Introduction to Contaminated Site Management - Dealing with Contaminated Sites: From Theory Towards Practical Application - page 80

Nations 1992 ), the vital role of women in environmental management and devel-
opment was stressed. Many studies addressed and many books have been written
about the role of women in project management. The success of a female manager
very much depends on factors other than gender, such as personality, age, expe-
rience, team structure, complexity and interest in the project. Of course, female
managers also have disadvantages compared to male managers. Some men, for
example, find it difficult to work under the supervision of a female (Fairhurst 1993 ),
while some women are uncomfortable supervising men (Williams and Locke 1999 ).
But, otherwise, women tend to be more relationship-oriented (Fairhurst 1993 ).
Although it would be beyond the scope of this topic to make a full analysis of
all these factors, it can be stated that some typical female characteristics are ben-
eficial for team building and successful communication and, hence, for Project
Management.
1.10.6 Major International Institutions
Some major international institutions provide crucial information on Risk
Assessment and Risk Management related to contaminated site management. Their
reports are important for at least two reasons. First, the scientific basis of these
reports is generally high. Second, using procedures from these institutions improves
general use and harmonisation of Risk Assessment tools, while at the same time
large-scale use improves the status of these procedures. Without the pretence of
being complete, some crucial institutions are mentioned in this section. Since it
is hardly possible within the scope of this topic to enlarge upon all the relevant
topics these institutions have dealt with and are dealing with and to describe the
many crucial reports available, it is simply advisable to browse the Internet sites for
information on specific topics. To facilitate this process, the institutions are briefly
introduced in the footnotes in this section.
Some of the important international institutions are the World Health
Organisation (WHO), 2 the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS), 3
and the European Centre for Ecotoxicology and Toxicology of Chemicals
2 The World Health Organisation (WHO) is the directing and coordinating authority for health
within the United Nations system. It is responsible for providing leadership on global health mat-
ters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based
policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends
( http://www.who.int ).
3 The International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS) was developed and structured on the
basis of recommendations of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment (1972).
It is a cooperative venture between WHO, International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) ILO and UNEP. The two main roles of the IPCS are to
establish the scientific basis for the safe use of chemicals and to strengthen national capabilities
and capacities for chemical safety ( http://www.who.int/ipcs/en/ ).