Civil Engineering September 2021 | Vol 29 No 8

8 September 2021 Civil Engineering CEO’ S CORNER T he NIP has four focus areas namely, improving the performance of our State-Owned Enterprises, revision of sector-specific regulation (energy, freight transport, water, digital communications), capacitating of the state, and soliciting greater participation of the private sector in the delivery of public infrastructure. While NIP 2050 does not seek to consolidate individual sector plans or growth strategies, it does seek to give key focussed inputs, guidance, and re-confirmation of our socio-economic objectives. This article serves to ask the “so what?” question. What does this mean to us in making daily contributions to the provision of infrastructure in the country? Such meaning will be different to each of us depending on our perceptions of the future as it pertains to our personal and work lives. Many of us experience high levels of fear, uncertainty, and hopelessness with the possible conflict between our perceptions and the wish we have for working towards a successful economic transformation. Therefore, in addition to asking “so what?”, I argue that we should also be asking, “what can I do?” The intention is to transition a negative dialogue into a positive one. This transition towards a positive mindset, from the “so what?” to the “what can I do?”, requires grit. I ask that we explore the concept of grit as an option to stay headstrong in our intention to make a positive contribution to the work we do. Grit will further us to reach into the depths of our being to “give” when we don’t have much. In this context, developing and maintaining grit is the greatest test of our patriotism – we need to support our country when it needs us the most. Now is the time to converge towards a collective develop- ment agenda and contribute towards developing our industry and country. IMPLEMENTING NIP 2050 The adoption of this plan cas- cades into our jobs, allowing us to make contributions towards advancing our strategic objectives. Such contributions are neces- sary and oblige us to make links between what we are doing and how much it aligns with the NIP 2050’s objectives. We have to think constantly about how we can add value to our country and, by implication, to ourselves at a time when we have little to work with. We are staring down the barrel of an unsustainable future as it pertains to so many objectives left unachieved and undone. We have the option to mentor others which assits with capacity building, work longer hours which will build and keep our institutions sustain- able, embrace academic study, promote youth engagement within our work spaces, promote positive conversation which reinforces a positive mindset, and make patriotism our purpose that drives ours thoughts and actions. With our socio-economic circumstances laid bare for all to see, even if we did not have a plan, we still know what needs to be done and we need to get on with doing it in an environment that is un-supportive to do so – hence we need grit and a passionate focus on rebuilding our country in our circle of influence. With the right mindset, engineers working as a collective can achieve miracles. Knowing all that has been achieved to date, we cannot allow it to be undone. The most dire circumstances require the most positive mindset to enable us to prevail, and prevail we will. We have no choice and we are obliged to make a success of our initiatives to build our country towards sustainability for our future generations. My sense is that leadership is critical to the successful implementation of any plan. In addition to leadership there are matters of the strategy and technical capability and capacity required for any project implementation. Many of our historic plans specify project names, descriptions and esti- mated budgets. My reference to strategy refers to concepts of tested alignment to integrated plans, incorporation of methodologies of how we will achieve our strategic objectives, political will and geo-political support for such plans, supplier development to supply goods and services to projects, funding and financing solutions, supplier and offtake agreements, and capacity to implement such plans. PROJECT FEASIBILITY A high level critical review of such strategic concepts may not provide the comfort needed to implement Incorporating the National Infrastructure Plan 2050 Our National Infrastructure Plan 2050’s (NIP 2050) main objective is to grow our ailing economy while seeking to address our worsening socio-economic circumstances via a nuanced focus on public infrastructure. Such circumstances have been deteriorating over time as they apply to employment, inequality, education, and inclusive economic participation.