Perhaps one of the most obvious features of post democratic transitions in Africa today is the drive to renew or build essential infrastructure to push economic and social change. This desire has spurred a plethora of state-led and private sector collaborations embracing all modes of transport.
These projects are often described by words like 'strategic, transformative, mega' and so on. The reports usually talk about 'high level commitment by key stakeholders and the macro level and institutional benefits' the projects will achieve.
In the midst of all these the role the small man is to be found in the small print. One way in which he is mentioned is that the project will aim to develop 'local talent and achieve adequate knowledge transfer'. How far is this the case?
I have my views on this but would like a discussion on this issue by anyone with experience or perspective on how these mega projects mee the needs of the small man who is at the receiving end of the high minded aims of decision- makers in the donor capitals of the world.
Saturday, 27 April 2013
Large-scale transport Projects and the small man
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
In the grand scheme of things, local talent development and knowledge transfer should among other variables constitute some of the derivable benefits to the "small man" with transport infrastructural development in Africa. However, nothing could be further from the truth when one delves into the so called strategic plans of the key stakeholders. Firstly, such stakeholders only think of "accelerated" gains and profit making to the detriment of the small man. We have already witnessed this in the telephone/telecommunications industry. Secondly, within these strategic documents there's oftentimes a paucity of comparative analysis of building and establishing credible transport training programmes, institutions and colleges that will develop such local content in terms of capacity and human resource development. Rather, roles that should normally be reserved and made available to the "small man" will be offered to foreign workers who can barely read of write in the local official language. I never mentioned the chinese imperialism/model did I? Thirdly, there's hardly any input or engagement from the so called "small man" in terms of understanding the corporate vision and objectives of such mega plans; in effect they have no buy-in and thus always play catch up eventually! In this respect socio economic gains becomes quantifiable only in "widows" mite terms as per salary and employability? Sadly,the small man in Africa will remain so for the forseeable future. This is even so because of corruption in government and a dearth of good leaders lacking both in foresight, capacity and competence to allow for robust processes and systems that are self correcting to develop, nurture and transfer knowledge!!! Need I say more? The one benefit however, is that the small man will remain a small man in that trading could be enhanced as a low economic activity, rural areas could open up; thus urban migration could be curbed? Development of the rurality could be accelerated thus acting as a magnet for support industries or associated companies to set up operations at key hubs which could in turn lead to local employment!! The rest is best left to the imagination and the contraption that Africa has become recently?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Richard. It is still a source of much angst that frontline employees in transport in Africa suffer from the 'Oga at the Top' mentality. As you rightly noted, 'within these strategic documents there's oftentimes a paucity of comparative analysis of building and establishing credible transport training programmes, institutions and colleges that will develop such local content in terms of capacity and human resource development'. I will add merel;y that when these arrangements are put in place, there is usually a bottleneck where a clear disonnance exists between the expectations of the high level 'Harvadists' and the 'Localists'. ONe way of bridging this gap is to develop a faculty of Frontline Experience transportation managers from inside and outside Africa to assist the academic and policy theoricians in designing these capacity-building interventions.
ReplyDelete