Learning from “ BIG DIG” :
The United States. The ideal democracy. A leader and the well-known American dream . As a child growing up in an underdeveloped nation, whenever I heard about the United States, it was always about automobiles, technology, or some strange fashion sense and unfathomable traditions. I believe that somewhere along the line of education, we began to learn about the undiscovered truths about something you thought was fantastic but turned out to be a dud. Thank you, internet. Portraying the United States in regional Indian films was so tyrannical that a few remain in our minds like leeches. A view from an aircraft where the hero looks out to see American land and then the scene transitions to the Statue of Liberty and some young fresh youngsters in front of New York Plaza and other such locations.
I recently read on another medium post by an infrastructure analyst that over 60k US bridges are structurally weak, which is only the tip of the iceberg.
It’s as though objects are falling around us and we can’t tell what they are.
Even while technology is advancing at a quicker rate, controlling them is a challenge, since these types of challenges will get more difficult in the future as urbanization accelerates, with predictions that by 2050, 70% of the world would be under urban control. Despite these challenges, the United States is becoming less capable of dealing with such circumstances. Federal investments are being decreased, putting pressure on local and state policymakers. The American Society of Civil Engineers recently gave the United States a “d” plus rating on its most recent report card. And around 3.6 trillion dollars must be arranged to restore order. Is it even possible???
The irony is that the same American Society of Civil Engineers recommended three basic principles in 2013 to improve the general condition in the United States.
1.Advanced leadership strategies
2.Sustainability and resilience promotion
3.Develop and fund projects that improve the infrastructure industry.
Isn’t it simple and straightforward? Not only for the United States, but for any country.
Let me tell you about the “BIG DIG,” the most famous and costly failed project in US history, “The Central Artery/ Tunnel Project.” This project was completed eight years late and at a cost that had risen from 2.6 to 15 billion US dollars. The greatest part of the tale was that it was intended to alleviate traffic on Boston’s existing freeways, but it actually damaged the entire route due to poor planning.
These failures have taught us: Don’t point the finger at your own nation, which in my case is India. Even the most powerful country in earth has problems and failures. But the idea is that these types of cases bring to the forefront topics that industry professionals like me and you may examine. Capacity, condition, funding, future need, operation, maintenance, public safety, resilience, and innovation are all part of the CCFFOMPRI acronym. If all of these factors are met, the project will be 95% successful.
We are all people, me, you, and them. We are architects and planners, not critics. We can learn from our detractors. What can be improved? How can this be addressed without delay in the future? Yes, that is our intention! Putting those naysayers in their place and developing a strategy is a difficult endeavor.
Taking the initial bites:
Nothing works without planning; “failing to plan is planning to fail.” Ahhh! Isn’t that a lot of quotes to handle? Anyway, the first bites of a massive work are cautious planning, which requires processes involving 1000s of planners and thinkers to analyze and get to an almost conclusion with the understanding that it may be changed at any time due to geopolitical and other factors. With these anxieties in mind, a project goes ahead and must go ahead. Predictability is the final step after planning; despite the fact that it may be amended, the project must be properly planned and well-equipped with all of the material and brainyresources, as well as a timeline. Which efforts like “Big Dig” have failed to achieve. At the end of the day, whether this occurs in the United States or Africa, a failing project is the product of poor planning.
All of the projects about which we speak may be intimidating or even uninteresting because there is no exaggeration as seen in TV programs. As strategists, Our role is to learn from efforts like the Big Dig, because learning from successful projects does not offer a complete picture of any field. Then it’s only a matter of putting a well-thought-out approach into action. But one thing is certain: we must get started as soon as possible.
So, how exactly do you eat an elephant?
Answer: Take one bite at a time.
-RUGAATHYA
