The people who design, build operate and manage these large projects are just like you and I.

Some of them are really good at something very precise and specific.

Most of them like you and I, are pretty good at a bunch of general tasks.

And ALL of us at some point screw up something in a major way.

Here’s what happens…
The call goes out for designers of a pipeline, a tanker, a big complex system. In all those companies, some people are brilliant, but most like you and I, are good enough. They have good days, and bad days, work under the pressure of deadlines, fight political battles inside their company and department, and produce a design.

Many companies will submit their design to get the job. In the end the LOW BID will probably be accepted, because as we all know, doing the job for the least cost means more money for us.

If the low bid does not get the job it’s because someone in the company asking for the design has a relationship with one of the design companies, and the power to see that their friend gets the job.

The world is so complex that there’s no way for anyone to actually know that the chosen design is the safest or best one. But chances are if it’s the least expensive, or the one your friend who gave you the new car and vacation worked on, it is not the safest or best.

With the design done, it’s time to get bids on construction. The same process, with people of varying abilities, having good and bad days, sick days and campaigns of political assassination, produces bids for the work. Once again, the low bid, or a friend will win.

Time to get materials. Go for the low bid. I’m sure that brittle steel they made the Titanic out of was fine for the job, under most circumstances.

Time to get people to do the actual construction. Get the low bid guys. By definition the low bid guys have lesser skills and experience, but less money for them means more money for us. It will be fine. What could happen?

And so it goes. Pipeline management, tanker crews, are all the low bid, or have friends in high offices to get them the job.

With this much cost cutting built into every project, we have to expect problems. And we get them, and then try and find others to pay the cost of clean-up.

While I understand this behaviour, because we all do it, isn’t it time we start making doing everything better public policy?