Scope of project engineering; dynamic environment

Scope of project engineering

Project engineering covers the technical and managerial work needed to carry a project from idea to completion and operation:

• Identification, formulation and appraisal of projects (technical, economic, financial, environmental, social).
• Project planning: WBS, scheduling with bar charts, CPM and PERT, resource planning.
• Design, estimating and preparation of tender and contract documents.
• Implementation: procurement, construction supervision, quality assurance.
• Monitoring, evaluation and control of time, cost and quality.
• Risk analysis and management.
• Project financing and capital budgeting.
• Closure, handover, operation and maintenance, and post-project evaluation.

It applies equally to civil, electrical, mechanical and industrial projects.

Project in a dynamic environment

A project is not carried out in a closed laboratory; it works in an environment that keeps changing. Because of this, activities seldom progress exactly as scheduled.

Sources of change

• Political: change of government or policy, strikes and bandhs.
• Economic: price escalation, exchange rate, interest rate.
• Social: local objections, land and compensation disputes.
• Natural: monsoon, floods, landslides, earthquakes (such as the 2015 Gorkha earthquake).
• Technical: design change, new technology, unexpected geology.
• Resource: delay in funds, material shortage, equipment breakdown, labour shortage.
• Stakeholder: client's change orders, delayed approvals.

Technical example: a hydropower tunnel project

Plan: a 1,500 m headrace tunnel excavated in 12 months. In practice, poor rock is met at 600 m, so extra support is needed and progress falls. Heavy rain floods the adit, and a fund release is delayed. The schedule slips, the cost rises and the lining design is revised.

How the project manager responds

1. Monitor progress and the environment regularly.
2. Update the schedule and budget (re-planning).
3. Keep contingency time and money.
4. Use risk management and change control.
5. Maintain communication with all stakeholders.

Hence planning must be flexible, and control must be continuous.