If you ever consult on large infrastructure projects, you will struggle to find a better set of recommendations than those in this article from Darzin software.
It features a case study of the Trans-Anatolian natural gas pipeline (TANAP) – a 1850km route that runs from the Turkish border with Georgia and traversing 20 provinces across the country. It puts our 225.308km mega-project somewhat in perspective. The Chinese of course have road and rail schemes a lot longer.
What the article highlights are the special considerations that make these large, ambitious projects exciting and awe-inspiring. Everyone knows they are amazing feats of engineering or organisation, but what is seldom appreciated is that they also constitute some of the most challenging exercises in communication – engaging with hundreds of communities and living in very different circumstances.
Years ago, mega projects in many countries would have been driven on by the technocrats, but today there are internationally recognised standards, promulgated by international funding agencies like the World Bank or the European Bank. Then there is the Aarhus Convention, signed by over 40 countries, and a host of other industry-specific codes of practice which apply to environmentally sensitive industries like oil or gas or mining.
For all these, the UK’s expertise in planning-related consultations is an exportable service – and the Institute itself has experts who have already visited China to discuss best practice consultation. The Darzin Company also sees the issue clearly – read the post here.
