scholarly journals Resource-Financed Infrastructure: Thoughts on Four Chinese-Financed Projects in Uganda

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3259
Author(s):  
Tom Ogwang ◽  
Frank Vanclay
Keyword(s):  
Social Impact ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Benefit Sharing ◽  
Positive Development ◽  
Infrastructure Projects ◽  
Public Infrastructure ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Hydroelectric Dam ◽  
Development Outcomes

Increasingly common methods for financing public infrastructure in developing economies are Resources-for-Infrastructure (R4I) and Resource-Financed Infrastructure (RFI), usually involving Chinese financial institutions and Chinese construction companies. Although there are advantages to the borrowing country from these project financing arrangements, there are also various issues and governance challenges. In Uganda, expectations around future revenue from oil extraction have led to many infrastructure projects being commissioned, mostly funded by RFI arrangements. To consider the appropriateness of these arrangements and to reflect on whether they are likely to contribute to positive development outcomes or be examples of the resource curse, we examined four public infrastructure projects: Kampala–Entebbe Expressway; Karuma Hydroelectric Dam; Isimba Hydroelectric Dam; and the Malaba to Kampala section of the East Africa Standard Gauge Railway. Although R4I/RFI arrangements are viewed positively by some commentators, others (especially local companies) consider they lack transparency, create unsustainable debt, promote China’s interests over the borrowing country, increase unemployment, unfairly compete with local business, deal in corruption, have poor working conditions, and result in substandard construction. Nevertheless, we conclude that Uganda and other developing countries have generally benefited from Chinese-funded infrastructure, and there is more myth trap than debt trap. However, to ensure positive development outcomes, governments and construction companies should ensure compliance with international standards, especially relating to: environmental and social impact assessment; human rights; benefit-sharing arrangements; livelihood restoration; and project-induced displacement and resettlement.

Questioning the “Regulatory Approach” to Large-Scale Agricultural Land Transfers in Ethiopia: A Legal Pluralistic Perspective

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fantu F. Mulleta ◽  
Pierre Merlet ◽  
Johan Bastiaensen
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Codes Of Conduct ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Positive Development ◽  
Power Structures ◽  
Political Dimension ◽  
Large Scale Land ◽  
Development Outcomes

AbstractUntil now, most policy recommendations put forward to deal with the possible negative impacts of large-scale land acquisitions are either directed towards the legal recognition and formalization of land rights in order to secure the rights of historical land holders or the design and implementation of “voluntary” guidelines and codes of conduct that promote positive development outcomes of large-scale land investments. This paper argues that these types of recommendations tend to depoliticize the debate around access to land and natural resources, whether at local, national and international levels. This paper looks to bring this political dimension back by proposing an analytical framework in line with the legal pluralist tradition. From a legal pluralistic analysis of the process of land deals in Ethiopia, this paper finds out that socio-cultural identity and power structures, rather than market and regulatory failure alone, play a fundamental role in redirecting negotiations and determining losers and winners from such deals. With the above finding, this paper finally suggests that blueprint international standards or investment regulatory measures cannot be used as a panacea and that solutions need to be more profound than such conventional approach.

scholarly journals Socially-Tolerated Practices in Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Reporting: Discourses, Displacement, and Impoverishment

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abosede Ijabadeniyi ◽  
Frank Vanclay
Keyword(s):  
Social Impact ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Community Interactions ◽  
Social Good ◽  
Development Outcomes ◽  
Social Licence To Operate ◽  
Social Management

Normative guidelines for addressing project-induced displacement and resettlement have been successful in coercing companies and practitioners to comply with international standards and local requirements. However, good practice has not always been effectively implemented, leading to reduced social wellbeing of people in local communities. We assess how the reciprocal relationships between institutional norms and practitioners’ situated perspectives about company-community interactions can improve social management practice. Drawing on Hajer and Versteeg’s method of environmental discourse analysis, discussions and storylines about a mining project in Mpumalanga in South Africa were assessed against contextualised discursive conventions in the mining industry. It was found that practitioners learn to manipulate legislative requirements, which ultimately perpetuates the impoverishment of project affected communities. The question is not whether or not practitioners understand the requirements of environmental and social management, but the extent to which such understandings are manipulated for corporate gain as opposed to social good. We consider practitioner rationalities about the purpose and function of environmental and social management, and how it is implemented. We suggest that practitioners and companies should construct positive aspirational identity perspectives about social management that would transcend from their current limited view (that achieving minimum compliance is sufficient) to aspiring to achieve better social development outcomes for all, especially the most disadvantaged. This requires a genuine commitment to obtaining and maintaining a social licence to operate, perspective transformation, a commitment to inclusiveness, and increased capacity for critical reflection.

PROMETHEE-based ranking of project managers based on the five personality traits

Kybernetes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 1083-1102
Author(s):  
Georgios N. Aretoulis ◽  
Jason Papathanasiou ◽  
Fani Antoniou
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Multicriteria Decision Making ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Preference Ranking ◽  
Infrastructure Projects ◽  
Public Infrastructure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The One ◽  
Selection Of

Purpose This paper aims to rank and identify the most efficient project managers (PMs) based on personality traits, using Preference Ranking Organization METHod for Enrichment Evaluations (PROMETHEE) methodology. Design/methodology/approach The proposed methodology relies on the five personality traits. These were used as the selection criteria. A questionnaire survey among 82 experienced engineers was used to estimate the required weights per personality trait. A second two-part questionnaire survey aimed at recording the PMs profile and assess the performance of personality traits per PM. PMs with the most years of experience are selected to be ranked through Visual PROMETHEE. Findings The findings suggest that a competent PM is the one that scores low on the “Neuroticism” trait and high especially on the “Conscientiousness” trait. Research limitations/implications The research applied a psychometric test specifically designed for Greek people. Furthermore, the proposed methodology is based on the personality characteristics to rank the PMs and does not consider the technical skills. Furthermore, the type of project is not considered in the process of ranking PMs. Practical implications The findings could contribute in the selection of the best PM that maximizes the project team’s performance. Social implications Improved project team communication and collaboration leading to improved project performance through better communication and collaboration. This is an additional benefit for the society, especially in the delivery of public infrastructure projects. A lot of public infrastructure projects deviate largely as far as cost and schedule is concerned and this is an additional burden for public and society. Proper project management through efficient PMs would save people’s money and time. Originality/value Identification of the best PMbased on a combination of multicriteria decision-making and psychometric tests, which focus on personality traits.

scholarly journals Saudi Arabia’s G20 Presidency in 2020

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 654-662
Author(s):  
Lari Lidzhievich Basangov ◽  
Alexander Alexandrovich Ignatov
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Developing Economies ◽  
Great Influence ◽  
National Development ◽  
International Standards ◽  
International Taxation ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Arab State ◽  
Leading Role ◽  
Growth Energy

The G20 is an informal institute of global governance and one of the most prominent international forums for both - key developed and developing economies. The G20’s agenda embraces various issues including international taxation, digital growth, macroeconomic stability, labor market development, fight against crime and corruption, implementation of effective and eco-neutral energy technologies, etc. The G20’s decisions, even lacking legal force, tend to transform into international standards and joint initiatives. Due to the absence of a permanent secretariat, a host country exercises great influence on formulation of the G20’s working agenda. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a key actor in the Middle East and the only Arab state with G20 membership. In 2020, Saudi Arabia will take the G20 presidency for the first time ever and thus take the leading role in shaping its agenda. In this context, several issues regarding Saudi Arabia’s policy towards implementation of its national development agenda, promotion of previous presidencies’ decisions and its influence over further development of the G20’s agenda are of particular interest. The authors analyze Saudi Arabia’s current status and national priorities and recent developments of G20’s agenda to forecast the results of the forthcoming presidency. The authors point out that discussion on digital growth, energy efficiency, climate change mitigation and macroeconomic policy would very likely result in concrete decisions. Modest success is expected in making decisions on gender-related agenda. The core items of G20’s agenda such as reform of international financial institutions and fight against protectionism in global trade are less likely to attract much attention and lead to concrete decisions.

Editorial: Managing Competing Public Values in Public Infrastructure Projects

2008 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 131-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joop Koppenjan ◽  
Michael B. Charles ◽  
Neal Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Infrastructure Projects ◽  
Public Infrastructure ◽  
Public Values

Global Standards and the Environmental Performance of Industry

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael T. Rock ◽  
David P. Angel
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Economic Globalization ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Positive Development ◽  
Environmental Standards ◽  
Global Standards ◽  
Global Environmental ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Development Outcomes ◽  
Institutional Capability

This chapter draws together the evidence of the last three chapters to consider the emergence of global standards as a driver of improvements in the environmental performance of industry. Our particular focus is the growing importance of firm-based global environmental standards as an alternative to the more widely recognized state-centered approaches to setting and implementing environmental standards. Increasing numbers of multinational firms (MNCs) are adopting uniform approaches to environmental management across all of their facilities worldwide, including in some cases process and performance-based environmental standards. Such intra-firm standards have even broader reach when they are also applied to the suppliers of the MNCs as part of standardized supply chain management. In this chapter we examine the rationale behind the adoption of firm-based approaches to global environmental standards, and whether such firm-based approaches add value to traditional state-centered environmental regulation and governance. Why are firm-based global standards being adopted by MNCs, and do these standards constitute a novel and effective approach to improving the environmental performance of industry? The chapter addresses the issue of global standards and the environment from the perspective of recent research within economic geography on issues of economic globalization. We take this starting point precisely because much of the recent interest in global environmental standards among politicians and policy makers is a reaction to economic globalization and to the likely environmental and social consequences of intensified flows of capital, technology, and information on a global scale. The growing force of neoliberal trade and investment regimes, and the rapid growth in foreign direct investment and international trade within the world economy, has led many to call for a new global governance of economic processes that will ensure more positive development outcomes (Rodrik et al. 2002; UNDP 2003). What Rodrik and others have in mind in this regard is some combination of supra-national institutional capability and strengthened state-based regulation to match the growing global reach of MNCs.

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