International niche for Global Solutions in Public Works Alexandra Pastor Graduate Student School of Graduate and Continuing Studies, Master of Public Administration Program Norwich University, Northfield, Vermont
orld demographics have changed significantly since the end of World War II when the first humanitarian assistance programs were developed and aid issued to nations undergoing post-war reconstruction. Several decades later, programs such as the US Agency for International Development (USAID) came into existence providing funding for economic development projects in underdeveloped nations, encouraging self-determination and poverty relief, and raising the standard of living. The advent of information technology has enhanced our understanding of humanitarian needs throughout the world. Such information exchange has uncovered new business opportunities and furthered economic development. Despite these advances in fostering a worldwide economy, there are complex economic, social and environmental dynamics widening the gap between the haves and have-nots. As a result, aid programs have become prevalent. Today international, national and grassroots organizations address acute humanitarian crises resulting from localized war, natural disaster and disease outbreak; and attend to humanitarian needs on an ongoing basis, such as providing adequate food supplies, housing, sanitation, potable water and health care; AIDs relief; education; and teaching sustainable agricultural and business practices, capacity building and transparent government. 22 APWA Reporter
June 2012
As part of my graduate work at Norwich University, I had the opportunity to research whether or not there was an international opportunity for APWA. By reviewing what humanitarian services other international organizations are providing in the field, what funding options are available and their attainability, and where infrastructural and educational support is needed, I set out to determine where APWA’s Global Solutions in Public Works program could be applied and would be most successful. I discovered abundant, up-to-date literature on this topic and identified partnership opportunities awaiting pursuit. A central coordinating nongovernmental organization (NGO), like APWA, with infrastructure expertise would find significant demand for collaborative projects. As an international NGO, APWA would be in the unique position of raising awareness in the global community about the critical role public works fulfills in community-building. By forging global partnerships for humanitarianism, Global Solutions has a tremendous opportunity to provide consultation, the exchange of ideas, and education in the area of infrastructure. APWA’s membership would have the opportunity not only to share ideas, but also to work with others in addressing the complex challenges so common in underdeveloped nations. APWA represents excellence in infrastructure on a number of
fronts, including emergency management, utility management, and transportation. Partnerships for information exchange would result in importing foreign specialization and applying it to like scenarios in the United States and exporting U.S. methodologies that could find relevancy for application abroad. Given the indiscriminate impact of climate change and the social responsibility tied to improving quality of life in general, a transjurisdictional approach to sustainable development through international collaboration and cultural exchange is timely. Public works officials today, by definition, have a wide-lens view of public services and see sustainable community development as a concerted effort to harmonize adequate standards of living within a social, environmental, and economic context. Public works officials are masters of administration, operations, management, maintenance, logistics and engineering. Because of such specialization and the global movement toward sustainable communities in an era of finite resources, Global Solutions is a vehicle through which APWA can strategically position the public works community to facilitate humanitarian services. Outlined below are a number of recommendations APWA staff and the APWA International Affairs Committee should consider developing.
Fact-finding and further research Because there is extensive debate
