infrastructure development challenges for young professionals? 22 november 2013 didibhuku wellington...
TRANSCRIPT
Infrastructure
Development Challenges for Young
Professionals?
22 November 2013
Didibhuku Wellington Thwala
Department of Construction Management and Quantity Surveying
BACKGROUND
• Infrastructure facilities has long been viewed by both researchers and policy makers as a key ingredient for economic development.
• Africa ranks consistently as the bottom continent in terms of infrastructure performance; and
• Numerous studies all point to deficient infrastructure as a major obstacle for growth and poverty reduction across the African continent
BACKGROUND • Infrastructure affects the
• national economy,
• standard of living,
• health,
• welfare,
• safety and
• prosperity of any nation.
BACKGROUND
• Over the last four decades, academic research has devoted considerable effort to theoretical and empirical analyses of the contribution of infrastructure development to growth and productivity
• Besides, increasing attention has been paid to the impact of infrastructure on poverty and inequality
Introduction
• The concept of sustainability was originally devised in forestry, where it means never harvesting more than what the forest yields in new growth
• First used with this meaning in early 1713
Sustainability Concept?
• The concept of sustainability and the closely related concept of sustainable development were inspired by the widespread belief that the current pattern of human activity cannot be sustained for very much longer
• The concept assumes that there can be future design of society in which environmental degradation and extremes of social inequity are avoided on an on-going basis
What is Sustainability?
• For this reason, various groups have created definitions areas such as:
• Sustainability and sustainable development• Sustainable community and society• Sustainable business and production• Sustainable agriculture• Sustainable leadership• Sustainable systems amongst others
Application of sustainability
• Economic application• Ecological definition• Political definition• Community and society• Business and production• Sustainability in agriculture
The four principles
• The elimination of poverty, especially in the Third World, is necessary not just on human grounds but as an environmental issue
• The first World must reduce its consumption of resources and production of waste
The four principles
• Global cooperation on environmental issue is no longer a soft option
• Changes towards sustainability can occur only with community-based approaches that take local cultures seriously
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The key elementskey elements of effective teamwork
o A performance focuso Working togethero Member contributionso Normso Roles
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• Goals & objectives
• Commitment• Clear roles• Delegated power• Accountability• Recognition &
reward• Clear direction
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PRE-CONDITIONS FOR SUCCESS
• EDUCATION MUST BE A PRIORITY???????????
• EXTENSIVE TRAINING:????????????
• Mentoring
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PRE-CONDITIONS FOR SUCCESS
• GOOD PRELIMINARY ANALYTICAL WORK
• PILOT PROJECTS MUST BE UNDERTAKEN
• STRONG INSTITUTIONS WITH GOOD MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS: YET FLEXIBLE
• LONG-TERM POLITICAL AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT• Need more Construction Project Managers and
Construction Managers
Conclusion
I CAN ACCEPT FAILURE. EVERYONE FAILS AT SOMETHING.
BUT I CAN’T ACCEPT NOT TRYING.
MICHAEL JORDAN