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

What is Sustainability?

What is Sustainability?

Application of sustainability

• Economic application• Ecological definition• Political definition• Community and society• Business and production• Sustainability in agriculture

Dimensions of sustainability

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

What can be done YP?

CHANGE OF MINDSET?

EFFICIENT USE OF RESOURCES

Competency?

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OVERALLOBJECTIVES

INDIVIDUAL OR DIVERSE OBJECTIVES

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o Structure needs to be considered while strategy is still being developed- emergent approach

Structure

Strategy Systems

Style

Staff

Skills

Shared Values

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The key elementskey elements of effective teamwork

o A performance focuso Working togethero Member contributionso Normso Roles

04/21/23 20

• 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

Conclusion

“DON’T BE AFRAID TO GIVE UP THE GOOD,

TO GO FOR THE GREAT”

 

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER

Thank you

For listening