The Role of Communication in Large Infrastructure: The Bumbuna Hydroelectric Project in Post-Conflict Sierra Leone (World Bank Working Papers) (World Bank Working Papers)

This case study analyzes the role of communication as it applies to large water infrastructure projects through the example of the Bumbuna Hydroelectric Project in Sierra Leone. It describes how communication was used as an analytical tool to assess the political and social environment around the project and how the Communication Action Plan put in place an horizontal communication mechanism allowing key stakeholders to -be properly informed, express their concerns and be involved in the decision making process. The authors present the lessons learned in Sierra Leone and propose that stakeholder involvement and horizontal communication should be included, from the project inception, as a key ingredient for project design and implementation for all large infrastructure and hydropower projects. "Infrastructure development in the past was often implemented without adequately taking into consideration the possible negative environmental and social impacts. Drawing from the experience of the Bumbuna Hydropower project in Sierra Leone, this paper proposes to complement safeguard policies by establishing, at the beginning of the project identification phase, two-way communication mechanisms and a continuous consultation process, allowing the government and the donors to interact with key stakeholders." "The book proposes an integrated approach where communication is seen as a powerful analytical tool, and as an instrument to support the decisionmaking process by enabling it to be more transparent, consensual, and responsive to the beneficiaries' need, thus avoiding future problems and criticisms, which might delay and even bring the project to a halt at a later stage."--Jacket Describes how the timely use of two-way communication in large water infrastructure projects leads to improved project design and is key to identify and address problems that could result in project delays and incremental costs. Many countries lack the basic physical and social infrastructure that is required to sustain economic growth and deliver essential services to the most vulnerable segments of their population. Leonardo Mazzei, Gianmarco Scuppa. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 41-42).