Q1

(a)Sources of project ideas

Idea and Information Sources Literature as Idea and Information Sources Books
Handbooks: The engineering field publishes a variety of handbooks on data,
procedures and technical information. These publications are usually available
through the library. Examples are Marks Standard Handbook of Mechanical
Engineering and the Tool and Manufacturing Engineers Handbook published by the
Society of Manufacturing Engineers. The latter handbook includes a number of
volumes covering various topics such as materials, finishing and coating,
machining, and design for manufacturability. Textbooks: Books are frequently a
good source of information. Although technical information may not be the most up
to date by the time a book is published, even some very old texts can sometimes
provide or at least stimulate some interesting ideas. Some old ideas can find a new
life through novel materials, processing or design methods. Industry manuals:
Many engineering associations produce manuals that provide general (e.g., design
procedures) and specific (e.g., motors, bearings) information about standard
products, parts and procedures. Nuts and bolts, for example, are described in the
SAE Handbook. Periodicals and Technical Reports Trade Magazines: There are a
number of trade magazines that cover general design issues or are targeted at a
specialized technical field. These magazines are often a source of solutions for
current problems. Besides the articles in these magazines, the advertisements can
provide a fruitful source of ideas. As it is difficult to pinpoint specific information in
trade magazines, it is a good practice to make a habit of regularly reading or at
least scanning these publications so information can be located when required.
Research Journals: Research journals directly related to the specific area of the
problem to be solved may provide modelling and analysis of specific problems as
well as more general information that can lead to a design solution. Examples of
these journals are Journal of Engineering Design, ASME Journal of Heat Transfer, and
Artificial Intelligence in Engineering, Design and Manufacturing. Sources of Ideas &
Information Sources of Ideas & Information.doc Page 4 of 9 V0.0 Databases:
Databases provide a mechanism by which articles from hundreds of technical
journals spanning numerous years can be search for a specific subject. The usability
of these databases has been greatly enhanced in recent years by computerization.
Examples of these databases include The Engineering Index and The National
Technical Information Service. These databases can be searched by general
categories or specific key words can be used for more targeted searches. Directories
Thomas Register: The Thomas Register of American Manufacturers is a set of
volumes that provide information about manufacturers of a multitude of products
and services. It can typically be found in the library but is now conveniently
available on the Internet at www.thomasregister.com. Frasers Canadian Trade
Directory: Similar to the Thomas Register, Frasers Canadian Trade Directory
provides information about Canadian providers of products and services. It is
available in both hard copy and CD-ROM formats, and can also be accessed through
the Internet at www.frasers.com where searches can be conducted within the
categories of company, product/service or brand name. Yellow Pages: The yellow
pages are another source for suppliers and manufacturers. If availability from local
suppliers is insufficient, yellow pages for other cities can often be found at the
library or on the Internet. Catalogues: There are hundreds of catalogues of parts,
assemblies and materials available through vendors. These catalogues are often
available through workshops and resource centres, or can be ordered by mailing

away request cards often included in trade publications. Other Literature Sources
World Wide Web: Searching the Internet can lead to websites belonging to vendors,
manufacturers, consultants, design companies, professional organizations and
educational centres, to name a few. Almost every organization of one type or
another has a website and the information that is often provided on these websites
is remarkable. Information found on the Internet is often more current than what is
published, and often provides an e-mail address to which questions and requests for
additional information can be sent. As anyone can create a website, caution should
be used when utilizing information that it has been obtained from a reputable
source. Sources of Ideas & Information Sources of Ideas & Information.doc Page 5 of
9 V0.0 Brochures: Marketing publications available from competitors or for related
products can sometimes provide valuable information. People as Idea and
Information Sources An extremely valuable source of ideas that often gets
overlooked is people. It is truly amazing the viable ideas that can come from not
only subject experts, but also the most unlikely sources including the person sitting
next to you on the plane or a small child. Designers should never be afraid to ask
others for ideas. Even if someone does not have any solutions to offer, they may
know where to locate information or a person who can provide information. This is
called networking and can be one of the most powerful tools in business today.
Colleagues: Colleagues are usually a very approachable source of ideas. They may
be people within the same company, contacts within other organizations or former
classmates. Consultants: Consultants are generally people who are experts in a
certain area. Although mostly paid for there expertise, many willingly will answer
questions and provide information as long as it is not in conflict with their
commitments and doesnt require a great deal of time. Consultants can generally be
located through word-of-mouth, professional directories, yellow pages, educational
institutions or the Internet. Vendors: Although vendors typically are interested in
selling their product, many value the development of relationships and will therefore
often be a willing source of ideas and even samples. Vendors are an excellent
resource as they often are current in technology and have the opportunity to visit a
variety of companies where they can view different ways of doing things.
Customers: Customers are an excellent source of ideas. Often they have conducted
their own research before committing to working with a team of designers on a
specific project. They may have seen similar products in use and have ideas on
different concepts that could be employed. Lead users: These people are those
that had a need for a product long before the general population. Lead users have
often created adaptations or invented their own solutions to satisfy their
requirements until a new product comes along. Friends/family: Many designers
find ideas for projects when casually talking to friends and family. Sometimes people
who have little knowledge of the technology or the specific problem to be solved
may look at things from a different perspective and propose creative solutions.
Sources of Ideas & Information Sources of Ideas & Information.doc Page 6 of 9 V0.0
Organizations as Idea and Information Sources Government: There are numerous
sources within all levels of government both within Canada and other countries such
as the United States. Many departments, including the Transportation and Safety
Board, the National Bureau of Standards and the Department of National Defence,
have standards and guidelines based on extensive research. Engineering
organizations throughout the world make extensive use of the Military Standards
produced by the U.S. Department of Defense, many of which can be accessed
through libraries or downloaded from the Internet. The National Technical

Information Service, a branch of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is a source for

worldwide scientific, technical, engineering and business related information. Much
of this information can be obtained through their Internet site www.ntis.gov. Her
Majestys Stationary Office (www.hmso.gov.uk) is a similar source for publications
created within the government of the United Kingdom. Non-profit laboratories and
associations: Organizations such as the Canadian Standards Association,
Underwriters Laboratories, American Society for Testing and Materials, and
American Standards Association can provides standards and guidelines at a nominal
fee. Often products must be tested against and comply with these standards before
they can be offered commercially. Professional Organizations: Groups such as
Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta
(APEGGA) and Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) often have publications
and codes available. These organizations typically can identify and provide contact
information for experts on a given subject. Other Idea and Information Sources
Nature: Many innovative technical solutions are based on principles found in nature.
Birds have provided concepts for winged flight as fish have for submarines.
Honeycombs have provided examples of lightweight but strong structures and the
arch of the human foot demonstrates the effectiveness of a keystone bridge
structure for supporting heavy loads. Velcro, an extensively used fastening device,
was based on the gripping capabilities of a burr. Patents: Patents are an excellent
source of technical ideas. Although the use of protected products may be prohibited
or require the payment of a royalty, expired and foreign patents without global
coverage can be used. Reviewing restricted patents may spawn innovative new
ideas that do not Sources of Ideas & Information Sources of Ideas & Information.doc
Page 7 of 9 V0.0 fall under the restriction of a patent. The Mechanical Design
Process (Ullman) explains the process for researching patents. Analogies: The
creative technique of using analogies involves examining the similarities between
the current design problem and another similar problem. Basically, the design team
completes the phase This situation is like, collects solution ideas for the
analogous problem then transfers these ideas to the original problem. The
analogous problem can be another technical example or one from nature. The
book Guide to Basic Information Sources in Engineering by Mount is one reference
that highlights additional sources for information. Many engineering design books
also provide suggestions for sources of ideas and informat
Why projects fail in developing countries

Why projects fail around the world? : The Reasons and Concern

By

Mr. Manohar Govind Urkude

Retired D.G.M.
IRCON International
Delhi

Dr. Ashish Manohar Urkude

Professor
Alliance Business School
Bangalore

E-mail: dr_ashish_urkude@yahoo.co.in / ashish.urkude@gmail.com / dr.ashish.urkude@gmail.com

USA, Western European Countries, Canada, and Japan build their infrastructure first then their Economy
took giant leap. Just see how the Metro Railways are planned; just see the multi terrain but multi-lane
highways were planned and built, just experience the fastest trains like TGV from France and Bullet Trains
from Japan. In fact, China is supposed to be the over heated Economy due to infrastructure build up and
timely completion of the best projects like multiple flyovers and express ways in many cities and the giant
projects like three Gorges Dam. Also, nobody can forget the Stadiums and infrastructures that were built
to convene the Beijing Olympics 2008.
Similarly, Mexico, Brazil, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, everywhere the infrastructures build up
is timely and phenomenal.
However, there are 200 countries around the world, where such Projects add value to their infrastructure.
Also, today, many countries are on the verge of infrastructure collapse due to non execution of well
planned projects or if there are few projects then they lack the political-will to complete it. However, it is
certain that construction activities are a non stop phenomenon around the world.
Hence we analyzed few projects in different parts of world, successful projects as well as projects those
were failures. We observed that many projects in underdeveloped and developing countries were not
completed on time. No one realized that by doing so they had wasted time and human efforts and money.
Later on we carried out a proper analysis.
Finally, we came to the conclusion that for starting a Civil Engineering Projects in these countries,
following are the basic considerations for its successful completion.
1. Availability of adequate Capital and supporting Financial Management,
2. Availability of sufficient Land as per requirement and proper Land Management,
3. Availability of Raw Materials required for the work in the vicinity and proper Logistic and Supply
Chain Management,
4. Availability of Talent both Skilled and non skilled Man-Power and their Management,
5. Availability of Energy in the zone and Energy Management,
6. Availability of Water in close vicinity and better Water Management,
7. Availability of latest Technology know-how and the Technology Management,

8. Availability of viable Roads and non-stop Commutation mediums all around,

9. Availability of suitable Political support and security provision from the state,
10. Availability of better Project Management team that keep a track on Project activities,
11. Availability of the better Governance, the better coordination, the cooperation and the synergy
among the governmental and non-governmental parties.
Thus, before planning for any project these factors has to be examined judiciously. Otherwise non
fulfillment of any one of the above the project may collapse before the aim is achieved which may result in
huge loses. For example, there was an Outer Ring Road that was planned in Nagpur City and huge funds
were allocated but unwillingness of political support was major cause of failure and the funds were either
diverted to other major projects or expansion of the cities made this project unviable after five years.
Then, there are cases in Nigeria, where Shell built the best pipeline for fuel transport, however, after the
clashes between two groups, one group used their influence and literally exploded the pipelines and the
project was stalled for many months. The problem here was not considering the security issue. Then
there were major project failures in Pakistan, Bangladesh due to similar reasons.
Thus, there are various Real-Time causes of Project failure, some of which we are putting over here.
Incorrect data collection: Generally, before the civil engineering project there is a survey of site. E.g. in
three Gorges Dam in China, different teams were conducting the survey of the site, so that the USD 20
Billion Project becomes a huge success for all the organisations involved. There was geological team, there
were seismologists, there were chemical analysts, etc. they conducted a through survey to know the
details of the site, before and after the dam is build.
Now if the survey team has been found not exerting to record updated data, the project would fail. In
other case if Detailed Project Report (DPR) team depends on very old data recorded somewhere then also
the project may fail. Hence latest data has its importance.
Also, Geological and Geographical changes that will be developed due to pressure of Dam water that could
lead to Earthquake effects also had its importance. If they are not considered then it may lead to faulty
design of the whole structures of the project.
Indian Railways (IR) had a bitter experience in one of its Project where soil investigation data recorded
was based on very old record. At the time of designing foundation of major bridge of Railway Track. The
old data recorded was found to be wrong as per the present conditions which were due to rapid geological
changes in that area. If IR had considered it to be correct the foundation for the major bridge could have
been wrong. In fact the bridge would have been down within few months of its construction. The remedy
was IR had to go further down for the foundation for safety purpose. This had resulted in loss of time and
financial overruns.
Not acquiring whole piece of land required: Some times it happens that construction activities are
started only after getting some portion of demarcated land and keeping efforts to get the other important
part of the land. After completing lot of construction, some time the other part of land can not be acquired
and get delayed very much. This is also a cause of concern for delay and additional financial burden on the
client which is not included in the estimate.
Sudden change/s in pre-planned capacity: In one case, a project was started for a preplanned and

approved capacity of 'A' size. All the arrangements were made accordingly. However, after some time
under some political pressure it was planned for enhanced capacity 'B' without thinking over pros and
cons. The result was inevitable, after 5 years the project was closed, for want of additional resources and
time. In short, there was shortage of water, lack of sufficient electrical energy, non availability of raw
material in that part of country, land acquisition was a big problem, availability of more skilled man power
became a problem, adding fuel were, the non availability of viable roads and advanced technology as the
project was not previewed from time to time for this enhanced capacity. It delayed the project and later
on it was closed for not being viable option.
Inadequate fund flow: It has been observed that some projects have been started with limited financial
resources on some assurance. After investing lot of available cash and loans the further requirement of
fund flow could not be fulfilled and the project remained incomplete resulting in total Failure.
Labour Unrest: Valuable working hours are lost due to causeless labour unrest created by some political
parties or labour unions or people having vested interest. In almost every country on this earth, every
political party has its own labour union or people having support to some ideology. Their demands are
never ending.
The major problem among these people is that they should think telescopically than microscopically. They
should think that if they are BPL (Below Poverty Line) at present moment then after well planned hard
work they could come up as APL (Above Poverty Line). However, ideology and practical never goes hand in
hand and thus, due to continuous strikes and intermittent closure of work, the most valuable man days
are lost and production is affected. It increases the cost of the production on one hand and on the other
hand the workers get fewer wages. The low paid employees thus never recoup and the wages are lost and
they remain BPL from generation to generation.
Bad political influence: Many experts claim that even if all the above points are taken care of well in
advance in some countries like India, Pakistan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, there is no guarantee of showing
political maturity. There are hundreds of examples where the government of "A" political party has
sanctioned and started a project for the benefit of public the government of "B" political party coming in
power will not allot sufficient funds for that project to be completed in time or will stop it which results in
national loss.
Imagine a situation like in Italy where there were 19 governments in 17 years.
Hence, we must state here that, the projects are started in national interest for the benefit of all the
citizens. Hence, they should be completed on time, in the larger interest of public. The political leader
from a particular party, who comes as an administrator should not have interference in it to spoil or stop
but to apply his skill to complete early in a better way to add value in the project and to add in his list of
achievements in place of showing his bankruptcy of political maturity. No one shows maturity that other
political party started this project and our political party has completed it in the interest of nation.
It is the same story, 1950's through 2010, the on job Project Leaders find all kinds of deficiencies as
explained above to complete the project in scheduled target.
Hence this article to alert the government/s and peoples from various nations.

Five stages in a project cycle

Project Initiation
In the first phase of the project life cycle, the project is defined and established. In moving from a
problem to a project it is important to ask questions such as: Is the problem in your companys
jurisdiction? and Do you have the resources in your budget to fund the project? The project manager
and team also determine the projects preliminary scope during the initiation phase. More often than
not, project team members and stakeholders will continuously alter and sharpen the preliminary
scope into one that is complete and accurate.

Planning
Planning involves identifying and scheduling the work packages or activities necessary to perform
the work; constructing estimates of duration, cost, and resources; developing plans to ensure quality,
manage risks, and control scope; establishing communications and reporting strategies; acquiring
resources, both people and contracts; and integrating these elements into a comprehensive planning
document.

Execution
The phase where the action takes place. Execution involves acquiring and building a project team,
performing work, and producing deliverables. Its important to remain aware of the constraints such
as time, cost, and performance which will drive and limit the project life cycle.

Monitoring and Control

The monitoring and control phase tracks the teams adherence to the plan, identifies discrepancies,
handles change management, and provides feedback to update and progressively elaborate the
plan.

Closeout
During the final phase of the project life cycle, the project is completed and the project team
members transfer deliverables to the next stage or to the customer. The remaining work of the
project team involves releasing resources to other projects, developing lessons learned for future
improvement, and closing out the administrative elements of the project from an organizational
perspective.
Although initiation starts the project and closeout ends it, the other three steps form a loop; planning
leads to execution, which requiring monitoring and control, which feeds back into additional planning.