[sustran] Leaving Mauritius; looking for new opportunities

[Jonathan Richmond]

I am about to conclude my work in Mauritius and am looking for new
opportunities -- if you have any job ideas, or possibly might see
me fitting into any of your projects, or would like me to join you in
bidding for future projects, please do let me know. I am willing to
consider possibilities in a wide range of locations, so if you have any
ideas, please do suggest them! (please note that while I talk of mainly 
applied activities below, I would also be interested in a visiting 
professorship were an appropriate position available).

My work in Mauritius has been tremendously successful, although it has
ended on a less than happy note. I came here to run a consensus-forming
process in 2006, following fifteen years of stalemate on moving 
things forward in the transport arena. Too many reports had been written 
about Mauritius transport issues (one by myself, on an earlier World Bank
contract!), but action had not been taken, so I decided I
had to focus on biringing people together to move beyond the impasse.

I brought together twenty major actors in transport for discussion forums.
I told them that we had to agree on how to proceed if we were to have
action, and I provided the structure for a negotiated consensus to be
reached. The group was given a series of more than thirty policies. We
discussed the policies and eliminated those where there was clear
disagreement. We negotiated over the remaining policies, amending
them as needed in an atmosphere of give and take until, finally, we had
eighteen policies endorsed. The recommended actions were given to the
Mauritius Cabinet, and have formed the basis for subsequent transport
policy.

The number one problem for transport policy in this country is a
dysfunctionality brought about by duplicated and uncoordinated functions
in three different transport agencies, which has led to competition rather
than cooperation. The consensus forums group agreed that top priority
should therefore be to dissolve these agencies and instead build a new
Land Transport Authority based on principles of strong management
and integrated transport policy making and implementation.

During a return to Mauritius in the third quarter of 2007 and, during my
current one-year November 5 2007 - November 4 2008 contract I developed a
concept for the LTA, and prepared the Terms of Reference for an RFP to
solicit consultant help in LTA implementation. My other major focus has
been on lifting public transport services to a new level, and I prepared
the Terms of Reference for a large-scale Bus Modernization program, which
will bring Bus Rapid Transit to Mauritius as well as overhaul the existing
bus system.

Despite remarkable progress, working here has been overshadowed by the
fact that I have had to work as part of that very dysfunctional system
that I seek to reform, and pressures led to a political decision not to
renew my contract. Perhaps someone who must, by the very nature of the
job, touch raw nerves on a daily basis should not expect otherwise. I
would rather look on the positive side, and recognize the great deal that
has been accomplished in transforming inertia into action. I hope the
government will build on the strong foundations I have built.

I will send my c.v. to anyone interested, but my recent background before
the Mauritius work was an appointment as adviser to the Government of
Singapore, where I participated in discussions of priorities for a rethink
of transport policy and publication of a new White Paper; and a teaching
assignment in Thailand, where I developed new approaches to teaching
professionalism to Asian students wishing to enter the transportation
profession. I have written papers on both Singapore planning
and teaching methodology, and both are available to anyone who is
interested.

I am also well-known for my work in the area of transit privatization (I
wrote a book on the subject) and for my contributions in project
evaluation methodology assessment.

I am available for a wide variety of assignments. I have had strong recent
interests not only in BRT but also in overhauling transit system planning
and management and finding innovative ways to improve services while
controlling costs. I have had to write complex and far-ranging technical
documents, and am flexible enough to work in a wide variety of areas.

My interests go beyond public transport to strategic planning in the
transport arena in general and, in particular, to developing complex plans
for balanced comprehensive action.

I have a strong emphasis on governance and reform. I have had striking 
success bringing people together -- and that is certainly sorely needed in 
many contexts. If you have projects that involve a need for helping people 
to come together, to think, and to decide in a manner that requires both 
creativity and tact, I could be the right person for you.

To mention my continuing interests in education: it is vital that
tomorrow's professionals are trained not only in technical areas but in
how to become relective practitioners who can think rigorously and change
their own assumptions as required. Education is needed not only in the
university, but also in the professional workplace. Any projects
in this area as well as possible faculty positions would also be of great 
interest.

I will look forward to hearing from you, noting, of course, that I cannot
have any further involvement in any project connected with Mauritius.

Many thanks and best regards,

                            --Jonathan!
-----
Jonathan Richmond
Transport Adviser to the Government of Mauritius
Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Land Transport and Shipping
New Government Centre, Level 4
Port Louis
Mauritius

+230 707-1134 (Mauritius mobile: most reliable way to reach me)

+1 (617) 395-4360 (US phone number rings at home -- call me in
Mauritius for the price of a call to the US).

e-mail: richmond at alum.mit.edu
http://the-tech.mit.edu/~richmond/