CDB hosts technical workshop series
Published:Monday | July 11, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Small contractors in seven Caribbean territories are currently being exposed to technical training in the form of the a Computerised Job Estimation Tool workshop developed by the Caribbean Technological Consultancy Services Network (CTCS), which is intended to build capacity in project execution.
In Jamaica, contractors engaged in community infrastructure development projects of the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF) will from July 12 to 15 participate in the Caribbean Development (CDB) funded programme at the Courtleigh Hotel in New Kingston.
The CDB, through this project has the objective of enhancing the competitiveness of small contractors and artisans in its borrowing member countries. Two of the bank's specialised agencies - the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) which falls under JSIF and the CTCS - are teaming up to host the workshop.
For all Caribbean territories, the training is being run over the period April to July 2011. Participating countries are CDB borrowing member countries, namely Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
Omar Sweeney, general manager for technical services at JSIF, states that for the JSIF builders, small contractors and skilled tradesmen are pivotal to the work undertaken in improving communities, adding "the infrastructural development which comprises most of our work depends on their efforts. The workshop is intended to enable participants to prepare estimates for jobs more accurately and reliably."
The workshops will also include sessions on Environmental and Gender Equality Cost Considerations, and Management Concepts and will promote networking among the participants as the first phase in the establishment of a BNTF Community of Practice.
The CDB has facilitated the workshop in light of consistently revealed weaknesses in the ability to accurately and reliably prepare estimates for jobs.
According to Sweeney, the simple but effective CJET tool allows computation of the finite cost of a project.