Engineering Issues in the South Pacific

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Engineering Issues in the South Pacific
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Workshop October 2007

• Fiji Fiji Institution of Engineers
• Samoa Institution of Professional Engineers
  Samoa
• Tonga
• Vanuatu
• Cook Islands
• Not invited Solomon Islands, Niue, New
  Caledonia, American Samoa, Tahiti, Tokelau

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Typical Issues

• Historic reliance on Australian/NZ aid for
  infrastructure projects brought good
  engineering standards with it
• Local capital increasing via tourism
• Capital from Asia increasing
• Engineering standards no longer intrinsically
  packaged with aid money

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Typical Issues (continued)

• Cyclones, earthquakes, fire all lead to
  substantial structural damage
• Construction standards variable poor materials
• Waste water treatment lagoon pollution
• Water treatment variable
• Roading variable quality
• Electricity supply unreliable diesel dominant
• Telecommunications improving

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Capability, education and professional development

• Aid-funded projects are not developing local
  capability or capacity.
• Construction capability is very low (technical
  and trades), and there is poor supervision the
  clerk of works role is poorly performed.
• Training of construction workers is inadequate
  and many practices are unsafe.
• Access to codes of practices and relevant
  standards is poor new engineering knowledge and
  knowledge of methods for handling new materials
  which will inevitably arrive is lacking.
• The engineering workforce is ageing, and there
  are issues in attracting young people into
  engineering education.

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Technical standards

• Materials quality and variability of materials is
  an ongoing issue.
• Poor capability to test materials and quality
  assure their reliability
• Lack of a systematic building code which is
  practical for a number of nations.
• Cyclones, tsunami and earthquakes not dealt with
  well in design of public infrastructure and
  private sector construction projects.
• Asset degradation due to harsh tropical
  conditions
• Much investment bypasses Australian or New
  Zealand technical standards, especially if the
  source of capital is private or from Asia.
• Access to technical standards by engineers in the
  islands is difficult.
• Some technology brought in from overseas is
  inappropriate for the service conditions in the
  islands.

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Regulatory agencies

• In general, engineering skills in Government and
  other regulatory agencies is poor.
• Implementation and enforcement of building
  regulation is piecemeal and inconsistent.
• The legislation or regulations/codes are often
  out of date or incompletely implemented.

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Professional identity for engineers

• Qualification recognition, especially for those
  educated in Fiji and Papua New Guinea is an
  issue,
• Lack of a peer body for creating status and
  standing for engineers, and as a means to attract
  focus to engineering issues,
• Lack of specialist engineers in some disciplines,
  especially those in high demand globally,
• Enforcement of disciplinary actions against poor
  performers is difficult,
• Achievement of robust competence assessments is
  difficult.

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Suggestions for Improvement

• Development of a South Pacific Building Code, and
  regular updating of this document.
• Development of suitable compliance documents e.g.
  standards this might involve Australia/New
  Zealand standards becoming South Pacific in
  coverage as well.
• Development of means to ensure reliable and
  accurate construction materials testing in all
  nations
• Consistent restriction of professional
  engineering work to competent engineers.
• Internationally-benchmarked competence standards
  for recognising engineers competent to practice
  in South Pacific conditions.
• Benchmarking of Fijian and PNG qualifications in
  relation to the competence standards.

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Suggestions for improvement (cont.)

• Creation of professional identity for engineers,
  e.g. through an association
• Improved access to professional development,
  perhaps facilitated by IPENZ.
• Competent regulators competence developed by
  productive relationships with leading Building
  Consent Authorities in New Zealand.
• Improved engineering trades training throughout
  the South Pacific IPENZ might act as an
  advocate for funding for this capability-raising
  need.

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South Pacific Engineers Association (SPEA)

• Competence and standards
• Technical standard setting e.g. building code,
  technical standards, codes of practice.
• Competence and qualification standard setting.
• Good engineering office practice guideline
  establishment.
• Competence assessment processing.
• Accrediting/qualification recognition actions.
• Disciplinary actions and complaints processing.
• Handling of appeals.

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South Pacific Engineers Association (SPEA) (cont.)

• Professional development
• Broker of professional development opportunities
  delivered locally, both to engineers and to
  associated occupations e.g. construction
  personnel.
• Networking opportunities for engineers.
• Mentoring of young engineers.
• Improved access to engineering knowledge,
  possibly including access to technical standards.

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South Pacific Engineers Association (SPEA) (cont.)

• Representation
• Advocacy to Governments leaders, key Ministers,
  senior officials.
• Encouraging young people into engineering.
• Support
• Administrative underpinning.

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Next Steps and Lessons

• Population-poor countries have unique problems
• Trade skills and regulatory capability need to be
  developed in parallel to engineering
• Anything short of international best practice
  standards will not work
• Need to listen, responds to local needs in their
  way consultation on proposal underway