GERD Dam Project: Evaluating Complexity, Factors, and Case Insights

This case study provides an in-depth analysis of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project, focusing on the various aspects that contribute to its complexity. It identifies key factors such as inherent complexity due to its location on the Blue Nile, uncertainty surrounding the vast investment, the number of technologies involved, the rigidity of sequences in construction, and the overlapping of project phases. The study emphasizes the importance of understanding the hydroelectric potential of the Nile basin and the utilization of hydropower to ensure the project's success. It also highlights the need for alternative scenarios to optimize power supply and attract investments in the power sector. The analysis underscores the challenges in executing such a complex project and the critical role of project management in navigating these difficulties. Desklib offers a wealth of resources, including past papers and solved assignments, to assist students in understanding complex projects like the GERD Dam.

Running head: GERD DAM PROJECT
GERD Dam Project
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1GERD DAM PROJECT
1) Evaluate the general aspects of complexity at the GERD Dam project
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam or the GERD project or the Millennium Dam
is a huge project that has been identified by the United States Bureau of Reclamation to be e
one of the biggest projects that has been carried out so far. It indeed is a grand project that has
an estimation of total investment of 4.7 billion USD equivalent. The complexity of the project
is determined by understanding the project requirements, categorisation of the project
selection of the complexity criterion and the budget associated with the project. It is already
been identified that the financing behind the project has estimated to be over multi billion
dollars, which primary work as a particular complexity aspect. The Other general aspects of
complexity can be e listed as below:
The first step in the evaluation of the complexity for this particular project would be
the determination of the project requirements which happens to generate power within
unexpected capacity of 6000 megawatt, which would also have the main and saddle dams for
creating reservoirs with capacity of over 75 billion cubic metres. The huge amount of a
requirement that the project is trying to suffice, makes the Millennium Dam project to be
considered as a complex project
2) Define the Five main complexity factors
The five main complexity factors according to project management can be listed as
follows:
 Inherent complexity: Since the construction of the project was to be done
near the Blue Nile, the project was inherently Complex given the huge area
that it would cover as the river is already considered as one of the biggest
rivers in the world.

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 Uncertainty: The indeed was the project uncertainty, as given such a huge
amount of investment made for the project would make it complex to make
decisions for the progression of the project.
 Number of Technology: The outcome of the project would be so was that
there would be a list of requirements needed to be constructed even before the
dam is presented as the end product. In such situation, it would be uncertain
for so many e project phases to be considered for fulfilling and at the same
time there would be requirement of the involvement of such a huge amount of
money.
 Rigidity of sequences: The rigidity of sequences are found to be involved
within the project due to the huge structure and various requirements of the
project as well as the capable of handling plant at a speed of 19370 cubic
metres per second. This has the potential of reducing aluminium in Sudan by
hundred million cubic metres by also facilitating the irrigation of nearby areas
over 500,000 hectares of agricultural land.
 Overlapping of phases or currency: The overlapping of the project phases
would be extremely relevant to discuss as the number of different
requirements that is there to fulfil has to be involving the differentiated mines
of the project manager.
A) - Detailed understanding of the GERD case
One of the primary understanding that has been taken about the project is the
complexity e of the project. It clearly defines how the project would be extremely difficult to
elaborate given the hydroelectric potential of the Nile basin and also the utilisation of the
hydropower within the area. It has limited potential of afflicting the success of the project and
hence it was extremely important to explore alternative scenario so that the optimisation of

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power supply can be incorporated for more power integration and therefore the region would
be more exposed to investments to be made in the power sector. The project was Complex
and also difficult to put through.
B) - Have you provided insight, relevant examples from the case study supporting
The relevant insight to the case can be provided by the number of amount in required
to be invested and how the vast area of the Nile bed would also affect the covering area for
the project to become successful

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References
Mikael, S. (2018). Methods In Seeing The Completion Of the Grand Electric Renaissance
Dam (GERD).
Oswald, A., Köhler, J., & Schmitt, R. (2018). Options of Complexity Regulation. In Project
Management at the Edge of Chaos (pp. 39-79). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.