Yesterday, I received a bothering message from DHL indicating that my Canadian election package was in its way… So, today… Canada. 1907 Canada was building one of the most ambitious bridges in the world. The Quebec Bridge. A spectacular structure across the St. Lawrence River. Almost 550 metres between its main supports. A masterpiece of engineering. At least… as usual… on paper. The engineer was Theodore Cooper. Experienced. Respected. Confident. Very confident. Maybe too much… At some...
1 day ago • 2 min read
After a wisdom toothache, the one thing I most look forward to ending is an election campaign. New Zealand has a fascinating relationship with infrastructure. We want everything. European-quality public transport. Affordable housing. Less traffic. Lower emissions. And, of course, lower taxes. Beautiful. There's just one small problem. We don't want density. Everybody wants trains. Modern stations. Frequent services. Maybe even a metro. Like London. Or Paris. Or Madrid. But please, no...
2 days ago • 2 min read
There was a time when managing a project meant managing a project. You know. Cost. Time. Quality. Safety. The usual boring stuff. Then someone discovered KPIs. Key Performance Indicators. Beautiful invention by consultants paid by the slide. And who have never actually managed a project. They design 47 KPIs. Each with a definition. A formula. A weighting. A threshold. And a 93-page document explaining how they work. Or how they're supposed to work… Of course, nobody really knows… but they...
3 days ago • 2 min read
A helicopter is a jodidamente difficult machine. To fly one, you must coordinate several controls simultaneously. Get one wrong, and things become… let’s say unpleasant. Get several wrong, and your career as a pilot may be short. First, you learn to take off. Then to fly. Then to fly at night. Then in formation. Then, perhaps, in combat. And only after mastering all that might someone reasonably ask you to land on a moving aircraft carrier. In the middle of a storm. At night. Now, imagine the...
4 days ago • 2 min read
Imagine two houses. The first has a beautiful kitchen. Italian marble. Designer bathrooms. And a motorway running 20 metres from the bedroom. The second has an ugly kitchen. Terrible paint. And bathrooms that haven't been touched since 1987. But it's in a fantastic location. Which one would you buy? Unless you have a particular affection for motorway noise, probably the second. Applying the following concept is where you make the money. You can replace a kitchen. You can repaint the walls....
5 days ago • 1 min read
January 1879 The British Army invaded Zululand. You’ve probably watched the movie or you know the story. The pirates had rifles. Artillery. Professional soldiers. And a commanding officer called Lord Chelmsford. A man who was remarkably confident in British military superiority. Unfortunately for the British, the Zulus hadn't been informed of their inferiority. Chelmsford established a camp. Standard military practice required defensive precautions. Entrenchments. Protected positions. A...
6 days ago • 1 min read
Ah, November… time of elections… Promises… and of course… rush to solve problems untouched during 3 or 4 years. This time, it was January. 2022. India. A politician inaugurated a bridge. Just before the elections. Beautiful ceremony. Speeches. Cameras. Smiles. Although… as usual in pre-election times… there was one minor inconvenience. The bridge wasn't finished. The approaches… the same. But the ribbon? Ohh… my friend. Perfectly red. Perfectly cut. A steering committee to choose the perfect...
7 days ago • 1 min read
They say infrastructure is about delivering outcomes. But spend five years discussing how to procure the people who might eventually deliver them. They say experience matters. Then appoint someone who's never delivered a project to tell those who have how to do it. They say risk should sit with the party best able to manage it. Then transfer everything to the contractor and act surprised when the price doubles. They say they want innovation. Then reject anything that wasn't done on the...
8 days ago • 2 min read
You probably know the story. An Arab billionaire sends his son to study in London. Naturally, he buys him a gold-plated Ferrari. A few weeks later, the son calls home. “Dad, I have a problem.” “What is it, son? Do you need more money?” “No, Dad. It's embarrassing. All my friends go to university by Underground. I'm the only idiot arriving in a gold Ferrari.” His father goes silent. Then replies: “My son, you should have told me earlier. I'm sending you £300 million immediately. Buy yourself...
9 days ago • 1 min read