LESSONSFROMTHEINCERDIBLEDELHIMETROPROJECT (ThoughrecentlytherehasbeensomesetbacksintheDelhiMetroproject,itisasterlingexample howaprojectshouldberuntherearemanylessonstobelearntfromShri.E.

Sreedharanandhis team; Readonitisanamazingcasestudy) Distinguishingfeaturesoftheprojectinanutshell: Thoroughplanning Effectiveprojectdesign Wemeanbusinessculture Organisationculturebasedonpunctuality,honestyandstrictadherencetodeadlines

Themajorfeaturesofthedifferentaspectsoftheprojectwhichcontributedtoitsstupendous successhavebeenbrieflydiscussedbelow: OrganisationStructure: TheGoIandGNCTDconstitutedtheDelhiMetroRailCorporationLtd(DMRC)asacompany incorporatedundertheCompaniesActforconstructionoftheprojectandMr.Sreedharan wasappointedMD. TheDMRChadtwodepartmentsprojectorganizationandoperation&maintenancein whatisknownasaleanorganisationstructure. SelectedgroupofprofessionalsweretrainedatHongKongssMassRapidTransitRailway Corporation(MTRC) CompletefreedomwasprovidedtoMr.Sreedharantorecruitpeopleofhischoiceandbuild ateam. Eachcandidatewaspersonallyinterviewedbyhimafterathoroughreviewoftheirtrack recordswithemphasisonintegrity. Mostoftheemployeeswereintheagegroupof18to30years. Thestresswasoneffectivecontractawardingandprocurementprocessesinorderto preventcorruption. Thecontractawardingprocesswasmadesimpleandtransparent,theprocurement processesfairandjustbyremovingalltracesofsubjectivityfromtenderevaluation. TheMDwasgivencompleteautonomyonallmattersandwasthelastauthorityontenders. ReviewandSupervision: Everyindividualwouldbeaccountableforhis/herroleintheproject.Eachemployeehadto prepareaDetailedProjectReport(DPR)withparticularsregardingtheworkassignedand workcompletedeachdaytobesubmittedtotherespectivesupervisors.Incaseofany deviations,theemployeeshadtogivereasonsforthesameandstepsforrectification. PKFSridhar&Santhanam

EveryMonday,theheadsofdepartmentshadtomeettoreviewprogress,setnewtargets orrevisetargets. Thestresswasonadherencetoscheduleswithreverseclockstoindicatethenumberof daysleftbeforeimportantdeadlines. Duetodelayinsettingupoftheorganisationthefirstphaseoftheprojectcommenced threeyearsafterthescheduleddate,buttheoriginaldeadlinewasnotrevisedandthe projectdurationwasreducedfrom10yearsto7yearstomakeupforthedelayedstart. TheDelhiMetroRailway(Operation&Maintenance)Act,2002wasenacted,superseding thelocalmunicipallawsofDelhiandthelowercourtswerebarredfromissuingstayorders. Agroupoflawyerswasengagedtomakesurethatthecourtsdidnotgrantsuchstayorders. CostControlmeasures: Thetotalexpenditurewassplitinto3headsmanpower,energyandmaterialsincluding maintenance,eachaccountingforonethirdofthetotalprojectcost. TheDMRCemployedonly45personsperkilometreoftracktoadheretointernational norms.ThiswasonlyathirdofthenumberofpersonsemployedintheKolkataMetroRail projectwhichwastheonlyothersuchprojectinIndiabeforeDelhi. Tocutenergycosts,aspecialagreementwasenteredintowiththeDelhiTranscoLtdto sourcepoweratlowrates. Projectdurationwascontrolledbyuseofspecialconstructiontechnologiesliketrenchless digging,useofballastlesstracks,etc. PrimaveraProjectPlanner: AspecialsoftwarePrimaveraProjectPlanner,wasusedforprojectplanningand monitoring.Theresourceplanningmoduleoftheprojectalertedusersincaseofexcessor shortageofresourceswhilethecostplanningmoduleprovidedacompletecostbreakupof theproject. Thesoftwarewasalsousedtokeeptrackofprojectactivities,quantumofworkcompleted atdifferentlevels,thetimelostorgainedetc. Informationregardingallcriticalandupcomingactivitieswasalsoavailabletofacilitate trackingandreschedulingofactivitieswherenecessary. Allthiswasnecessaryasthelossincurredifonedayofworkislostisabout5million rupees. QualityAssurance: Aspecialqualityassuranceteamindependentofthefieldexecutiveswasappointedto ensurequalityinconstruction. Allpersonnelworkingattheconstructionsitewererequiredtowearhelmetsandother appropriatesafetygear.

PKFSridhar&Santhanam

Consultancyandcontractswasundertakenbyaglobalbiddingprogramwhichrequiredat leastoneIndianpartner,toensuretechnologyabsorptionbyIndianfirmsandfor localisationandreengineeringoftechnology. Thetechnologyusedwasthebestandthelatestavailable.Multinationalengineering corporationsfromacrosstheglobeworkedontheproject. AfivememberconsortiumledbythePacificConsultantsInternational(PCI)wasconstituted toprovideoverallconsultancyfortheproject. Workonutilitydiversionwasundertakenmuchbeforethecommencementofworkona particularsection.Theconcernedconsortiumsurveyedtheareaforutilities(waterpipes, sewer,waterpipes,etc)tosubmitawrittenreporttoDMRCwhichcompletedthework withintheprescribedperiod.

ManagingthestakeholdersGovernment,contractors,fundingagenciesandgeneralpublic: AutonomyoftheDMRCwasensuredintherecruitmentprocess,promotions,contract awardingandlandacquisition.Ittookastandthatanychangeinanydecisionwouldbe madeonlyifitwasrequiredfromatechnicalorprofessionalangleandnotsimplybecause somebodywantsit. Cordialrelationshipwasmaintainedwiththecontractorsbymakingpaymentontime.The contractorsweregratefulfornothavingtogivebribestosecurethecontractswhich ensuredtheirfullcooperationandcompletionoftheprojectaheadofscheduleincertain sectionsbecauseoftheirsuggestions. TheofficialsofJBICwhichprovidedamajorpartofthefundingfortheprojectwereinvolved inallmajoreventsconcernedwiththeprojecttomaintaincordialrelationswiththem. Allutilitiesweredivertedwellinadvancesoastoensureminimuminconveniencetothe generalpublic.Communityinteractionprogrammeswereorganisedtoinformandseek solutionsfromthepublic. Alternatetrafficarrangementsweremadefortheroadsaffectedbytheconstructionwith theassistanceoftheIndianInstituteofTechnology,Delhi.Thiswasdonebybuildingnew roadsorbywideningofexistingroads. TheISO14001certification,whichdealswithstandardsforminimisingtheadverseeffects oftheoperationalprocessesontheenvironment,wasobtained.NewYorkMetroistheonly othermetrotohaveobtainedthiscertification.ItalsoobtainedtheOHSAS18001 certificationforitsenvironment,occupationalhealthandsafetymanagementsystem. ExcerptedfromanICMRcasestudy

PKFSridhar&Santhanam