Roles and responsibilities of a civil engineer in the Mauritian society – including the importance of good and clear communication.
Good and clear communication is fundamental in the civil engineering sector, in fact for any other profession where information needs to circulate from one individual to the other. Especially, in Mauritius where there is an abundance of cultures with a variety of languages. As stated by Rose Johnson (2017), good communication skills help to reduce the barriers erected because of language and cultural differences. Effective communication makes people more productive, errors are less likely to occur and tasks are completed successfully.
As Walter Isaacson argues in his book The Innovators (p.6), the ability to collaborate…show more content… From technicians to project managers, civil engineers at every level need to be able to communicate via written reports and correspond concisely.
Oral communication skills entails being able to listen to clients, officials, team members, and other skilled workers in order to grasp their concerns and requests effectively. Strong speaking skills are also necessary for civil engineers when explaining complex technical information to the people they work and interact with in a right method so that they can make full use of the information being shared. (Ohio University, 2017)
Communication can be difficult for a civil engineer at types as not all professionals (architect, contractor, quantity surveyor) and workers have the same point of view, academic background and experience. It is the duty of a civil engineer to do his best to communicate the right information to the right persons using the most appropriate way. Figure1.1: The chart of what a civil engineer does (Source: Wallace,…show more content… This US$526 million contract as estimated by Mike Hayes (2017) will require the construction of viaducts and bridges and stations. Civil engineers will be responsible of the good functioning of all the designs and will have to adjust to the constraints of the existing infrastructures such as roads, fly-overs, shops and houses. They will have a tough time finding the right adjustment but at the end if the project is completed on schedule and within budget, the Metro Express as highlighted by the Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Jugnauth (2017) will relieve serious constraints posed by traffic jams on commuters, the environment and the nation’s