COVER STORY Reviving South Africa’s troubled economy hinges on sustained infrastructure investments and effective implementation, says Sandra Munnik, Divisional Head: Infrastructure Planning (IPD) at Mariswe. The IPD has a mandate to deliver solutions that build communities and livelihoods.
T
he poor access to reliable physical and social infrastructure across Africa poses a considerable threat to economic growth and social well-being, providing significant opportunity for a participatory approach to the proper planning of infrastructure solutions. This approach lies at the heart of the services provided by Sandra and her team, working side by side with Mariswe’s broader spectrum of civil engineering consulting and management services. The planning of feasible and sustainable infrastructure solutions has been part of Mariswe’s service offering since the firm’s appointment in 1995 as provincial representative to assist the former Department of Water Affairs and Forestry’s Eastern Cape office in the rollout of the Community Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Strategic Framework. The framework supported the ANC-led government in the 1994 Reconstruction and Development Programme that aimed to grow the economy and improve developmental outcomes to reduce poverty and improve human well-being. “Mariswe’s IPD has been involved in rolling out these water service delivery programmes ever since and has also moved towards meeting the National Development Plan’s objective to provide 100% reliable services across all sectors in South Africa,” says Sandra.
Planning is
key to successful infrastructure investment
Upskilling municipalities The IPD’s service offerings are governed by various laws and Mariswe has, in turn, worked with many municipalities to evolve their statutory requirements and compliance. “For example, we have assisted municipalities in fulfilling their mandates as water services authorities and providers, transport authorities, housing authorities and in the development of various water services development plans, public transport and integrated transport plans, as well as housing sector plans.” Planning for operations and maintenance is an integral part of infrastructure planning. Inadequate maintenance leads to underperforming assets, increased risks, service disruptions and premature asset failure. The result is a higher life-cycle cost and a decreased level of service, Sandra points out. “Most operations and maintenance activities are conducted in a reactive manner and appropriate planning can avoid this while extending the service life of the asset, improving reliability and performance, and reducing costs,” she explains. This strategy should be applied to all service delivery sectors to reduce the backlog in access to water, sanitation, electricity, education and health facilities, and improve access to economic infrastructure
Sandra Munnik, Divisional Head: Infrastructure Planning (IPD), Mariswe
such as transport and telecommunications. Mariswe’s IPD uses specific processes to identify infrastructure in disrepair and develop maintenance priorities inclusive of costs. One example is the development of a web-based Health Facility Management Information System. Another is conducting condition assessment of bulk water services assets to enable: • risk assessment based on water supply interruptions • capital budget planning for refurbishment and replacement of the asset • operational budget for water infrastructure operations and maintenance.
Institutional and human capacity Kim Dlamini (left) and Pondy Ngxongxela from Mariswe’s Pietermaritzburg office are honing their project and programme management skills on infrastructure implementation
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IMIESA April 2021
Infrastructure can only deliver sustainable services if it is supported by strong, effective institutional and human capacity to manage implementation, operation and maintenance. “A framework of actions to be undertaken for project implementation must include capacity-building concepts and capacity measurements,” Sandra explains. “The capital cost of investment in service delivery depends on variables such as service levels, estimated future requirements, urban and rural settlement landscape, topography and geology, existing infrastructure, labour costs, material costs, accessibility, technical efficiency, and economies of scale.”
