Infrastructure Development Challenges for Young Professionals? 22 November 2013

1. Didibhuku Wellington Thwala Department of Construction Management and Quantity Surveying Infrastructure Development Challenges for Young Professionals? 22 November 2013

3. 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

4. BACKGROUND • Infrastructure affects the • national economy, • standard of living, • health, • welfare, • safety and • prosperity of any nation.

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. What is Sustainability?

10. What is Sustainability?

11. Application of sustainability • Economic application • Ecological definition • Political definition • Community and society • Business and production • Sustainability in agriculture

12. Dimensions of sustainability

13. 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

14. 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

15. What can be done YP? CHANGE OF MINDSET? EFFICIENT USE OF RESOURCES Competency?

16. MBO(Management By Objectives OVERALL OBJECTIVES INDIVIDUAL OR DIVERSE OBJECTIVES

17. Strategy and Structure Structure needs to be considered while strategy is still being developed- emergent approach

18. Structure Strategy Systems Shared Values Skills Style Staff

19. Building effective teams The key elementsof effective teamwork A performance focus Working together Member contributions Norms Roles

20. Success factors • Goals & objectives • Commitment • Clear roles • Delegated power • Accountability • Recognition & reward • Clear direction

21. PRE-CONDITIONS FOR SUCCESS EDUCATION MUST BE A PRIORITY??????????? EXTENSIVE TRAINING:???????????? Mentoring

22. 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

23. Conclusion I CAN ACCEPT FAILURE. EVERYONE FAILS AT SOMETHING. BUT I CAN’T ACCEPT NOT TRYING. MICHAEL JORDAN

24. Conclusion “DON’T BE AFRAID TO GIVE UP THE GOOD, TO GO FOR THE GREAT” JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER

26. Thank you For listening