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The Parameters of Projects
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 1
Project Parameters:
Needs, Opportunities, Requirements
All projects undertaken by organizations in
the corporate, public and non-governmental
sector are in response to an internal or exter-
nal customer‘s or user‘s need, or in order to
exploit an opportunity. Sometimes projects
are done in order to conform to some statu-
tory requirement.
Examples of projects undertaken to satisfy an
internal need or opportunity include introduc-
tion of an Enterprise Resource Planning
System in a large corporation, training of a
company‘s employees in Total Quality
Management and expansion of a plant‘s
manufacturing capacity.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 2
Project Parameters:
Needs, Opportunities, Requirements
Examples of projects undertaken to satisfy an
external need or opportunity include the
development of a new product or service, and
contract work for a building construction
project.
Examples of projects undertaken to conform
to statutory requirements include installation
of a filter to reduce the firm‘s pollution
emission levels and remodelling a worker
hostel as a precautionary measure against fire
hazard.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 3
Why Are Projects Undertaken?
(Example: Compliance with Laws and Regulations)
Projects are sometimes undertaken in order
to comply with legal requirements.
For example, a new law or regulation
requiring that factories immediately reduce
their pollution emission levels may compel
these factories to undertake projects which
are aimed at bringing about structural and
process modifications. Similarly, a law or
regulation requiring that student hostels
reduce the risk of fire hazard would
necessitate projects aimed at complying
with these.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 4
Relating Needs to Projects
(Example: The Higher Education Sector in Pakistan)
Pakistan„s National Economic Development
(there is an acknowledged need, inter alia, for highly skilled engineers)
Long-term
envisaged
impact Federal Policy and Planning Framework
Acquisition of advan- Improve Existing Institutional & Re- Develop Human Other
ced technical skills & Infrastructure gulatory Reforms Resources Fields
competency in the
designated priority
fields with emphasis
on quality education
Primary Secondary Tertiary Vocational
Projects to establish „Engineer-
ing Universities“ of international Colleges Universities
standard in Pakistan in coopera-
tion with leading Austrian,
Chinese, French, German, Italian
and Swedish universities
Establish New Universities Upgrade Existing Universities
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 5
Project Parameters: Goal
All projects have one prime goal – for e.g.,
the development of a new camera, con-
struction of a railway station, regeneration
of a derelict neighbourhood, or process re-
engineering for a large organization.
The goal must be as specific as possible so that there is no
ambiguity about what the project intends to achieve. In addi-
tion to the prime goal, projects may have subgoals and sub-
sidiary goals (objectives). The project goal and project
deliverables along with all the requirements and specifica-
tions, which must be met by the project for it to be consider-
ed complete, determine the project‘s scope. A project which
does not achieve its goal is seen as failed.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 6
Project Parameters: Goal
(Important Topics)
Project Proposal
Project Contract
Project Charter
Elicitation of Project Requirements and Specifications
Project Statement of Work
Project Scope Statement
Project Work Breakdown Structure
Scope Creep, Control and Verification
Project Change Management
Project Integration Management
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 7
Project Output & Outcome: Highway Example
Project Phase Project Life-Cycle
Project
Initiation, Planning, Output
Implementation and
Closure of the Project
Operations Phase
Economic – Impact on investment,
Short-term trade, local businesses, tourism,
employment, inflation, wealth
Selected
accumulation and distribution
Project
Medium-term Outcomes
Social – Impact on services like
(+ and -) health and education, travel, crime,
social relations, communities‘ out-
Not Projects:
look and values
Routine main- Long-term
tenance & repair
Projects: Highway extension, widening, recarpeting, con- Environmental – Impact on fauna
and flora, pollution levels, waste
struction of bridges, additional exit and entrance ramps,
accumulation and disposal
petrol stations and rest stops etc.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 8
Project Parameters: Cost
All projects necessarily incur a cost because
they consume resources. There can be a
multitude of cost items which are incurred on
projects, some of which are regular, others
periodic, and others non-recurring (i.e. which
are incurred usually once in the course of the
project life-cycle) in nature.
Estimating the cost of a complex project with a high degree
of accuracy can be quite difficult in its early stages due to a
paucity of information. Project Management offers several
methods for estimating a project‘s cost. However, cost over-
runs are common on projects and are considered a manifes-
tation of project failure.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 9
Project Parameters: Cost
(Examples of Non-Recurring & Regularly Recurring Costs)
Usually Non-Recurring Usually Regularly Recurring
Land acquisition Salaries of project staff
Establishment of project Rent for project facilities
and furnishing site office Operating expenses (incl.
Recruitment, selection and utilities)
training of key project staff Travelling and meetings
Procurement of hardware, Project inputs and raw
software and other material being supplied on
technical equipment for regular basis
project General administrative and
Consultancy miscellaneous
Special project audit
Licenses and permits from
officials concerned
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 10
Project Parameters: Cost
(Important Topics in Project Cost Management)
Categorization of Project Cost Items
Top-Down Project Cost Estimation Methods
Bottom-Up Project Cost Estimation Methods
Deterministic / Probabilistic Project Cost Forecasting
Project Cost Baseline
Synchronization of payments due with release of funds
Earned Value Method
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 11
Project Parameters: Time
All projects have a life span, namely, the inter-
val between the point in time the project for-
mally commences and the point in time when it
is completed or prematurely terminated.
The project life-span can range from very short - for e.g.,
one week for recataloguing books in a public library - to
very long, for e.g., eight years for the construction of a large
dam with attached electric power generating station.
As with cost, it is often difficult to determine the life-span of
a project with a high level of accuracy, especially in the pro-
ject‘s early stages. Schedule overruns are common in pro-
jects and, like cost overruns, they too are also considered a
manifestation of project failure.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 12
Project Parameters: Time
(Important Topics in Project Time Management)
Project Activities
Dependency Relationships Between Project Activities
Project Activity Duration Estimation
Project Milestones
Project Schedule Baseline
Project Gantt Charts
Network Diagrammes (Arrow-on-Arrow, Arrow-on-Node)
Critical Path Method
Programme Evaluation Review Technique
“Crashing“ the Project
Earned Value Method
Time Management Training for Project Staff
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 13
Project Parameters: Uniqueness
All projects are unique! No two projects are
completely alike – even if they have the same
goal and scope, same life-span and allocated
budget, and same project manager and team.
Every project will always differ in some respect, however
small, from another similar project, for e.g., in the project‘s
location, incurred cost and time, in the manner in which it
was managed, planned and implemented and the metho-
dology which was applied to it, in the project stakeholders
and the frequency and intensity of interaction with them
over the project life-cycle, in the risks, issues and problems
which surfaced in the course of the project life-cycle, and
so forth.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 14
What Projects Are Not
Projects must not be confused with an organization‘s
on-going and recurring operations. For example:
- Customer invoicing and billing
- Fabrication or assembly of automobiles
- Routine procurement of agricultural inputs for a brewery
- Airline flights
- Advising a bank client of stock market investment opportunities
- Treatment of patients in a hospital emergency ward, and
- Counselling of soldiers on a tour of wartime duty
are not projects even though they may exhibit project characteris-
tics (goal, time-frame, cost).
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 15
Simple, Complex and
Impossible Projects
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 16
Project Complexity
Examples of „Simple Projects“
Research Papers Relocating
Tree Planting Campaigns Weddings
Relief Collections Painting
Preparing for
Examinations Parties
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 17
Project Complexity
Examples of „Complex Projects“
Bridges Nuclear Power
Stations
Ocean Liners Dams
Commercial Aircraft Skyscrapers
Olympic Games Man on the Moon
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 18
Project Complexity
Examples of „Complex Projects“
Highways Large Factories
Airports Power Grids
Transnational Software
Oil & Gas Pipelines
Movie
Weapon Systems Blockbuster
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 19
Impossible Projects – Some Examples
Make a Machine to turn Water to Wine
Create the Pill of Immortality
Design a Spaceship for Intergalactic Travel
Invent a Time Travel Machine
Construct a Teleportation System
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 20
On „Possibility“ & „Impossibility“ of Projects
The level of sophistication of technology and depth
of knowledge determine, among other factors, the
„possibility“ of „impossibility“ of projects. Some
projects which were deemed impossible in the past
– such as NASA‘s moon mission – have become
possible in our time.
And although the projects in the previous slide may
be „impossible“ to achieve now given our present-
day technology and knowledge, they may certainly
„become possible“ in the coming years and decades
as science advances.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 21
Projects and the Phenomena of Change
Projects go hand in hand with change.
Change may have a profound effect on
organizations – irrespective of whether
they are in the private, public or non-
governmental sector.
Change can also have an enormous and
long-lasting impact on the economies,
societies, politics and environment of
countries, regions, continents and even
the whole world.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 22
Typical Attributes of Complex Projects
Broad scope, large number of delivera- High levels of risk and uncertainty
bles, complex and changing require-
Quality considerations have high priority
ments & specifications
Constant monitoring and evaluation along
Long life-span & highly capital-intensive
with application of controlling measures
with involvement of lending institutions
indispensable
and venture capitalists
Flexibility to adapt to changing situations
Human resource, information and
and priorities
technology-intensive
Formation of international consortiums
Substantial specialization, expertise and
and cultural management considerations
experience needed from project team
High potential for conflict
Sophisticated project management
methodology needed Strong leadership skills required of
project manager and motivation and
Thorough project planning, a well-
tenacity of the project team
structured project organization and clear
delineation of roles and responsibilities Large net of suppliers, vendors and
of key stakeholders is a prerequisite for contractors
success
Political and social pressures
Numerous stakeholders (some
Bureaucratic hassles
supportive, others adversarial) and need
for extensive communication and Anticipated and unanticipated Issues
coordination
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 23
Major Projects in
History
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 24
Projects in Historical Context
Projects are presumably as old as mankind
itself. Even the cavemen could be considered as
„project planners and implementers“ of sorts.
Great civilizations have come and gone over the
millenia but the imposing structures they left
behind for posterity will always instill in us a
permanent sense of awe.
Projects in antiquity, and later in the medieval
period tended, by and large, to be architectural
in nature.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 25
Projects in Historical Context
Projects in the contemporary age are much
more complex, diverse in nature, and resource-
intensive than they were in olden times.
Possible Reasons: The industrial revolution, the
relentless advance of science and technology,
the knowledge explosion and consequent
diversification and specialization of skills, vast
resource availability, consumerism, orientation
towards development and the emergence of
management as a way of getting things done.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 26
Origins of Project Management
Management has been excercised in the
planning and implementation of complex
project undertakings for thousands of
years. A comparison with modern project
management is not possible as few and
incomplete records exists of the project
management methodologies which were
used in ancient times.
The fact that structures like the pyramids
and Sphinx of Egypt and the Roman
Aqueducts in western Europe have
withstood the passage of centuries to this
day is a testimony to the design,
engineering and project management
skills of ancient civilizations.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 27
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 28
The Medieval European Cathedrals
The great “gothic” cathedrals of Europe are
architectural masterpieces whose ornate presences
have graced ancient town - and cityscapes in Austria,
Belgium, England, France, Germany, Italy and
Switzerland since they started appearing in the 12th
century.
Construction of, and extension work on, these
massive edifices continued often over decades and
even centuries. Generations of architects, craftsmen
and masons worked tirelessly on erecting these
cathedrals, whose towers dwarfed all other structures
in their day.
Their vaulted ceilings, massive columns, imposing
portals, myriad statues, splendid stained glass
windows and other impressive features aptly testify to
the determination and ingenuity of yesteryears
Europeans.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 29
The Muslims
For over one thousand years the lands of the
Muslims have spawned a cornucopia of cultural
treasures.
From the fertile provinces of Spain to the verdant
Indonesian archipeligo, and from the windy steppes
of Central Asia to the scorching hot desert of North
Africa, the graceful domes and soaring minarets of
the mosques, magnificent palaces, enchanting
gardens, imposing forts, majestic marble tombs and
mausoleums, and colourful arabesque decorative
artwork have inspired countless millions for genera-
tions. Without them our world would culturally be a
much poorer place.
An interesting feature of Muslim architecture is its
reflection of the influence of different styles which, in
turn, reflect the distinctive traditions and subcultures
prevalent across the Ummah.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 30
The Aztecs, Incas and Mayas
The vast stretch of land from Northern
Mexico to the southern reaches of Chile was
once home to three great civilizations – the
Aztecs, Incas and Mayas.
Cities which once counted amongst the
largest of their day, a plethora of pagan
deities, divine absolutist monarchs, dread-
inspiring Priests presiding over sacrificial
alters splashed crimson with the blood of
human victims, colourful feather-studded
costumes, fearsome warriors and merciless
wars of conquest and subjugation, and a
huge repository of arcane knowledge are
their legacy – as are the monumental
pyramid-shaped structures and other great
buildings which have withstood the ravages
of time and attract hordes of tourists every
year.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 31
The Romans
Rome – eternal city and power hub of the
ancient world‟s mightiest Empire. Spread
over three continents, ancient Rome was
feared for its conquests, brutality and sub-
jugation – and held in awe for its artistic
accomplishments, superb urban planning
and unrivalled engineering prowess. Rome‟s
legal, political and administrative systems
have significantly influenced its modern-day
western counterparts.
1500 years after its collapse, Rome„s legacy
lives on. The remains of its roads, imposing
fortresses, walls, bridges, aquaducts and
archways, its famous public baths, libraries
and amphiteatres, its luxurious villas and
gardens, its simple garrison stations, and its
splendid temples, palaces and cities dot a
vast area around the Mediterranean Sea.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 32
The Hindus
In the second and first millenia B.C., contin-
uous treks of Aryan migrants from Central
Asia, Afghanistan and Iran settled in North-
ern and North-West India. With them, the
great religion of Hinduism gradually evolved.
Hinduism is perhaps the most complex of all
religions. It has no single founder, encom-
passes many schools of thought and trad-
itions, is based on a colossal set of scrip-
tures, is polytheistic and has a complex
pattern of social relationships and rituals.
Hindus have made major contributions to art
and science. Their architectural edifices are
perhaps the most visible and enduring sym-
bol of their ancient legacy and grace a vast
swath of land extending from modern-day
Pakistan deep into South-East Asia.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 33
The Ancient Egyptians
As the world‟s oldest civilization, ancient
Egypt has fascinated and mystified mankind
for thousands of years down to the con-
temporary age.
Famed for its wealth, efficient administra-
tion and Nile irrigation system, vast accumu-
lation of knowledge, and ruled for thousands
of years by generations of Pharaos who en-
joyed god-like status over their minions,
ancient Egypt was for a long time the super-
power of the ancient world.
Ancient Egypt„s heritage is the prime focus
of interest for tens of thousands of curious
foreign visitors who flock to Egypt every
year to behold the multitude of well preser-
ved monumental columned and hierograph-
ed temples, palaces and pyramidal graves.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 34
The Ancient Chinese
China –Kingdom of the Middle and land that
for centuries attracted the interest, awe and
envy of much of the world. Known for the
splendour of its imperial courts, its tea,
spices, silk, wisdom, numerous inventions
and generally for the finer things of life,
China evolved one of the richest cultures.
The Chinese were great builders and left
behind myriad magnificent edifices for pos-
terity. The Great Wall of China which snakes
its way across thousands of miles of inhos-
pitable mountainous terrain remains unsur-
passed in extent and power as does the
Forbidden City in Beijing in its grandeur.
Colourful palaces, temples, pagodas, mau-
soleums and other structures testify to the
ingenuity of the ancient Chinese whose
urban centers were the largest in the world.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 35
Origins of “Modern” Project Management
Project Management, as we are familiar with it
today, is a comparatively recent addition to
management science.
Project Management arose out of the need to
effectively and efficiently manage very large and
complex projects for which the conventional
management approach was considered
inadequate.
Project Management tools and techniques were
first systematically applied by the United States
Department of Defence.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 36
Major Projects in the
Contemporary Age
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Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 37
How Important are Projects?
Projects are the building blocks of the
myriad achievements in the architectural,
artistic, economic, scientific, technological,
and in many other fields which
characterize our human civilization
Life, with all the comforts and niceties
as we know it today, would not be
possible without projects!
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 38
Projects in the Contemporary Age
(Example: Buildings)
Every building in the world from the crudest
garden shed to the ritzy glitzy cloud-piercing
behemoths constructed from steel, concrete
and glass that shape cityscapes across the
globe started their existence as projects.
Buildings are the most ubiquitous symbols of
projects on our planet. They serve many fun-
ctions– for example, residential, work, offi-
cial, educational, cultural, medical, industrial,
shopping, recreational and religious.
Building are constantly getting taller and out-
landish in their appearance as cities are ra-
cing to compete with each other in the battle
of superlatives.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 39
Projects in the Contemporary Age
(Example: Civil Infrastructure)
Every nation needs a robust, well-conceived
and maintained, and expanding physical
infrastructure in order to grow and prosper.
The entire stock of a country‘s physical
infrastructure is based on projects. For
example, dams, irrigation systems,
electricity generating stations and
transmission systems, airports, seaports,
railway and highway systems, bridges and
tunnels, shipping canals, factories, buildings
and urban development all started their
existence as projects. Subsequent modifi-
cation or expansion work on them is also
done through projects.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 40
Projects in the Contemporary Age
(Example: Electricity Generation)
Can anyone imagine life without electricity?
For our contemporaries who takes this
ubiquitous source of energy for granted, the
notion would be hard to swallow! After all,
we use it to power our electrical appliances
at home and in our workplaces, to run the
machines in our factories, to light up our
homes, streets and cities, and so forth.
Without electricity a modern economy would
grind to an abrupt halt.
Vast sums are being spent annually world-
wide on projects for building thermal, hydro
and nuclear power stations and the requisite
transmission infrastructure for distributing
the electricity produced in these stations.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 41
Projects in the Contemporary Age
(Example: Electricity from Renewable Sources)
Electricity is, without a shred of doubt, indis-
pensable for modern societies. But it also
comes at a high price, not only in monetary
terms but also in terms of the permanent
depletion of limited natural resources and the
adverse impact which the „conventional“
electricity generating stations have on our
physical environment.
For years interest has been steadily growing
in tapping alternative or „renewable“ sources
of generating electricity, namely, solar, wind,
geothermal, biomass and tidal, which do not
exhibit the drawbacks of their conventional
counterparts. However, the overall share of
renewable energy is comparatively small.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 42
Projects in the Contemporary Age
(Example: Crude Oil)
Crude Oil –The world‘s „Black Gold“ and
precious natural resource that keeps the
global economy functioning – as well as our
motor vehicles. It is the source of the inesti-
mable wealth of degenerate Arab Princes and
powerful oil companies and the propeller of
the Middle East‘s economic bonanza.
Governments and the corporate sector have
invested vast sums in on- and off-shore oil
exploration and extraction projects, and to
develop the requisite processing and distribu-
tion infrastructure, such as petroleum refine-
ries, storage containers, tankers and pipe-
lines, some of which carry oil across national
borders over thousands of miles.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 43
Projects in the Contemporary Age
(Example: Natural Gas)
Natural Gas, like crude oil, is a hydrocarbon
and is important – though on a comparatively
lessor scale - for keeping the global economy
functioning. Natural gas is used, inter alia, to
generate electricity in thermal power sta-
tions, as an industrial input and for heating
homes and offices in winter. Compared to
crude oil, natural gas is considered an
„environmentally-friendly“source of energy.
As with oil, vast sums have been invested
over time in projects for on- and off-shore
natural gas exploration and extraction, for
developing processing facilities and for trans-
porting natural gas through pipelines, some
of which are also thousands of miles long.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 44
Projects in the Contemporary Age
(Example: Roads)
All of us travel down two roads – the bumpy
road of life, and the asphalted roads criss-
crossing our planet through its plains, de-
serts, forests and hilly and mountainous
terains, connecting our villages, towns and
cities and other places.
Constructed since ancient times, roads serve
as the prime guarantor for the mobility not
only for the individuals travelling on them but
also for ideas, knowledge, innovations, trade
and commerce. The advent of the automobile
and colossal investment in road construction
and expansion projects across the globe over
the past 100 years has assured man mobility
on a scale never seen before.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 45
Projects in the Contemporary Age
(Example: Bridges)
Few of us who have travelled on roads or on
rail tracks would not have crossed a bridge at
some point in time.
Bridges are an integral part of the road and
rail system and are usually constructed at
critical points along the route, such as rivers,
bays, gorges and narrow valleys, where con-
tinuity of the road or rail tracks is not feasi-
ble or desirable.
Building bridges can be a challenging under-
taking for civil engineers and requires a high
degree of skill and precision to minimize the
risk of collapse. In recent years a number of
bridge megaprojects have been completed
around the world.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 46
Projects in the Contemporary Age
(Example: Tunnels)
Tunnels – like bridges - are an integral part
of the road and rail system and most of us
would have driven through a tunnel at some
point in time.
Unlike bridges, which are erected to enable
traffic over otherwise impassable terrain,
tunnels are constructed to enable traffic to
pass through big obstacles such as hills and
mountains. Tunnels form the basis for the
sewage and subway systems which have
been constructed in many cities. For civil en-
gineers, tunnel construction projects present
complex challenges for too.
The most famous tunnel is the one under the
English Channel linking the UK with France.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 47
Projects in the Contemporary Age
(Example: Airports)
Airports – they are the gateways for quick,
cheap and convenient travel and transport to
destinations within countries, regions, con-
tinents and the whole world.
Whether for business or pleasure, for study-
ing, emigrating, visiting family and friends,
or for myriad other reasons, people are
taking to the skies in ever increasing num-
bers. Airports service hundreds of millions of
passengers and hundreds of millions of
tonnes of freight every year. All over the
world, huge investments are being made in
projects for constructing new („greenfield“)
airports or forn upgrading and modernizing
existing airports.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 48
Projects in the Contemporary Age
(Example: Information & Communications Technology )
An enormous number of projects are being
undertaken by all types of organizations in
the field of information and communication
technology.
We live in the „digital age“ where for years
the focus of interest is shifting towards the
„knowledge economy“. Information on a
scale hitherto unimaginable is being stored
and processed in, and being transferred
from, vast corporate and government com-
puter databases. Without ICT, economic
growth and prosperity would not be possible
on the scale which we have grown accustom-
ed to.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 49
Projects in the Contemporary Age
(Example: Mines)
Our planet is endowed with diverse natural
resources in vast quantities. Yet it does not
give up its treasures easily – considerable ef-
fort and cost is needed to access them from
under the surface.
For thousands of years, man has used the
technique of mining to extract the Earth‘s re-
sources. Over time the tools used to develop
mines evolved from crude implements to
sophisticated and massive drilling and exca-
vation machinery. The economic prosperity of
many countries depends on mine products
which include precious/semi-precious metals
and stones besides copper, iron, salt and
uranium and other „less precious“ products.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 50
Projects in the Contemporary Age
(Example: Factories)
Factories are the places where production
inputs are transformed into outputs. They are
a pillar of the global economy and responsi-
ble for much of the value creation that goes
with it.
Factories come in all shapes and sizes. Pro-
ducts like aircraft, automobiles, bricks, capi-
tal goods, cement, chemicals, components,
consumer electronics, foods and beverages,
machinery, office supplies, paper, pharma-
ceuticals, IT-Hardware, shoes, steel, textiles,
and weapons are all produced in factories.
Every factory starts initially as a project until
its completion and commencement of pro-
duction (i.e. operations phase).
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 51
Projects in the Contemporary Age
(Example: Weapons)
Since man walked the earth he is in a perpe-
tual state of conflict with his species. Wars,
within and between states, some lasting
years and even decades, have been (and are
being) fought and countless millions have
perished in a frenzied orgy of violence which
has overshadowed the course of our history.
Todays weapons have evolved into a level of
technological sophistication and devastative
power on a scale never witnessed before.
Billions of monies are spent every year in the
research centres and labs of weapon manu-
facturers in the USA, Europe and Asia on pro-
jects for developing new, even more potent
tools of death.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 52
Projects in the Contemporary Age
(Example: Law Enforcement)
Effective Law Enforcement is the requirement
of any civilized society.
The practical responsibility for maintaining
law and order in a country lies primarily with
its police forces. Law enforcement projects
encompass many fields, notably information
management, forensics, development of ad-
vanced communication systems, and major
event security. Due to the sensitivity of law
enforcement work, many of its projects are
subject to intense public scrutiny.
Examples: The Interpol Database, Schengen
Information System, AFIS, and establishment
of state-of-the-art forensic laboratories.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 53
Projects in the Contemporary Age
(Example: Social Development)
A nation‘s social development would be in-
conceivable without projects. This is a field
dominated by the public-sector and non-
governmental organizations.
For example, the provision of universal
primary and secondary education, creation of
medical facilities and schemes in remote
rural areas to create awareness about
disease prevention, provision of sanitation
and clean drinking water, promotion of gen-
der empowerment, creation of institutions for
providing microcredits for generating income
and employment for the impoverished are all
the result of projects.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 54
Projects in the Contemporary Age
(Example: Education)
Managers like to assert that human resources
are an organization‘s most valuable resource.
Likewise, it seems reasonable to assert that
an educated and technically skilled popula-
tion is a society‘s most valuable resource.
The fact that countries with few natural re-
sources like Japan, Germany, South Korea
and Singapore count among the world‘s most
prosperous aptly illustrates the point.
The education sector offers many opportuni-
ties for projects. Construction of new primary
and secondary schools, vocational training
centres and universities is a case in point as
are projects for expanding and improving
existing facilities and the quality of teaching.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 55
Projects in the Contemporary Age
(Example: Health)
Good health is the most precious thing any
human being can have. All the wealth in the
world can offer no solace if a person suffers
from acute and chronic ailments.
Huge sums are being invested in health pro-
jects. New clinics, dispensaries, hospitals,
and rehabilitation centers are being con-
structed. Specialized and highly sophisti-
cated machines for medical diagnostic and
operative purposes are being developed and
introduced. In research laboratories across
the globe, medical researchers are hard at
work searching for cures for a host of disea-
ses and trying to devise new, more effective
techniques of treatment.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 56
Projects in the Contemporary Age
(Example: New Product Development)
We live in the age of consumerism. As indivi-
duals we constantly want access to a larger,
better and cheaper spectrum of products and
services. The sky is the limit as far as our
demands are concerned.
The development of all new products is typi-
cally a project-based undertaking. It starts
with the recognition of a market demand for
new items – for example, for a sweeter,
frothy non-alcoholic beverage or a sleek,
sexy hand-held high-definition digital cam-
corder which doubles up as a camera. As the
product life-cycle decreases, companies are
coming under increasing pressure to inno-
vate and outperform the competition.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 57
Projects in the Contemporary Age
(Example: Crisis Situations)
Relief and rehabilitation projects are undertaken
in response to emergencies or crisis situations
occurring periodically across the globe, caused
by nature (for e.g. earthquakes, floods, torna-
does, hurricanes, cyclones, avalanches, land-
slides, volcanic eruptions, famines caused by
drought, epidemics and pandemics) or by man
(for e.g. civil strife and transnational wars).
Projects of this nature are quite difficult, are
initiated usually at very short notice, can be
dangerous and are emotionally distressing for
both the project staff and beneficiaries. More-
over, the task of coordinating with the officials of
host countries and other stakeholders poses
numerous challenges.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 58
Projects in the Contemporary Age
(Example: Processes)
Processes are frequently the focus of pro-
jects.
Processes determine in large measure the
effectiveness and efficiency of the operations
of organizations in the private, public and
non-governmental sectors.
Often, organizations discover that there is a
need for them to modify, optimize, redesign
or completely reeengineer their existing pro-
cess assets with the help of projects in order
to ensure their competiveness, growth or
survival.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 59
Major Projects in Pakistan (Examples)
Tarbela Dam
Mangla Dam
Ghazi-Barotha
HUBCO
Kot Addu
Chashma Nuclear Power Station
Islamabad-Lahore Motorway
Islamabad-Peshawar Motorway
Karakorum Highway
Jinnah International Airport
Allama Iqbal International Airport
Muslim Commercial Bank
National Stadium Karachi
Shah Faisal Mosque
Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital
JF-17 Sino-Pakistan Combat Aircraft
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 60
Mangla Dam
Mangla Dam in Azad Jammu Kashmir is the
world’s twelfth largest dam. One of the two
major dam projects based on the Indus Basin
Treaty of 1960, construction of this dam was
completed in 1967 across the Jhelum River
with a loan from the World Bank. It is located
about 160 kilometres south-east of Islamabad.
The Mangla Dam serves two major objectives: (1) increasing the availability
of water from the Jhelum River for irrigation and (2) generating electricity.
Main structures include 4 embankment dams, 2 spillways, 5 power-cum-
irrigation tunnels and a power station.
The Mangla Dam is 10,300 feet (3140 m) long and 454 feet (138 m) high
(above core trench) with a reservoir of 97.7 square miles (253 km²). Tens of
thousands of persons were displaced in consequence of the dam’s
construction and scores of settlements flooded.
Due to sedimentation losses of approx. 20%, a project to raise the level of
the Mangla Dam by about 30 feet was initiated in 2004. Expected to be
completed in mid-2007, the project will cost approx. 62 billion Rupees.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 61
Chashma Nuclear Power Complex
Located at Kundial in Punjab province,
the Chashma Nuclear Power Plant
(CHASNUPP) comprises one existing
nuclear power station. An additional
facility is presently under construction.
CHASNUPP is Pakistan’s second nuclear
power generation plant after the
Canadian-designed KANUPP in Karachi.
Based on Chinese technology and using the pressurized water system
design, construction on the 300 MW CHASNUPP-1 commenced in 1993
and it was connected to the national power grid on 14th June 2000.
In 2004, an agreement between China and Pakistan was signed to set up a
second 300 MW nuclear power generation facility (CHASNUPP-2) adjacent
to CHASNUPP-1.
The project cost of CHASNUPP-2 is estimated at US Dollars 600 million and
the plant is expected to become operational in 2010.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 62
Islamabad-Lahore Motorway
Constructed by a consortium led by the
South Korean Daewoo company over
the period 1992 – 97 at an estimated
cost of around Rs. 30 billion, the
Islamabad-Lahore Motorway was a
massive project involving 3 major river
bridges, 8 interchanges, 27 flyovers, 17
bridges on canal, 39 bridges on drains
and 4 overhead railway crossing, 183
subways and cattle creeps, 22 culverts
on canals and 73 culverts on drains.
Daily traffic capacity
on the 338 kilometer
long motorway was
estimated at 8,000 to
12,000 vehicles per
day. Speed is limited
to 120 kilometers per
hour.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 63
Karakorum Highway
The Karakorum Highway is the highest
asphalted road in the world. Also called the
friendship highway, it was constructed as a
Sino-Pakistan partnership venture.
The highway was commissioned in 1986 after 20
years of construction work and runs about 1300
kilometers from Havelian near Islamabad,
passes through the Khunjerab Pass at the
Chinese-Pakistan border (4800 meters) and ends
at Kashgar in China’s Xinjiang province.
More than 800 Pakistani and 50 Chinese workers
died in the construction effort.
A project to expand the breadth of the highway
was signed by the Governments of Pakistan and
China in 2006.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 64
Jinnah International Airport, Karachi
The largest domestic and international airport Pakistan, Jinnah
International Airport in Karachi has a passenger capacity handling of 12
million per annum, of which about 6 million are presently being serviced.
It has 16 passenger gates and can service 30 planes at the same time. The
airport is used by a large number of foreign airlines and it is the hub of the
Pakistan International Airlines and several domestic airlines.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 65
Shah Faisal Mosque
Shah Faisal Mosque in Islamabad is
one of the largest mosques in the
world.
Proposed by Saudi Arabia’s late
King Faisal during a state visit to
Islamabad in 1966, and designed by
a Turkish architect, construction on
the mosque lasted from 1976 to 1988
and cost approx. US Dollars 120
million which was paid by Saudi
Arabia.
The architecturally imposing
mosque, which is Islamabad’s main
landmark, has an area of about 5,000
square meters and can
accommodate up to 100,000 persons
on its premises, initially housed the
International Islamic University.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 66
Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital
The Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital
and Research Centre in Lahore is the brainchild
of Pakistani politician and philanthropist Imran
Khan after whose deceased mother the complex
is named. The first facility dedicated to cancer
treatment in Pakistan, its mission is to provide
best possible care to cancer patients and those
patients who cannot financially afford treatment.
Construction of the state-of-the-art hospital commenced in 1991 and it was
opened on 29th December 1994. The project cost was about US Dollars 24
million. A massive fundraising campaign was launched in Pakistan and
throughout the world.
The hospital provides free medical treatment to most of its
patients and is financed largely from donations in and
outside Pakistan. Since 1994, tens of thousands of cancer
patients have been treated at the hospital.
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 67
Major Projects in Pakistan
(under consideration or in planning)
Basha Dam
Kalabagh Dam
Islamabad International Airport
Turkmenistan to Pakistan/India gas
Pipeline
Iran to Pakistan Gas Pipeline
Universities of Engineering, Science
and Technology
Assistant Professor Dr. Aurangzeb Zulfiqar Khan
Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan 68
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