The Power of Context: Addressing Risk & Uncertainty in Mega Infrastructure Decision-making

Authors: Prof. Harry T. Dimitriou

DOI: https://doi.org/10.37082/IJIRMPS.ICTIMESH-24.9

Short DOI: https://doi.org/gt3x35

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Abstract: The Power of Context is a phrase coined by Malcolm Gladwell in his book entitled The Tipping Point (2003). It refers to the idea that the environment in which a message or an idea is delivered can have a huge impact on whether enough people adopt and/or spread this to create an epidemic of thought, narrative and/or action. The phrase is used here in three ways:
• As a basis for reflecting on ‘business as usual’ (BaU) planning and appraisal practices in mega infrastructure development and the contagious global influential narratives these employ in academia, the international consultancy world, governments and multi-national development agencies alike regarding what is considered a ‘successful’ megaproject.
• To understand better how these judgements have been moulded by past contexts, values, challenges, and premises, many of which no longer remain relevant to the contexts of our contemporary turbulent times, or if so, do so in a different way/scale.
• To highlight the importance of historical perspectives for lesson-learning for reflections on the future which in turn raise the following three important questions:
◦ What of our past narratives and praxis in megaproject infrastructure planning and appraisal remain valid in these new uncertain times, impacted as they are by faltering globalisation and climate change and pandemic challenges?
◦ What is path-dependent and increasingly dangerous which pose consequences that reflect imbedded interests that prevent us from learning from history and engaging in needed innovative thinking and action?
◦ What of this knowledge should we embrace, develop and discard?

While no alternative templated approach is offered in the paper’s conclusions to replace BaU practices, it is contended that the reflections offered here do give some useful strategic guidance of how we should/could do things differently. It commences with an urgent need to develop a framework for the systematic scrutiny of lessons from the past that we should embrace, develop and discard when addressing the multiple critical global challenges, we confront and for different scenarios ahead. This would assist choosing which technological innovations and investments should be targeted that are consistent with UN’s sustainable development goals (SDGs) (UN, 2015) as they translate both locally and globally.

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Paper Id: 5.509

Published On: 2024-07-07

Published In: Special Issue - International Conference on Trends and Innovations in Management, Engineering, Sciences and Humanities (July 2024)

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