TECHNICAL CAPACITY BUILDING FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

1. TECHNICAL CAPACITY BUILDING FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Russel C. Jones, Ph.D., P.E. President WFEO Committee on Capacity Building

2. Capacity Building Definition Capacity building is a dedication to the strengthening of economies, governments, institutions and individuals through education, training, mentoring, and the infusion of resources. Capacity building aims at developing secure, stable, and sustainable structures, systems and organizations, with a particular emphasis on using motivation and inspiration for people to improve their lives.

3. Results of Aid to Date • “The Elusive Quest for Growth”, by William Easterly (MIT Press, 2002): • Previous efforts have tried to use foreign aid, investment in machines, fostering education at the primary and secondary levels, controlling population growth, and giving loans and debt relief conditional on reforms to stimulate the economic growth that would allow these countries to move toward self sufficiency • all of these efforts over the past few decades have failed to lead to the desired economic growth • these massive and expensive efforts have failed because they did not hit the fundamental human behavioral chord that “people respond to incentives”

4. What Would Work? • Easterly argues that there are two areas that can likely lead to the desired economic growth in developing countries, that can lead them toward economic self sufficiency: • utilization of advanced technologies, and • education that leads to high skills in technological areas

5. What outcomes are desired? • A solid base of technologically prepared people in developing countries • to attract investments by multinational companies, direct foreign investment • to assist in making the most of foreign aid funds • to provide a basis for business development by local entrepreneurs • To utilize local R&D results in the development of new products and services

6. Two complementary approaches • UNESCO “Engineering for a Better World” proposal, to enhance engineering programs within that organization • WFEO Committee on Capacity Building, to provide an action oriented program for forward motion

7. UNESCO Plans for Capacity Building – 2003 • Stimulated by US rejoining of UNESCO after 18 year absence: “Engineering for a Better World” program proposed • Vision is to promote human and institutional capacity building in developing countries, for poverty reduction and sustainable economic and social development

8. WFEO Standing Committee on Capacity Building • Established in October 2003 at the World Federation of Engineering Organizations’ General Assembly in Tunis, based on a proposal from the United States • Hosted by the American Association of Engineering Societies in Washington DC • Chaired by Russel C. Jones • To complement UNESCO “Engineering for a Better World” in-house effort

9. Activities for WFEO Committee • Make expertise of professional and technical societies in developed world available to engineers in the developing world – publications, conferences, codes of practice, and ethics • Deliver needed information to engineers and engineering educators in developing countries via distance learning technologies • Strengthen engineering education in developing countries via sharing of best practices in curricular reform and in engineering practice …more…

10. … more WFEO activities • Provide an information resource for the engineering education needs of developing countries – teaching and learning materials, lab equipment, software, etc. • Address pipeline and diversity issues in providing the needed quality and quantity of engineers • Promote collaboration between institutions in developing and developed worlds • Promulgate quality assurance standards • Facilitate volunteer efforts by engineers

11. An example of capacity building: Engineer of the Americas Initiated in Brazil, 2003 • Concept: • Generate a technical work force that stimulates the regional economy and that of each country in the Hemisphere (attract multinational companies, use aid funds effectively, stimulate entrepreneurship, utilize local R&D results) • Promote work flow to developing countries, and foster professional mobility of well qualified engineers within the Hemisphere

12. More on Engineer of the Americas • Current steps: • Presented at UPADI 2004 in Mexico City in September • Highlighted at ICEE 2004 in Florida in October • Continue grass roots effort (enhance engineering education, establish accreditation systems, …) • Pursue a top down approach similar to the “Bologna Declaration” approach taken in Europe (harmonization of higher education programs, quality assurance systems) • Provide input for a meeting at the Ministerial level to pursue these concepts, through the Organization of American States

13. Contact information Russel C. Jones President, WFEO Standing Committee on Capacity Building RCJonesPE@aol.com