Managing Complexity: GERD Project Analysis and Stakeholder Assessment

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) project, focusing on its complexities and management. It begins with a methodological outline, detailing the research philosophy, method, design, data collection, and analysis approach, emphasizing a secondary, qualitative, and descriptive study. The report then delves into the project's background, including its construction on the Blue Nile and its implications for Ethiopia, Sudan, and Egypt. A stakeholder assessment matrix is presented to understand the impacts and influence of various stakeholders, including the Board of Directors, management, workers' unions, governments, local communities, and the media. The core of the analysis identifies and categorizes the factors contributing to the project's complexity into technical (skilled workforce, IT security), temporal (timespan, long-term milestones), directional (leadership changes, political conflicts), and structural (planning, environmental impact) dimensions. Each factor is assessed and weighted, visualized through a radar diagram, and the results are categorized based on seriousness, highlighting critical issues such as IT security, time constraints, and political conflicts. The report concludes by presenting the findings from analysis and providing management tools for the complexity problems, as per the assignment brief's requirements.

Running head: MANAGING COMPLEX PROJECT
MANAGING COMPLEX PROJECT
- Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1MANAGING COMPLEX PROJECT
Contents
Methodology..............................................................................................................................2
-Research outline....................................................................................................................2
-Research philosophy.............................................................................................................2
-Research Method..................................................................................................................2
-Research Design...................................................................................................................2
-Data Collection.....................................................................................................................3
-Data Analysis method...........................................................................................................3
-Conclusion............................................................................................................................3
Analysis 900...............................................................................................................................3
Introduction............................................................................................................................3
Stakeholder assessment matrix..............................................................................................4
Defining factors causing the complexity of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project
and its categorization (technical, temporal, directional and structural).................................0
Chart and weightage...............................................................................................................2
Results........................................................................................................................................3
References:.................................................................................................................................6

2MANAGING COMPLEX PROJECT
Methodology
-Research outline
The outline of the research is to understand and explore the different factors and tools that
can support management of a complex project and understand how to improve critical
thinking and analysis, team work, written communication skills and argument development
through the preparation of this report in the given context (Amendola et al. 2016).
-Research philosophy
The study would be based on the philosophy of Positivism that would allow an observation
and description of the studied factors and phenomena using an objective view point. This
approach can allow the study of the phenomena without interfering with it and isolating its
observations in a way that makes them predicable and repeatable. This approach also allows
manipulation of reality by focusing on single independent variables to understand
regularities, relationships and structure of the variables in the real world (Joslin & Müller,
2016).
-Research Method
The research method would involve a Secondary research study of academic literature
through case studies made on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project. Various
academic case studies would be evaluated to understand the complexity related to the
management of the project. At the same time different academic journals would be referred to
in order to get a theoretical understanding to the extent to which each factor influences the
project complexity and management and thereby develop Radar map to visualize the extent
of the influence (Johnston, 2017).
-Research Design

3MANAGING COMPLEX PROJECT
The design of the study would be deductive in nature because it would involve deducing the
complexities of the dam in terms of project management with costs and its effectiveness. This
would be a descriptive research design that would derive, analyses, interpret and conclude the
understanding of the study (Görög, 2019).
-Data Collection
The collection would be done from secondary data source in the form of academic journals
on case study regarding Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project. The collection of data
would be made from journals, published in the last five years and are peer reviewed (Görög,
2019).
-Data Analysis method
For the analysis of the secondary data a qualitative approach for analysis would be utilized
through which a holistic understanding of how the factors influences the project complexity
and management can be understood and explored. (Silverman, 2016)
-Conclusion
The aim of the study therefore would be to understand the factors that influence complexity
within a complex management through secondary, qualitative, descriptive and analytical
study on Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam project. The approach has been utilized in light
of the adequate literature present on the topic that can provide a strong opportunity for
comparative study on the present literature.
Analysis 900
Introduction

4MANAGING COMPLEX PROJECT
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam also known as Hidase dam and previously known as
Millennium Dam is a gravity dam that is constructed on the river Blue Nile that borders
Ethiopia and Sudan. The construction for the project started in 2011 and planned to have a
capacity of 6.45 gigawat making it the largest hydroelectric station in Africa and 7th largest in
the world. As of 2017, the construction of the damn was at 60% and with an estimation of 5-
15 years for filling up the reservoirs based on agreements between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan
(Silverman et al., 2016). The project has come across several hurdles due to which the
progress of the project has been significantly affected (Salman, 2016). Studies have shown
that the design and planning of the project has also been met with several controversies
regarding its impact on the environment and the distribution of Nile water between the three
countries leading to political debates between the nations (Tawfik, 2016; Yihdego et al.,
2016; Taye et al., 2016; Liersch et al., 2017). From the literature review the various factors
that has affected the progress and complexity of the project has been analyzed which are
outlined later in the study.
Stakeholder assessment matrix
The stakeholder assessment matrix helps to understand the needs and expectations as well as
the involvement with the project and how to maintain their engagement. The table below
shows the stakeholder assessment or analysis matrix that outlines the impacts of the
stakeholders ( high, medium, low), their influences (high, medium, low), stakeholder’s
interest, their potential for contribution to the project success, potential for causing barriers to
the project and strategies through which engagement with stakeholders can be maintained
(Abdelhady et al., 2015).

Running head: MANAGING COMPLEX PROJECT
Stakeholder
name
Contact
person
Impact
(how much
does the
project
impact the
stakeholders
Influence
(how much
influence
the
stakeholders
have on the
project)
What is
important to
the
stakeholders
How can the
stakeholders
contribute
to the
project
How can the
stakeholders
block the
project
Stakeholder
engagement
strategies’
The Board of
Directors and
CEO
Simegnew
Bekela
High High Timely
completion of
the project,
meeting
performance
objectives,
ensuring
profitability of
investors and
Providence
of finances
and resource,
strategic
directions
and
decisions
Ceasing the
project,
stopping
finances
Board
meetings,
Yearly reports,
yearly
conference
( Kahsay et al.,
2015)

1MANAGING COMPLEX PROJECT
stakeholders
Management Tana Beles High Medium Meeting
performance
objectives and
budget,
maintaining
skills and
competencies
of workforce,
overcoming
operational
challenges
Strategic
directions,
performance
management
and
workforce
management
Corruption,
project delays,
mismanagement
, misutilizaiton
of resources
Managerial
meetings,
reports,
conferences
(Teklemariam
et al., 2017)
Workers Union Union
leader
Low High Standardize
wages, health
benefits,
workplace
Labour,
time, human
resource
talent
Strikes, inter
personal
conflicts
Workshop,
training, union
meetings an
employee

2MANAGING COMPLEX PROJECT
safety,
insurance,
incentives.
welfare
programs
( Keith et al.,
2017)
Government Government
of Egypt,
Government
of Sudan,
Government
of Ethiopia
Low High Taxes, proper
documentation,
clarity,
compliance
with laws,
environmental
sustainability.
Funding,
legalization,
operational
support
Legal law suit,
compensation,
governmental
restrictions,
fines
Government
meetings and
discussions,
meetings with
government
representatives,
including
government
representative
in meetings
Communities
( the local
Local
community
High Medium Social benefit,
cultural
Community
support and
Strikes against
project,
Community
development

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communities
where the
operations of th
dam takes place
and the
communities
affected by the
construction
process and the
final project)
heads restoration,
community
development,
harmonious
ensue
consensus coercive
response
projects, CSR
programs
( Amendola et
al., 2016)
Media Media
consultant,
editors of
various
houses
Low High Clarity of
vision and
work, proper
social
responsibility,
code of
Propagation,
marketing,
publicity and
media
partnerships
Negative
publicity,
defamation,
raging masses
Partnership,
public
relationship,
media
coverage
( Salman,

4MANAGING COMPLEX PROJECT
conduct,
goodwill
2016)

Running head: MANAGING COMPLEX PROJECT

Running head: MANAGING COMPLEX PROJECT