Construction World May 2018

MARKETPLACE

The LEVEL 1 B-BBEE contributor challenge UWP Consulting CEO Nonkululeko Sindane has praised her team for years of effort that have culminated in achieving Level 1 Contributor status in the B-BBEE Codes of Good Practice, but she concedes that staying there will be challenging.

U WP was certified at Level 1 by verifica- tion agency Renaissance SA Ratings in November 2017. Sindane says the entire submission process was completed inter- nally. “We took a decision not to outsource as we felt that we would understand the pro- cesses better by doing it ourselves. So now we know what we need to do to maintain it. “Our team responsible for our B-BBEE efforts across the business is on top of its game. It’s not only about scorecard num- bers, but about achieving positive results for the benefit of everyone in the company.” UWP will be assessed against the new Amended Construction Sector Codes of Good Practice in November 2018. Sindane points out that these codes have areas that are onerous, but not insurmountable. “We are working on plans to address all the chal- lenges and we are cautiously optimistic that Sindane says a fundamental change in the Construction Sector Codes lies in Manage- ment Control, where the points previously available for employing technical employees in junior management positions have been removed. “UWP will continue to employ young professionals at this level, but we will intensify the training and development needed to fast track their advancement in the company. Our young professionals will have to share the responsibility for their own progress and for our success as a company,” she emphasises. The ongoing focus to employ, train and support women in technical roles has its we can retain our Level 1 status.” Management control

difficulties as the whole industry is looking for the same people in a very small pool. “By devoting resources on the progression of women in engineering, we are upskilling the industry and that will ultimately benefit us all.” The Construction Sector Codes require 50% of shareholders in UWP to be registered professionals. Sindane says having the right mix of technical employees from the ground up is critical. “A genuinely transformed com- pany has a good degree of diversity in its ownership and management structures, and that’s what we’re trying to achieve.” Socio-Economic Development Showing the interconnectedness of the different scorecard elements, she points to UWP’s 100% Socio-Economic Development (SED) score, largely due to the company’s ‘Nurture a Girl’ initiative to support teenage girls in their final years of school. “We are providing social support includ- ing mentorship and training. The programme “Our team responsible for our B-BBEE efforts across the business is on top of its game. It’s not only about scorecard numbers, but about achieving positive results for the benefit of everyone in the company.”

includes girls with learning disabilities.” “We are also reaching out broadly within the participating schools so that the contri- butions we make are not limited to identified girls but benefit the whole school.” In the past year UWP has provided water tanks in needy schools, improved media centres, upgraded security, assisted with counselling facilities, and partnered with other organisa- tions to motivate learners. “All the Nurture a Girl beneficiaries (73 at present and growing) are being exposed to working in various roles in a consulting engi- neering environment,” Sindane points out. “I think the results will show for the compa- ny and the consulting engineering sector down the line.” Supplier development UWP has placed strong focus on Enterprise Development in the generic codes and is partnering successfully with several emerg- ing enterprises. “We are comfortable with the shift in emphasis to Supplier Develop- ment in the Construction Sector Codes as our enterprise development partners are potential suppliers of goods and services to UWP,” she says. “They have competencies that com- plement ours and will add value when we tender for new work together. “UWP’s procurement journey has been a long one requiring mindset changes. But today we have a genuinely transformed procurement process and we continue to improve on it for even better results.” Sindane points out that solid frame- works are in place for the development of employee skills internally and supplier skills externally. “It’s now about using these programmes to produce the required outcomes.”  CEO Nonkululeko Sindane is cautiously optimistic that UWP Consulting can retain Level 1 assessed against the new Amended Construction Sector Codes.

The ‘Nurture a Girl’ initiative to support teenage girls in their final years of school.

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CONSTRUCTION WORLD MAY 2018