How do the answer's terms 'complex' and 'uncertain' differ?

Complex means many parties and rules; uncertain means outcomes cannot be predicted

Complex means short; uncertain means long

Complex means cheap; uncertain means fast

Which natural event damaged works and access in the Upper Tamakoshi example?

2015 earthquake along with monsoon floods and landslides

Which economic factors affected the project?

Rise in cement, steel and fuel prices and exchange rate affecting foreign loans

Which is a social-environment effect in the example?

Resettlement, compensation and local demands for jobs and benefits

What was the result and the manager's response?

Delay and cost increase; manager revised schedule, sought funds, repaired damage and managed stakeholders

Project was abandoned without action

2079 Bhadra · 6 marks

Operating environment makes projects complex, uncertain

Short answer

The Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project (456 MW) became complex and uncertain because political changes, price rises, resettlement demands, difficult geology, monsoon floods, landslides and the 2015 earthquake interacted with stakeholders following different interests. These factors delayed commissioning to 2021 and raised cost, forcing schedule revision, extra funds, damage repair and extensive stakeholder management.

Describe with a suitable example, considering a running project of Nepal, how the different operating/task environments make the project more complex and uncertain.

A project operates inside several environments, each with its own changing forces. Their interaction makes the project more complex (many parties and rules) and uncertain (outcomes cannot be predicted).

Example: Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project (456 MW)

Environment	Effect on the project
Political	Policy changes, delay in approvals, strikes and bandhs
Economic	Rise in prices of cement, steel and fuel; exchange rate affecting the foreign-currency electromechanical contracts; financing from the Employees Provident Fund and other domestic institutions
Social	Resettlement, compensation, local demands for jobs and benefits
Technical	Long tunnels, difficult geology, imported turbines needing specialist technology
Natural	Monsoon floods, landslides and the 2015 earthquake damaged works and access
Task environment	Contractors, suppliers, lenders and government agencies each follow their own interests and schedules
Legal	Environmental clearance, land acquisition and licence conditions

The project was delayed by several years (it was finally commissioned in 2021) and its cost increased, because these environments changed during construction. The manager had to revise the schedule, seek extra funds, repair damage and manage many stakeholders, which shows the added complexity and uncertainty.

✓ Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort)

Project types and task environment elements · Project Engineering, chapter 1
Task environment influence on project objectives · Project Engineering, chapter 1
Project environment; political environment in Nepal · Project Engineering, chapter 1
Different environments of a project · Project Engineering, chapter 1
Types of projects; effect of project management · Project Engineering, chapter 1
Risk sources in over-budget, delayed projects of Nepal · Project Engineering, chapter 5
Why 3D graphics is more complex than 2D · Computer Graphics, chapter 4
Short note: Major environment issues of Nepal · Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 4
Function of project management in Nepal · Construction Management, chapter 1
Project environment · ICT Project Management, chapter 2

All Project Engineering chapter 1 questions →

Operating environment makes projects complex, uncertain

Example: Upper Tamakoshi Hydropower Project (456 MW)

Related questions