SINCE THE TURN of the century, major foreign oil investments as well as ongoing foreign assistance and capital have continued to boost Chad’s economy. Despite this, more than 80 per cent of Chad’s population still relies on subsistence farming and raising livestock for its economic sustenance.
Breathing new life into Chad’s economy will require co-operation on both a local and international scale. The Chadian Government, international and local aid agencies as well as the global companies investing in the country’s estimated 1.5bn barrels of oil reserves must take an active role in building and sustaining the country’s future. Hiring from within the country, using local resources and encouraging entrepreneurship in Chad will be critical to the country’s success.
To ensure the future of its nation, the Chadian Government must recognise the importance of developing its people. It needs to implement regulations that require all companies entering Chad to ensure a percentage of the workforce is hired locally. Rather than simply choosing the lowest tender, companies should be required to include a social development clause within their proposal; be it to employ a number of trained indigenous peoples over the course of the contract; generate employment through investment within agriculture; or assist in setting up a local mechanics business where their trucks and equipment would be serviced. In short; a sustainable development plan should support every proposal that goes through the Chadian Government.
Leading by example
Companies need to understand that working in some of the poorest parts of the world entails a responsibility to assist these local nationals in improving their prospects. This is something upheld by RA International, an emerging force within remote site service support and real life support (RLS). Implementation of local recruitment strategies is embedded in the company’s ethos and all projects are designed, with a positive impact on local economies in mind.
Companies entering into Chad should be aiming for a local hire rate of between 80-90 per cent, parameters in which RA International have been working within since start up in 2002. When recruiting its teams and short on local knowledge, the company works with local employment agencies to source manpower. There are currently 85-90 per cent local Chadians working on various projects under the guidance of an International management team made up from countries such as Bosnia, Zimbabwe, Morocco, Côte D’Ivoire, Kenya, Philippines, Benin, UK, Canada and South Africa. All of the company’s local employees not only work on projects within their home country but are also given the opportunity to work abroad, providing them with exposure to different skills and work environments. RA International’s management teams ensure that there is a constant downward flow of information and that all employees get hands on experience and training.
It is important that any organisation implements the highest standards for their employees and should encourage their employees to abide by the very highest level of corporate governance. RA International’s ultimate goal is for its local employees to be trained and given the necessary skills and expertise that will allow them to replace the international management team within 18 months.
The residual effect of any company’s operations for their local employees should be education and skills training, investment into the community through salaries and, wherever possible, local material purchases. By building a sustainable presence in Chad, RA International aims to leave behind a positive legacy that will improve the country’s infrastructure, bolster the economy and improve the prospects of the population. Using local labour and resources and by encouraging entrepreneurship is critical to this, equipping Chad’s people with practical skills for business and industry.
At the start of any project, companies should identify and work with local suppliers who can provide the necessary materials. RA International, wherever possible, will use local companies to supply materials for their projects. Not only is it important to source these suppliers, but to also assist in purchasing and quality control - teaching your employees along the way. This process creates viability, which in turn provides a positive ‘multiplier’ effect for Chad. Transferring the relevant knowledge and best practice onto both the supplier and workers for future activities drives future economic opportunities.
Rallying support
Rallying the support of companies and organisations to help, train and in turn create healthy and sustainable communities in Chad is critical. Organisations involved in the country must work together to improve the employability of disadvantaged people through the sharing and transferring of expertise. By doing this, a key principle upheld by RA International, local communities can prosper and use their new found skills to develop new and ongoing income-generating activities – bolstering the economy and creating a sustainable future for their country.
The ten principals set out in the United Nations Global Impact report relating to human rights, labour standards, the environment and anti-corruption should be the underpin of all business principles – something that RA International aims to emulate across its business. Within two years of starting a contract, the company’s aim is to ensure that at least 90 per cent of the people on their projects are indigenous to the country. Any projects undertaken should be those that help improve lives and add value to local communities in Chad.
Having worked in challenging remote environments since its inception, RA International now has the ability to provide a high-level logistics, procurement, catering, waste management and other general camp support service solutions to its end clients in the oil and gas sectors – a sector into which the company wants to take its expertise. All the company’s Chadian employees are trained at a junior level and soon after moved into mid-management roles. This in itself helps with the number of skilled, trained and educated employees in Chad and will inevitably foster economic growth for the country.
Developing nations – and, more importantly the people within them – have a lot to offer companies that work inside their borders. Through skills and knowledge sharing with the local workforce, developed nations can help countries like Chad to achieve a greater outlook for prosperity and to create a legacy that will be passed down through the generations.
* Soraya Narfeldt is owner and chairwoman of RA International, a company which specialises in reconstruction assistance in post-crisis areas.