Clear appeal in advocacy toward government

'We are part of the solution'

With Jaap Estié, now 6 years the visibly inspired director of the Dutch Association of Foundation Contractors (NVAF), the lobbying is in good shape. The association is visible. There is growth. And, results are being achieved. High time to look back on the past year and to look ahead to everything that is yet to come... An interview:

1. What grade do you give 2022? And why....?

"I am a satisfied man. Both for the industry and for our association, I give a 9. Yes, that's a high mark, but we have many positive things to look back on. Like the 75th anniversary, which we celebrated in June. There we combined the useful with the pleasant. Furthermore, our association is growing. The number of members is increasing. We also succeeded in developing good guidelines such as those for 'safe hoisting' and 'safe soil stirring'. We also completed a European guideline: how do you reduce CO2 emissions in foundations?"

"By the way - in this look back at 2022 - I also want to mention the launch of our Foundation School. This was a milestone. Of course, all students retain their value for the labor market, but there is also a structural transfer of knowledge. This is good for the industry. We have built this training around three clusters: 'around the machine', for the group 'managers or those who work on the machines' and for 'third parties who are involved in foundation work from other positions'. How did all this work out? Well, we are close to the members. Of course it's our job in representing their interests to get things done that individual foundation companies don't succeed in doing. We hear those questions and wishes through the many contact moments we have with members. For example, we have seven working groups working on a variety of topics. But we also have contact groups that meet regularly. So there are a lot of cross-pollinations. I think we do that well. Therefore, we know exactly what we're talking about."

2. How do you look ahead to 2023?

"That will be an exciting year. After all, there is concern about how the market will develop. There is economic uncertainty. Just look at the rising purchase prices. I also fear that the nitrogen discussions will continue. So you can think about it as an association (and we do!), but you can't anticipate everything. So 2023 remains an important lobbying year for us. We have to keep a finger on the pulse."

3. What is your appeal to the government in that new year?

"Make sure the continuity in the flow of construction remains. We must not stagnate, as we did in the last crisis. Whether it is housing construction, infra and certainly energy infra, which is still far from being in order: we cannot afford to stand still. I hope that the government realizes (more) that we can contribute constructively to this from our profession. Indeed, we are part of the solution to all the challenges we face in this country."