Urgent call for project managers
SOUTH Pacific nations need help to improve their project management, according to a leading businessman in Vanuatu.
Managing director of the Vanuatu Daily Post and Buzz FM Dan McGarry was commenting as a Townsville company, RMS Engineering and Construction, becomes embroiled in an international scandal and what The Australian newspaper describes as “one of the most disastrously implemented aid projects in the South Pacific”.
RMS was awarded to the $ 36 million Port Vila Urban Development road and drainage project, mostly funded by the Australian Government, where the scope of work has been cut and roadworks are in a shambles with prefabricated cement drains lying unused on the roadside.
Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs has defended RMS’s capability and appointment.
RMS managing director Richard McDonald told the Bulletin he was unhappy “all perceived shortcomings” had been placed on them when design and project management had led to requests for “ad hoc” and “unorthodox” methods.
“Unbeknown at time of tender and then award, over 90 per cent of the project was yet to be fully designed,” Mr McDonald said.
“We have had to be involved in design, complete all background service checks, research and conduct geological testing and have been delayed by landholder approvals, all which should have been completed prior to RMS being awarded the contract.”
Mr McDonald said they had been expected to undertake work in an ad hoc, unorthodox and unintended methodology, while periodic service relocations had also hindered progress.
Mr McGarry said it would be “nearly impossible” to untangle the years- long string of events which had led to the “comedy of errors” but that pinning the blame solely on RMS would be misguided.
“Infrastructure projects in the developing world are hard and every single one of them requires nontransferable skills and knowledge,” Mr McGarry said.
“The only way to make them more successful is to help recipient countries improve their own ability to manage them.”
The Asian Development Bank, charged with executing the project, said it was working closely with the Vanuatu government to address implementation and capacity issues, including providing additional project oversight and technical support.
The project is running 15 months behind schedule and is expected to be completed in August.