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Thursday, December 24, 2009
Indian Railways Executive Reviews Frankly Discusses Issues at 17th Global Symposium in New Delhi
Reported by David Pells in New Delhi
The opening keynote presentation on Day The of the 17th Global Symposium 2009 - Managing Projects, Programs & Portfolios - held during 14 - 16 December 2009 at the Hotel Hyatt Regency in New Delhi, India, was by Mr. Rakesh Chopra, Member of the Board of Directors of the Railway Board of India. Mr. Chopra's presentation was entitled "Imperative of Optimally Managing Portfolios."
The Railway Board of India is one of the largest project-based organizations in the world, currently with 316 major projects associated with main lines, bridges, and metro systems. Such national projects as "Mega bridges" are included. Total budget exceeds 1 trillion Rupees (1 lak crores), or approximately US$20 billion.
According to Mr. Chopra, "Distribution of funds is a big issue. Of course, there is a long wish list of projects, but projects languish for various reasons. Each project must also meet political criteria; but gage conversions are among the highest priorities.
During his presentation, Mr. Chopra described some problems confronting major rail projects in India that cause delays, including land acquisition, forest clearances and labor problems. Since India does not have an eminent domain policy, land acquisition can be a big problem, often delaying projects by several years. At the same time, approval for clearing forests or removing trees can delay projects for decades.
He added, "There is also a big shortage of skilled manpower, especially inspectors. It is inadequate even in private industry. The capacity of builders is also inadequate. There has been some expansion, but the big are getting bigger while there is little growth among medium and small enterprises. There are also many equipment failures due to poor maintenance."
Mr. Chopra mentioned problems associated with contracting methods and suggested that the design/build approach is gaining acceptance in India. But, he said, foreign contractors often do not understand local problems.
Mr. Chopra suggested some areas where additional improvements could significantly enhance project management on rail programs and projects, including: (1) more consistent guidelines; (2) more training prior to construction; (3) standards for performance; (4) better procedures for security, land acquisition and forest clearing; and (5) more accountability, with consequences.
"I am of the opinion that railway projects are for the benefit of the country," he concluded. "China is building 2,000 km of rail per year, while India achieves only 250 km. The USA is spending $10 billion. India needs more funding. We also need more honesty, ethics and transparency. Nevertheless, I am sure that implementation of projects will come up in a big way."
Other speakers on day three of the 17th Global Symposium in New Delhi included: Ruchira Jain, Director of CEPM, India; Dr. A S Pillai, CEO and Managing Director, Brahmos, India; Mr. R S Sharma, Chairman and Managing Director, Oil & Natural Gas Commission, India; Mr. P S Bhattacharyya, Chairman & Managing Director, Coal India; Mr. R S Sharma, Chairman & Managing Director, NTPC (India's largest power company); and Mr. Adesh Jain, Honorary President, PMA India (also pictured above right with Mr. Chopra).
The 17th Global Symposium provided an opportunity for Indian government officials, project managers and company executives to come together for presentations and discussions about managing projects & programs in India. The 17th Global Symposium was jointly organized by Project Management Associates (PMA) and the Centre for Excellence in Project Management (CEPM), in association with the International Project Management Association (IPMA). The 17th Global Symposium in New Delhi was organized under the Chair of Mr. B K Chaturvedi, Member, Planning Commission, Government of India, who is also the Chair of the 2009 International Advisory Committee (IAC). The Programme Director was Mr. Adesh Jain, Honorary President of PMA. For information about the symposium or to see copies of presentations, visit http://www.cepm.com/gs09/default.aspx.
Founded in 1993, Project Management Associates (PMA) is a non-profit registered professional body of projects and business managers, aimed at strengthening project management in India. PMA's vision is to be an apex agency for promotion of project thinking in India and worldwide for continuously enhancing delivery potential of programs and projects, thereby providing competitive edge to organizations, and growth to individuals. Based in New Delhi and with branches in Hyderabad, Pune and Ranchi, PMA serves members and stakeholders throughout India. PMA is the Indian national association member of IPMA. The Managing Director of PMA is Mr. Arvind Agarwal; the honorary president is Mr. Adesh Jain. For more information, visit www.pma-india.org. For more information about IPMA, visit http://www.ipma.ch/Pages/default.aspx
The Centre for Excellence in Project Management (CEPM) is a project and programme management education, training and consulting organization based in Noida, New Delhi, India. The company offers basic and advanced project management courses, on the web, in public seminars and in-house workshops. CEPM's Certificate in Project Management (CIPM) is a high quality, low-cost project management qualification; CEPM also offers certification training in support of both PMI's PMP® certification as well as IPMA's 4-level competence-based certification program. For more information, visit http://www.cepm.com/.
Photos courtesy of PMForum, Inc.
The opening keynote presentation on Day The of the 17th Global Symposium 2009 - Managing Projects, Programs & Portfolios - held during 14 - 16 December 2009 at the Hotel Hyatt Regency in New Delhi, India, was by Mr. Rakesh Chopra, Member of the Board of Directors of the Railway Board of India. Mr. Chopra's presentation was entitled "Imperative of Optimally Managing Portfolios."
The Railway Board of India is one of the largest project-based organizations in the world, currently with 316 major projects associated with main lines, bridges, and metro systems. Such national projects as "Mega bridges" are included. Total budget exceeds 1 trillion Rupees (1 lak crores), or approximately US$20 billion.
During his presentation, Mr. Chopra described some problems confronting major rail projects in India that cause delays, including land acquisition, forest clearances and labor problems. Since India does not have an eminent domain policy, land acquisition can be a big problem, often delaying projects by several years. At the same time, approval for clearing forests or removing trees can delay projects for decades.
He added, "There is also a big shortage of skilled manpower, especially inspectors. It is inadequate even in private industry. The capacity of builders is also inadequate. There has been some expansion, but the big are getting bigger while there is little growth among medium and small enterprises. There are also many equipment failures due to poor maintenance."
Mr. Chopra mentioned problems associated with contracting methods and suggested that the design/build approach is gaining acceptance in India. But, he said, foreign contractors often do not understand local problems.
Mr. Chopra suggested some areas where additional improvements could significantly enhance project management on rail programs and projects, including: (1) more consistent guidelines; (2) more training prior to construction; (3) standards for performance; (4) better procedures for security, land acquisition and forest clearing; and (5) more accountability, with consequences.
"I am of the opinion that railway projects are for the benefit of the country," he concluded. "China is building 2,000 km of rail per year, while India achieves only 250 km. The USA is spending $10 billion. India needs more funding. We also need more honesty, ethics and transparency. Nevertheless, I am sure that implementation of projects will come up in a big way."
Other speakers on day three of the 17th Global Symposium in New Delhi included: Ruchira Jain, Director of CEPM, India; Dr. A S Pillai, CEO and Managing Director, Brahmos, India; Mr. R S Sharma, Chairman and Managing Director, Oil & Natural Gas Commission, India; Mr. P S Bhattacharyya, Chairman & Managing Director, Coal India; Mr. R S Sharma, Chairman & Managing Director, NTPC (India's largest power company); and Mr. Adesh Jain, Honorary President, PMA India (also pictured above right with Mr. Chopra).
The 17th Global Symposium provided an opportunity for Indian government officials, project managers and company executives to come together for presentations and discussions about managing projects & programs in India. The 17th Global Symposium was jointly organized by Project Management Associates (PMA) and the Centre for Excellence in Project Management (CEPM), in association with the International Project Management Association (IPMA). The 17th Global Symposium in New Delhi was organized under the Chair of Mr. B K Chaturvedi, Member, Planning Commission, Government of India, who is also the Chair of the 2009 International Advisory Committee (IAC). The Programme Director was Mr. Adesh Jain, Honorary President of PMA. For information about the symposium or to see copies of presentations, visit http://www.cepm.com/gs09/default.aspx.
The Centre for Excellence in Project Management (CEPM) is a project and programme management education, training and consulting organization based in Noida, New Delhi, India. The company offers basic and advanced project management courses, on the web, in public seminars and in-house workshops. CEPM's Certificate in Project Management (CIPM) is a high quality, low-cost project management qualification; CEPM also offers certification training in support of both PMI's PMP® certification as well as IPMA's 4-level competence-based certification program. For more information, visit http://www.cepm.com/.
Photos courtesy of PMForum, Inc.