Complex Project Management Issues

Running head: COMPLEX PROJECT MANAGEMENT ISSUES
COMPLEX PROJECT MANAGEMENT ISSUES
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Author Note

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COMPLEX PROJECT MANAGEMENT ISSUES
Issues in Complex project management described in the ICCPM Roundtable:
This report has analysed the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam or the GRED project and
various issues related to the project is identified. This issues has been analysed in details with
reference to the ICCPM roundtable that describes various issues that affect a complex project.
1.Details:
Three important variables of project complexity:
Project funding:
Funding for project is been an important issue in this GERD project. Raising for fund have been a
critical issue due to political differences that Ethiopia has with other African nations. Even
arrangement for international funding has remain an significant challenge for this project and due to
this the project has relied heavily on local funding which has made the financial structure complex,
increasing overall complexity of the project.
Project size:
The GERD project aims to build the largest dam on the river of Nile is the largest hydropower
project in Africa ever built. This makes the structure of the project highly complex due to
involvement of technical and design complexity and thus it has increased the overall complexity of
the project (Zhang, Erkyihum & Block, 2016).
Project management and leadership:
According to the local and international organizations that are closely monitoring the project has
suggested that the project does not have an appropriate approach for managing project funding.
Even resource acquisition and resource allocation is not proper (Liersch, Koch & Hattermann,
2017). Lack of efficient managers who are equipped as delivery leaders has increased the
complexity of the project that is already complex.

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COMPLEX PROJECT MANAGEMENT ISSUES
2. Ambiguity:
Lack of coordination between stakeholders for project success:
While according to the government of Egypt and Sudan has mentioned that this project is not going
to be as successful as claimed by the government of the Ethiopia, but the Ethiopian government is
highly hopeful about the project success (Berndtsson et al., 2017). International rive, an important
external stakeholder in this project is also against the project as according to their claim this project
has serious impact on environment and people of Ethiopia. Such differing view on success of the
project has made project execution difficult and complex.
Tools and techniques for executing project is not proper:
The construction and building of the dam requires high level of technical details and capable
construction technologies for implementing this project. This has increased ambiguity in the project
due to high level detailing of complex construction technologies and difficulties in communicating
this details to the engineers and developers of the projects.
Difference between project success and product success:
According to the claims of the government of Ethiopia, international organization who are trying
defame Ethiopian government and their initiatives on this project, the project will have significant
benefits once the project is completed. This will promote regional development and also regional
integration promoted by the African Union agenda. Due to various benefits of project as projected
by different parties in this project has increased project ambiguity.
3. Dynamics:
Political change:
According to the government of Ethiopia, this dam will help them to establish their control over
Nile River which has long been held by the government of Egypt. However, according to the Egypt
government, through building this dam, Ethiopia is trying to gain political influence in Africa and
their claim on the Nile River is not proper and this will create political imbalance in Africa. This