FIDIC Future Leaders ... leading the way A FIDIC Conference Booklet prepared by the FLC
September 2021
Contents Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 2 Foreword from Future Leaders Council Chair ........................................................................................ 3 Foreword from Future Leaders Booklet Sub-Committee Chair ............................................................. 3 Presenting Authors ................................................................................................................................ 4 Project Management under COVID-19 Pandemic, Practices in Dhaka MRT Development Project in Bangladesh ............................................................................................................................................. 5 Engineer of records: use of IT solutions in the management and maintenance of mining structures .. 7 Engineering the Future: The profile of the Modern Engineer .............................................................. 10 Recognised Authors ............................................................................................................................. 12 Building Back Better Post Pandemic - Sustainable Infrastructure, Efficient Spending, and Innovative Engineering .......................................................................................................................................... 13 Megaprojects as a tool for recovery after the pandemic - Panacea or a Bad idea? .............................. 2 One Page Strategic Plan for Your Business ............................................................................................ 5 Navigating The Void – Skills Growth without a Syllabus ........................................................................ 8 2020-21 Reflection............................................................................................................................... 11 A reflection of what COVID-19 has taught us....................................................................................... 12 About FIDIC .......................................................................................................................................... 15
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Introduction
The FIDIC Future Leaders Council (FLC) was established to bring together a group of professionals under the age of 40 years and is appointed by the FIDIC Board to advise the Federation on a number of activities and operations. The primary functions are to: •
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Identify opportunities and promote the interests of Future Leaders to create greater opportunities for them to contribute, develop and succeed within FIDIC, in the industry and towards external stakeholders. Create targeted activities for Future Leaders to increase the exposure and opportunities for Future Leaders. Advise the FIDIC Board and Secretariat on all aspects of Future Leaders in the Consulting Engineering industry.
The FLC provides opportunities for future leaders to participate actively in FIDIC with their peers and to develop as the next generation of leaders in the consulting engineering and wider infrastructure sector This publication forms part of this remit, it is important that future leaders’ voices are heard if the industry is to move towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Net Zero and even beyond. The contributions in this report do not only explore the issues currently faced by future leaders but also considers the issues that the next generation of future leaders may face.
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Foreword from Future Leaders Council Chair I am pleased that the Future Leaders Council (FLC) are represented strongly at the conference through the Future Leaders Symposium and this publication. Covid-19 has dramatically changed what we do as professionals and as consulting engineers. The FIDIC Global Infrastructure Conference theme “Investing in future infrastructure – Governance and leadership in a post-pandemic world” addresses issues that are close to our hearts as future leaders and as professionals.
Adam Bialachowski Chair - FIDIC Future Leaders Council
For the fifth year in a row, the FIDIC Future Leaders Council is glad to issue this annual publication to share thoughts, ideas, priorities, diversity, and efforts, through different articles from all over the world. I hope that you enjoy reading this publication and find it interesting and thought provoking.
Foreword from Future Leaders Booklet Sub-Committee Chair In just 2 years, Covid-19 spread worldwide, but its effects will be with us for potentially years to come as individuals were forced to change their lives to the new normal. It is important to look forward and to a way out of this Pandemic or as a minimum, try to find new ways to deal with Covid-19 in day-to-day life. To date, approaches, it’s fair to say, have been responsive and effectively are trial and error. In this Future Leaders Booklet, we can see the Future Leaders’ trials and their passion for the way forward. There are wide ranging and widely useful ideas that can be applied to most businesses regardless of pandemic. Masao Yamakawa FIDIC Future Leaders Council, Booklet Committee
This 5th edition of FIDIC’s Future Leaders booklet offers suggestions to provide resilience and adapt to the pandemic and helps develop how we can step up to the challenges ahead as an industry of consulting engineers. Lastly, I would like to show my great appreciation to the FIDIC Secretariat for their support for this publication and for the future leaders´ programmes.
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Presenting Authors
Acknowledging that the past year has been challenging for everyone, the FIDIC Future Leaders Council wanted to provide a platform for future leaders in the consulting engineering industry to share, reflect and come forward with new ideas or challenges. Having experienced life in the “new normal”, we invited Future Leaders to reflect on the challenges and benefits that have emerged. It is important that as a sector and as a society, individuals look forward to the opportunities in the V-U-C-A (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) world despite how it impacts consulting engineering, infrastructure development, attraction, retention, and development of Future Leaders. For this, the FLC selected, as presenters, the authors whose articles better reflect the above principles. Given the challenges we face it is important that industry shares and communicates thoughts, experiences, and ideas by individuals using their unique experiences.
Authors: Yasuaki Wadasaki, P.E. (Jp), Japan Anderson Soares de Freitas, Brazil Mariana Prysthon Moraes, Brazil Neelam Parbhoo, South Africa
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Project Management under COVID-19 Pandemic, Practices in Dhaka MRT Development Project in Bangladesh Yasuaki Wadasaki, P.E. (Jp), Japan Yasuaki Wadasaki is a railway engineer of Nippon Koei Co., Ltd., one of the biggest consulting firms in Japan. Since joining Nippon Koei in 2017, he has been engaged in many railway projects in developing countries including Asia and Latin America. Currently, he is working as a railway engineer on the logistic master plan project in Central American countries and the urban railway development project in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
1. Dhaka MRT Line-5 (Northern Route) Project Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, has suffered from severe traffic congestion and air pollution. This is due to rapid urbanisation and a general lack of urban infrastructure. To mitigate these issues, Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) lines are being developed by Dhaka Mass Transit Company Limited (DMTCL) with the support of the Japanese government. Nippon Koei, as a lead firm of the consortium of consulting firms, is carrying out consulting services for the development projects of Dhaka MRT Line1, 5 (Northern Route), and 6. Among these MRT projects, this article focuses on Dhaka MRT Line-5 (Northern Route), which crosses Dhaka City from the west to the east. MRT Line-5 (Northern Source: Nippon Koei Route) (hereinafter called “MRT Line-5 Figure: MRT Network in Dhaka (Transversal red line North”), with a length of 20 km (14 km is in middle is MRT Line-5 (Northern Route)) an underground section out of 20 km), is the third MRT planned in Dhaka, following Line-6 and Line-1.
2. Tackling with Pandemic in Bangladesh, Japan, etc. 2.1 Preventive Measures and Hygiene Protocol Like the other countries, Covid 19 has been rampant in Bangladesh. Since the commencement of the consulting services of MRT Line-5 North in August 2020, lockdown was declared twice in Dhaka: April to May 2021 and July 2021. Furthermore, many countries including Japan are imposing travel
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restrictions on international travel. Due to pandemic and lockdown, there are many difficulties in project-related activities such as face-to-face meetings and dispatch of foreign experts. On the other hand, since the project is designated a “Fast Track Project” by the Government of Bangladesh, it is therefore required to continue with progress such as consulting services to the greatest extent possible. Hence, we managed to continue our work with wide range of countermeasures against pandemic. For example, partitions were installed at the project office and inside the vehicles to prevent the infection of staff. Similarly, to many areas of the globe staff worked from home and communicated with each other using video conference, etc.
Source: Nippon Koei Figure: Office during Lockdown
2.2 Digital Transformation in Project Management To ensure a smooth project implementation under pandemic, we are promoting digital transformation (DX) with several Information Technology (IT) tools. The following are examples of the tools used. n n n
MS Teams and Zoom: Enables communication with the Client and stakeholders via video conference File Server: Enables administrative staff to work from home by granting remote access outside the office BIM 360 (Autodesk): Enables design teams to submit, review and approve the drawings online
Source: Nippon Koei Figure: Plastic Partition Installed inside the Vehicle
Above all, BIM 360 is crucial software to prepare the design. In our project, design firms from Japan, UK and India are involved and work collaboratively. This enabled the project to secure the speed and quality of design by establishing online-based communication platforms, which also took into consideration concurrent work in different countries.
3. Way Forward These countermeasures mean we were able to make good progress in projects without any substantial delay, despite many restrictions. Regrettably, it seems that the pandemic will continue to affect businesses and society in Bangladesh and worldwide for the foreseeable future.
Source: Nippon Koei Figure: User Interface of BIM 360
After design work, tender and construction will follow. Since MRT Line-5 North is one of the first underground railways along with MRT Line-1 in Bangladesh, high-level technical expertise and thorough project management skills are crucial to smooth project implementation. It is our sincere desire to contribute to the development of Dhaka and Bangladesh by rendering our consulting services whilst also ensuring the health and safety of all stakeholders.
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Engineer of records: use of IT solutions in the management and maintenance of mining structures
Anderson Soares de Freitas, Brazil. Anderson Soares de Freitas is working in the TPF group in Brazil as Corporate Manager. Graduated in Civil Engineering at the Polytechnic School of Engineering of Pernambuco POLI, Postgraduate student in Business Intelligence and Analytics from the Federal University of Pernambuco - UFPE. As Corporate Manager, Anderson works in the management and finance area, aiming to ensure the quality of processes, cost control and management of digital solutions. In his current role, he is working directly in systems management to optimise business processes, development of performance reports and data management. This context placed Anderson in an ecosystem that allows him to act with two pillars that he considers as primordial data and technology.
Second Author – Mariana Prysthon Moraes, Brazil. Mariana Prysthon Moraes is working at TPF group in Brazil as a Project Manager. Graduated in Civil Engineer at the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco – UFPE, Postgraduate in IT management from Faculdade de Informática e Administração Paulista – FIAP and a PMP® (Project Management Professional) certified by PMI. As a young Project Manager, Mariana is involved in the field of engineering consulting, with the goal of developing civil engineering with IT solutions. In her current post, she is actively involved in the development of many systems to support the contracts of management and supervision works. This framework incited the curiosity of Mariana, stimulating her involvement in the innovation area.
Introduction Due to the tragic environmental accident at The Brumadinho Dam – Brazil, dam safety theme gained relevance across the various parties involved, intensifying efforts in supervision activities, both documental and in loco. According to Dam Safety Report published in 2020 by the National Water Agency, Brazil has 156 dams in critical conditions, out of more than 19,000 registered in National Information System of Dam Safety. Supervision processes are hard and require major agility and quality of information to allow an advanced/pre-emptive response. It is therefore essential to strengthen the use of solutions in the information technology area, to streamline processes, ensure better quality, systematisation, automation, traceability, speed, and accuracy of your information, to mitigate risks and reduce accidents possibility like the one mentioned above.
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This article, therefore, presents a case of IT solutions use in supporting supervision processes in tailings dams.
Solution TPF Engenharia uses its own application, a specific solution for preparation inventories that allows data collection in a flexible and intelligent way to monitor dams’ maintenance. Used as a field supervision tool for most diverse registration types, this system is based on three topics: (i) (ii) (iii)
Create dynamic and flexible forms with different quantities and types of verification items. Realtime data collection through a mobile App, with guaranteed information traceability and geolocation. Simple extraction and treatment of all information collected and integration with BI (Business Intelligence) tools.
This platform has an online web environment just as SaaS (Software as a Service) and a mobile App for data collection. This allows all information collected in the field to be registered on a single platform, allowing for a single source of truth.
Given the flexibility of creating forms, the platform allows regular registration of dam safety supervision, with as many verification items as its needed and allows for them to be ordered and integrated. The technology allows the supervisor to go into field with a complete tool, inserting photos, checklist, and comments about visual inspections.
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Furthermore, the solution also allows for database compilation, enabling integration with Power BI, which is providing benefits such as data analysis and visual indicators. Allowing for improvements on the collecting process and organising data enables the report and generated graphs to be debated in weekly monitoring meetings and very securely, as the data is updated and presented in real time.
Results and impact This solution has added, in the last year, several benefits to dam integrity supervision. More than 250 reports were generated, for more than 20 dams. Monitoring meetings were held with the support of reports created by integration with Power BI, which allowed updating of dam safety items to more reliable levels in safety favour.
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Engineering the Future: The profile of the Modern Engineer Neelam Parbhoo, South Africa Neelam Parbhoo is a Structural Engineer at Knight Piésold with work experience in the infrastructure and mining sectors. She graduated with a BSc in Civil Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand in 2016 and a Master of Engineering in 2019. She is actively involved with Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA), where she serves as Chairperson of the Technology and Innovation Committee as well as Chairperson of the Gauteng South Young Professional Forum (YPF).
The Covid 19 pandemic has highlighted the need to be adaptable to thrive in the face of constant change. In an ever-changing global environment, it is important for engineers to continue to increase their range of skills to remain relevant and progress further. Whilst the most recognised profile of an engineer focuses on technical and analytical skills; there are several other skills required for effective performance in workplace and project environments. Some of these skills are discussed below:
Collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to problem solving Collaboration is essential in any team-based work environment. Therefore, it is important for engineers to have the ability to communicate and collaborate across disciplines, in addition to gaining technical knowledge within their field of expertise. This is increasingly true in modern society, where engineers are tasked with addressing complex challenges, which are often less defined and require thinking beyond the traditional engineer’s tasks and responsibilities. Solving these problems can only be successfully done through collaboration and an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving whereby engineers are able to evaluate, synthesise and apply knowledge from both technical and non-technical fields. Whilst most engineers are involved in projects where multiple disciplines contribute to a problem solution; modern engineers are required to understand how to integrate and apply knowledge from various disciplines to solve complex problems. It is therefore important for engineers to understand that fields outside engineering also play an important role in problem-solving process and are required to make connections to knowledge and skills from fields other than engineering. The development issues we face as a society require engineers that are socially connected and able to work both within and outside the boundaries of his or her own discipline, working towards integrating environmental, social, and economic objectives in their work. 1
High emotional intelligence Emotional intelligence can broadly be defined as the “ability to recognise and understand emotions in yourself and others, and your ability to use this awareness to manage your behaviour and relationships.” 2 It is made up of four core skills, namely, self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management, which relate to personal competence and social competence respectively. 2
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Engineering is often labelled as an unemotional field centred around the cognitive brain, with less focus placed on emotional intelligence. In the past, opportunities allowed for engineers to work well alone as individual contributors. The profession, however, has since changed. Today engineers are required to work in multidisciplinary teams, interact with clients, and are often required to convince others of their ideas and solutions – the modern engineer must interact. Whilst technical skills and IQ are important prerequisites for success and imperative to secure employment, studies have repeatedly found that emotional intelligence is one of the most important indicators of career success, particularly for those in more senior roles. Skills such as interpersonal skills, teamwork and a strong sense of motivation are essential to succeed. Oke, et. al. found that emotionally intelligent organisations in the construction industry experience organisational success in terms of improved communication, an improvement in the leadership skills of the professional team, improved productivity, and an improvement in project stakeholder relationships. 3 Having high emotional intelligence ultimately assists engineers to better manage projects and remain aware of the needs and problems of other team members, in turn creating a more efficient workplace. It also allows engineers to gain a better understanding of the end user and their needs, which results in engineers producing design solutions that are not only fit for purpose, but relevant to the end user. This is particularly important in the context of delivering infrastructure in a country such as South Africa, where complex development issues exist.
Innovative and tech know how The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) is upon us, bringing an exponential technological progression disrupting every known industry and profession, including engineering. In the civil engineering sector, we’ve seen the use of drones, virtual and augmented realities, advanced building materials and design driven by big data. The use of technology in the delivery of a project has been shown to have the potential to make daily operations more efficient, decrease project costs and encourage innovation. It is thus important for engineers to be innovative and leverage the opportunities that technology brings to remain relevant in the highly competitive environment that we practice. According to the World Economic Forum4, the top three critical areas of business transformation in civil engineering regarding the Fourth Industrial Revolution are: • • • •
Attracting new talent and upskilling of professionals with the required skills Promoting integration Collaboration across the value chain Adopting advanced technologies on a large scale
Whilst the fundamental skills and core principles of engineering will still apply, the future of engineering will be a mix of traditional skills and emerging technology. Therefore, engineers need to upskill their digital knowledge on an ongoing basis and learn to adapt and integrate digital interfaces within their day-to-day work. 5 By integrating the use of technology within the existing engineering project cycle, engineers have the opportunity to enhance the performance of individuals in the workplace rather than replacing them. As engineers, it is imperative to continuously assess if we have the skills and innovative ideas needed to play a meaningful role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and to develop a culture of innovation that embraces disruptive technologies.
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Recognised Authors
In this section, we would like to highlight the contribution of notable authors with exciting articles. They have provided us with opinions, experiences, and innovative ideas on how to potentially recover from the sideeffects of the pandemic and how to overcome the challenging times we have been facing.
Authors: Eoin Cullinane, Ireland Mariana Prysthon Moraes, Brazil Anderson Soares de Freitas, Brazil Lyubomir Petrov, Bulgaria Wafaa Balla Beshir Ahmed, Sudan Michael Walker, P.Eng., PE, PMP, Canada
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Building Back Better Post Pandemic - Sustainable Infrastructure, Efficient Spending, and Innovative Engineering Eoin Cullinane, Ireland Eoin is a Senior Project Engineer with Nicholas O'Dwyer Ltd. in Dublin, Ireland. He joined the FIDIC Future Leaders Council in 2020 and was subsequently nominated to join the Contracts Committee earlier this year. Eoin has over 17years’ experience on a wide range of major infrastructure projects both locally in Ireland and increasingly working on Multilateral Development Bank funded projects internationally. In addition to his role with FIDIC, Eoin is also an active member of Engineers Ireland, where, as a member of the CPD Committee, he inputs to that institution's objectives for membership training and continuous learning.
The last eighteen months have not been the most inspiring time for many people around the world but the one potential positive from the ongoing global pandemic has been the evidence of the scale of resources that society can make available to address a crisis when global leaders are focused and convinced it is necessary. There has been a welcome emphasis on building back better post-pandemic to ensure that economies are capable of rebounding rapidly from the damage caused by the Covid. I believe, however, that as we eventually move towards a new normal it will be equally important to remember the impact of collective global action when considering how we tackle major challenges in the future, such as climate change, biodiversity loss and the impact of flooding & droughts worldwide. Engineers must work together with clients, financiers, funding bodies and infrastructure owners to ensure that sufficient emphasis is given to resilient development of infrastructure and not succumb to the easy solution of building back as quickly as opposed to building back sustainably. It is therefore essential that we ensure that where budgets are made available, they are spent developing sustainable infrastructure rather than merely quickly spent. The importance of ensuring adequate investment in maintenance and renewal in parallel with capital infrastructure investment must be recognised. Protecting and maintaining infrastructure already in place is generally more carbon efficient than developing brand new projects. The poor state of much existing infrastructure from roads and bridges to water supply systems and dams continues to be highlighted by serious near misses and collapses. Even though maintenance, rehabilitation, and new investments are intrinsically linked, the practical process of integrating these three infrastructure components is complex. It is, therefore, important that governments across the globe resist measuring the success of the infrastructure development post pandemic using metrics which focus solely on capital development at the expense of spending wisely on the maintenance of existing infrastructure. We must also be conscious of the ostensible broadening of the traditional definition of infrastructure to more holistically include all the building blocks of a sustainable future society to include
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communications & internet connectivity, green technologies & renewable power systems, education, housing, and healthcare. A wider appreciation of the infrastructure requirements to serve society as whole including both the city centre mass-transit system and the work from home rural broadband user is to be welcomed and will drive digital innovations as central to the concept of building back better. The future of investment in infrastructure may also be changing, with many jurisdictions showing an increased appetite for more direct state funding of infrastructure projects due to the low cost of government borrowing. A recent analysis of several major inter-urban road PPP projects here in Ireland1 highlighted that despite a significant reduction in traffic volumes and associated revenue due to the pandemic, the PPP companies in question remained in profit as a result of contractual clauses limiting their obligations to pass on payments to the state. Where private and public financing is blended to meet ambitious post pandemic funding goals, a more balanced approach to risk sharing could be imposed by governments and project developers. The rate at which digital disruptions revolutionise the world of engineering will unquestioningly increase if the anticipated increase in infrastructure funding is realised post the pandemic. While these types of innovations have transformed so many areas of our lives, from how we communicate to our shopping habits, we have a responsibility as engineers to encourage both investment and innovation where it can have the greatest positive impact with a focus on sustainable civil and environmental value in addition to profit. The engineering design and construction sectors provide an excellent example of the need for market driven innovation to deliver positive improvements to facilitate engineers who are at the forefront of the delivery of resilient and sustainable infrastructure. While digital disruption in engineering and construction continues to open exciting opportunities for innovation, we as engineers must focus this progress on areas such as the water sector, which currently lacks in both investment and public attention.
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Thomas Herbert, https://thecurrency.news/ 29th July 2021
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Megaprojects as a tool for recovery after the pandemic - Panacea or a Bad idea? Lyubomir Petrov, Bulgaria Lyubomir Petrov is a Partner and Deputy Managing Director at EQE Control Ltd. in Bulgaria. He holds a degree of MSc. In Urban planning from the University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy in Sofia, Bulgaria. He is currently a PhD candidate in the field of Regional, Landscape and Urban planning. During the last 9 years, Lyubomir was involved in many projects as an urban planner and project manager for his current employer – EQE Control Ltd. The company is one of the leading engineering and consulting companies in Bulgaria, providing services of planning, design and construction supervision, project management and FIDIC engineers and consultant. Lyubomir is an active member of several professional organisations. He is the Chairman of the Bulgarian YP group within the Bulgarian Association of Consulting Engineers and Architects. He is also a former Chairman of EFCA Future Leaders Steering Committee (2018-2020) and regional representative for Europe within the FIDIC Future Leaders Steering Committee. Megaprojects in the last three decades are associated with the processes of global and local restructuring of economies and the subsequent dynamic change in the spatial scale, because of which capital is formed at the transnational, national, regional, and urban levels. In the processes of globalisation and parallel decentralisation, cities and their local authorities are becoming units that are more independent and their goals are constantly being reformulated to adapt to the world economic order. 2 These processes are strongly influenced by the global Covid 19 pandemic that occurred in 2020. The potential financial crisis that may be a resultant factor from the pandemic raises issues of stimulating economic growth. Many governments recognise megaprojects as a powerful tool for economic recovery and job creation which is extremely valuable in the current situation but does not also represent the entire picture. Considering the large-scale investments and the number of different stakeholders, it is not difficult to reasonably conclude that the impact of megaprojects is large and in various forms. On the one hand, they have a significant impact on the economy and their realisation creates a significant number of jobs, and on the other hand, they consume a significant number of resources. The total investment in megaprojects globally is estimated at $6 to $ 9 trillion per year, or 8% of total gross domestic product (GDP), marking the largest investment boom in human history3. Their implementation inevitably has a serious impact on the economy at national and regional scale
2
Barber, A., & Hall, S. (2008). Birmingham: whose urban renaissance? Regeneration as a response to economic restructuring. (Barber & Hall, 2008) (Click here) 3 Flyvbjerg, B. (2014). What You Should Know About Megaprojects, and Why: An Overview. Project Management Journal, vol. 45, no. 2, April-May, (6-19). (Click here)
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because of the resources invested, which are often composed of public funds, and on the other hand, they are an engine for attracting new investment and improving the business climate locally. The impact of megaprojects has spatial dimensions, as their implementation requires the occupation of large areas and requires a serious change in land use. Their successful implementation leads to the emergence of new functions, improvement of transport and communication infrastructure and in many cases, is an engine for starting urban renewal processes. The social and cultural impact of megaprojects is also not to be underestimated, and in most cases, their implementation is accompanied by mixed reactions from different social strata of society, the political class, NGOs, and professionals in the field of urban development. All these potential conflicts create conditions for controversy in the public space, changing social processes in the urban environment and provoking discussion at different levels. There are those that believe that megaprojects create conditions for socio-economic inequality and in many cases the benefits for society are debatable at the expense of the generated financial profit for the investor or the state administration. It can also be argued that such projects can have a negative impact on the gentrification and disturbance of habitats and plant communities as a result of the implementation of megaprojects and the required area.4 The public discussion inevitably includes the tangible impact of megaprojects on the environment and sustainable use of natural resources, for which projects of this scale are often criticised as their implementation requires significant energy consumption and is accompanied by high levels of water consumption and electricity, as well as air pollution during long-term construction activities. In the context of a global pandemic and the uncertainty experienced by all sectors, investing in new large-scale projects carries a serious additional social and financial risk. It is necessary for each investment initiative to make an in-depth analysis of the expected added value and its time and financial dimensions, including evaluation of alternatives for the implementation of many smaller projects that have a cumulative effect on the environment and society instead of a large-scale complex initiative. In this regard, maybe it is time for the government officials to take into further consideration that currently, the world is facing common task of managing and bringing to a successful conclusion one of the largest megaprojects in its modern history in the face of COVID-19. As Professor Andrew Davies said, “Countries face the challenge of planning and dealing with this emergency. What is interesting is various ways countries are attempting to tackle the problem. Some are adopting a rapid and proactive approach to manage and contain the pandemic (e.g., China and Korea), while others have been slow, cumbersome, and ineffectual (e.g., USA). It is clear that the role of leadership is key in megaprojects to build teams and collaborations between the public and private sectors often across national boundaries, and the need for global collaboration applies to Covid-19 perhaps more than any other megaproject. Beyond transparency and lack of ambiguity, global megaprojects of this magnitude require leaders who understand the whole picture, build bridges between multiple stakeholders, integrate the various pieces of activity, and provide managers with the resources, power and autonomy required to manage parts of the project.”5
4
Gellert, K., & Lynch, B. (2003). Mega-Projects as Displacements . International Social Science. Journal No. 175. (Click here) 5 https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/construction/news/2020/apr/covid-19-largest-megaproject-modern-history. Visited on 30th July 2021
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In the next five years, the engineering industry and the investments made for urban development and infrastructure will need to play a major role in recovering from the pandemic. It is evident from the history that engineering benefited public health even more than the medicine by providing the infrastructure necessary for a healthier lifestyle. Therefore, the engineering industry should focus not only on the high profile and high-risk complex projects aiming for the long-term value but also on the short-term and mid-term needs of the society. There is a substantive impact from megaprojects that led generally to them to being recognised as a powerful tool for urban development. Questions do, however, remain. For example, the uncertainty about are such projects a rational use of resources, the time to implement and the achievement of their goals, suggests that they are not a panacea and they we should not rely solely on them to resolve the complex problems of modern cities. It is important to understand their supporting role and to understand their advantages and disadvantages and how they can be used as tools to achieve optimal results for all stakeholders.
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One Page Strategic Plan for Your Business Wafaa Balla Beshir Ahmed, Sudan With 12 years of experience in Project Management, Wafaa is an ordained Young Professional African Engineer; she has extensive experience in Contracts Administration, and she was involved with FIDIC activities since 2013. She is a civil engineering graduate from Khartoum University, Sudan. She has been awarded the Project Management Professional and the Risk Management Professional certificates from the Project Management Institute (PMI), attended many professional, academic, and professional training courses and workshops and is a regular attendee for FIDIC Regional and International Conferences. Wafaa serves as a member at the FIDIC Future Leaders Steering Committee, a member of FIDIC Africa Future Leaders Steering Committee, and a founding member of SEACA FL Steering Committee. Wafaa is currently the Contracts Section Head in TEKNO Consultancy- Sudan; she has also been involved in different community development initiatives, with special concentration on the role of the Engineers in comunity and life improvement. m
"What’s the goal, Joel?" -- Clementine, Kate Winslet's character, as she addresses Joel (Jim Carrey) in the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. A lot of start-ups forego business plans, as they don’t have time to consider and strategise over the complex business pans, or they don’t need to increase their initial investment budgets, and only spend every second of their time in getting results for clients so that they could build a brand name and grow reputation and recommendations. Consequently, it has suddenly become harder to continue a business without a plan; entrepreneurship researchers have found that people who make a business plan are two-and-a-half times more likely to get their businesses off the ground. The business plan, however, is commonly, and mistakenly, thought of as the Holy Grail or template for success, writing a business plan may sound daunting, but it doesn't have to be. It can be fun! 6 “If you want to get everyone in the company on the same page, then you need to literally get everything on one page.” 7
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(Entrepreneur Middle East), (https://www.entrepreneur.com/ ) (One Page Strategic Plan), Verne Harnish's
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The Planning Pyramid is the Strategic Framework that works best for emerging companies; it graphically conveys to everyone in your organisation how the various vision pieces values, purpose, targets, goals, actions, schedules, and accountabilities align, establishing a common strategic language that is easy to use and helps eliminate confusion. Getting all of that translated into One-Page is provided in a tool called the One-Page Strategic Plan.
1% Vision, 99% Alignment
The One-Page Strategic Plan (OPSP) allows business owners to cook everything down to its simplest form and align it with core values, purpose, a BHAG (big hairy audacious goal) and action items, keeping in mind the Simple Principles of Strategic Planning; ü Have a handful of rules. ü Repeat yourself a lot. ü Act consistently with those rules. 8 The One-Page Strategic Plan is essentially the Planning Pyramid turned on its side. The tool aligns both horizontally and vertically, providing a logical framework for organising your strategic vision and guaranteeing that you have all the pieces to make it whole—the physical structure of the tool forces prioritisation, which is key. The real power of the One-Page Strategy is it makes it easy for everyone in the company to know where they’re going and what they need to do to get there. It can also help you achieve brilliant results because it brings better alignment, accountability, and execution. 9 SWOT Analysis As a start for filling up the OPSP, Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) Analysis should be performed, focusing on the top 5 for each attribute, SWOT is a useful technique to assess these four attributes which play a crucial role in an organisation. Purpose and Core Values Core values are the “shoulds" and “shouldn'ts” of the company, they shall reflect the company culture and identity. Core values should not be contrived, they shouldn’t be created and attempted to be implemented, and they shall be present, putting them in writing shall solidify them.
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(Mastering the Rockefeller Habits), Verne Harnish's (Growth Institute), (https://info.growthinstitute.com/homepage )
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The purpose answers the simple question; why does the organisation exist? Why is this company doing what it's doing? “If the core values are the soul of the organisation, the core purpose (some call it “mission”) gives it heart,” 10 Actions and an audacious goal Every business needs a audacious goal, it's a 10 to 25 years goal, this goal shall be measurable, and it shall be the motivator that gives everyone something to work toward. “That’s why it is good to remind ourselves that in business and in life, the journey, not the destination, is the reward.”5 Targets and Sandbox The Targets defines where the company wants to be in the next 3 to 5 years. Those targets shall be quantifiable and associated with a Sandbox in which the company chooses to play, in which the company shall define the expected geographical reach, product or service offering, and expected market share within those 3 to 5 years. Key Thrusts/Capabilities What are the five or six big things you need to do to reach the 3 to 5 years targets? Actions and Rocks Annual goals shall be broken down into quarterly action steps, as known as Rocks. Accountability To achieve the key metrics needed, everyone at the company needs a clear role and understanding of his/ her responsibilities. This accountability caps up the planning pyramid; it identifies specifically which person is accountable for which particular activity on your plan. Completing the One Page Strategic Plan “The point isn't finding the exact words or using them perfectly. It´s having something on a single sheet of paper that says it all for your company, no matter how imperfectly, and being able to use it daily to help your company reach its potential” 11
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(One Page Strategic Plan), Verne Harnish's (Mastering the Rockefeller Habits), Verne Harnish's
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Navigating The Void – Skills Growth without a Syllabus Michael Walker, P.Eng., PE, PMP, Canada Michael is a Senior Project Manager located in Regina, Canada, with 18 years of consulting and construction experience. Working at Associated Engineering, he helps his clients deliver a variety of municipal and nation building projects and programs across Western Canada, including work for private corporations, municipalities, provincial and federal governments including clients such as Parks Canada. These projects include traditional delivery models, as well as P3 and Design Builds. Michael has a long history of contribution to FIDIC and ACEC-Canada through presentations, conference participation, committees, and working with DFS to deliver the FIDIC Future Leaders Management Certificate program. In these areas, Michael works to assist the progression of the industry to provide better value to clients and fellow consultants through training and the promotion of the growth of communication and other critical skills for business and life. In addition to his continued work as the Canadian representative for FIDIC’s Future Leaders Committee, Michael is an observer for the Capacity Building Committee and participates in the ACEC-SK Careers in Consulting Committee, which both aim to attract, advance skills, and retain people in the industry. Attending multiple FIDIC Conferences in person and virtually, Michael looks forward to attending in person and bringing his wife and three kids to the next conference to catch up with the many friends they have made over the years. Kindergarten, grade school, university, then what? With my own children starting their journey of formal education, and myself having many years since my last course at university, I have been thinking more about the lack of structure that causes issues and stress for many young graduates in our industry. Personally, I have been lucky to have a strong presence of “mentors” and structured growth throughout my career, provided either through individuals that had taken an interest in my success and growth or through organised plans provided by my employers. Unfortunately, this is not the case with many new graduates and especially intermediates, and I have received feedback that there is no “guide” or “syllabus” available for them to expand their skills after graduation. It seems that these individuals are conditioned through formal education to see the logical progression of their learning but then are thrust out into the world without a path to follow. While some like myself find this wide-open space with a surplus of options very inviting, I cannot help but sympathise with those that did not have the assistance that I had. So, what are we to do? I am personally not fond of the victim mentality for this case, where we could simply avoid the problem or blame our educational institutions for sending these people out into their careers without a guide of what to learn, read, and listen to.
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Equally unproductive would be to blame our senior colleagues or firms for not providing this guidance as if they should have known that it was desired. No, I would prefer to find a solution for this and help show these individuals that there is a surplus of information and options out there, and the risk would be that the syllabus could confine their growth to a single path. I recently had the pleasure of reading a book (referred to me by a colleague) which contained a modified version of the Mark Twain quote: “Don’t let schooling get in the way of your education.” I found this usage of the quote in Jim Kwik’s book “Limitless”, and while I had heard this quote many times before, almost in a new context. It was years ago when a former colleague of mine encouraged me to stop complaining about having to find an organised course to expand my skills and start to read a variety of books, rather than just focussing on my technical knowledge. Following this advice, I have expanded my overall education and found that I could create my own path. This is where I would call on the seniors in the industry to assist and encourage the continued effort of the juniors as they find their own route down the many paths. This can be achieved through discussions on the value of reading or even having a variety of books available at the firm that a curious junior can borrow and read (communication, negotiation, influence, insurance, risk, decision making, etc.). One of the best discussions that I had on this topic of encouragement is when I attended a conference where they provided a copy of the book from one of the speakers, and in talking to the CEO, I put my copy of the book back, stating that I would buy a copy of the audiobook so I could “read” it during my drive or next flight easily. He very politely picked up the book, put it in my hand and said: “Take this, and put it somewhere in your office, and lend it to anyone interested in bettering themselves. Also, make sure that you expense the cost for the audiobook to the company.”. I questioned the value of this, and he replied: “Of the hundred people here, maybe half (50) will open the book, half of those (25) will read the first chapter, half of those (12.5) will read half the book, and half of those (6.25) will finish the book. At $20 per book, our cost will be $2,000, but the value that the firm will get out of those 6.25 people that read the entire book will provide the firm with an overall 10-100 times ROI at a MINIMUM ($200,000+ Revenue increase). This is the best money the company can spend, and an extra $20 for your audiobook is a drop in the bucket for the value that we BOTH will get. The fact that you will take in the knowledge in any form will put you in the top 10% of everyone here today.”. So… I read the books. While this is not the likely path that you assumed this article would take, I commend you on being one of the 6.25% (if the CEO’s math was correct) that continue reading these articles and passing the knowledge onto your firms. This is important, as I have learned over many years that we as individuals do not need to learn all aspects of our industry ourselves or learn it from the start. There are plenty of books (good and bad) that have been written on many subjects that we could all improve upon. The best path for growth is to teach your colleagues to shift from a “knower” to being “learners” who will continually expand their expertise and can share with others to expand their network intelligence. Reading a book is not hard to do, but starting the momentum is critical. To close, I would like to thank you for investing in yourself, your firm, and your industry. I would like to challenge you to pass on some of the knowledge and books that you have read to the next
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generation and offer to cover the small expense of buying books or courses for your junior colleagues. FIDIC provides a number of these resources, and many others can be found through discussions with fellow conference attendees. We could all learn something from Elon Musk, who replied when asked how he learned to build rockets (which have surpassed the space industry of multiple nations and other companies and billionaires), he replied: “I Read Books”.
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2020-21 Reflection
Covid-19 has impacted us differently in many ways. For better or worse, it has taught us that the world is changing, we will continue to face new challenges and that we will not always be prepared and will need to adapt. The way in which we used to work is no longer the same, there will be a new normal established. We realised that many “old” styles of working are no longer applicable. We realise that many of our daily activities can be done remotely and that we can still be productive. In an unusual context, Covid has provided us the opportunity to innovate in the use of different technologies, adopt them rapidly and use it the best we could to continue working and deliver our products or services in the best of our capabilities, regardless of the distance. Finally, it has taught us that despite the challenging conditions across the globe, we are still in this together. It has broken but also provided an opportunity to reconnect with old friendships and create new ones across both social and business landscapes. Importantly for some, it has also helped highlight the benefit of work life balance, the environment and spending time with our families and loved ones. Appropriately, this final article is a brief reflection of what Covid-19 has taught us. As we endure this challenge, we continue with the hopes of continuing our lives by embracing the new lessons that we have learned over the past year.
Author: Rodrigo Juárez, México FIDIC Future Leaders Council Vice-Chair
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A reflection of what COVID-19 has taught us. Rodrigo Juárez, México Civil Engineer from ITESM, Mexico. He holds a Master´s degree in Construction Management & Engineering. He is pursuing a PhD in Project Management at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, both at the University of Leeds, in the United Kingdom. In addition, he has completed FIDIC´s YPMTP, now FLMC. As for his professional experience, he has worked with the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) in Mexico City, the PMO for the Mexico City New International Airport (NAIM) with Parsons Corporation – FOA Consulting, and currently works as a consultant for FOA Consulting, the first Mexican company certified in ISO37001:2016 in Anti-Bribery Management Systems and First Global Consulting Company certified in Business Integrity. In addition, he works as an external consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), exploring best practices and lessons learned for rail transport and metro systems megaprojects in Latin America. Rodrigo is also the current Vice-Chair of the FIDIC Future Leaders Council and Vice-Chair of the Young Professionals Group of the Mexican Chamber of Consulting Companies (CNEC) Mexico.
The past few years have been something that it’s fair to say we never anticipated or have seen in recent history. We have all faced different challenges that perhaps, we never thought we would go through in our lives. So now, as circumstances are changing, it feels like a good time to reflect on what we have learned in the past year, what we have faced, and consider some of the opportunities that have become present despite the difficulties we faced. From a personal perspective, I thought that the pandemic was going to be momentaneous. That is, in the blink of an eye, everything would go back to normal, and soon enough, we would all go back to working in the office, as usual, resuming site visits and maintain regular meetings with clients and friends. Unfortunately, I was wrong about everything. We did not continue our working activities in the office, neither we resumed face to face meetings with clients, and in many cases, site visits were not feasible. Basically, what was expected to feel like a short vacation has not entirely gone back to normal, and perhaps it never will again. Me being optimistic, I think it will never be the same for the better. For many of us that work in consulting engineering in the infrastructure sector, I can almost assure you that most of our work relies on engaging with clients, submitting proposals, expose our work. Sometimes, our days start with meetings. But, in many others, we end up with sleepless nights preparing, reviewing, and integrating the final details of the following winning proposal for the next project that will keep us busy for the following months; hopefully, years. Today, we still do it, but probably connected until late nights by any video conference app that might not have been very popular a year ago.
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This is perhaps the first challenge that many companies faced. Rapid-technology adoption. Some companies, particularly small and medium companies, did not count on the latest technologies, with integrated systems that allowed them to be as productive from working from home as they were working in the offices. This becomes a challenge in companies that heavily relied on “antique” ways of working, and they had to heavily evolve and adopt whatever new technology became available that were cost-effective and perhaps that simplified the learning curve. No one will ever forget the “You´re on mute” phrase at virtually every meeting we´ve all had. This represented a challenge, but it also allowed many companies to understand that technology can allow us to be more productive in our work, that it can keep us connected and that we can exploit it in our favour. The use of technology has allowed us to maintain contact with existing relationships, but it has allowed us to establish new relationships. Many of us can say that the use of technology has allowed us to build some great relationships with clients that we have never met before. The constant conversations with them have felt like we´ve had a long trustworthy relationship with them, even though we have never met them before. We have learned that our families and friends will be there when work is tough, with no work and excessive workload. The pandemic has allowed us to get closer with family and friends, get to know more about them, their lives and realise that there is more than work. A great challenge and perhaps something that we did not account for, however, has resulted in many individuals being always connected and as such, always available. Although technology has allowed us to maintain the connection to the world, to our friends and clients, it has also made us entirely available. For some, this might be great, but for some others, a curse. When does the working time end? When do we stop work and enjoy our family? Where´s the separation between our home and our office? Perhaps these are some questions that most of us have thought about at least once. This has resulted in people considering issues that no one previously wanted to discuss. Most of us are now conscious about the necessity of having an adequate work-life balance, the importance of mental health, and taking some time off for personal activities that we indeed do require. It is understandable that, as of now, most of the population do not want to talk about the pandemic anymore. I believe that we are eager to continue with our lives and are very much looking forward to resuming our activities and life as we knew it. It will be challenging and simple things like how we used to greet people might be entirely different, but we have learned how to become closer, even at a distance. This past year has taught us that regardless of the sector we work in, we do have a great community, and we all tried to help or support in any way we could, from people coming up with great initiatives to support their local communities to companies producing content sharing experiences from the impact of the pandemic in different sectors to education institutions adapting to the needs of the students and the capability of the medical personnel and their tireless efforts to control the spread of the virus. Perhaps the greatest lesson that I can take out of this pandemic is the tireless efforts that we have all made to overcome the tough times that we have been living. If we all collaborate, we can keep moving forward even in the most challenging circumstances.
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I am optimistic that the experiences we have lived during the pandemic have made us realise and understand the importance of the work we all do. It has made us conscious of how each of our industries contributes to the well-being of our society and how they are all interrelated and connected in certain ways. From the consulting engineering perspective, I can say that many challenges are still yet to come that will be needed to be resolved to recuperate the pause in which the infrastructure development went through. Still, I am confident that our community will assume a leadership position to get back on track for the objectives we all have.
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About FIDIC
FIDIC, the International Federation of Consulting Engineers, is the global representative body for national associations of consulting engineers and represents over one million engineering professionals and 40,000 firms in more than 100 countries worldwide. Founded in 1913, FIDIC is charged with promoting and implementing the consulting engineering industry’s strategic goals on behalf of its Member Associations and to disseminate information and resources of interest to its members. Today, FIDIC membership covers over 100 countries of the world. FIDIC Member Associations operate in over 100 countries with a combined population in excess of 6.5bn people and a combined GDP in excess of $30tn. The global industry, including construction, is estimated to be worth over $22tn. This means that FIDIC member associations across the various countries are worth over $8.5tn.
International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC) World Trade Center II, Geneva Airport P.O. Box 311 CH1215 Geneva 15 - Switzerland Tel. +41 22 799 4900 - Fax +41 22 799 4901 Email: FIDIC@FIDIC.org # www.FIDIC.org
Disclaimer This document was produced by FIDIC and is provided for informative purposes only. The contents of this document are general in nature and therefore should not be applied to the specific circumstances of individuals. Whilst we undertake every effort to ensure that the information within this document is complete and up to date, it should not be relied upon as the basis for investment, commercial, professional, or legal decisions. FIDIC accepts no liability in respect to any direct, implied, statutory, and/or consequential loss arising from the use of this document or its contents.
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