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Project managers have done South Africa proudAs the country prepares for the once-in-a-lifetime event that has changed our landscape and inspired unprecedented support of jaunty vehicle adornments, project people are either already sighing with relief or anxiously anticipating the results of their hard work.
The Project Manager spoke to members and associates of Project Management South Africa on the eve of the great event to gauge their thoughts and feelings about their role in the 2010 buzz.
Setting down the tracks
Thomas Rakale, business development director for track construction company Isithimela Rail Services – which is equally owned by Bombardier and Strategic Partners Group – has for the past year been hard at work with his exceptional team, delivering the track infrastructure on which the Gautrain will run.
“As an integral part of the project in building this track, we are doing something that was never there before, using new technology. From the track construction, we are developing new skill sets, and my role as business development director for Isithimela is to take these skills beyond Gautrain.”
Rakale is proud to be part of history, having been involved in no small way in the first rapid rail link in the country.
“The impact this has on the country is that my company has contributed to building an infrastructure that is going to be here for decades, making mobility easier for the people of Gauteng and South Africa.”
Ready for landing
Neil Sankar, of consulting engineering firm Goba (Pty) Ltd, saw the realisation of years of his company’s hard work as the King Shaka International Airport in La Mercy KwaZulu-Natal became operational in May. “This project was a very challenging experience, but also fruitful as an individual and for our respective companies. Seeing it operational after building everything in a 33-month period makes me realise what a phenomenal feat it was,” he says.
Sankar was aboard the A340 600 airplane that marked the airport’s first unofficial flight. “Just coming in and landing for the first time and hearing the pride among the ACSA [Airports Company South Africa] representatives and other stakeholders made it a very emotional moment for all of us.
“The team dedicated the last three to four years of their professional life to this project and it has strengthened our belief in the civil engineering capability in South Africa,” he adds.
A number of factors posed challenges on the project and affected how it was managed, from the environmental influence, to negativity in the media and government, not to mention the challenge of finishing on time despite all this. A few challenges linger, but the airport is operating and is at a point where it functions as it was intended.
“As Goba, we had about 30 people on average working on it at any given time for the last three years. To have them continually step up and do what was required, was a feat in itself, but we achieved all our milestones pretty well on the project,” says Sankar.
As word of the landmark project spread, he became something of a celebrity among family and friends. “Few civil projects are as much in the public eye as this one was, so everyone always wanted to know how it was going, and they were all so proud.”
Those who already have used it are hugely impressed and the company also hopes to impress the judges in the South African Institute of Civil Engineering Awards where, Goba believes, the technical excellence of the project will stand it in good stead.
“This was a very good experience. There are lots of lessons learnt. Bearing in mind this is the first new airport in South Africa in 50 years, and one of five worldwide built in the last 10 years, we are mindful that most of us will never have this experience again,” says Sankar.
“Next to the Gautrain, this was probably the second largest infrastructure project for the country in recent times – marking a number of ‘firsts’ in its advanced technology and setting new records.”
He reflects on the experience with pride, “I was passionate about it from the beginning and was a witness to the entire project: from the concept at the bidding stage, being awarded the bid, starting to dig the holes, testing and seeing the campsite equipment arriving, to what we see today.”
Preparing a host city
Back in Gauteng, Emil Nothnagel is the cluster manager for legacy and sustainability at the City of Tshwane. His is one of six clusters set up to realise the objectives of Tshwane as 2010 Fifa World Cup Host City.
“My focus is to look at all the tourism, accommodation and volunteer projects, city beautification, and how can we stimulate the economy by using informal traders and making them part of the World Cup and capacitating them for the future,” he says.
Each city views the legacy component differently. “Our perspective is that the infrastructure already will leave a legacy, but that we can make a difference by focusing on capacity building among small businesses, youth, women and people with disabilities to ensure sustainability,” Nothnagel adds.
Most of these projects are coming into operation now. “We have done a lot in terms of capacity development, from a research project with Tshwane University of Technology and the University of California pre-, post- and during the World Cup, to running informal trading programmes with relevant bodies representing our target groups,” explains Nothnagel.
An example of an outcome is having 200 informal traders ply their trade and showcase their quality products in areas of high visitor traffic, aligned to the park-and-ride and hop-on, hop-off facilities and without infringing on any ambush marketing rules. They have been provided with shirts, aprons and gazebos which are theirs to keep.
The city beautification has gone well, as has the formation of a network of accommodation establishments aligned to the vision of the city’s tourism department, industry and World Cup strategy. The electronic database that was created of all graded and non-graded accommodation is in itself a legacy.
Nothnagel also steered the volunteer project, which invited individuals to make their various services available as required during the event. “I am personally very excited about the quality of volunteers. We have 680 working on different things, and 80% of these are senior students or professional people like doctors and lawyers etc. who will all be put to work to enhance the quality of the event.”
He says that the call for volunteers yielded more than 9 000 applicants, of which 3 000 were interviewed to reach a final number of 680. They all received training and induction, so they know what to do to support and also enjoy the World Cup.
Asked what he would like to see as a result of his work, Nothnagel replies, “The perfect picture would be that we host a successful World Cup, and that we combine it with an impact on the economy as host city, that we have capacitated those we could, and use the skills developed and the event as a vehicle to showcase quality all around to ensure visitors have a positive experience and return to our city.”
