAOC), emphasizing a more collaborative and supportive approach to helping TCs maximize their contributions to ISSMGE, the geotechnical profession, and society.
TOC Final Report 2022-2026
A more comprehensive description of the activities, initiatives, and outcomes of the Technical Oversight Committee during the 2022-2026 term is provided in the Final Report:
Technical Oversight Committee (TOC) Final Report 2022-2026
Technical Oversight Committee 2017-2021: Summary
Introduction and Composition
Professor Pierre Delage served as Chair of the Technical Oversight Committee (TOC) for two consecutive terms: 20132017, under ISSMGE President Roger Frank, and 20172021, under President Charles Ng.
This section focuses on the second term (20172021), during which the TOC was composed of the Chair and the Vice-Presidents representing the six ISSMGE regions:
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Africa: Etienne Marcelin Kana (CTGA Comité Transnational des Géotechniciens dAfrique)
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Asia: Eun-Chul Shin (Korea)
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Australasia: Philipp Robbins (New Zealand), succeeding Gavin Alexander, who passed away in 2020
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Europe: Mario Manassero (Italy)
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North America: Timothy Newson (Canada)
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South America: Alejo Sfriso (Argentina)
The objective of this structure was to strengthen regional involvement in the oversight of Technical Committees (TCs), with the Vice-Presidents following more closely the activities of TCs within their respective regions. However, the report acknowledged that this arrangement did not fully achieve its intended objectives.
Main Activities and Achievements
1. Creation of New Technical Committees
Five new Technical Committees were established during the 20172021 term, expanding the scope of ISSMGE activities into emerging and increasingly important areas of geotechnical engineering:
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TC309 Machine Learning (2017): Proposed and chaired by Dr. Zhongqiang Liu (NGI).
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TC219 System Performance (2019): Proposed and chaired by Prof. Gang Zheng (Tianjin University, China).
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TC220 Field Monitoring in Geomechanics (2019): Proposed and chaired by Dr. Andrew Ridley (Geo-Observations).
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TC221 Tailings and Mine Waste (2020): Established following discussions within the ISSMGE Board, with the support of Vice-President Alejo Sfriso, and chaired by Prof. Ramon Verdugo (Universidad de Chile).
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TC222 Geotechnical BIM and Digital Twins (2021): Chaired by Magnus Rømoen (NGI).
These new TCs were considered successful additions, broadening the technical and scientific areas covered by ISSMGE.
2. Revision of the Guidelines for Technical Committees (2019)
An important achievement was the revision of the Guidelines for ISSMGE Technical Committees and ISSMGE Honour Lectures in November 2019. The revisions introduced several measures intended to improve TC organization, participation, and effectiveness, including:
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Establishing an eight-year term for TC members, renewable for four additional years subject to demonstrated active participation and approval.
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Allowing TC Chairs to propose the replacement of inactive members.
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Introducing a two-year probationary period for newly established TCs.
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Encouraging greater international diversity among TC officers.
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Clarifying organizational requirements for ISSMGE Honour Lectures.
These changes aimed to strengthen TC governance, encourage active membership, and improve the international character of the committees.
3. Monitoring and Evaluation of TC Activities
The TOC continued monitoring TC performance through an activity assessment system covering several aspects of their work, including:
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Regular TC meetings and member engagement.
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Organization of specialized conferences and technical events.
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Maintenance of updated TC websites.
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Contributions to ISSMGE Honour Lectures, Bright Spark Lectures, workshops, publications, and other initiatives.
The assessment helped identify highly active TCs as well as committees requiring additional support or organizational changes.
Particular attention was given to encouraging regular meetings, strengthening communication among members, and promoting the dissemination of technical knowledge.
4. Changes in TC Leadership and Organization
The TOC worked with the ISSMGE Board to address organizational difficulties and improve the performance of selected committees.
Leadership changes were implemented in several TCs, including TC206 (Interactive Design), TC214 (Soft Soils), and TC107, which was renamed Tropical Residual Soils. Some of these changes resulted in renewed activity.
Conversely, TC207 (Soil-Structure Interaction and Retaining Structures) was discontinued following persistent difficulties in achieving satisfactory activity levels.
The TOC also promoted transparent procedures for selecting new TC Chairs, including open calls for candidates and voting by TC members.
Main Conclusions and Recommendations
The report emphasized the fundamental role of Technical Committees in advancing the scientific and technical objectives of ISSMGE.
A central conclusion was that the success of a TC depends strongly on the motivation, leadership, and commitment of its Chair, together with the active participation of its members.
Although many TCs demonstrated significant achievements in organizing conferences and disseminating technical knowledge, the report identified opportunities for improvement, particularly in developing technical guidelines and recommendations, strengthening engagement with industry, and ensuring broader dissemination of knowledge throughout the ISSMGE membership.
The report also highlighted the importance of regular monitoring, effective leadership transitions, and maintaining an active and internationally representative TC membership.
These observations and recommendations provided valuable guidance for subsequent TOC activities and efforts to strengthen the effectiveness and contributions of ISSMGE Technical Committees.
Full Report
Report of the Technical Oversight Committee for the Term 2017-2021