[DRAFT] Work In Progress

[The Rhein States]

Work In Progress

VALIDITY: have opted for NO 379.1 or 379.3 and 361, (perhaps a futher bias?)

DESCRIPTION:
Your government has supported various infrastructure projects but many of them are still under construction. Facing major delays and grossly exceeding their initial budgets - project managers have come doorknocking for some extra funds.

OPTION 1
“We have to finish the international airport.” emphasises project manager @@RANDOMNAME@@, stretching his begging hands, “Only a few billion @@CURRENCYPLURAL@@ are necessary, atleast for this specific project, and you don’t have to borrow more money if you channel these billions from other departments. Think of the tourists, think of the trade.”

OUTCOME

OPTION 2
“Keep your dirty beggars hands of MY billions!” yells education minister @@RANDOMNAME@@, @@HER@@ face turning furiously red, “I already have a limited budget. Soon more project managers will come doorknocking for money. The government has already paid enough! Let them cut some corners to get these projects finished.”

OUTCOME womens toilets are an easy target for peeping perverts as corners had to be cut

OPTION 3
“NO! This will certainly lead to falling safety standards.” cries @@RANDOMNAME@@, reliving the moment @@SHE@@ saw on television , “Do you remember the explosion of the Maxcelsior space shuttle? The @@DEMONYMADJECTIVEINITIALS@@ASA deliberatly dismissed concerns on malfunctioning equipment, putting many lives at risk. The quality of project plans is the real problem. It is time you created a commission that examines the feasibility of these projects before the government grants them any money.”

OUTCOME the infrastructure investment fund has run out of feasible projects to fund

OPTION 4
“Why should the government bother about these projects anyway?” rethorically questions @@RANDOMNAME@@, waving his @@CURRENCYPLURAL@@ in front of you , “Private investors are eager to invest in @@NAME@@’s infrastructure and everybody knows private companies are much more efficient. We need to earn our money back ofcourse, but don’t worry, as this project will remain in public hands for a hundred percent!”

OUTCOME privately financed infrastructure projects have to be bailed out by government

DRAFT 5

Worth The Expense?

VALIDITY Bias towards supporting infrastructure projects

DESCRIPTION
Your finance minister has become increasingly irritable as several infrastructure projects you approved are seriously delayed and gravely exceed the forecasted costs by billions of @@CURRENCYPLURAL@@. @@HE(1)@@ has called for a cabinet meeting at @@HIS@@ ministry to discuss the options but you are delayed as many roads, bridges and tunnels remain closed due to a major overhaul.

OPTION 1
“Cost projections have been… An hour late! What took you so long?” argues your finance minister @@RANDOMNAME(1)@@ forcefully, until you interrupted @@HIS(1)@@ discourse by entering the room, “Anyway, as I was saying, cost projections have been seriously underestimated and the government can’t keep squandering billions as costs are starting to outweigh the benefits. Enough is enough. Current infrastructure projects won’t receive more funds while future projects won’t receive more than is forecasted and…”

OUTCOME train tickets to @@CAPITAL@@ are only half price as trains can only travel halfway

OPTION 2
“You haven’t missed much”, whispers transport minister @@RANDOMNAME@@ in your ears, fiddeling his tumbs and rocking his office chair out of boredom, “Many things can cause problems during construction resullting in delays and cost overruns. Generally speaking, all infrastructure projects exceed their initial budget. Just give these projects unlimited budgets so we can get them finished. Blow the expense!”

OUTCOME expensive chandeliers are the main features of the new airport terminal

OPTION 3
“That’s easy for you to say!” interjects your minister of education, not paying any attention to the finance ministers continued monologue, “Your department will get extra funds while the others continue to struggle. I have been screening the plans of several projects and it is obvious to me that they are poorly planned. Appoint a commission that will review the quality of proposed infrastructure projects which will reduce the chance these projects will have cost overruns.”

OUTCOME the infrastructure commission turns down most projects as quality goes before quantity

VALIDITY Must have supported the construction of the projects named in the description (bias towards infrastructure projects)

DESCRIPTION
Several infrastructure projects – such as the international airport, bullet train and road network extension – have serious delays and grossly exceed their forecasted budgets.

OPTION 1
“More money is needed to finish these projects.” states @@RANDOMNAME@@, your transport minister, seating himself in your massage chair, “Many things can go wrong during these highly technological projects, making them hard to forecast. The proposed budget is nothing more then a presumption and shouldn’t be seen as definitive. Grant infrastructure projects an unlimited budget so we don’t have to bother you again.”
OUTCOME infrastructural projects come with an unlimited pricetag

OPTION 2
“Enough is enough!” exclaims finance minister @@RANDOMNAME@@, nervously pacing up and down your office, “We have squandered billions of @@CURRENCYPLURAL@@ with these projects. Future projects should not receive more grants then the budget they have forecasted. If money runs out, so be it.”

OUTCOME the bullet train only travels halfway to @@CAPITAL@@

OPTION 3

“It’s not only the budgets that have been underestimated.” adds projectcontroller @@RANDOMNAME@@, studying the project plans , “The benefits have been overestimated. To be honest, these project plans are of poor quality. A process of quality control, also called peer review, should help to eliminate the good from the bad and the ugly.”

OUTCOME only a handful of infrastructure projects have made it through the stringent peer review

TITLE Projected Lies

VALIDITY consistently (or bias towards) supporting infrastructural projects (?)

DESCRIPTION
Several infrastructural projects your government has approved are seriously delayed – leading to cost overruns worth billions of @@CURRENCYPLURAL@@. One forecasted budget overran by as much as 275 percent but who is to blame?

OPTION 1
“It’s not my fault,” exclaims @@RANDOMNAME@@, former transport minister who introduced you to one of the projects. “I had to rely on the deceptive forecasts made by my planners. They deliberately underestimated costs while overestimating the benefits to get the project approved and funded. THEY lied and deceived us all! THEY should be held accountable for the billions they squandered.”

OUTCOME low-ranking government employees regularly get backstabbed by their Teflon superiors

OPTION 2
“Liar, liar, pants on fire!” chants @@RANDOMNAME@@, one of the planners accussed. “I had to ‘revise’ my forecasts many times until they satisfied @@HIM(1)@@, my superior, or else I would be fired. Deceptive forecasts will remain to be made but you can try to prevent these projects from receiving funds. Peer reviews and public hearings should be organized to allow experts and civil society to voice criticism and support of plans and forecasts. Simple but effective measures.”

OUTCOME receiving government funds for an infrastructural project seems deceptively simple

OPTION 3
“This seems like an obvious case of overambitious behaviour and low self-esteem,” explains @@RANDOMNAME@@, psychologist specialized in frustrated politicians and government employees. “In their relatively short political career politicians link their self-esteem to their accomplishments – What accomplishment is better then a prestigious project? They will go to great lenghts to get a project funded – manipulating staff and deceiving forecasts. My new therapy has been especially developed to tackle this psychological problem, mandate everyone in government to follow my courses.”

OUTCOME politicians cut hundreds of ribbons during weekly cognitive behavioural therapy sessions to increase their self-esteem

TITLE Spare Me The Details

VALIDITY Unsure

DESCRIPTION
Many construction projects your government approved have serious delays and cost overruns.

OPTION 1
“These projects were way more expensive then they looked on paper to begin with” exclaims @@RANDOMNAME@@, your new transport minister responsible for the international airport construction, who has seen better days, “Politicians have altered the costs to make them fit the available budget. When the detail-oriented work begins they quickly lose their initial enthusiasm and leave the project, so their successor can clean up their mess. Politicians must be held accountable for the billions they squandered . Another word for advice, if a project sounds to good to be true, it means it probably is.”

OUTCOME Politicians who squandered billions are forced into bonded labour until their debt to society is repaid

OPTION 2
“I’ll admit I have tweaked the plans a little” states @@RANDOMNAME@@, former transport minister who initiated the international airport construction but left because he got bored, “Otherwise the plan would never have been approved and I just wanted to cut the ribbons for a prestigous project I initiated. The airport construction will get finished... sometime in the future – so we can cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony together, promised!”

OUTCOME Scissors for the ribbon cutting ceremony lay forlornly in top desk drawers as construction projects are delayed for years

OPTION 3
“Deceit is a normal psychological reaction in this case.” explains @@RANDOMNAME@@, psychologist specialized in frustrated government employees, “Politicians often link their self-worth to the accomplishments they achieve during their relatively short political career. They will do anything to crank up their self-worth and what is better then a prestigous project on your name? My new therapy is designed to increase the politicians self-worth without the need for expensive billion @@CURRENCYPLURAL@@ projects.”

OUTCOME Something like: the therapy involves cutting ribbons for even the simpelest thing imaginable to crank up self-worth

The issue is based on the construction of Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg, construction began in 2006 and it was planned to open in 2011 but is now set to open in october 2020 (if not delayed any further). German satirical programs have mocked construction for years now, like this one from 2012. German and Austrian media have reported on the construction of the new chinese airport, finished in only 4 years, and according to the german media the chinese mocked german construction. I have used brancaland to represent china, probably picked the wrong nation... most definitely, so I am open to suggestions

Have started rewriting this issue after a information search.

TITLE:
When Pigs Might Fly

Validity:
Nation must have answered issue 379 with option 1 or 3

Description:
The opening date of the new airport terminal has been delayed countless of times due to problems during construction, enough for international media to mock @@NAME@@.

OPTION 1:
“The fire protection doesn’t protect, bagage goes to the wrong planes, huge cracks in the concrete.” lists @@RANDOMNAME@@, the project manager, quickly becoming drowsy from reading the extensive list, “Construction is going to take much longer than we expected… and more expensive too. Do not be alarmed, we will have the airport ready in no time.”

OUTCOME: The time to construct an airport in @@NAME@@ rivals that of medieval cathedrals

OPTION 2A: CAPITALISM ONLY
“Troubles building your TINY airport?” scoffs @@RANDOMNAME@@, CEO of a Brancalandian construction company, amusing the entourage he brought with him, “And you pride yourself on your quality and ingenuity? OUR new airport, the largest in the world, was constructed in no time. Let my company take over construction of your TINY airport expansion. We Brancalandians will show you how to build an airport!”

OUTCOME: @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ need Brancalandic dictionaries to navigate the new foreign-owned airport

OPTION 2B: SOCIALISM ONLY
“Troubles building your TINY airport?” scoffs @@RANDOMNAME@@, CEO of a Brancalandian construction company, amusing the entourage he brought with him, “And you pride yourself on your quality and ingenuity? OUR new airport, the largest in the world, was constructed in no time. Open your economy to private corporations so we Brancalandians can show you how to build an airport!”

OUTCOME: Former state-owned companies have been bought by foreign corporations en masse

OPTION 3:
“Those scumbags should not be allowed to take over construction!”, interrupts retired foreman @@RANDOMNAME@@, examing the plans of the airport-to-be, “I do not believe the problems are that big. Nothing some good old fashioned @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ ingenuity can’t solve. Plan a state visit to Brancaland once the new airport is finished and show them how quick we can solve our problems!“

OUTCOME: The bagage mule carrying @@LEADER@@’s luggage was sent to the wrong plane

OPTION 4:
“This has been a complete disaster.” whines @@RANDOMNAME@@, a construction worker who sustained a depression during construction , “Spending more money on this airport will be a waste of public funds. Abandon the project .”

OUTCOME: A terminal of the abandoned airport has been the prime location of a blockbuster movie

[Candensia]

I don’t think the topic works as it’s presented currently. It doesn’t feel like a fluid progression from issue #379. I think, if it is to have good hopes of working it should exist as a standalone issue, and it needs to be broader. The airport itself is a problem, sure, but not an issue.

Use the (Project gone bad) as a means to bring up discussion about how @@NAME@@ should handle government or critical infrastructure contracts and projects when they fall massively behind schedule and grossly exceed their budgets.

How do we handle not just the current (Project gone bad), but also any future (Projects gone bad)?

[Australian rePublic]

Germany couldn't an airport at the same speed as China- a country with 1.3 billion people and no safety standards. That's just nit picking

When I first read the title, I first thought it was about the time Pink Floyd's flying pig grounded every flight at Heathrow Airport. A flying pig grounding every plane at a major airport is the only appropriate use of the title "When pigs fly". Also think you had problems, look into Sydney's light rail which f^^ked over every business along the corridor during the delays

[The Rhein States]

Thank you Candensia and Australian RePublic for your input!

Germany couldn't an airport at the same speed as China- a country with 1.3 billion people and no safety standards. That's just nit picking

No, there is something else that caused the problems for the BER Airport, even the satire programs failed to mention that... poor planning.

Anyway, I have left the airport construction and moved to general construction projects. Cost estimates in infrastructure projects tend to be underestimated a lot. Either through an optimism bias. Just like in ns issues the supporters show signs of this bias.

According to a study there is no other explanation then officials lying about the true costs. Which is what I used for draft 2. The link is in the spoiler because it is long. Interesting pages are 11 and 21

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://arxiv.org/pdf/1303.6604&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiDyP6ZyrnlAhUREVAKHYUjBvUQFjAAegQIBxAB&usg=AOvVaw3xOrImHnGimXoCRmeIT9MF

[USS Monitor]

The opening is very general and a little bland. Any chance you could find a more colorful way of raising the topic of cost overruns on government projects? Maybe give a couple of examples, so it has the breadth of covering multiple projects, but doesn't sound as generic.

OUTCOME Politicians who squandered billions are forced into bonded labour until their debt to society is repaid

If this is what the option is supposed to do, you need to make that more explicit in the option itself, before you get to the effect line. Slavery is a tracked policy, and I wouldn't want to activate it without giving the players fair warning.

Edit: Actually, after taking a closer look at how the slavery policy works, this might not require activating the policy -- but the effect line still feels like a bit of a non-sequitur.

[The Rhein States]

The opening is very general and a little bland. Any chance you could find a more colorful way of raising the topic of cost overruns on government projects? Maybe give a couple of examples, so it has the breadth of covering multiple projects, but doesn't sound as generic.

OUTCOME Politicians who squandered billions are forced into bonded labour until their debt to society is repaid

If this is what the option is supposed to do, you need to make that more explicit in the option itself, before you get to the effect line. Slavery is a tracked policy, and I wouldn't want to activate it without giving the players fair warning.

Edit: Actually, after taking a closer look at how the slavery policy works, this might not require activating the policy -- but the effect line still feels like a bit of a non-sequitur.

Thanks for your reaction USS Monitor. This second draft was only to move closer to what candensia suggested. Currently a third draft is being written, and yes, I share your opinion on the description being bland. I just seem to have an issue with writing an interesting description without pointing it too much towards an existing issue (as it should become a standalone issue). Perhaps a project that isn't represented in an issue yet? Shall give that a try.

As for the progress on the thrid draft... A new source has given me a clear view of the options possible so they seem to be rather clear (although CA would like me to add some weird option). Struggeling on the description and effectlines don't seem to be my 'speciality'. What is your opinion on the name of the issue?

[The Rhein States]

Draft 3 has been published for review!

The name doesn't cover the issue anymore (not even sure if it did in draft 2)

The options 1 and 2 have been taken from a research quoted in a research by the World Bank. Advice in the World Bank research has been used as solutions for both options. As for option 3... it has been taken from a construction website on why infrastructural projects by government tend to fail. Third options always tend to be a bit werid/quirky I was told...

EDIT: I ran a lot of possible names through my head. What is the issue about? politicians/planners lying about project forecasts. Which led to 'Projected Lies'. Opinions?

[Fontenais]

DESCRIPTION
Several infrastructural projects your government has approved are seriously delayed – leading to cost overruns worth billions of @@CURRENCYPLURAL@@. One forecasted budget overran by as much as 275 percent but who is to blame?

This is all a bit confusing. I still don't understand why the project went over budget in the first place. And 'who is to blame' isn't really a policy decision for Leader to make.

I think it would be better if the description was 'the project ran over budget because of x reason' and in the options, you discuss how x reason could be avoided in the future.

(As a suggestion, some general options could be, 'don't let them spend more than was planned in the first place' and 'you can't go over budget if you don't have a budget at all')

[The Rhein States]

DESCRIPTION
Several infrastructural projects your government has approved are seriously delayed – leading to cost overruns worth billions of @@CURRENCYPLURAL@@. One forecasted budget overran by as much as 275 percent but who is to blame?

This is all a bit confusing. I still don't understand why the project went over budget in the first place. And 'who is to blame' isn't really a policy decision for Leader to make.

I think it would be better if the description was 'the project ran over budget because of x reason' and in the options, you discuss how x reason could be avoided in the future.

(As a suggestion, some general options could be, 'don't let them spend more than was planned in the first place' and 'you can't go over budget if you don't have a budget at all')

Hm, this was actually something I was trying to avoid. There can be multiple reasons a project goes over budget and a range of ways to solve the problem. Furthermore I was advised to take construction projects in general as opposed to a single project.

So... Back to the drawing board! Back to draft 2.

[The Rhein States]

[quote=USS Monitor]Maybe give a couple of examples, so it has the breadth of covering multiple projects, but doesn't sound as generic.[/quote]

I gave it a try and this is what it has become.

There could be a possible 4th option if necessary...

[The Rhein States]

I haven't got much time recently but I have just finished draft 5. Opinions?

[Australian rePublic]

In Australia, we have something called the NSW disease- infrastructure costs more to build here and takes excruciatingly longer than other states/territories, despite being the most popular state. Look into that, perhaps!

[Australian rePublic]

Also, look into the issues caused by the construction of Sydney's CBD & South-East light rail line. Not only was it excruciatingly over budget with an excrutiating delay, but, it caused entire businesses to shut down, people had to leave their homes because of the constant, 24/7 noise happening for months, and thwre was threatened lawsuite after threatened law suite between the government (who comissioned the project) and the builders. The whole thing was a hot mess, and now the line, just weeks away from opening, is finally over. Look into it

[The Rhein States]

In Australia, we have something called the NSW disease- infrastructure costs more to build here and takes excruciatingly longer than other states/territories, despite being the most popular state. Look into that, perhaps!

Also, look into the issues caused by the construction of Sydney's CBD & South-East light rail line. Not only was it excruciatingly over budget with an excrutiating delay, but, it caused entire businesses to shut down, people had to leave their homes because of the constant, 24/7 noise happening for months, and thwre was threatened lawsuite after threatened law suite between the government (who comissioned the project) and the builders. The whole thing was a hot mess, and now the line, just weeks away from opening, is finally over. Look into it

I have looked into it several times but couldn't figure out how this could be a national issue.

Returning to both the reactions of candensia and USS Monitor leaves me with 1. options need to be simple and 2. figure out a way to talk about various infrastructure projects (which are also issues in NationStates) to make the issue description feel less generic.

So... I now let two speakers in the options talk about 2 projects that are represented by an issue. Now, as a defence (for I believe some might question my choice in option 3), the explosion of the shuttle is explicitly named in a world bank research on "policy and planning for large infrastructure projects" and fits with the fear of lowered safety standards.

Draft 6, oh, and changed name to Work In Progress

[The JELLEAIN Republic]

Ther is always space for a do nothing tax brake option