Suzuki (hereafter referred to without honorifics):

I am currently 68 years old and continue working as a senior employee after retirement. My specialty is port-related surveys, planning, design, and construction supervision. I have over 40 years of experience primarily in overseas projects such as in the Philippines, and am currently handling a project in Kenya, Africa.

Takahashi (hereafter referred to without honorifics):

I joined the company as a new graduate in 2013, specializing in environmental and social considerations. Within the infrastructure business, I handle environmental assessments and the creation of resident relocation plans. After a two-year domestic assignment at a group company in Japan, I gained experience on projects in about ten countries, including Myanmar. Most recently, I’ve been working with Ghosh on a road improvement project in Bangladesh.

Ghosh (hereafter referred to without honorifics):

I joined the company in 2011, specializing in structural engineering. After initially working on project proposals in Vietnam, I gained experience conducting surveys and designing projects for JICA initiatives in my home country, Bangladesh. Since 2024, I have been based in Tokyo, working in the Road Transportation Division.

Takahashi:

The projects in the Road Transportation Division can be broadly divided into three stages: “Feasibility Studies/Preliminary Design,” which establishes the fundamental elements; “Detailed Design,” which produces specific drawings and plans; and “Construction Supervision,” which oversees the actual construction site.

The Bangladesh road project I’m working on with Ghosh is in its initial phase, with a team of 16 members. They each have different specialties, such as bridges, roads, and environmental and social considerations. We switch between languages like Japanese, English, and Bengali depending on the member and the situation.

Takahashi:

Having just one person like Ghosh who understands local customs and culture is a major strength. It makes it easier to gain trust, and facilitates smoother information gathering and communication. For example, when inquiries come from the local government, Ghosh handles them as a one-stop resource. Having diverse people on other projects is also a significant advantage.

Ghosh:

People around the world don’t all work in the same style, right? First, understanding the feelings and circumstances of local people makes it easier to produce results anywhere. And by working with diverse people and incorporating varied ideas, projects progress smoothly.

Suzuki:

Once a project enters the construction phase, we must advance the work in coordination with contractors and many local stakeholders. For example, suppose a contractor informs us, “The ground is softer than the design drawings indicate, so additional work is required.”

Additional construction work incurs costs that become the client’s responsibility, requiring careful evaluation. Sometimes it is questioned whether it stems from a design error by the consultant, making contractual and technical dialogue indispensable and necessitating more persistent communication.

Simply exchanging emails and documents won’t work. Opening up and having face-to-face conversations is especially crucial in project management. Looking back now, I realize we’ve been doing work that involves local people and values I&D.

Suzuki:

Back in the day, we had many teams comprised solely of senior male employees. In those teams, individuals would stubbornly stick to their guns, and coordination often broke down. It’s hard to imagine now, but extreme examples included childish quarrels like “I won’t fly on the same plane as that person”… Today, we strive for balanced team composition without fixating on age, gender, or personality traits.

Takahashi:

That’s right. I feel that because we’ve cultivated an environment where diverse people regularly engage in conversation, differing opinions are accepted. Fundamentally, my field of environmental and social considerations inevitably has areas where interests conflict with those of engineers.

For example, when planning roads in areas where wildlife like elephants live nearby, as the environmental coordinator I might suggest, “Let’s build an elevated road structure (bridge type) so elephants can migrate safely.” But from the perspective of the engineer responsible for the overall plan, they might say, “That’s too expensive.”

Resident relocation is also a very difficult issue. While simply widening roads can reduce construction costs, it significantly impacts surrounding residents, and carries the risk of opposition movements. Among problems like this, people accustomed to differing opinions have a foundation to accept them as discussions rather than arguments.

Ghosh:

We need to respect opinions from various fields, and optimize accordingly. While we can’t incorporate every single opinion, we won’t know which ones are truly important unless we listen to everyone’s views and discuss them, right?

Takahashi:

Our company is proactive in hiring talent within the industry, and we recently hired approximately 20 new graduates. We also conduct year-round career hiring. Even if your major is different, if you’re interested, we hire not only for technical positions, but also for sales and administrative roles.

I originally studied international relations. Environmental issues like water quality and flora and fauna fall under the science field, so I didn’t understand them very well at first, but I’ve learned through on-the-job training and domestic assignments after joining the company.

At OC Global, some employees take leave to pursue master’s or doctoral degrees domestically or abroad, while others work at external institutions and then return to leverage that experience in their roles. The male paternity leave acceptance rate is approximately 80%, and we are building systems that enable diverse individuals to maintain work-life balance.

Suzuki:

I try to give younger employees opportunities to travel as much as possible, telling them, “Since you have this chance, why not take some time to sightsee?” Experiencing the food, culture, and interactions with locals in a foreign country are unique joys of overseas assignments, so I actively foster that kind of atmosphere. If they can truly enjoy themselves, it will also benefit their work.

Even moreso, a key feature of OC Global is that project managers are granted significant discretion over matters such as project budgets and personnel management. While the responsibility is substantial, it allows projects to proceed flexibly and freely.

Ghosh:

Japan has a lot of technological advancements, and I want to work with people who think, “It would be great if our technologies could be utilized overseas too.” If you have that mindset, your interests will naturally expand to thinking, “I should learn more about other countries,” and we can grow together.

Takahashi:

As an organization, we aim to explore new areas beyond traditional ODA, such as new business investments and private-sector projects. We want people who respect differences and have a willingness to learn. I believe learning not only about specialized fields, but also about languages and cultures contributes to project success and creating a comfortable working environment.