Practice and Challenges of Project Planning and Scheduling: The Case of Industrial Energy Management Projects In Ethiopia
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Date
2022-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The practice and challenges of project planning and scheduling in Ethiopian industrial energy management projects were studied in this thesis. In Ethiopia's manufacturing industry, there are a variety of energy-related projects at various stages of execution, including energy efficiency and energy management, fuel switching to biomass energy, and Refused Derived Fuel Projects. A descriptive analysis was conducted to determine what is currently being done in terms of project planning and scheduling. The respondents' primary data was acquired using a structured 5-point Liker questionnaire. In addition, interviews with carefully selected experts were conducted. A mixed strategy to primary data collection was used to fully comprehend and describe the research topic. There are 23 planning processes, 16 organizational support processes, and 9 questions on scheduling tools in the closed ended questions. Purposive sampling was used to choose the sample, which was based on experience and involvement in energy efficiency and energy management projects. A total of 59 energy efficiency and energy management project practitioners have been contacted (48 by questionnaire and 11 via interview). A statistical package for social scientists (SPSS) software was used to verify the dispersion of the responses for descriptive statistics. The overall ranking of importance of the researched elements was then examined using a relative importance index (RII) analysis approach. The RI values were translated into five essential levels to make comparisons easier. The study's findings revealed that project planning processes typical of project manager know-how areas (such as budget determination
and estimation, time estimation, define activities, project scope, WBS, and so on) were implemented at a medium to high level, whereas processes related to communication, stakeholder engagement, and risk planning were implemented at a relatively low level. Similarly, the availability of organizational support mechanisms was discovered to be extremely low during project planning. The Gannt chart scheduling method was widely used though there is a strong need to diversify scheduling tools. The main challenges were identified as insufficient planning and scheduling knowledge and skills; a lack of enforcing mechanisms, and energy efficiency specific project management trainings and guidelines; a weak project office, and a lack of awareness, benefit, and scope of energy efficiency projects. Organizations should establish a support structure to help with the planning and execution of industrial energy efficiency and energy management projects. Furthermore, there should be a comprehensive national energy management program that includes policy frameworks with support mechanisms and tailored project management guidelines, as well as an advanced training platform.
Key Words: - Project planning practice, scheduling practice, planning processes, organizational support processes, planning challenges, energy efficiency, energy management projects