Infrastructure projects are usually planned through three primary lenses: engineering, procurement and finance.

Each is fundamental. But none, on its own, makes a project ready to execute.

A project may have secured funding, appointed contractors and approved its construction programme while still lacking the workforce infrastructure required to begin work. Key positions may remain vacant. Employment contracts may not be issued. Work permits may still be outstanding. Payroll may not have been tested. Site access, timekeeping and reporting procedures may be undefined.

At that point, a workforce issue becomes a project delivery issue.

Workforce readiness means having the people, employment structure, compliance controls and operational systems required for work to begin lawfully, safely and on schedule.

It is not a recruitment exercise completed shortly before construction. It is a project workstream that should begin during development.

Why workforce readiness is becoming more important

Energy and infrastructure development is increasing demand for technical, operational and project delivery skills.

The International Energy Agency reported that global energy employment reached 76 million people in 2024. More than half of the employers, unions and training institutions surveyed reported critical hiring bottlenecks. Around 60% of participating companies said that labour shortages were placing project timelines, cost control or system reliability at risk. Applied technical roles, including electricians, engineers, line workers and pipefitters, were among the most constrained.

This pressure is particularly relevant to Africa’s growing renewable energy market. FSD Africa estimates that the continent could create as many as 3.3 million direct green jobs by 2030, with the majority expected to come from renewable energy. Solar could account for approximately 1.7 million of these roles.

Not all of these positions will be straightforward to fill. Research referenced by IRENA and the International Labour Organization indicates that around 30% of projected solar roles may require specialised skills and a further 10% advanced expertise. Investment in generation capacity therefore needs to be accompanied by investment in skills, workforce development and appropriate employment structures.

The workforce cannot be treated as a resource that will simply appear once a project reaches construction.

Workforce readiness is more than recruitment

Recruitment is one part of workforce readiness, but finding candidates does not make a project operational.

A workforce-ready project has addressed several connected requirements.

1. A role and skills plan linked to the project schedule

The workforce plan should identify:

• which positions are required at each project stage;

• which roles sit on the project’s critical path;

• when each person needs to be productive, rather than merely appointed;

• which skills can reasonably be sourced locally;

• which specialist positions may require regional or international recruitment; and

• how workforce requirements will change from construction to operations.

This plan should be aligned with the engineering and procurement programme. Hiring a construction manager after contractors are already arriving on site is late, even where the appointment is technically made before construction begins.

Roles responsible for permits, contractor oversight, health and safety, community engagement, quality control and site administration frequently need to be in place well before the main workforce arrives.

2. In-country labour-market intelligence

Job titles do not translate neatly between markets.

A position that is readily available in South Africa may be scarce in Botswana, Zambia or Namibia. Salary expectations, professional registrations, notice periods, location preferences and the availability of remote-site experience can also differ materially.

Early market mapping gives project teams visibility into:

• the number of realistically available candidates;

• expected remuneration and benefits;

• recruitment lead times;

• competing projects drawing from the same skills base;

• geographic concentrations of talent;

• local-content opportunities; and

• positions that may require skills development or succession planning.

Without this intelligence, workforce budgets and hiring timelines are often based on assumptions imported from another country.

A fit-for-purpose workforce plan begins with the market as it is, not as the project team expects it to be.

3. An appropriate employment structure

Before offers are issued, the project must determine who will legally employ each category of worker.

Depending on the country, project duration and operating model, the appropriate structure may include:

• employment through an established local entity;

• an Employer of Record;

• a Workforce Management arrangement;

• fixed-term project employment;

• specialist contractor engagement; or

• a combination of local and expatriate employment structures.

The correct model affects much more than the employment contract. It determines responsibility for payroll, statutory contributions, employee records, leave, disciplinary processes, insurance and termination.

The quickest structure is not always the right one. Where the employment risk is material, it may be appropriate to slow the appointment down rather than begin work under an arrangement that does not hold.

4. Recruitment in the correct sequence

Large projects often recruit against a final headcount number. More useful planning asks which hires unlock the next stage of delivery.

A practical sequence may begin with:

1. project leadership and country management;

2. HR, payroll and site administration;

3. health, safety, quality and compliance roles;

4. engineering and construction management;

5. procurement, logistics and contractor coordination;

6. technical specialists and supervisors; and

7. the wider project workforce.

Sequencing matters because early appointments help establish the structure within which subsequent employees will work.

Recruitment should also allow time for interviews, references, medical assessments, notice periods, professional registrations, travel and site induction. The date on which an offer is accepted is not necessarily the date on which the employee can contribute to the project.

5. Work permits and professional registrations

Foreign specialists may be necessary where skills are not available locally. Their appointment introduces additional lead times.

Depending on the jurisdiction and occupation, a worker may need:

• an appropriate visa or work permit;

• proof of qualifications and experience;

• an employment contract or sponsorship documentation;

• police or medical clearances;

• professional-body registration; or

• approval linked to a regulated engineering or technical profession.

These processes should begin when the need for the role is confirmed, not shortly before the person is expected on site.

Internal project records from Botswana illustrate the breadth of this work. Workforce administration for major energy and infrastructure projects has included work-permit coordination, registration of expatriate engineers, labour reporting and visibility over local and international workforce demographics. It has also extended into accommodation, transport and site logistics.

6. Payroll and employment compliance before day one

Payroll is sometimes treated as a back-office task that can be finalised once employees have started.

That approach creates avoidable risk.

Before the first payroll cycle, the project should have confirmed:

• employer and employee registrations;

• statutory deductions and contributions;

• payroll cut-off dates;

• approved remuneration and allowances;

• timesheet and overtime procedures;

• leave administration;

• expense and reimbursement controls;

• payslip requirements;

• payment-file approvals; and

• reporting responsibilities.

Testing these processes before the first employee starts protects both the workforce and the project. Late salaries, incorrect deductions and missing statutory submissions undermine trust quickly and can expose the employer to financial or regulatory consequences.

SharePoint project records similarly show that effective project start-up may require payroll implementation, statutory registrations, bank account arrangements, timesheet controls and reporting procedures to be established together rather than as separate administrative tasks. Outsourced payroll support can also reduce regulatory and tax risk while supporting timely salary payments and statutory submissions.

7. Site and operational readiness

Employees need more than contracts and salaries to perform their roles.

Depending on the project, operational readiness may include:

• health and safety induction;

• medical fitness assessments;

• personal protective equipment;

• site-access credentials;

• accommodation and transport;

• laptops, phones and connectivity;

• office or workstation setup;

• timekeeping systems;

• grievance and escalation procedures;

• contractor reporting;

• local procurement; and

• coordination with authorities and community structures.

These details may appear secondary when considered individually. Collectively, they determine whether the workforce can function.

When should workforce planning begin?

Workforce planning should develop alongside the project rather than wait for a final construction date.

The precise lead times will depend on the country, project and role. The principle remains consistent: workforce decisions become more expensive and disruptive when they are deferred.

What workforce readiness looks like in practice

EOR in Africa’s work supporting the Bobonong and Shakawe Solar PV Plants in Botswana demonstrates why workforce readiness extends beyond candidate sourcing.

The projects required an integrated workforce and operating structure under accelerated timelines. This included employment contracting, onboarding, HR administration, payroll, statutory compliance, timekeeping and salary reporting. It also included office and site setup, health and safety support, procurement, logistics, labour supply, site management and coordination with local authorities and traditional leadership.

Approximately 50 to 70 employees were engaged per project, with operational readiness established within two weeks.

The important point is not the speed in isolation. It is the range of connected activities that had to be ready at the same time.

Recruitment without payroll would not have been sufficient. Payroll without contracts would not have been compliant. Employees without induction, timekeeping, equipment or site coordination would not have made the project operational.

Readiness came from the structure as a whole.

Common workforce risks that delay projects

Project teams should be alert to several recurring problems:

• The headcount plan is developed after the construction schedule has already been fixed.

• Local skills availability is assumed without in-country market mapping.

• Foreign specialists are selected before immigration lead times are assessed.

• Professional registrations are discovered only during onboarding.

• The employer of record, contractor or local entity structure is not confirmed before offers are made.

• Payroll setup begins after employees have started work.

• Responsibility for accommodation, transport, equipment and site access is unclear.

• Contractor headcount and timekeeping information cannot be reconciled.

• Local employment and community expectations are addressed only once hiring begins.

• The transition from construction staffing to the operational workforce is not planned.

Most of these risks are foreseeable. They become urgent because the workforce conversation begins too late.

A workforce-readiness checklist

Before confirming a project start date, the project team should be able to answer the following questions:

• Which roles are essential to the next stage of delivery?

• Which skills are available locally, and which are genuinely scarce?

• What employment structure is appropriate for each worker category?

• Who is accountable for contracts, payroll and statutory compliance?

• Are work permits and professional registrations required?

• Have salary, allowance and benefit assumptions been tested against the local market?

• Are payroll, timekeeping and reporting systems operational?

• Are induction, site access, accommodation, transport and equipment ready?

• How will employee relations, grievances and disciplinary matters be managed?

• What is the plan for retention, succession and the transition into operations?

An unanswered question does not always mean the project must stop. It does mean that the risk should have an owner, a deadline and a clear response.

Workforce strategy belongs in project development

Funding determines whether a project can proceed.

Workforce readiness helps determine whether it can start on time, operate compliantly and maintain delivery once activity begins.

As investment in African energy, infrastructure and industrial development grows, workforce strategy needs to sit alongside engineering, procurement, commercial planning and finance. It should be represented in the project programme, risk register and governance structure from an early stage.

Projects do not become operational simply because construction has begun.

They become operational when the right people, employment controls and in-country support are in place.

Is your project workforce ready?

EOR in Africa supports organisations with workforce planning, recruitment, compliant employment, payroll and in-country workforce management across African markets.