www.pmi-agc.com
EsTablishing ExCEllEnCE
January 2013
magazine published quarterly by the
Project Management Institute - Arabian
to all PMI-AGC members and about 7000
copies of the magazine are distributed
throughout the Gulf region.
organisation set up to promote project
management in the Gulf region by:
fostering professionalism in the
quality and reach of project management;
stimulating project management
organisations and the public communities
we serve.
this widely-read publication and leverage
its widespread distribution at a low cost to
gain exposure, increase the reach for their
products and services and open new doors
of opportunity.
advertising rates
www.pmi-agc.com
PROJECT REPORT King Abdullah Financial District growing
greener
18
inTERnaTiOnal FEaTuRE From Green to Black Tying sustainability in
to organizational strategy
42MEMbER subMissiOn In All Walks of Life Project Management is
everywhere
28
COnTEnTs
Contents PREsidEnT’s MEssagE 2 EdiTOR-in-ChiEF’s MEssagE 3 nEws
5-16
PROJECT REPORT 18-27 King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) A
cleaner, greener financial district grows in Riyadh
MEMbER subMissiOn 28-31 In All Walks of Life Project management is
everywhere - taking it to the schools
Add Value to your Project 32-33
Adding Value to our 34-35 Communities Taking project management
concepts further
The Seven R’s of Value 36-41 Engineering Proposals An attempt to
leverage historical value engineering proposals
inTERnaTiOnal FEaTuRE 42-49 From Green to Black Tying
sustainability in to organizational strategy
Effectively Handling 50-53 Project Issues, Risks and Actions
Using Social Media - 54-57 a Strategic Tool for Project Lessons
Learned
FEaTuRE sTORy A New Approach for 58-59 PMI-AGC’s Talent Management
Initiative
Newly Elected PMI-AGC 60-61 Board Takes the Reins
PMi-agC PEOPlE 62-63
2012-2015 Board of Officers
President - PMI-AGC Hashim M. Al-Rifaai
[email protected]
President - Oman Region Mohamed Al-Ghanboosi
[email protected]
SVP - Membership, Marketing & PR Toufic Halabi
[email protected]
SVP - Volunteer Management Abdullah Al Qaed
[email protected]
President - Kuwait Region Wael H. Al-Jasem
[email protected]
President - Saudi Arabia Region Nabilah M. Al-Tunisi
[email protected]
President - Qatar Region Dr. Khalid Kamal Naji
[email protected]
SVP - Admin & Governance Abul Nahid Kamal, MBA, PMP
[email protected]
SVP - Professional Development & Education Ibrahim L. Khader
[email protected]
Gulf Project magazine 1
F irstly, I would like to wish all our Project Management
Professionals & Members a happy new year. We leave yet another
successful
year behind and look forward to the new challenging and hopefully
prosperous one.
With the first issue of the year 2013, we continue to do our best
to provide you with extensive resources & articles to enhance
your project management skills and to keep you abreast with the
local news in the field.
In this issue, The Gulf Project report focuses on the King Abdullah
Financial District in Riyadh as it is the first Middle East
financial district to match the major global standards of financial
centers, in terms of scale, regulation and technology. The issue
also contains numerous submissions from our PMI-AGC members that
continue to share their knowledge and expertise.
I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the Gulf Project
magazine by submitting their content. I continue to stress the
importance of our PMI Members to share
and promote their Project Management expertise to the gulf
community. If you’re interested in contributing to the magazine,
kindly forward your articles to Magazine@ pmiagc.bh
The publishing management will change starting from the next issue
as we try to further enhance the community’s experience by shifting
the responsibility to another Region. We would like to thank the
publisher for the excellent work that they have done and we don’t
hesitate to seek their assistance in similar matters in the
future.
Enjoy the Issue.
MEssagE
Emad Naeemi Assistant editor Email:
[email protected]
Dear Members and readers:
I congratulate all the volunteers and region leaders who actively
participate in bringing a quality professional magazine to our
members. Due to active member’s participation
and a transparent process it is my pleasure to announce the new
roles and faces of PMI-AGC officers. In line with the “role
delineation” study, PMI AGC Board added two new board positions
earlier this year. The intent is to champion and add accountability
to key strategic areas that was lacking our focus. The two new
positions are SVP of Membership, Marketing & Public Relation;
and SVP of Volunteer Management. In addition, to supporting growth
- especially in Jeddah and Riyadh - we have elected a new President
of Saudi Arabia, namely Ms. Nabila Al-Tounsi. Due to the largest
membership population in KSA, PMI-AGC is gearing up to support its
members at Eastern, Central and Western regions. Key positions are
being appointed by the leadership in KSA to translate our strategy
to action in KSA. The new blood and dynamic energy at PMI-AGC is
sure to elevate our commitment and value to our members.
Although not part of AGC Board, the recent appointment of AGC
Liaison to PMI Education Foundation (PMIEF) is a key milestone for
our Chapter. PMI-AGC being the largest donor of PMIEF funds, it was
vital that we have direct liaison and representation
in order to manage the program and work closely with PMI to bring
its benefits to the doorsteps of our members in all regions. In the
same spirit, PMI-AGC is investing in Outreach Programs and MOUs to
reach out to Universities, non-profit organizations, and
municipalities to spread the knowledge and tools of Project
Management.
This year we are giving even more autonomy to each region to
provide flexibility and to allow customized services to fit the
member’s needs at a local level. The chapter is also seeking in-
depth collaboration with PMI Region 12 members (KSA, Jordan,
Lebanon, etc.) to share best practices. PMI-AGC’s leadership met
the with key region 12, and PMI headquarter, leaders in Dubai on
Sept. 22, 2012 to facilitate better cooperation and service. The
AGC board has formulated a two year plan going forward. In short,
the 2 year program will focus on the AGC’s 14th Conference, Sharing
of Best Practices among the region (Portal, websites, etc.),
Sponsorship growth and Marketing.
Building on precious gains by other President, we believe the new
Board and active volunteers will continue to deliver highest
returns compared to what is provided by other professional chapters
in middle-east.
Best regards, Hashim
President’s Message
nEws
Guessing games and toothpick towers, successes and hilarious
failures, PMI-AGC Bahrain’s highly informative presentation -
Raising Project Management Awareness, held on 11th July 2012, was,
as one of the 120 young participants said, “It was an amusing,
entertaining and wonderfully interactive experience.”
For the third year in a row, the Project Management Institute -
Arabian Gulf Chapter (Bahrain Office) - delivered this
presentation
introducing the importance of Project Management to the youth of
Bahrain. The presentation is one of many conducted as part of the
organisation’s mandate to increase awareness of project management
in general.
The Director of Presentations and Community Relations at PMI-AGC
and Manager of PMO in Tamkeen, Ms. Nada Khonji, along with Mr.
Khalid Al Marzouqi, PMO Specialist at Tamkeen delivered the highly
interactive session. They included several educational games and
created an unforgettable experience while delivering the serious
basics of Project Management skills.
The 4 hour-session was attended by more than 120 youth and covered
a wide range of topics starting from the definition of a project,
the difference between projects and operations, concepts of project
management, roles and responsibilities of the project managers, and
the project’s life cycle and processes. It also introduced
the
students to the Project Management Institute (PMI) and the Arabian
Gulf Chapter (PMI-AGC) highlighting its objectives, benefits of
memberships and the accredited Project Management related
certifications.
The participants interacted with each other and participated with
enthusiasm and energy during the session. They also showed a marked
interest in learning more about the world of Project
Management.
bahRain
GPM news
Become a member online!
Applying to become a PMI-AGC member is easier than ever with our
online application process. Follow these simple steps:
1. Log in to http://www.pmi.org/Membership.aspx
2. Click on Join/Renew
http://marketplace.pmi.org/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?GMProduct=00100147500
5. Before clicking on Add to Cart, click on Chapter. Then choose
country under your PMI-AGC, listed as
Qatar, saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain and Yemen. For example,
if you choose Qatar, the contact and chapter charges, Us$20 per
year, will be listed
6. Click on Join
7. Click to Add to Cart
8. You will now have both in the cart as separate icons: PMI
Joining Fees and AGC Joining Fees (Us$129
and Us$20 respectively, Us$149 total 9.
Click on Checkout
10. Please complete the application by creating an account, and
follow instructions, then pay by credit
card
Welcome to PMI-AGC dear member, and please do not hesitate to
contact PMI-AGC for any queries that you may have.
January 2013 Gulf Project magazine 54
A win-win exchange between PMI-AGC Kuwait & WJO
kuwaiT
PMI AGC Kuwait was invited by Wafra Joint Operation General Manager
Mr. Shabeeb Al-Ajmi to present its services to the WJO projects
group. The move was part of a programme to improve on WJO
organizational project management and enrich the knowledge of its
staff as well as their performance.
PMI AGC Kuwait President Mr. Wael Al-Jasem along with PMI AGC
Kuwait VP Policy & Governance Dr. Lina Abu Dhier took this
opportunity to highlight the services and benefits that PMI
provides to its members and how organizations/entities can benefit
from them.
Mr. Al-Jasem explained that through the PMI membership, members
have access to the latest project management international
standards as well as the PMI library and bookstore, which contain a
wealth of information on projects tools and techniques, case
studies, etc. He explained that what might be of interest to WJO
are the PMI Communities of Practice where members can network with
project practitioners from all over the world exchanging knowledge,
lessons learnt and have the opportunity to discuss common or unique
issues.
In addition WJO staff, who are members, can benefit from PMI
membership through the following: 1. Encouraging project management
certification for
members working on projects: a. Certified Associates in Project
Management (CAPM)®
b. Project Management Professionals (PMP)®
c. Program Management Professionals (PgMP)®
d. PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMPSM) e. PMI Scheduling
Professional (PMI-SPSM)
2. Participation in PMI Communities of Practice (research best
practices, lessons learnt, and article submissions): a. Consulting
b. Organizational Project Management c. Project Human Resource
Management d. Project Risk Management e. Project Quality
Management
3. Targeting one of the under-mentioned PMI project awards (project
managers and teams should comply with the awards criteria to
improve on their project delivery): a. Awards to Honor Project
Professionals PMI Eric Jenett Project Management Excellence Award
PMI Linn Stuckenbruck Person of the Year Award b. Awards to Honor
Organizations for Successful Projects PMI Distinguished Project
Award PMI Project of the Year Award c. Awards to Honor Project
Management Researchers
and Educators Project Management Journal® Paper of the Year
Award
4. By raising the profile of WJO Leadership who work on strategic
projects, as membership with PMI will demonstrate commitment to
project excellence. (PMI AGC annual individual membership is a mere
USD $140).
For more details, the following PMI websites may be accessed:
www.pmi.org, www.pmi-agc.com or www.pmiagckw.org
The WJO Project team will have the ultimate opportunity
to enrich their project management knowledge and have access to the
latest project tools and practices. In addition to the services
mentioned, it is well to note that PMI offers seminars and
conferences throughout the world, year round.
As a token of our appreciation, PMI AGC Kuwait presented the
following PMI Standards to Mr. Saad Al-Marie Manager Projects &
Facilities Engineering at WJO: 1. A Guide to the Project Management
Body of Knowledge 2. The Standard for Program Management 3.
Organizational Project Management Maturity Model (OPM3) 4. The
Standard for Portfolio Management
At the end of the presentation, Mr. S. Al-Ajmi along with his
projects team thanked the PMI visitors for their time and effort in
sharing their services with WJO. In turn, the PMI visiting team
thanked WJO management for their interest and hospitality.
nEws
GPM news
saudi aRabia
From the 24-28th June, 2012, the Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel was
buzzing with delegates who attended an intensive training programme
to prepare for the Project Risk Management Professional (RMP)
Certification Exam held by PMI-AGC Bahrain.
The objectives of the seminar were to learn how to “minimize the
risks of not achieving the objectives of a project, minimizing the
risks for stakeholders who have an interest in it (the project), as
well as identifying and taking advantage of opportunities that may
present themselves during that time-frame.”
During the course of the five days participants learnt, among other
critical factors, the importance of project risk management within
the project life cycle, how to understand what is considered
‘project risk management best practice’, how to
develop a Risk Management Plan, Undertake Project Risk Analyses -
both Qualitative and Quantitative, Develop a Project Risk Plan, and
Monitor and Control Project Risk.
This intense and in-depth curriculum helped the delegates to be
thoroughly prepared for the PMI-RMP Exam, which they need to take
in order to become certified as PMI Project Risk Management
Professionals. They were able to master the basic Knowledge of
Project Risk Management by learning the overall terms, principles,
methodology and concepts through a hands-on application of Project
Risk Management methods and learnt how they work in real-life
projects.
In addition to the training materials, each participant also
received a Certificate of Completion, a valuable textbook on risk
management - Tricks of the Trade® by Rita Mulcahy and a Complete
Training Manual.
The Instructor for the Seminar was Osama Bakir who has more than 25
years of experience in project management with companies such as
Claymore Inc. Consulting, Toronto, Canada, PROJACS Middle East,
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, AT&T and Lucent Technologies, VA, USA,
and Oman Telecom, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. Eng. Mr. Bakir is the
President and the CEO of the PMCTQuest; Canadian Project Management
Consulting and Training Company, and he offers project management
consulting and training services in Canada, USA and almost all the
Arabian Gulf Countries in various capacities.
In this day and age when science is such an obvious part of our
everyday lives, PMI-AGC Western Chapter, Saudi Arabia threw out the
question to the public. And the almost 300 participants who
attended, from practically every industry and nationality in the
Kingdom, was evidence that this question is still a hot topic. In
fact both the subject and the main speaker of the event, Dr. Essam
Sharaf - currently the Professor of Highway Engineering, Cairo
University and both a former Prime Minister of Egypt (2011) and
Minister of transport (2004 – 2005) – proved to be an immense
draw.
So, on 29th April, 2012 at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Jeddah was
bustling with participants and dignitaries such as the Egyptian
Consul General in Jeddah, Ambassador Ali Al-Asheri. Once in full
swing Dr. Essam Sharaf addressed several topics that related to
Science and
its relation to different concepts and activities, including:
Science and culture, development and competitiveness, scientific
research and technology, research and modern transportation, and
NGOs.
The subject drew much interest and
at the end of the event, Ambassador Ali Al-Asheri along with
Mr.Hazim Abdul Wahid, VP of PMI-AGC Western Region, presented Dr
Sharaf with an honorary shield to thank him for putting together
this interesting and thought-provoking presentation.
5-day seminar for exam preparation held by PMI-AGC Bahrain
bahRain
January 2013 Gulf Project magazine 76
Kuwait, May 1st 2012, The Project Management Institute - Arabian
Gulf Chapter (PMI-AGC) Kuwait along with the Community of Project
Management (CoPM) and Kuwait Information Technology Society (KITS)
conducted a technical presentation on “Maximizing PMI
Benefits”.
The informative presentation was conducted by Mr. Wael Al-Jasem,
President PMI-AGC Kuwait Region and was held at KITS Rawda, Kuwait.
Mr. Al-Jasem, highlighted the many benefits of membership, all
designed to support an individual’s career growth and professional
success.
In addition to the supportive PMI-AGC community he pointed out
certain benefits available exclusively to members. These included
resources on PMI.org such as, the digital edition of A Guide to the
Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). “As members,” he
said, “you can download this on your computer as part of your
membership benefits.” The book presents a set of standard
terminology and guidelines for project management and has been
recognised by the American National Standards Institute. On Amazon,
the book represents a value of $33. Mr. Al- Jasem also highlighted
other valuable resources such as online access to business and
other project management books and articles, access to a library of
web-inars that showcase project management trends and best
practices. In addition, he told attendees that PMI members receive
PM Network, a monthly publication that keeps
members informed of the latest trends and news in project
management.
More than the academic resources, the presentation emphasised that
through the chapter members are able to share knowledge, network
with other professionals through communities of practice and
receive help in getting certified. Members were urged to take part
in PMIAGC Kuwait’s activities and publications all of which
presented volunteers with opportunities to
contribute to the community and acquire valuable experience,
recognition, as well as satisfaction. He also indicated that
certified professionals (e.g. PMP) could earn some Professional
Development Units (PDUs) to maintain their credentials. The
presentation was followed by a question-and-answer session through
which the attendees learnt more about how to make the most of their
membership and participation with the chapter.
The event, which was well- attended by members from PMIAGC, KITS
and COPM, was concluded by Mr. Al Jasem thanking Mr. Abdullateef
Al- Abdulrazzaq, Chairman of KITS, for their cooperation and
collaboration and by presenting Mr Abdulrazzaq with a memento to
display PMIAGC Kuwait’s appreciation. He also mentioned that the
chapter works closely with other professional bodies for the
benefit of its members and project management community as a
whole.
Making the most of your PMI membership kuwaiTOMan
Breaking new ground The Project Management Institute – Arabian Gulf
Chapter – Oman Region, organized the first event of its kind in
Oman and at no less a prestigious institute than Bank Muscat. The
topic covered the “importance in managing projects and holding
Project Management Professional (PMP) Certificates in particular’’.
It was presented on Tuesday, 10 July 2012 by two key volunteer
members of the PMI-AGC GROUP, Oman Branch, Mohammed Al-Ghanboosi,
President of the Oman Branch and Saleem Rifai, IT expert and
volunteer at PMI Oman region.
Mohammed Al-Ghanboosi introduced the two-part presentation by first
expressing his appreciation and thanks to the management of Bank
Muscat for hosting this event, and then by welcoming the attendees
who represented various public and private sector and other
organisations with interests in knowing and improving their
knowledge of Project Management and its related activities. After
the introductory preliminaries, Mr. Mohammed AL-Ghanboosi gave an
overview of the Project Management Institute and explained the
importance that Project Management, as a discipline, is gaining
especially under the current transformation and the various crises
that are impacting the global economy. These, he explained, further
established the need for effectiveness and competencies in project
management, especially those that impact on large sectors in
critical areas. Mohammed also pointed out that due to the high
demand for experts, today, getting them to come to the region is
becoming ever more competitive. And because of this there is no
option for project managers already here but to reinforce their
skills through obtaining international professional practitioner
certificates that are approved and recognized globally.
The second part of the presentation was delivered by Saleem Rifai
who gave an overview of the history and the importance of the
Project Management Professional (PMP) Certificate and how today,
“It has became one of the most recognised International
Certificates in the professional markets.” He also demonstrated how
project management is needed across all fields including
Information Technology, Construction, Banking and other sectors
that require that their projects should be managed and work
professionally. After that Saleem presented the steps needed to be
taken to obtain the PMP Certificate. He also stressed the
importance and means of maintaining the certificate as per
requirements, through continual training, actual practice and
volunteering.
nEwsGPM news
PMI AGC Oman Tuned for IT Projects OMan
Because IT projects are more specialised and technically inclined,
our Project Management Institute Arabian Gulf Chapter for the Oman
Region developed and conducted a technical presentation dubbed PM
Tuned for IT Projects in collaboration with Northwind Information
Systems. The presentation was held in the Caledonian College Of
Engineering at Al Khoud, and Mr. Rifai Saleem of Northwind was the
facilitator.
The presentation focused on the challenges and their causes when it
comes to IT projects. These included: • Lack of change management •
Poor communication • Insufficient resources • Poorly defined
requirements • Inaccurate estimates • Poor risk management • Poorly
defined deliverables • Over optimism • No time for management
While discussing the above challenges usually prevalent in IT
projects Mr Saleem discussed solutions and methods of addressing
these issues such as the following: • Getting the requirements
right • Managing the technology risk • The psychology of signing
off the
project
• Success is in simplicity He also gave specific case studies
and demonstrated how these challenges can be overcome to turn the
project into a success story in one’s career.
He also stressed, that although all Projects require attention to
detail and a greater degree of coordination, this is even more
vital to the success of IT projects. Rifai said, “IT projects, or
any project for that matter, can succeed if the teams involved are
properly coordinated and every task, milestone and activity is
documented and communicated.” He also emphasised the need to
establish realistic timelines and budgets.
A group of skilled and talented
professionals, belonging to PMI AGC, aim to impart skills and
knowledge to its members. PMI AGC also encourages the participation
and active contribution of members in these types of presentations.
Presentations like PM Tuned for IT Projects prove to be very useful
to PMI Oman members, they also help members remain at par with
counterparts in the other AGC regions.
PMI continues to accept membership in Oman and has a wide range of
activities planned for the year including PMP preparation courses,
technical presentations and site visits. Those interested in
joining may contact us at
[email protected].
Project Management for Life presentation for AIEsEC
bahRain
nEwsGPM news
AIESEC is the world’s largest student-based organization present in
over 110 countries globally, it provides its members, who are drawn
from universities and educational institutions with a unique
leadership experience through global internship opportunities,
global and national forums, and by partnering with different
organizations.
As part of our goals and as an extension of PMI-AGC’s mandate, the
Project Management Institute – Arabian Gulf Chapter (Bahrain
office) delivered a presentation in which Project Management was
introduced to the young pioneer members of AIESEC Bahrain.
The presentation, “Project
Manage-ment Skills for Life” was conducted jointly by Ms. Nada
Khonji, PMP - Director of non-technical presentations &
Community Relations at PMI-AGC (Bahrain) who is also the Manager of
Project & Performance Office (PMO) in Tamkeen, and Mr. Khalid
Al-Marzouqi, PMP - PMO specialist at Tamkeen. It briefly introduced
Project Management and its applications to around 30 young
participants on Tuesday 3rd of April, 2012 at the AIESEC premises
in Hidd.
In addition to the explanation of a project’s life cycle and
processes, the presentation covered a wide range of topics
including what project management is, who project managers are, and
their main roles and
responsibilities. The session was very interactive
and engaged the audience in many exercises throughout. It also
introduced the Project Management Institute (PMI) and the Arabian
Gulf Chapter to the participants while highlighting its objectives,
membership benefits and events organized to raise awareness of this
profession locally and globally.
Finally, both presenters invited all the young participants to join
the project management family. The merits of doing so were outlined
and included the ability to contribute, share their knowledge and
experience through the different channels offered by PMI-AGC, and
enjoy a special student membership rate that costs only $40 to
join.
January 2013 Gulf Project magazine 1110
PMI-AGC Iraq hold seminar on July 14th iRaq
The 2nd Board of Directors’ meeting of PMI-Arabian Gulf Chapter
took place in advance of the Annual Region 12 meeting on 21
September 2012 at Intercontinental Hotel, Dubai Festival City, in
Dubai.
The well-attended meeting saw active participation by the Region’s
leaders from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Doha, Qatar & Oman.
The Chapter President Mr. Hashim Al-Rifaai greeted all the Board of
Directors, VPs, Regional Directors and other volunteers who also
participated in this and other meetings, mainly the VP Meeting and
Region 12 – which were also held at the same venue on the following
day.
The Board of Directors’ meeting on 21st September mainly discussed
issues, concerns and proposals concerning PMI-AGC’s forthcoming
2-Year Plan. The Board members also reviewed the status of the
upcoming PMI-AGC 14th International Conference, Seminars &
Exhibition. This is a major event in the PMI-AC
calendar and is scheduled to take place on 28-30 January, 2013 at
Gulf Hotel, Juffair, in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The meeting wrapped up with
a group lunch and dinner at which members mingled and exchanged
views. The occasion, as always presented a good opportunity for
networking and team building.
A good turnout of professionals from in and around Iraq attended a
seminar conducted by PMI Arabian Gulf Chapter (PMI-AGC) – Iraq on
July 14th at Nineveh International Hotel – Mosul - Iraq. The two
main speakers were Mr Hassan Mudhafar and Mr. Mustafa N. Younis
Agha, PMI-AGC Representative in Iraq.
Mr. Hassan Mudhafar is a Chemical Engineer and President of Nineveh
Investment Commission as well as the Consultant to the Nineveh
Governor. He spoke about the many benefits of PMI-AGC’s
Professional Development Plan. He explained how PMI can help
individuals to be better prepared for the next step in their
careers and also gave a brief outline of the courses available
through PMI-
AGC. All these, he stressed, would, “help professionals keep
abreast of developments in Project Management around the
world”.
Mr. Mustafa N. Younis Agha,
PMI-AGC Representative in Iraq, and a Lecturer at the Nineveh
Institute of Technology also briefed the audience on Project
Management and the benefits of membership in PMI.
PMI-AGC Board Meeting Dubaiseptember lecture all about taking
strategies forward
The Project Management Institute – Arabian Gulf Chapter Bahrain
organized September’s Wednesday lecture with a presentation
entitled: Strategy implementation through Project, Program and
Portfolio Management. The presentation was delivered at the Bahrain
Society of Engineers’ Auditorium on 19th September. The speaker at
the event was Ali Shaikh Ali, Manager, Strategy Implementation and
Business Improvement at Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), who has in
excess of 10 years of experience in project and program management.
More than seventy project management professionals attended the
fascinating lecture and enjoyed an extended Question and Answer
session that had to be wrapped up due to time limitation.
The presentation covered an introduction to the various types of
strategies, their main characteristics, and the situations for
which they would be most suited. Once formed, a difficult task in
its own right, strategies have to be implemented. And it would be
up to the management team to choose the right delivery vehicle to
make these strategies work and to implement them
throughout the organization, which is at the best of times, a
challenging task. During the seminar, the experience of Bahrain
Airport Company in formulating and implementing its strategy
through the project, program and portfolio office (P3O) was
presented. It was stated that the P3O model was vital to the very
survival of the company to ensure projects and programs were
delivered efficiently and effectively. BAC recognized project
management was a critical strategic tool, and thus practiced
project portfolio management to select, manage and support a
portfolio of projects that had the best chance of moving the
company forward and keeping it up to date with the operating
environment.
The presenter then discussed how the strategy of BAC was made by
examining the emergent schools of thought on this topic, how the
strategy was interpreted into programs and projects, the structure
of the PMO at BAC, the role of the PMO in projects and programs
governance, and how portfolio management was adopted for aligning
projects with the strategy. The presenter then elaborated on the
steps
taken, the challenges faced and the benefits reaped from
implementing the P3O model at BAC. The presentation was concluded
with a discussion on the key success factors and the lessons
learnt, with some statistics that gave an indication of the
achievements made so far since the concept was introduced two years
ago.
The audience’s feedback was enthusiastic with a variety of
questions and comments that shed more light on the topics
discussed. The evening was concluded at around 9:30p.m. with the
attendees partaking of light snacks and having more informal
discussions and social interaction.
PMI-AGC Bahrain is the regional office of the Arabian Gulf Chapter
of PMI. It represents its members’ interests in project management
by organising events, conferences, workshops, training sessions and
other related activities to help members keep pace with the
developments and advancements in the science and practice of
project management. This event allowed the attendees to claim 2
Professional Development Units towards keeping their PMI
certification current.
nEwsGPM news
bahRain bOaRd
LOYAC and PMI-AGC sign partnership agreement in Kuwait
kuwaiT
What happens when a non-profit organization dedicated to the
overall development of youth and PMI AGC join hands? A partnership
destined to benefit both parties.
And that was the positive outlook and mood of the day when LOYAC’S
Founder, Chairperson & Managing Director Ms Fareah Al Saqqaf
and PMI-AGC Kuwait’s President Wael Hussien Ibrahim Al -Jasem
signed an agreement on Monday July 30th ‘12 at LOYAC’S office in Al
Qibliya School in Kuwait City.
With this memorandum LOYAC will now be able to provide a platform
of opportunities to Kuwaiti youth who are interested in Project
Management. LOYAC will be in a position to offer PMI accredited
training courses, workshops, specialized seminars, scientific
conferences and forums.
The agreement will enable both parties to mutually work on various
fields that are of interest to both. PMI-AGC will launch a
“Communities of Practice” (CP) for PMI in LOYAC and it will promote
the PMI accredited training courses to raise the competency level
of project management practitioners in Kuwait.
It will help the youth by supporting their project management
initiatives through organizing technical presentations and holding
field visits to major local projects. It will also work on
initiatives wherein Kuwait’s Project management Professionals will
be motivated to participate in PMI accredited events around the
world to capture the latest trends in Project Management.
The agreement also integrates with LOYAC’S vision of putting Kuwait
on the global map of project management activities, by
nationalizing the profession in Kuwait.
LOYAC is a non-profit organization dedicated to the overall
development of youth. It was established in 2002, and provides
programmes for youth from as young as 6 years old to 28 years.
LOYAC has centres in Kuwait, Jordan and Lebanon.
The collaboration with PMI-AGC will support the youth in various
ways and will also assist the existing Project Management
Practitioners in Kuwait. Best of all, it will encourage the youth
to learn the art of Project Management based on PMI guidelines from
the experienced mentors of PMI-AGC from a young age.
nEwsGPM news
The Bahrain division of the Project Management Institute – Arabian
Gulf Chapter held a presentation meeting titled “Business Process
Re- engineering – My Experience!” for its members and others
interested in the topic. Ms. Farah Al Halwachi conducted the
presentation, which was held on Wednesday 4th July 2012, at 7:00 pm
at the Bahrain Society of Engineers in Juffair. The PMI-AGC
President Mr. Majeed Al Gassab. gave the welcome address and
following the welcome note, the PMI-AGC Bahrain Region Director of
Presentation & Community Relations, Nada Khonji, a certified
Project Management Professional (PMP), gave a brief about the
Arabian Gulf Chapter. This included the different certifications
provided
by PMI, statistics on AGCs current members, and the many benefits
of joining PMI.
After the opening formalities and broad information, an exciting
and lively presentation followed. The presenter, Ms. Farah Al
Halwachi a Chemical Engineer, certified Project Management
Professional (PMP) and a Certified Business Analysis Professional
(CBAP) shared her exciting experience of implementing a major
improvement initiative of Business Process Re- engineering (BRP)
for a utilities company. Her presentation covered the understanding
of the company’s current processes, the elements that go into
developing both an As-is and Re-engineered Risk Register, the
experience in creating new processes to
close the gaps and ensure all processes are captured, and analysing
and re- engineering processes.
Ms. Al Halwachi then encouraged participants to make this session
interactive, by inviting the attendees to join in and share their
knowledge and experience on the topic. Many insightful questions
were asked and reflected upon during the session – it really proved
to be a fruitful session for both the speaker and participants. The
evening ended with a networking session between the participants,
and the Q&A session continued over a light dinner. Talk,
discussions and exchanging experiences flowed freely in the open
and friendly atmosphere created by Ms Al Halwachi’s
presentation.
Business Process Re-engineering: My Experience!
bahRain
January 2013 Gulf Project magazine 1514
CALL FOR NOMINATIONs 2013 PMI PROJECT OF THE YEAR AWARD
(POY-2013)
Dear Members : I would like to take the opportunity to inform you
that PMI Headquarters have posted the information for “Call for
Nominations – 2013 PMI Project Of The Year Award”. Information
about the program can be found on PMI web site at
http://www.pmi.org/About-Us.aspx (scroll down to professional
awards). The “call for nominations” for all 2013 PMI Professional
Awards opened on 1 November 2012 with the submission deadline for
all awards being 1 April 2013. The 2012 award recipients are also
listed on this site. All submission/nominee information,
evaluations and rating sheets are confidential to PMI and will not
be disclosed. The PMI Project of the Year Award application,
timeline, guidelines, etc. were completely revised for the 2013
program. April 1st is now the deadline for all professional awards,
including the PMI Project of the Year Award. Information about the
2013 PMI Project of the Year Award can be viewed on this web page:
http://www.pmi.org/About-Us/Our-Professional-Awards/Project-of-the-Year-Award.
aspx Please review the documents located in the box to the right of
the page text which are labeled “Application Forms and Resources”.
Below are the hyperlinks below for your convenience. POY
Application Document 2013 POY Application Guidelines 2013 POY
Application Contact Information 2013 Award Program Release Document
2013 Awards Program Permissions Document 2013 For further
information on POY 2013 you may contact the PMI-AGC Head Office
thru e-mail at :
[email protected]. sincerely Yours, PMI-Arabian
Gulf Chapter E-mail:
[email protected]
Project Management Institute - Arabian Gulf Chapter (PMI-AGC)
Regions : KsA|Bahrain|Qatar|Kuwait|Oman
The benefits of Project Management to General Management
OMan
A Technical Presentation highlighting the more obvious drawbacks to
management practices that don’t have the benefit of a Project
Management approach to planning was the main subject of PMI-Arabian
Gulf Chapter’s 3rd Technical Presentation held on Saturday 20th
October 2012 in Modern College of Business and Science in
Oman.
The presentation began with a welcome note by Mohammed Al-
Ghanboosi, President of Oman Region- PMI AGC, He delivered a brief
update to the members regarding the status of PMI community in Oman
and briefly highlighted the events that took place this year and
the challenges and opportunities facing PMI Oman community.
He then introduced the key note speaker, Mr. Laith Al Harthi who
gave a presentation on “Impact of the Project Management Style on
General Management from a local perspective”. The presentation
highlighted some of the most apparent negative management practices
in the local
context. It also demonstrated how the application of Project
Management Principles and PMI Methodology could play a significant
role towards narrowing the gap between the existing management
behaviour and that of the Industrial Standards and Recognized Best
Practices.
Professionals from several different sectors of industry and
commerce attended the presentation and a number of the attendees
shared their experiences on the topic.
The presentation was rounded off with a group dinner and an
opportunity for social interaction and networking.
GPM news
Financially green in
grows in Saudi Arabia
JAnuARy 2013 gulF PROJECT MAGAzInE 1918
G oing green is the order of the day and the massive 1.6 sq.km King
Abdullah Financial District in Riyadh
is at the forefront of a revolutionary new way of developing and
designing a project. KAFD is designed by Henning Larsen Architects
(HLA) who have used a variety of alternative energy and passive
design techniques in order to win its ‘green’ certification. These
include developing several ecosystems, water features and judicious
shading to mitigate excess solar gain and eventually bring the
district’s temperature down by an impressive 8 degrees
Celsius.
Today, over six years since work began on the project, Riyadh’s
King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) is still arguably the
largest “green” project in the world. It is the brainchild of the
Saudi Public Pension Agency (PPA), the land owner and prime
developer that set up the Rayadah Investment Company to oversee the
project to fruition.
The Saudi Binladin Group is the principal design and build
contractor on the project and is responsible for maintaining the
project’s aim for Leadership in Energy and Enviromental Design
(LEED). According to a MEED report in October, 2012, Mr. Whysal
Numan, a director for LEED at the Saudi BinLadin Group, said that
the drive to achieve the highest standards in sustainability has
involved a wide range of initiatives to lift environmental
standards both during the construction process and well after the
opening of the project, which is scheduled to take place in
2014.
As energy performance is most critical for LEED requirements, the
district aims for a 10 per cent reduction in energy use. According
to Mr. Numan, several strategies have been introduced in order to
achieve this and they include the use of low ultra-violet
materials, shading device systems, heat recovery systems and
efficient light fixtures.
“We are aiming to use at least 50 per cent of the materials from
recycled material,” Mr. Numan said. This has involved using
recycled steel as well as porcelain. “We are aiming that at least
10 per cent of the total cost will be in the form of recycled
material and we could get to 20 per cent and more,” he said.
Building materials have been selected which are extracted and
manufactured within 500 miles of the project site for a miniumum of
10 per cent of the cost of the total value of materials
used in the project,” The targetted 20 per cent includes extensive
use of sustainable adhesives, paints, flooring and composite wood
all of which are expected to ensure that this target is
reached.
Other sustainability initiatives at the project include an erosion
sedimentation control plan to reduce pollution from dust and to
control soil erosion. One of the simpler measures taken is
land-watering in the project – something that is done each hour and
every day. This, along with measures such as controlling traffic
speed also help to control dust coming from the site. The greening
of the project includes diverting at least 50 per cent of
construction waste from disposal in landfill and incinerators and
employing practical ways and means of improving the indoor air
quality so as to reduce
health risks for construction workers. The project will also
use
alternative transport systems, and Mr. Whysal said, “The KAFD is to
have a monorail system with six stations that will connect with
public parking areas. Special parking areas have been designated
for bicycles and changing rooms have been provided for people who
come to the district by bicycle.” LEED requirements demand that
water consumption must be reduced by 20 per cent. To achieve this,
technology used in the project includes, among other measures,
dual-flush toilet systems, low-water flow fittings as well as
judicious use of grey water.
Various retail, financial, residential and cultural facilities will
have green roofs that provide insulation and smart lighting
solutions to further ensure that energy use is kept to a
minimum.
KAFD will be a pedestrian- friendly centre in Riyadh with a
monorail and solar powered skywalk bridges, facades will include
building integrated solar cells and as far as possible cladding
materials have been locally sourced – according to World
Architecture News – so that the project’s carbon footprint will be
further reduced.
THE PROJECT Described as the most significant
real estate development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia KAFD is
situated on what was a vacant 160-hectare site in the north-east of
Riyadh traversed by a wadi. The project was estimated to cost
SR28billion ($10bn) and will soon be home to the head offices of
Saudi
Arabia’s Capital Markets Authority (CMA), the Saudi Stock Exchange
(Tadawul), the World Trade Centre, the GCC Central Bank and the
Saudi American Bank (Samba) as well as several other institutions,
service- oriented companies and suppliers.
Spread over 1.6million square metres, the King Abdullah Financial
District, on completion, will have 34 towers, 62,000 parking spaces
and accommodation for 12,000 residents. The KAFD aims to create
44,000 new jobs and to be the largest financial
centre in the Middle East. Key projects currently nearing
completion include the Villas in the Sky, the Gem Building, Crystal
Towers and the Mosque all of which individually and collectively
are designed to achieve LEED certification on completion.
VILLAs IN THE sKY The 34-storey Villas in the Sky
tower is situated on parcel 2.13 of the development. It is one of
the last buildings in the green thoroughfare – the Wadi – and in a
transition
PROJECT REPORT
January 2013 Gulf Project magazine 2120
zone between the public square and the Wadi. The Tower, a prominent
landmark for the district, offers a gross floor area of 41,000
sq.m.
The mixed use tower, in keeping with its location, is “an ideal
high-rise building” in that its polygonal shape with four equal
sides allows for highly flexible spaces. The upper levels of the
tower have shifted plates that create a jagged facade. This unusual
treatment creates a visual differentiation of the various
components of the mixed-use building.
The distinctly different components include a retail section,
a commercial office area and above these a dedicated residential
space. The retail section covers the first three storeys that are
connected to the Wadi at the ground level and by footbrdges –
Skywalks – for easy access at the higher levels. Fourteen floors
above this retail section are dedicated to office space while the
top twelve floors house 22 residential units. The entire tower will
be served by 14 elevaors, ten reserved for residential use, two for
retail and two will operate as goods lifts.
Other noteworthy design features include a curtain-wall glass
facade with angled panels that allow the use of
transparent glazing oriented towards the ground, while sloping
light- coloured cladding provides shaded interiors and
significantly cuts energy- consumption.
GEM BUILDING This relatively small building on
Parcel 2.10 is so named because of its jewel-like scale rising to a
mere 15 floors. The epithet is further enhanced by its crystalline
form and faceted facades.
The Gem has a gross area of 33,500sq.m and comprises three separate
buildings – a residential block,
an office block and a multi-purpose podium with a terrace
overlooking the garden linked to the green pedestrian thoroughfare
of the district.
The faceted exterior of the building is wrapped in a high-quality
metal-mesh fabric that provides solar protection and
weather-resistance to local sandstorms. Additionally, the geometry
and siting of the building create shades between the volumes and
this, along with the KAFD project-strategy for water-efficiency,
reclamation and energy-efficient
technology, all go towards supporting the project’s mandate of
sustainability.
CRYsTAL TOWERs This block, consisting of two
towers of 18 and 26 storeys, is located between the Financial Plaza
– situated at the heart of the masterplan – and the Wadi. Together
the towers offer a gross floor area of 93,000sq.m.for commercial
and retail occupation.
The Towers feature a raised podium that permits direct access to
the Financial Plaza on the one
side and the Wadi on the other. The podium provides a shaded
outdoor meeting area while creating a clear and dramatic entrance
to the towers’ lobbies. Post-tensioned beams have been used to
create an impressive 70m span between the towers.
Decorative recessed scaled crystalline apertures on the towers are
designed to minimise solar heat gain while optimising views to the
surrounding plaza and landscape. To root the building in the region
and contribute to the ideals of
PROJECT REPORT
January 2013 Gulf Project magazine 2322
sustainability, a light local stone cladding with a long lifespan
and low maintenance costs has been used.
THE MOsQUE The Mosque is a religious
sanctuary on the east end of Parcel 2.14 and has been built for
both visitors and residents of the King Abdullah Financial
District. FXFOWLE’s design – a white,
rectangular volume which gently rests over a raised pool of
reflecting water – is a contemporary interpretation of traditional
Islamic symbolism. The district Mosque is precisely oriented
towards Mecca and surrounded on all four sides by water. It is
accessed by what appear to be floating walkways that connect at the
plaza level via steps and a ramp. The main walkway leads to
the primary Mosque entrance, a small portal positioned on axis with
the main prayer room on the first level. Once past this opening, a
central corridor leads to the prayer hall entrance. Ablution areas
and administrative functions are located on both sides of this
corridor.
At the end of the corridor, entrance doors open to reveal a double
height main prayer room with a central mezzanine towards the back
serving auxiliary prayer functions. Stair entrances on either end
of a transverse corridor lead to the mezzanine and roof
levels.
The structure is clad in white marble, a classical material
traditionally used in mosques to symbolise purity. The reflecting
pool on which the mosque rests is lined with polished black marble
known for its reflective properties.
The surface treatment of the Mosque’s exterior begins at the four
corners of the structure. Each façade is faceted, originating from
the corner and bevelling in towards a focal point on each side of
the building. The facades are covered with patterned metal screens
of laser-cut aluminum
approximately a quarter inch thick. An algorithmic interpretation
of the eight- pointed Islamic star, the designers created the
screen by abstracting a star pattern by scaling and superimposing
it upon itself. The screen is supported by a steel diagrid, a
diamond-shaped structural frame that is attached to the solid stone
marble border. The result is an active, visually dynamic, porous
metal and stone façade.
The focal point of the 65-foot x 40- foot main prayer room is the
mihrab, a niche on the west wall that is carefully aligned with
Mecca. The marble wall is engraved with verses from the Qur’an. The
filigreed exterior screens create a play of light and shadow on the
Mosque’s interior that constantly changes with the season and time
of day. Illumination is provided by concentric arrays of lighted
orbs suspended from the ceiling to represent the sky.
OTHER PROJECTs Several other developments
within the KAFD are at different levels of completion. These
include the following: • World Trade Centre: this
prestigious building, assigned by Rayadah Investment Company to
Gensler and Saudi Binladen Group, is 300m tall and is designed to
be an iconic arhitectural landmark within the district. Located on
a prominent corner site, the World Trade Centre is organised around
the Wadi and will eventually house more than 5,000 personnel.
• GCC Bank Headquarters: this state-of-the art office space in the
heart of the KAFD development is tailored specifically in response
to contemporary workplace and environmental demands.
It is clad in a distinctive copper and stainless steel shell which
is designed to be both aesthetically pleasing and to protect the
interior from solar gain.
PROJECT REPORT
We are aiming to use at least 50 per cent of the materials from
recycled material.
January 2013 Gulf Project magazine 2524
PROJECT REPORT
• Conference Centre: Spread over an area of 28,350sq.m. the Award
Winning Conference Centre – aready acclaimed by the New York
Chapter American Landscape Architects (for unbuilt architecture)
reflects the angularity of a stark desert landscape. The design
inspiration of this building,
however, belies the high-tech features incorporated into its
construction. Points to look for include flexible conferencing
facilities with operable walls, a 600-seat auditorium with full
lecture and cinema support, a digital forum approach that alows all
venues to be internally and externally
networked. Other features that set these conference rooms on an
altogether new status include the incorporation of 4-wall video
environments with walls that contain retractable projection screens
so users can conduct virtual video meetings with other conference
rooms in the centre or elsewhere in
the world. Each room is also clad in electrochromic glass which
permits users to change it at will from clear to opaque glass and
so control light levels and ensure privacy. A “media cloud” in the
ceiling of each conference room permits communication with
attendees’ mobile media devices and also allows for wireless
sharing and projection of user content.
On the sustainability front, the Conference Centre features areas
of glazing that reduce susceptibility to the desert sun, a
ventilation system that incorporates a ‘solar chimney’ and uses
solar heat to move air through the main atrium spaces. Even the
roof contains indigenous desert grasses to minimise irrigation
requirements. • Wyndham Hotel: This 17-storey, 214-room hotel on
Parcel 1.08 is yet another architectural marvel. Located on the
east side of the KAFD alongside the Wadi, the hotel – a
prism-shaped tower - will have four basement levels, a three-storey
podium and a 9-storey opening that divides programmatic functions
and allows for views and sunlight into the building’s mass. The
podium structure houses the hotel’s amenities – conference
facilities, a
multipurpose hall, restaurants, spa and rooftop terrace. The 5-star
business hotel is managed as a Wyndham property.
According to the district’s construction covenants all buildings
facing the Wadi must have a multi- faceted facade. Consequently,
the Wyndham Hotel’s north side is made of a semi-transparent
aluminium-
and-glass curtain wall and features a wavy facade. This is
reflected on the south side of the building as well, however here
the surface undulations are constructed of a more opaque stone
surface to mitigate extreme heat. The east and west sides of the
building echo the uneven profile with a saw-toothed design with
continuous slab edges that, while providing visual interest, also
offers shading.
With contruction going apace and several components of the KAFD
completed or nearing completion, the King Abdullah Financial
District has raised the bar for sustainable construction and
design. It is years ahead of other similar projects both in the
region and beyond. As a beacon for future developments it has led
the way in its use of materials, green measures – during
construction and post-completion, as well as in its sheer size and
concept.
From masterplan to macro- engineering, the Rayadah Investment
Company has worked with ten of the world’s best international
architectural practices to deliver an environment that is
sustainable, responsible and above all livable.
January 2013 Gulf Project magazine 2726
28
In all WALKs OF LIFE Project Management is everywhere Mohammed
Masood
PMP, ITIL V3
Customer Project/Program Manager.
MEMbER’s subMissiOn
Mohammed Masood, feels passionately about the subject of
introducing Project Management at school level. To write this
article he undertook a degree of personal
research and applied his own project- management approach to life
in order develop a platform which would, he says, work in the
schools. He says, “my thoughts take me back to my school days when
I did not have a clear vision about what I was going to do in the
next five years. By introducing the basic framework at school level
a student can set goals/visions and treat them as projects and
follow the standard approach that they learn so that they are
guaranteed no less than success.” This article is an individual
opinion, he hopes that it will promulgate a concept that is close
to his heart.
ABout the Author
MEMbER’s subMissiOn
M ohammed Masood, feels passionately about the subject of
introducing Project Management
at school level. To write this article he undertook a degree of
personal research and applied his own project- management approach
to life in order develop a platform which would, he says, work in
the schools. He says, “my thoughts take me back to my school days
when I did not have a clear vision about what I was going to do in
the next five years. By introducing the basic framework at a school
level a student can set goals/visions and treat them as projects
and follow the standard approach that they learn so that they are
guaranteed no less than success.” This article is an individual
opinion, but he hopes that it will promulgate a concept that is
close to his heart.
Adoption of project management practices to any “goal set” or
“Vision” yields a desirable outcome. Let us take for example a
student, who at an early age has a long-term vision to become an
engineer, doctor or an entrepreneur, and wishes to transform that
vision into a reality. The majority of students strive hard, follow
the curriculum and study in each academic year with a very narrow
vision limited to clearing or passing the exams irrespective of
knowledge gained as each academic year passes. In reality the
students never realize that their vision to become engineers,
doctors or entrepreneurs, is, in and of itself, a project and that
the outcome of this project is the vision that they had envisaged
in the early stages of their lives. At this stage, the mindset of
the student is not fully focused as he or she just follows the
pattern for study taught in the school or college.
To develop the immature mind PMI should consider developing an
introductory, customized, very basic/ fundamental project
management course. This could be introduced at the school level to
assist students and enable them to construct their own study plan,
evaluate knowledge gained and consider how the knowledge gained
will eventually apply to the field
they are eventually looking to join. A step by step approach via
a
fundamental course on project management at the school level would
definitely help to change the mindset of students and assist with
overcoming the vague vision of just passing their exams to a much
more focused mind for gaining knowledge and understanding how to
apply that knowledge to the field he or she is studying for. In
other words PMI directly prepares young minds by putting them into
a globally accepted framework and proven practices.
In today’s environment the best practices of project management are
greatly needed in any field for an outcome to be a desirable. The
professional certification in Project Management then becomes an
essential qualification to meet and fulfill the market demand –
that of applying best practices – which then becomes the core
requirements for any project.
In my personal opinion, and from observing and interacting with
those in my community and those whom I come across as casual
acquaintances, I have seen that there are many project managers and
would-be project managers who are interested in becoming certified
Project Managers. However, when it comes to the assessment of pre-
qualification requirements - as set out by PMI for PMP
Certification – viz. 35 hours of Project management training + 4500
hours if you are a graduate, or 7500 hours of Project management
training hours needed if you are NOT
a graduate, etc. - I have noticed that most of them give up on
their plans to complete the certification.
Although there are several
dependent factors we can count here that are preventing experienced
project managers from becoming certified Project Managers, one of
the main factors is that they are missing the fundamental project
management training. The other factor, which I noted and which is
common in the field of project management, is a time constraint.
Generally people don’t find the time to study or attend full day
classes; this is in spite of being support by the organization with
which they work. One only realizes how significant the personal
development is after one becomes a certified Project manager (PMP).
Only then is it understood how important a role time management
plays, irrespective of the number of
projects one manages and the time constraints one has.
With the introduction of fundamental project management processes
and framework at the school level and in the long term (may be in
less than a decade), PMI will certainly reap the fruits of and
contribution to young minds of the organized approach towards
achieving a better outcome or result through the application of
best practices. Moreover, the pre-requisite of 35 hours needed
prior to filing the application for certification will not be
required if a person is a graduate and/or has attended a school
where this is taught, as by default he or she would already have
the necessary pre-requisite. And so, to apply for the
examination he or she should only need the required experience
hours in the field of project management.
PMI’s research and work have already proved and convinced the world
that the adoption of project management practices (PMBOK V4) has,
over the years, become the key to the success of projects. By
introducing a similar framework at school level with a different
terminology such as “Management of Visions” or “How to set the
goals and manage them to get the desirable results”, etc. And,
given PMI’s track record, introducing the project management
curriculum at the school level globally shouldn’t be that big a
thing. In addition, I strongly believe that this approach will be
welcomed whole-heartedly.
This methodology of shaping the mindset of students as to how to
realize their visions or goals through the application of a PMI
recommended framework is sure to be a success, because it is a
predictable outcome. However, this is not just limited to the
application of school level goals or visions but rather the
practice of project management will evolve over time and will work
when they are able to move into real project management professions
with a little or no effort.
Project management exists everywhere and in all walks of life, as
it requires a focused mind to observe all around him, a conscious
mind to visualize goals and act upon it to proactively achieve it
at some point in time. What is required here is to have a standard
approach or best practices framework to be followed for realizing
goals as every vision or goal anticipates no less than a good
outcome or success. And to achieve this one needs to apply proven
and best practices. Having this at the school level means shaping
the mindset to be able to think and apply all that is learned when
it is needed.
In conclusion, I highly recommend PMI to promulgate this idea,
brainstorm further on the subject matter of this article and take
action if this in the wider interest of the PMI organization.
January 2013 Gulf Project magazine 3130
MEMbER’s subMissiOn
L arge projects run for several years and are often completed in
phases. Almost all ICT (Information and
Communications Technology) domains have a life cycle of 5-8 years
and ICT infrastructure is the most significant as it is designed
and implemented at the time of construction consuming most of its
life cycle time.
The ICT industry has experienced dynamic transformation with more
and more data being transported at ever increasing speeds and so
has the ITS (Information Transport System). It is imperative to
revisit the ITS infrastructure design for enhancements and
necessary inclusions, during the project/phase execution in order
to do justice to the facility’s ICT requirement at a future date.
Enhancements resulting from
design review can be implemented relatively easily this helps avoid
doing so when the facility is functional.
Lessons learnt from phase closure process and incorporating the ITS
(Information Transport System) advancements include: infrastructure
design reviews and consultation with SMEs (Subject Matter Experts)
to establish the visibility for subsequent phases of the project.
This calls for the project management team to play a proactive and
pivotal role in enhancing their vision to add value to their
projects. The concept of adding value to the project is inevitably
important, when it refers to laying ICT infrastructure.
Prince Mohammad University project began in the year 2006, since
then the university campus has several buildings that were
completed in a phased manner. At the time the project was designed,
the 1G Network was popular, however in the subsequent years 10G has
taken its place. Information usage has grown immensely and hence
its transportation system has to keep pace with it. We adapted the
change in ITS requirement and implemented 10G ICT Infrastructure to
the rest of the buildings.
With every passing day, ICT usage scales up and by putting the
right ITS infrastructure in place we can deliver the projected
services. Project managers are expected to add value to their
project by initiating/ recommending/ implementing ITS
infrastructure enhancement, put forward by Communications
Infrastructure Designer on board/ on consultation.
Add value to your project
by Mohammed Asgharuddin Ahmed
January 2013 Gulf Project magazine 3332
T here are around 270 Chapters serving Project Management Institute
(PMI) members and communities in more than 70
countries around the world and we are proud to have our chapter,
PMI-AGC among the top performing chapters in the world. PMI –AGC
has always focused on adding value and addressing the needs of our
community. We have been constantly recognized by business
organizations and practitioners as a vital contributor that
represents PMI in the region and promotes the discipline and
profession of our practice. PMI- AGC over and the course of several
years has consistently helped in spreading awareness of PMI and
project management by reaching out to leading organizations in the
region, interacting with local governments, hosting conferences,
events, seminars, courses
for local practitioners thus providing our members with
opportunities to grow, network and earn Professional Development
Units to maintain their credentials.
We are keen to further enhance the services we provide to our
community by increasing the portfolio of services we offer our
members in order to help them with their professional growth. We
want to ensure that organizations in our geographical coverage
obtain anticipated business results through the application of
PMI’s Best Practices.
We are determined to increase our range of partners starting from
local entities such as universities, schools, other PMI chapters
and all the way to different complementary institutes that add
significant value to our members. Some of our existing partners
include Kuwait Information
Technology Society, Loyac, Ras AlKhaima Government and Hult
International Business School.
Furthermore, we are strong believers in the importance of the
internet and online communities. Therefore, we are planning to
venture into revamping our portal and bundling it with exclusive
features for members such as a webinars, knowledge base, articles,
case studies, white papers, discussion forums and blogs. We are
also looking into providing mobile apps that will keep our members
in the know of all the events that we are hosting in the
region.
To better compete and maintain that elusive edge in our fast paced
competitive market, professionals need to build their agility and
sharpen their skills. PMI-AGC is committed to helping our members
in excelling in their profession by providing adequate
infrastructure to will help them achieve their goals.
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By taking project management
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MEMbER’s subMissiOn
An Attempt to Leverage historical
Value Engineering Proposals Dr. Muhammad A. Al-Ghamdi, Value
Specialist
Saudi Aramco
INTRODUCTION Since the establishment of Saudi Aramco’s Value
Engineering Program, there have been over 250 value engineering
studies conducted on Saudi Aramco’s capital projects, business
processes, standards and procedures. These efforts have resulted in
the development of over 3,000 value engineering proposals (VEPs)
all of which were presented to decision makers for
implementation.
In an effort to leverage this great wealth of value engineering
(VE) knowledge to benefit current and future Saudi Aramco capital
projects, 34 VE reports were reviewed and 299 VEPs were analyzed.
This resulted in the identification of seven categories of VEPs
that can be utilized to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of
value engineering studies.
This article will provide some information on the current
utilization of VEPs in Saudi Aramco projects, the benefits of
expanding their use and the study conducted to identify the seven
categories of VEPs: Remove, Replace, Reduce, Rearrange, Reutilize,
Raise and Relate.
sAUDI ARAMCO VALUE ENGINEERING PROPOsALs Value Engineering (VE) is
used to improve the value of
those Saudi Aramco capital projects that meet Saudi Aramco VE
implementation criteria. This value is further enhanced through the
implementation of VE on business processes, standards and
procedures that influence the planning and execution of these
projects.
The value can be improved through the incorporation of Value
Engineering Proposals (VEPs) that are accepted for implementation
in the Design Basis Scoping Paper (DBSP) and Project Proposal (PP)
documents. Currently, the benefits of VEPs are limited to the
particular projects for which they were developed.
saudi Aramco Value Engineering Program The Saudi Aramco Value
Engineering Program (SAVEP)
went through several turning points that shaped its current form.
The main milestones and accomplishments of SAVEP can be summarized
as follows: • Prior to 1998 – VE was implemented sporadically
on
Saudi Aramco capital projects.
• 1998 – The SAVEP was formally established. • 1998 – Saudi Aramco
adopted the Society of American
Value Engineers (SAVE) International VE methodology. • 1998 – The
VE group was formed. • 1998 – Value Engineering studies (VESs) were
facilitated
by out of company VE consultants for a selected number of
projects.
• 1999 – The first Associate Value Specialist (AVS) certificate was
earned.
• 2000 – The Value Engineering Unit (VEU) was established.
• 2000 – VE implementation criteria were introduced [One VE study
for projects > $10 Million (MM) and two VE studies for projects
> $50 MM).
• 2000 – VESs were facilitated by Saudi Aramco VE
professionals.
• 2000 – The first Certified Value Specialist (CVS) certificate was
earned.
• 2003 – VE was first conducted on SA business processes, standards
and procedures.
• 2003 – Saudi Aramco VE guide was issued. • 2006 – VEU was merged
with the Best Practices Unit
(BPU) to form the Value Practices Unit (VPU). • 2006 – VE
facilitation was outsourced to an approved list
of out of company VE consultants. • 2009 – VE implementation
criteria were revised [One
VE study for projects > $30 MM and two VE studies for projects
> $100 MM).
• 2011 – VE facilitation was resumed by Saudi Aramco VE
professionals with the support of the approved list of out of
company VE consultants.
• 2011 – The Saudi Aramco Engineering Procedure (SAEP)- 367, Value
Practices Implementation Requirements, was issued.
• 2011 – The Value Practices Management System (VPMS) was
developed.
saudi Aramco Value Engineering Process
Any VES consists of three stages, the pre-VE session, VE-session
and post VE-session. The activities and durations of these stages
are illustrated in Figure 1.
Figure 1 – stages, Activities and Duration of a VEs
stages Pre-VE session VE session Post-VE session
Activities Data collection Information Phase VEPs finalization
Models development functional Analysis Phase VE Executive summary
Team invitation Creativity Phase Implementation meeting
Coordination meeting Evaluation Phase VE report Session preparation
Development Phase follow on AfS VEPs Presentation Phase
Durations 1-4 weeks 2-5 days 1-4 weeks
January 2013 Gulf Project magazine 3736
MEMbER’s subMissiOn
Saudi Aramco’s VE process is similar to the internationally
recognized methodology established by Saudi Aramco VE International
and it is applicable for capital projects, in addition to business
processes, standards and procedures.
Currently, VE is implemented two times on the 90% DBSP and the 30%
PP of projects that have cost estimates greater than $100 MM. For
projects that are greater than $30 MM, it is mandated to be
conducted one time at either milestone.
In addition, VESs are being facilitated by Saudi Aramco VE
professionals and out of company approved VE consultants. It is
always recommended for VE studies to be facilitated by a CVS.
However, an AVS with enough facilitation experience can lead a VE
study.
Deliverables of Value Engineering studies The main deliverable of a
VES is a VE report that
should provide a firm standing of the implementation status of the
VEPs. In addition, the VE report shall describe Value Engineering
Recommendations (VERs) and capture Value Engineering Ideas (VEIs).
VEPs, VERs and VEIs can be defined as: • VEP is an idea that has
been created, evaluated and
developed in a VE session and has the potential for the value
improvement of the value engineered project. It is
presented for implementation and documented in the VE report. A VEP
that meets the basic function of the project is considered a value
adding proposal when: - The Life Cycle Cost (LCC) is reduced with
increased
quality. - The LCC is reduced with maintained quality. - The LCC is
reduced with reduced quality, provided
that the reduction in quality is less than the reduction in
LCC.
- The LCC is maintained with increased quality. - The LCC is
increased with increased quality, provided
that the increase in quality is more than the increase in
LCC.
• VER is an idea that has been created, evaluated and developed in
a VE session and has the potential for the value improvement of a
future project. It is documented in the VE report.
• VEI is an idea that has been created and evaluated in a VE
session and has the potential for triggering future VEPs or VERs.
It is documented in the VE report.
VEPs are developed in a one-page template to provide details on the
base and alternative cases, their LCC estimates and their
advantages and disadvantages. VERs are developed in a paragraph
that provides enough detail for their future utilization and VEIs
are captured in the VE report as a line item. Figure 2 illustrates
the deliverables of a VE session.
Information Phase
Functional Analysis
Creativity Phase
Evaluation Phase
Development Phase
Presentation Phase
Figure 2 – Deliverables of a VEs
Implementation of Value Engineering Proposals By the end of the VE
session, a VE executive summary -
that contains the developed VEPs - is sent to decision - makers
prior to the VEP’s implementation meeting. The main purpose of this
meeting is to finalize the implementation status of the VEPs. By
the end of the meeting, VEPs will be classified as Accepted (A),
Accepted for Further Study (AFS) or Not Accepted (NA).
The VE implementation meetings are attended by decision-makers
representing the Project Management Team (PMT), Facilities Planning
Department (FPD), proponent and other stakeholder departments, on
an as needed basis. The meeting is usually coordinated by Planning
Engineers or Project Engineers with the support of VE facilitators
and attended by some team members who are needed to clarify issues
related to the presented VEPs.
AFS VEPs are those that are accepted in principle; however, more
efforts are needed to confirm their magnitude or clarify their
implementation requirements and consequences. Once these efforts
are exerted, AFS VEPs shall be finalized as A or NA VEPs and shall
be dealt with accordingly.
Figure 3 illustrates the inputs and outputs of a VEP implementation
meeting.
Utilization of Value Engineering Proposals
After the issuance of a draft VE report, A VEPs will be directly
reflected in DBSPs or PPs, depending on the project stage at which
VESs are implemented. Furthermore, AFS VEPs shall be finalized as
soon as possible by the Planning Engineers or Project Engineers to
capture their benefits in a timely manner. The final VE report
shall reflect the final status, i.e., A or NA, of AFS VEPs.
Currently, the benefits of VEPs are limited to the projects for
which these proposals were developed. It is not common for VEPs of
previous VESs to be utilized for current or future Saudi Aramco
capital projects.
THE REUTILIZATION OF VALUE ENGINEERING PROPOsALs
Saudi Aramco has a great wealth of VE knowledge, and there are
numerous advantages for the reutilization of historical VEPs.
saudi Armco’s Value Engineering Knowledge
Since the introduction of VE in Saudi Aramco, there have been more
than 250 VESs. These studies were conducted on projects of
different types, sizes and complexities. In addition, they were
implemented on business processes, standards and procedures.
There were more than 100,000 man-hours spent by VE team members
representing various Saudi Aramco Departments in addition to
contract personnel. There are more than 3,000 VE proposals
resulting from these studies and representing multidisciplinary
based alternatives for the planning and execution of Saudi Aramco
capital projects.
Advantages of Reutilizing Historical Value Engineering
Proposals
The reutilization of historical VEPs will lead to, at least, the
following benefits: • Trigger ideas during VE sessions. • Reduce
durations of VE sessions. • Waive some VE studies. • Motivate VE
team members to create and develop better
VEPs. • Facilitate the use of VEPs of previous projects to
enhance
the value of current and future projects. • Identify areas for
improvement in business processes,
standards and procedures. • Share VE knowledge. • Contribute to
Saudi Aramco’s Intellectual Capital
program.
Figure 3 – Inputs and Outputs of a VEP Implementation Meeting
JAnuARy 2013 gulF PROJECT MAGAzInE 3938
MEMbER’s subMissiOn
THE sEVEN R’s OF VALUE ENGINEERING PROPOsALs
A study was conducted to leverage some of the historical VEPs. The
study resulted in the identification of seven categories for the
classification of VEPs.
Data Collection The reports of more than 183 VESs were collected
with
the help of VE Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). The review of these
documents underlined the need to enhance the quality and
completeness of some VE reports.
Only 25% of the collected VE reports were randomly selected to
pursue this study. It was found that 34 VE reports are complete and
suitable for use. These reports have a total of 363 VEPs. The
proposals were filtered to 299 VEPs.
Analysis The filtered VEPs were reviewed and this led to the
identification of seven categories that can be used for the
classification of VEPs. For simplicity, these categories were named
with titles that start with the letter “R” since most of them do.
They are:
• “Remove” VEPs Definition: Delete or eliminate a scope item.
Example: Eliminate the upgrade of the pre-heater
[Budget Item (BI) 10-00040, VEP #1]. • “Replace” VEPs Definition:
Exchange a scope item with an alternative. Example: Use
waterproofing concrete admixture
instead of painting concrete (BI 10-00081, VEP #7).
• “Reduce ” VEPs Definition: Decrease the number, size or area of a
scope
item. Example: Optimize the number of Lift Stations from 15
to 10 (BI 10-00017, VEP #MP16). • “Rearrange ” VEPs Definition:
Reorganize the components of a scope item. Example: Connect the
fuel oil pressure indicator in
Area-2 to the Area-2 DCS, not to the Utility Area DCS (BI 10-00156,
VEP #A47).
• “Reutilize ” VEPs Definition: Use existing materials, equipment
or facilities
for the intended scope item.
Table 1 – Percentages of VEPs Categories vs. VEPs Implementation
Decisions
VEPs Accepted Accepted for Further Not Accepted All (n= 144) study
(n= 34) (n=121) (n= 299) Remove (%) 26 21 25 25 Replace (%) 20 26
25 23 Reduce (%) 16 12 14 15 Rearrange (%) 16 9 13 14 Reutilize (%)
11 24 6 10 Raise (%) 9 3 9 8 Relate (%) 2 6 8 5 Total (%) 100 100
100 100
Table 2 – Percentages of VEPs Implementation Decisions vs. VEPs
Categories
VEPsc Accepted (%) Accepted for Further study (%) Not Accepted (%)
Total (%) Remove (n=74) 50 9 41 100 Replace (n=68) 43 13 44 100
Reduce (n=44) 52 9 39 100 Rearrange (n=42) 55 7 38 100 Reutilize
(n=31) 52 26 23 100 Raise (n=25) 52 4 44 100 Relate (n=15) 20 13 67
100
Example: Use the existing unused transformers 601- A&B located
at Substation-260 and change the configuration (BI 10-00223, VEP
#2.11).
• “Raise” VEPs Definition: Increase the size, number or area of a
scope
item or add a new scope item. Example: Install new cable from
existing Substation-7
to new system (BI 10-00478, VEP #B3). • “Relate” VEPs Definition:
Merge two or more scope items. Example: Combine the two material
supply offices into
one building at South Dhahran (BI 10-00296, VEP #C21).
The percentages of VEPs categories vs. their implemen- tation
decisions are presented in Table 1 and Table 2.
Findings
In general, the findings of this study can be summarized as
follows: • Not all VE reports are in the final complete form. •
Most, if not all, VEPs can be classified using the identified
seven categories. • Almost half (48%) of VEPs are “Remove” and
“Replace”
VEPs.
• Six of the identified groups have 50% chance of being
accepted.
• Of “Relate” VEPs, 67% were not accepted. • Of the “Reutilize”
VEPs, 26% required further study.
sUMMARY Saudi Aramco has a wealth of Value Engineering
knowledge. Hundreds of Value Engineering Proposals can be leveraged
to benefit current and future Value Engineering studies. This
article documents an attempt made to leverage this knowledge.
In this article, an overview was given on Saudi Aramco’s Value
Engineering Program, the Value Engineering process and the
deliverables of a Value Engineering session. It also highlighted
the number of developed Value Engineering Proposals and the
benefits that can be reaped from their reutilization. The article
also provided some details on a study that was conducted to assess
some of these proposals. The study resulted in the identification
of seven categories of Value Engineering Proposals: Remove,
Replace, Reduce, Rearrange, Reutilize, Raise and Relate. These
categories can be utilized in the various phases of a Value
Engineering session to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of
developing Value Engineering Proposals.
January 2013 Gulf Project magazine 4140
JAnuARy 201242
Even though budgets remain tight, sustainability
projects can survive the ax - but only if they tie to
organizational strategy.
From GREEN to BLACK
N ot so long ago, sustainability was heralded as the new fixture of
“business as usual.” But a funny thing
happened on the way to zero emissions: reality, in the form of an
economic meltdown that spread across almost every sector in every
major market.
Suddenly, investing in green projects wasn’t worth the risk, even
with the potential long-term energy savings and public relations
boost. Low-carbon projects couldn’t compete with ones promising
high growth.
In sum, during this so-called “recessionary hangover,”
sustainability
projects slowed, stopped and in some places even reversed,
according to the 2012 State of Green Business report from GreenBiz
Group. Among the areas showing a drop in interest were: • Clean
technology innovations • Energy intensity • Certifications of
energy-efficient
buildings • Recycling and decreasing paper use.
But companies cutting their sustainability projects may be missing
out, especially if they equate them just with greening their image.
They also need to take a good, long look at the hard numbers.
“If you reduce your water footprint, you can drive sustainability
performance, mitigate risks and pick up significant cost savings,
especially when you look five to 10 years down the horizon,” says
Joe Rozza, global water resource sustainability manager at
Coca–Cola Company, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. “It’s this redefined
business case that drives these investments and supports the
mainline growth strategy of the company.”
Forward-thinking companies aren’t succumbing to the hangover; they
see sustainability investments as offering a true edge over
rivals.
inTERnaTiOnal FEaTuRE
Gulf Project magazine 43January 201342
“When we talk about sustainability, we see it as a business and
innovation driver,” says Robert Metzke, senior director and program
manager for electronics manufacturer Philips’ EcoVision program in
Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Two-thirds of companies see sustainability as a competitive
necessity in today’s marketplace, according to a 2012 survey of
2,800 corporate leaders by MIT Sloan Management Review and Boston
Consulting Group. That’s up from 55 percent a year earlier.
The study also revealed that just over 30 percent of respondents
said sustainability is contributing to their company’s profits.
Dubbed “harvesters” by the report authors, these companies
aren’t merely implementing individual initiatives such as lowering
carbon emissions or investing in clean technologies; they’re
changing their operating frameworks and str