KAIZEN PROJECT Activity Diary Vol.8　Capacity Development at the Provincial Works Supervision Unit in Alotau

My name is Nakanishi, a JICA Volunteer. This article introduces our efforts in capacity development at the Provincial Works Supervision Unit in Alotau (hereinafter referred to as “the Unit”).

The Unit has nine technical staff members: five in the civil engineering team and four in the building team. I mainly work with the civil engineering team. One of the key roles of JICA Volunteers is to develop core counterparts during the two-year assignment. However, this is not an easy task.

My assignment focuses on establishing preventive maintenance for road infrastructure. To achieve this, it is essential to develop engineers who can inspect and assess bridges and pavements and prepare maintenance plans for each asset.

Strengthening Capacity through Practice
First, in consultation with the head of the Unit, we planned to dispatch Mr. Yorkson (Photo 1), a mid-level staff member of the civil engineering team, to a JICA training program titled “Road Asset Management,” organized by JICA Tokyo. The aim was for him to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills.

At the same time, we created opportunities at the local level for him to gain basic knowledge and skills in bridge inspection. This included conducting bridge inspections under the Unit’s responsibility (Photo 2), organizing workshops on inspection and assessment methods (Photo 3), and providing hands-on experience in operating unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) used for inspections (Photo 4).

In January 2026, with the support of the JICA Papua New Guinea Office, Mr. Yorkson was successfully dispatched to the training in Japan. The program consisted of lectures, site visits, and group discussions. It concluded with a presentation of an action plan that each participant would implement in their home country after returning (Photo 5). The one-month training program was successfully completed (Photo 6).

Dialogue and Organizational Engagement
After returning to Papua New Guinea, a report session was held in March 2026 to gain organizational understanding and support for the implementation of the action plan (Photo 7).

During the session, it was shared that preventive maintenance of road infrastructure requires a continuous cycle of “inspection, assessment, action, and record-keeping.” It was also explained that developing a database would enable better analysis of current conditions and lead to more effective management (Photo 8).

In the discussion session following the presentation, participants provided constructive feedback on the implementation of the action plan. In addition, the congratulatory and encouraging remarks from colleagues gave Mr. Yorkson greater confidence and motivation.

Reflections on Capacity Development
Finally, developing young professionals is also an urgent issue in Japan. Through this experience, I have reaffirmed the importance of leading by example, respecting others, and building trust by empowering them.

Mr. Yorkson is expected to take on a supervisory role in the Misima Airport Improvement Project, a large-scale infrastructure project. His further growth as an engineer is highly anticipated. It is a great pleasure for me to support his development and observe his progress.

Past Articles
・Building Better Works: The KAIZEN PROJECT – Activity Report vol.1
・Building Better Works: The KAIZEN PROJECT – Activity Report vol.2
・Building Better Works: The KAIZEN PROJECT – Activity Report vol.3
・Building Better Works: The KAIZEN PROJECT – Activity Report vol.4
・Building Better Works: The KAIZEN PROJECT – Activity Report vol.5
・Building Better Works: The KAIZEN PROJECT – Activity Report vol.6
・Building Better Works: The KAIZEN PROJECT – Activity Report vol.7