IFS is an African leader in facilities management solutions with an extensive footprint in Sub-Saharan Africa.
IFS Mozambique Limitada is a Mozambican registered company who has been operating since 2009 and is well-known as one of Mozambique’s largest remote site service providers. Recently formed a new subsidiary, IFS Mozambique Ops Limitada through a partnership with local majority owned shares.
When and how did International Facilities Services (IFS) become a CCS JV subcontractor, managing the Project Site?
“IFS commenced providing facilities and camp management services to
CCS JV from 2019. The contract arose following much planning, lengthy engagements and after several tender processes with CCS JV over a few years. During this time, IFS gained valuable ‘on the ground’ experience by successfully servicing several contracts in the region, associated to the LNG project, including the Anadarko Pioneer, MDP and Muxara Camps (now known as Total), the CMC Resettlement Project and other peripheral work in the Cabo Delgado Province.”
Tell us about IFS Mozambique Ops Limitada?
“To realize our National Content ambitions, IFS has recently partnered with Mozambican nationals and formed a new subsidiary, IFS Mozambique Ops Limitada with majority owned local shareholding (51% + 1 share as legislated). IFS are now in the process of transitioning our contracts over to this new entity.
Our partners come with exceptional business credentials and experience in the hospitality industry, but more importantly they share in the vision and culture of IFS. As such we are confident that they are the perfect fit to take the IFS brand forward in Mozambique and to localize it.”
What are the main activities or services provided by IFS to this Project in particular?
“We provide a wide range of facilities management services to CCS JV at the Afungi site, and the core services include catering, laundry, cleaning, housekeeping, and maintenance.”
How many Mozambicans are working in the Site Camps now? How do you source your manpower that operates there?
“As at the end of August 2020, we have 456 employees working on site of which 97% are Mozambican nationals.
All new unskilled and half the semi-skilled staff are recruited from the local villages on the Duat area, through an agreed recruitment procedure facilitated by Total, CCS JV the main Contractor and local community leaders.
Career development is an HR priority for us and to facilitate this we advertise every position internally to provide our current employees with the opportunity to apply for more senior positions and to grow within the Company. Other methods of recruitment for the skilled staff include using local recruitment agencies, social media platforms, networks and building recruitment pipelines.”
Are there any Training programs for the employees in action/plan taking into consideration the dimension of the Project, the specificity of the work each day?
“IFS prides itself as a learning organization.
To this end, we focus on onboarding our staff, providing regular toolbox talks and conducting competency assessments, which inform the development and implementation of annual training plans to provide all our staff with opportunities to develop occupational and supervisory skills through participation and completion of IFS Academy programs.
These compromise of Catering, Housekeeping, Retail and Stores programs that will take place throughout the duration of the contract with a total number of 405 employees in the first stage.
These programs are accredited by the International Hotel School.
In addition, every employee participates in training related to safe work practices, food safety, customer service and personal hygiene.”
Does IFS have a forecast to recruit more locals in the next years? Do you foresee any leading positions?
“IFS has a recruitment plan to meet staffing targets for the contract peak during 2021 and we anticipate more than doubling our existing workforce. Through this process, IFS will continue to use its established channels giving priority to local community recruitment and national recruitment and will continue to develop current staff through the provision of promotion opportunities.”
IFS works with local SME’s for the provision of goods, materials and others correct, how do you think this contributes to the communities growth and consequently to the economy of the country?
“IFS has supply agreements with a number of SMEs throughout Mozambique who supply goods to the CCSJV project, amongst others across the country. Over Mzn 60mil has been spend with these SMEs between January and August 2020, with this value set to increase significantly as the LNG project ramps up. Several of these SMEs act as aggregators for over 80 small scale independent farmers in the Nampula and Cabo Delgado provinces, so the economic benefit is shared to the proverbial “grass roots” level.”
Would IFS recommend any of the local suppliers with 51% of local shares in the acquisition of new contracts or even international Market? Do you have any advice to these Suppliers? How can they do better to succeed.
There are many >51% Mozambique owned businesses that IFS purchases from for our operational sites across the country.
This expansion of their business has been managed in conjunction with the respective supplier’s capacity and capabilities to ensure expectations of delivery is reasonable. With the significant growth expected in Mozambique through the LNG projects, as well as several other expanding projects across the country, local businesses are focused on gearing their operations to manage the increased demand that this will place on them. IFS shares demand forecasts with these supply partners to ensure that they are aware of the future volume opportunities, allowing them to prepare their operations to manage the growth expected.”