Project Management Assessment 2: Australia Solar Plant Construction

This project management assessment analyzes the construction of Australia's largest solar plant in NSW, focusing on providing electricity during peak demand. The assessment evaluates current industry best practices and various engineering and project management approaches. It includes a detailed analysis of the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), Gantt chart, and PERT chart, highlighting project dependencies, milestones, and critical paths. The document also discusses challenges faced during information production and strategies for overcoming them, along with lessons learned. The project's scope, which includes site preparation, installation of solar panels, and grid connection, is clearly defined. The WBS breaks down the project into manageable tasks, while the Gantt chart illustrates the project schedule, dependencies, and milestones. The assessment covers the initiation, planning, execution, and closure phases of the project, offering a comprehensive overview of the project management process. The analysis also includes a discussion of current industry best practices and new engineering and project management approaches.

Running head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Project management: Assessment 2
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Executive Summary
The paper mainly focuses on Australia’s solar plant construction in NSW in order to provide proper
facility of electricity even when sunlight is not available. The project mainly aims to evaluate as well as
investigate current best practices as well as different types of engineering and PM approaches. It is found
that the paper analyses WBS, Gantt chart and the use of Pert chart in the project. Moreover, the
challenges as well as issues which are generally faced in properly producing the required information
which are generally collected. Furthermore, a number of strategies are illustrated in order to overcome the
challenges as well as the lessons which are mainly learnt after undertaking the project.

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction.............................................................................................................................................4
2. Clear description of the project................................................................................................................4
2.1 Description of the project..................................................................................................................4
2.2 Project scope......................................................................................................................................4
3. Analysis of the chart................................................................................................................................5
3.1 Work breakdown structure.................................................................................................................5
3.2 Gantt chart reflecting interdependencies and milestones...................................................................9
3.3 PERT chart......................................................................................................................................13
4. Discussion of current industry best practices and new engineering and PM approaches.......................14
5. Conclusion and recommendations.........................................................................................................17
6. Challenges faced in producing the needed information and strategies for overcoming challenges........18
7. Competencies........................................................................................................................................20
Bibliography..............................................................................................................................................21
Appendices................................................................................................................................................24
Appendix 1: Gantt chart.........................................................................................................................24
Appendix 2: WBS..................................................................................................................................25
Appendix 3: PERT chart........................................................................................................................25

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1. Introduction
The paper reflects on the construction of Australia’s largest solar plant for providing greater
energy reliability as well as for producing electricity during peak periods rather only depending on the
sunlight hours. The project mainly aims to properly evaluate the present industry best practices as they are
generally related with the organizational as well as project in large scale engineering perspectives. The
paper generally helps in researching on a number of engineering and different types PM approaches for
reflecting the significance of different types of engineering practices. Additionally, the paper generally
analyzes WBS, Gantt chart as well as PERT chart that further focuses on the project critical path as well
as possible slack and float times. Furthermore, the challenges which are mainly faced while producing the
information as well as the ways that are helpful in overcoming such challenges are also elaborated.
2. Clear description of the project
2.1 Description of the project
The paper reflects on the Australia’s largest solar as well as battery power plant construction in
NSW in the year 2018. This project is helpful in providing a greater reliability and further helps in
allowing the entire solar farm to effectively produce electricity during the peak demand period rather than
only depending on the sunlight hours. This will generally play a very much significant role in successfully
offsetting some of the thermal generators in the region in order to bring a number of opportunities for
those who generally look to transit from fossil fuels into the renewable energy sector of the organization
(Latimer, 2018). It is found that once it will be built then Sunraysia will generally be much more than
double the current solar plant size which will helpful in generating 102-megawatt facility at Nyngan in
NSW. It will further take the entire mantle of the largest operating solar project within the southern
hemisphere. It is found that the total cost that is mainly required for construction will be around $275
million. The entire solar farm will be around 17 km from Balranald in NSW. It will further be helpful in
generating around 530 megawatt hours of electricity that helps in providing powers in both the states.
The project is also considered as one of the solar farms in NSW that utilizes batteries in order to store
excess amount of power.
2.2 Project scope
Project scope generally serves as the foundation of planning, managing as well as successfully
executing the project work quite effectively and efficiently. The project scope for constructing Australia’s
largest solar plant is mainly listed below:
 Construction of Australia’s solar plant in NSW within the budget that is around $275 million.

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 Preparation of the site as well as mounting different types of supporting structures
 Installation of the solar panel as well as inverters and connecting properly within the grid
 Proper monitoring of the entire set of the system
3. Analysis of the chart
3.1 Work breakdown structure
The WBS table which is provided below assists in showcasing the activities, duration, resources
as well as different types of costs which are mainly needed for successfully executing the activities of the
project.
WBS Task Name Duration Start Finish Resource
Names Cost
0
Australia's
largest solar
plant
363 days Thu 15-02-18 Mon 08-07-
19
$
275,000,000.00
1 Initiation
phase 31 days Thu 15-02-18 Thu 29-03-
18 $ 10,960.00
1.1 Development
of business case 8 days Thu 15-02-18 Mon 26-02-
18 Project manager $ 3,200.00
1.2
Undertaking
cost benefit
analysis
6 days Tue 27-02-18 Tue 06-03-
18
Financial
manager $ 1,920.00
1.3 Establishment
of project charter 10 days Wed 07-03-
18
Tue 20-03-
18 Project planner $ 3,600.00
1.4 Appointing
team members 7 days Wed 21-03-
18
Thu 29-03-
18 HR manager $ 2,240.00
1.5
Milestone 1:
Completion of
initiation phase
0 days Thu 29-03-18 Thu 29-03-
18 $ 0.00
2 Planning
phase 53 days Fri 30-03-18 Tue 12-06-
18 $ 18,160.00
2.1 Development 9 days Fri 30-03-18 Wed 11-04- Project manager $ 3,600.00

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of project plan 18
2.2 Development
of resource plan 10 days Thu 12-04-18 Wed 25-04-
18 HR manager $ 3,200.00
2.3 Financial plan
development 12 days Thu 26-04-18 Fri 11-05-18 Financial
manager $ 3,840.00
2.4 Quality plan
development 10 days Mon 14-05-
18 Fri 25-05-18 Quality manager $ 3,200.00
2.5
Risk
management plan
development
12 days Mon 28-05-
18
Tue 12-06-
18 Risk manager $ 4,320.00
2.6
Milestone 2:
Completion of
planning phase
0 days Tue 12-06-18 Tue 12-06-
18 $ 0.00
3 Execution
phase 259 days Wed 13-06-
18
Mon 10-06-
19
$
274,960,480.00
3.1
Creating
blueprint for the
solar plant
30 days Wed 13-06-
18
Tue 24-07-
18 Designer $ 9,600.00
3.2 Preparation
of the site 35 days Wed 25-07-
18
Tue 11-09-
18
Contractor,
Supervisor, Land
cost [1]
$ 74,789,720.00
3.3
Mounting
structure as well
as panel
construction
27 days Wed 12-09-
18
Thu 18-10-
18
Construction
manager,
Contractor,
Equipment cost
[1]
$
100,020,520.00
3.4 Solar panel
construction 29 days Fri 19-10-18 Wed 28-11-
18 Electrician $ 10,440.00
3.5 Electrical
collection system
30 days Thu 29-11-18 Wed 09-01-
19
Contractor,
Supervisor,
$ 32,400.00

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and project
substation Workers
3.6
Mounting of
the supporting
structures
21 days Thu 10-01-19 Thu 07-02-
19
Supervisor,
Workers $ 14,280.00
3.7
Solar panel
and inverters
installation
32 days Fri 08-02-19 Mon 25-03-
19
Electrician, IT
manager $ 23,040.00
3.8 Connecting to
the grid 27 days Tue 26-03-19 Wed 01-05-
19
Construction
manager,
Contractor, IT
manager,
Additional cost
[1]
$
100,030,240.00
3.9
Monitoring
the entire system
setup
28 days Thu 02-05-19 Mon 10-06-
19
Construction
manager,
Contractor,
Designer
$ 30,240.00
3.10
Milestone 3:
Completion of
execution phase
0 days Mon 10-06-
19
Mon 10-06-
19 $ 0.00
4 Closure phase 20 days Tue 11-06-19 Mon 08-07-
19 $ 10,400.00
4.1 Post project
review 7 days Tue 11-06-19 Wed 19-06-
19
Project manager,
Project planner $ 5,320.00
4.2 Stakeholder
sign off 3 days Thu 20-06-19 Mon 24-06-
19 Project planner $ 1,080.00
4.3 Documentation 10 days Tue 25-06-19 Mon 08-07-
19 Project manager $ 4,000.00
4.4 Milestone 4: 0 days Mon 08-07- Mon 08-07- $ 0.00

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Completion of
closure phase 19 19
Work breakdown chart and its analysis
Figure 1: Work breakdown structure
(Source: Created by Author)
The WBS that is showcased assists in properly showcasing each of the project activities which
are generally required for successfully executing the project and for properly establishing common
understanding about the scope of the project quite effectively. The table of WBS which is given assists in
reflecting different activities, time duration for each activity, resources and the cost that is needed for
successful completion of the project (Siami-Irdemoosa, Dindarloo & Sharifzadeh, 2015). The WBS
which is showcased above is considered an important hierarchical description of the entire work that is
generally done for successfully completing the entire deliverable of the project. Each of the descending
level within the WBS helps in representing the detailed description of the project deliverables quite
effectively. The WBS which is given below helps in visually elaborating the project scope into a different
number of chunks which can be managed with the help of the team members such that each level of WBS
assists in providing proper definition in proper detail (Sutrisna, Ramanayaka & Goulding, 2018).

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT
In addition to this, the WBS is a tool which is further used for defining the scope of the project
effectively. The WBS which is created above helps in avoiding a lot of misunderstanding and further
helps in keeping the clients very much satisfied. Properly defined WBS helps in minimizing the risks
which are related with the project in order to meet different goals as well as objectives. It helps in
successfully identifying the tasks that are required for successful project completion ( Zecheru & Olaru,
2016). The WBS further helps in minimizing the potential conflict and allows planning for ensuring
adequate resources which are required for completing the entire project successfully. Furthermore, the
WBS generally helps in managing the outsourced service providers as well as the internal team members
of the project.
3.2 Gantt chart reflecting interdependencies and milestones
Schedule reflecting dependencies and milestones
The project schedule that is provided in the form of table helps in showcasing the milestones as
well as dependencies for each of the project activities.
WBS Task Name Duration Start Finish Predecessors
0 Australia's largest solar
plant 363 days Thu 15-02-
18 Mon 08-07-19
1 Initiation phase 31 days Thu 15-02-
18 Thu 29-03-18
1.1 Development of
business case 8 days Thu 15-02-
18 Mon 26-02-18
1.2 Undertaking cost
benefit analysis 6 days Tue 27-02-
18 Tue 06-03-18 2
1.3 Establishment of
project charter 10 days Wed 07-03-
18 Tue 20-03-18 3
1.4 Appointing team
members 7 days Wed 21-03-
18 Thu 29-03-18 4
1.5
Milestone 1:
Completion of initiation
phase
0 days Thu 29-03-
18 Thu 29-03-18 5
2 Planning phase 53 days Fri 30-03-18 Tue 12-06-18

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2.1 Development of project
plan 9 days Fri 30-03-18 Wed 11-04-18 5
2.2 Development of
resource plan 10 days Thu 12-04-
18 Wed 25-04-18 8
2.3 Financial plan
development 12 days Thu 26-04-
18 Fri 11-05-18 9
2.4 Quality plan
development 10 days Mon 14-05-
18 Fri 25-05-18 10
2.5 Risk management plan
development 12 days Mon 28-05-
18 Tue 12-06-18 11
2.6
Milestone 2:
Completion of planning
phase
0 days Tue 12-06-
18 Tue 12-06-18 12
3 Execution phase 259 days Wed 13-06-
18 Mon 10-06-19
3.1 Creating blueprint for
the solar plant 30 days Wed 13-06-
18 Tue 24-07-18 12
3.2 Preparation of the site 35 days Wed 25-07-
18 Tue 11-09-18 15
3.3 Mounting structure as
well as panel construction 27 days Wed 12-09-
18 Thu 18-10-18 16
3.4 Solar panel
construction 29 days Fri 19-10-18 Wed 28-11-18 17
3.5
Electrical collection
system and project
substation
30 days Thu 29-11-
18 Wed 09-01-19 18
3.6 Mounting of the
supporting structures 21 days Thu 10-01-
19 Thu 07-02-19 19
3.7 Solar panel and
inverters installation 32 days Fri 08-02-19 Mon 25-03-19 20

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3.8 Connecting to the grid 27 days Tue 26-03-
19 Wed 01-05-19 21
3.9 Monitoring the entire
system setup 28 days Thu 02-05-
19 Mon 10-06-19 22
3.10
Milestone 3:
Completion of execution
phase
0 days Mon 10-06-
19 Mon 10-06-19 23
4 Closure phase 20 days Tue 11-06-
19 Mon 08-07-19
4.1 Post project review 7 days Tue 11-06-
19 Wed 19-06-19 23
4.2 Stakeholder sign off 3 days Thu 20-06-
19 Mon 24-06-19 26
4.3 Documentation 10 days Tue 25-06-
19 Mon 08-07-19 27
4.4
Milestone 4:
Completion of closure
phase
0 days Mon 08-07-
19 Mon 08-07-19 28

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Analysis of Gantt chart
Figure 2: Gantt chart
(Source: Created by Author)
The Gantt chart that is provided above is mainly created for the construction of Australia’s largest
solar plant and it reflects that the project work will get accomplished in 363 days by utilizing budget of
around $275 million. The Gantt chart is mainly categorized into four different steps including initiation
phase, planning phase, execution phase as well as closure phase. In the initiation phase, proper case for
the entire project is created and the project manager undertakes cost benefit analysis for checking the