Don t they know It s Friday? Lessons from the Gulf.

Transcription

1 Don t they know It s Friday? Lessons from the Gulf. Barry Peddle PSM Institute Director TAFE NSW South Western Sydney Institute Thursday 15 October 2009 Global CV Delegations Presentations Project Consultancies America UAE Canada Jordan Germany South Africa China Netherlands England Bahrain Thailand New Zealand Saudi Arabia Oman Switzerland Philippines France Finland 1

2 What and Where is the Gulf? Commonly The Arabian Gulf Muslim countries of the Middle East GCC Education Investments - opportunity knocks! Education is a strategic priority for GCC countries Significant investments being made to reform educational systems Transition into a knowledge-based economy 2008 World Bank report, despite heavy investment in education, the returns were modest GCC countries have spent an average of five per cent of their GDPs on education UAE Federal Government allocated about 25 per cent of its federal budget for education 2

3 GCC Education Investments - opportunity knocks! GCC's education system has yet to achieve its full capacity to produce graduates with the skills and expertise necessary to compete with other regions For example: The region is likely to face a challenge in recruiting numbers of qualified teachers needed to meet the demand by 2015, especially in Saudi Arabia and Iraq. World Bank Report April 2008 Lesson 1: Managing time and patience Doing business in the Gulf amounts to: wait, wait, wait!!!! hurry, hurry, hurry!!!! 3

4 Managing time and patience Arab people manage time; time doesn t manage them As a rule of thumb, 95% of your time will be spent waiting followed by 5% of intense work against impossible deadlines; that s just the way it is Be patient - things move very slowly at times Ramadan, Eid, holidays and summer; Lesson 2: Know your partner Don t underestimate the business acumen of your Gulf client many very well educated overseas How much is 2 plus 2?; well said Mohammed, that depends on whether you are the buyer or the seller GCC have built a sustainable economy well beyond oil, now a reliance on expatriate knowledge transfer to develop new economy Economic development strategies and initiatives 2030 Visions (they all have them) 4

5 Contribution to Total GCC Earnings Banking 44% Petrochemical 22% Telecommunications 20% Investment companies 2% Cement 3% Infrastructure 2% Real Estate 2% Logistics 1% Other 4% Lesson 3: It s all about relationships Gulf partners look for a balance of technical competence within regional (Gulf) contexts. Build your relationships through. Business competence and knowledge transfer Understand the local Economic factors Be aware of the Social factors and environment Be sensitive to Religious beliefs (Islam & Muslims) Be aware of the diversity of Cultures and Races Understand the Political impacts and acknowledge Royalty 5

6 It s all about relationships Gulf Royal Family connections Government agencies and Ministries (who have a business, investment, trade or labour relationship) Economic development groups GCC Chambers of Industry (Business) & Commerce Gulf higher level business industry trade or development groups National employer and industry agencies; Saudiisaton; Omanisation; Emiratisation Lessons 4: Conduct and Behaviour Power of Islam.. In Sha Allah (if God wills) The Koran and code of conduct rules every day aspects of human behaviour Business is personal family and Muslims first, then strangers Business and pleasure together consistent behaviour The sport of bargaining Negotiating a game Etiquette! Anyone for coffee? (yes please) 6

7 Lesson 5: Why do you want to do business in the Gulf? Are your motives clear? Are you specialising (or are you just shopping for anything you can get)? Select the country and projects that align best with your business objectives and way of doing business. (no one size fits all response) Why do you want to do business in the Gulf? Do you have the home and in-country support you need? Are you well prepared for the journey? Do you really want to do this and why? Two essential characteristics the patience of Job and the speed of light! 7

8 Lesson 6: Prepare yourself with research Your client/partners track record Economic development strategies Social issues Religious history Cultural values and norms Political situation and risk Terrorism risk internal and external Research 8

9 Lesson 7: Doing business in the Gulf Partnering (relationships) should be the underlying philosophy of all business dealings; not client-contractor of servantmaster You will deal with many expatriates working for the Gulf partners be aware of other business and cultural issues and norms as well Doing business in the Gulf Gender the presence of women in some areas of the Gulf Alcohol tolerance or lack of it default - no drinking in company unless invited Class and social structures if you don t want to accept them don t do business in the Gulf particularly Saudi Arabia 9

10 Doing business in the Gulf Careful selection of staff to work in the Gulf (it s not for everyone) The client is king (in their home, you must act accordingly) In some cases you will deal directly with Royalty Be flexible not rigid in any aspect of your business dealings Doing business in the Gulf Consider spouses Keep the team happy and content its difficult living away from home tomorrow is OK is code for we want it done yesterday Learn and read as much as you can about the people you want to do business with rather than the country you want to do business in 10

11 Doing business in the Gulf Selection of the right sponsor community standing, integrity and perceptions Industrial relations = isle or window seat home (arbitration) Lesson 8: Contractual and project management approach Risk assess everything know the cost of failure financial, reputation and business In-country and external assessments Contract preparation - rigorous legal involvement Don t leave anything out; err on being detailed Ambiguity leads to disputes Project management methodology Project planning and documentation Active engagement of partners in relevant aspect of planning 11

12 Contractual and project management approach Due diligence Financial and reputation Pre-planned exit strategies Work this out at tender time Be conservative with language and negotiation Saying no is rude Lesson 9: Project implementation Be adaptive to changes and be flexible without compromising the quality or effectiveness of the project or management processes Deploy quality assurance systems and processes in a business environment while recognizing the delivery environment is usually vastly different to the one the QA systems were conceived in 12

13 Project implementation Employ locally appropriate models of business operations and behaviour Make sure there is a comprehensive understanding of the outcomes to be achieved, and the inputs to be resourced, from the partnership Be patient and considerate of each other s needs Understand local law (the five elements of Shariah) and other legal mechanisms (contracts) Project implementation They are very astute and articulate business people; keep the contract close and use it regularly to manage the affairs of the project, but only when necessary Emphasise the cultural aspects but don t overdo it; there are also cultures the locals want to change; be very careful of assuming 13

14 Project implementation The Gulf is about change find the conservative balance; always resistance with some locals They want people who can get the job done and who will push, the hierarchy want this. Do it your way but do it slowly and in way that considers the cultural history of the Arab nations Arrogance, above everything else, is out Everything in the Gulf is fast-tracked; mission impossible timeframes Clients often promise a lot but do not deliver (leave at the client s risk is a risk) Project implementation Employ locals quickly to work through the very complex networks of business and governments Business language have a person that speaks the local language with you as often as possible The process to work and establish yourself as a resident in the Gulf is extremely complex and slow. 14

15 Lesson 10: Enjoy and benefit from the experience Use the leaning effectively to build your own business reputation in the Gulf You will get one chance Build your own capability and capacity for bigger and better projects in other places Have some fun along the way Case Study: ADVETI - A brief history of time.. Tender awarded to TAFE NSW To create and manage the Institute for 5 years Project Strategic Timescale Conception: late December 2006 Gestation: Contract signed 22 April mobilisation May 2007 Birth: 9 September 2007 (College opened) Expansion Turnkey: 21 April 2012 (total knowledge transfer) 15

16 Version Control: 26 April 2007; 1300 hrs : Author: Barry Peddle 10/21/2009 ADVETI The Challenge Develop 15 Higher Diploma equivalent qualifications Industry leadership, consultation & validation 620 full time students Year 5 < 4-5,000 Renovated facilities in 3 months State of the art ICT and learning infrastructure Australian Faculty staff Emirati Australian and Expat staff Transfer of knowledge Turn-key solution PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPROACH Sub Project 1 Sub Project 8 Project Establishment ICT Infrastructure & Contract Managment Equipment [Barry Peddle] [Ken Howell & Bill Clark] Sub Project 7 Sub Project 2 Staff Appointments and Curriculum, Standards and Orientation Recognition [David Thomas] [Lindsay McGarity] ADVETI PLANNING COMMITTEE > Ministry (MOPA) Sub Project 6 > Educ Council (ADEC) Student Recruitment, Sub Project 3 > TAFE - DET - IBO Marketing and Public AVETI Accreditation and Relations ABU DHABI VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING INSTITUTE (ADVETI) Standards [Alison Maloney] PROJECT MANAGEMENT SCHEDULE: SUB PROJECT MILESTONES AND OUTCOMES [Charmaine Belfanti] DESIGN AND START UP PHASES: 8 APRIL - 1 SEPTEMBER 2007 Sub Project 6 [B] Commercial in Confidence - Draft Student Selection and Admissions PROJECT PHASES and OUTCOMES Sub Project 4 Week Number 1 Sub 2 Project Facilities, Furniture and Date: Sunday 8 April 15 April 22 April 29 April 6 May Public Holidays and Vacation Periods Corporate, Business and Sub Project [1] Equipment Performance Systems A PROJECT ESTABLISHMENT [Glenn AND Downie LOGISTICS & Kevin Anger] [Mike Rayment] 1.0 Contract signing 22 April Loftus Harris - Director General N 2.0 Interim Project Logistics 3.0 Establish Project and interim VETI office specify all requirements 4.0 Prepare Project Schedule 5.0 Implement mobilisation strategy - Phase 1: Management Barry Peddle arrive 14 April depart 27 April Greg Woodburne arrive 6 April depart 27 April Abdullah Murad (UAE National) David Thomas Helen Kebby 6.0 Implement mobilisation strategy - Phase 2: Curriculum Lindsay McGarity arrive 13 April depart 20 April Bernie Galletti arrive 14 April depart 20 April Phil Bennett arrive 14 April depart 20 April Reg Edwards arrive 13 April depart 20 April Nerolli Cassidy arrive 14 April depart 20 April Gary Wood arrive 20 April depart 27 April Plan, develop, implement, Abu Dhabi Vocational Education and Training Institute (ADVETI) review ROOM leads - COURSE - CLASS CAPACITY SCHEDULE to: Shift 1 - Study Hours Shift 2 - Study Hours Male and Female Male and Female (6 hrs) x (5 days) (5 hrs) x (5 days) Total Study Hours Total Study Hours Student Hrs Hrs Hrs Total Hrs Hrs Hrs Total Hrs Hrs Hrs Total Total Total No Room No Room Name and Type Capacity Day Week Year (ASH) Day Week Year (ASH) Day Week Year (ASH) GP MM MALES Ground Floor West 1 MG004 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39,600 2 MG005 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39,600 3 MG006 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39,600 4 MG007 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39,600 5 MG008 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39,600 6 MG009 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39,600 7 MG015 Multimedia ,080 32, , ,980 59,400 7 Sub-Total , , , , , , ,600 59,400 MALES First Floor West 1 M1004 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39,600 2 M1005 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39,600 3 M1006 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39,600 4 M1007 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39,600 5 M1008 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39,600 6 M1009 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39,600 7 M1015 Multimedia ,080 23, , ,980 43,560 8 M1017 Multimedia ,080 23, , ,980 43,560 9 M1024 Multimedia ,080 32, , ,980 59,400 9 Sub-Total , , , , , , , , Total West Area (Males) , , , , , , , ,920 FEMALES Ground Floor East 1 FG003 Multimedia ,080 23, , ,980 43,560 2 FG004 Multimedia ,080 23, , ,980 43,560 3 FG007 Multimedia ,080 23, , ,980 43,560 4 FG012 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39,600 5 FG013 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39,600 6 FG014 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39,600 7 FG015 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39,600 8 FG016 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39,600 9 FG017 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39, FG018 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39, Sub-Total , , , , , , , ,680 FEMALES First Floor East 1 F1003 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39,600 2 F1004 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39,600 3 F1006 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39,600 4 F1007 Multimedia ,080 23, , ,980 43,560 5 F1011 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39,600 6 F1012 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39,600 7 F1013 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39,600 8 F1014 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39,600 9 F1015 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39, F1016 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39, F1017 General Purpose Classroom ,080 21, , ,980 39, Sub-Total , , , , , , ,000 43, Total East Area (Females) Total student capacity , , , , ,035 73,260 1,528,560 1,148, , Implement mobilisation strategy - Phase 3: Facilities & ICT Kevin Anger (facilities) depart?? Glenn Downie (facilities) depart?? Glen Howell (ICT) Bill Clark (ICT) 8.0 Implement mobilisation strategy - Phase 4: Planning and Systems Charmaine Belfanti (quality management system) Brenda Cleaver (business management system) Oriana Augustson (business management system) 9.0 Implement mobilisation strategy - Phase 5: Corporate Support Mike Rayment Alison Maloney Finance and administration (yet to be identified) 10.0 Implement mobilisation strategy - Phase 6: Teaching and Support Refresh EOI for staff - specific disciplines Teaching staff plan Teaching support staff plan 11.0 Staff Briefings (Australia) Pre & post Departure briefings for staff 11 April (pre) 4 May (post) Briefings to teaching staff re curriculum and pedagogy 12.0 Staff Briefings (Abu Dhabi) Team meetings daily at 6pm Royal Meridian 13.0 Accommodation - staffing Temporary accommodation - hotels - schedule per A [5] & [6] Permanent accommodation - units - schedule 16

17 A successful outcome! 17