PM Network - June 2016

Saudi civil contractor to deliver a project of such a
huge scale.”
Many delays were caused by this steep learn-
ing curve. Project planning was not given proper
consideration, forcing frequent mid-project scope
changes in response to land acquisition di;culties,
hydrological requirements and avoiding the poten-
tial impact of sand dunes, Mr. Cheikh says
“Frankly, Saudi Arabia sped up the implementation
of the project without allowing proper time for plan-
ning. You need more [planning], not less, to de;ne
very accurately your scope and required resources,” he
says. “;e procurement approach based on awarding
to the lowest cost, as per the Saudi government rules,
has also impacted the delivery of the project. ;is led
to the selection of non-experienced contractors and
forced other contractors to o;er very low prices, insuf-
;cient for the project delivery.”
Despite these shortfalls, the project team has
advanced by ;nding creative ways to respond to
risks that have been realized, Mr. Cheikh says.
When it ran into roadblocks acquiring land, for
instance, it leveraged its relationship with gov-
ernment stakeholders to secure a royal decree
granting it the authority to secure the neces-
sary parcels. Meanwhile, contractors have been
given the necessary support to import the extra
labor required, mainly from Southeast Asia, to
a;ordably increase its manpower and make up
for lost time. ;e contractors have also been
granted funds to cover the extra costs incurred.

“We were always doing daily, weekly and monthly reviews of our schedules and resources to identify critical issues and determine where we could fast-track activities by doubling the team, for example, or increasing equipment,” Mr. Cheikh says. “After a lot of changes and delays, the project is starting to move forward.” PM