STRUCTION: Read the case study below and answer the questions that follow.

Case Study: NEW ZEALAN D WIND FARM: Completed On$-$time and Within Budget Despite Record Storms

Despite its remote location, uns table terrain, and torrential rec ord$-$breaking s torms that swept away a bridge and closed the area for four m onths $,$

New Z ealand built a wind farm o n$-$ ti m e and within b ud ge t$.$ H ow was this c h alle ngin g tas k acc omplis hed? By employing effectiv e project

management and using the correc t tools and tec hniques to ens ure end res ults matc hed with strategic goals $,$ N ew Z ealand$$s T e Apiti W ind F arm

Project was completed in the most profitable and efficient way.

Background

In light of significant power s hortages and limited forms of av ailable power generation across N ew Z ealand, it has bec ome inc reasingly important to

ex plore more div ers e ty pes of pow er generation. And, due to the country$$s mountainous terrain, harnes sing renewable energy is s een as an ideal

opportunity. Meridian Energy Ltd$.$ is N ew Z ealand$$s larges t state$-$owned renew able energy generator. It c ommitted to ex ploring a w ind farm project

and identified a target site before undertaking extensive consultation with the community. From this i t shaped the project to meet the expectations

and w is hes o f the c ommunity during the planning proc ess $.$ Public c ons ultation c ommenc ed i n May $2003,$ and full c ons ent w as granted within

four days of the hearing. Work started on the Te Apiti site on $10$ November $2003.$

Challenges

The k ey c hallenges for the team w ere to work i n the physic ally demanding env ir on m en t$,$ adhere to la nd ow ners $$ requirements and meet

all the key projec t milestones $.$ Ov er $20$ k m of roadw ays w ould need to be c ons truc ted and $40$ k m ofunderground c abling ins talled. T he terrain o f

the $1150$ hec tares s ite presented many additional c hallenges : there w ere numerous gullies, s treams $,$ s teep drop$-$offs and uns table soil, and a

major Natural Gas C orporation pipeline ran through the s ite. The plan c alled for T e Apiti to be the firs t w ind farm i n N ew Z ealand c onnec ted

directly into the national pow er s ourc e grid, and be one o f the firs t new pow er s tations subject to the requirements o f the Elec tricity Governance

Rules.

Meridian therefore had to demons trate compliance with the tec hnical requirements o f the system operator i n order to ensure that the operation

and s ec urity of the grid w ould not b e c ompromis ed$.$ F rom its c ommencement in N ov ember $2003,$ the projec t s uffered adv ers e w eather c onditions

with double the ex pected rainfall. On $6$ February $2004,$ rainfall peaked with a $50-$year storm record, followed by a $100-$year s torm on $16$ February $.$

The rainfall brought the area$$s highes t recorded flooding, and a civil e mergenc y was declared. H owever, the floods c aused little proble ms onsite due to d ilig en t environmental management, although the main acc ess bridge w as s w ept aw ay $,$ and the Manaw atu Gorge$$the main water route$$

was closed for four months $,$ limiting site access to a single route. Due to the flood and resulting infrastruc ture damage, key challenges included:

$$ working with the local government to restore the destroyed bridge$$

$$ revising the work schedule when all contractors $,$ facilities and staff were required to assist with flood recovery incompliance with

the Civil Emergency Act$$

$$ stabilizing existing roads to ensure consistent delivery of materials $$

$$ maintaining and updating daily and weekly schedules to meet program targets$$ and

$$ acquiring additional resources to support the project team.

Solutions

Meridian Energy, its consultants and its contractors worked as a seamless team to meet the Te Apiti project challenges. A well$-$defined, allencompassing project plan provided clear direction and purpose. The skilled and proficient projectmanagement team, which was committed to

designing and constructing a first class project, formed the foundation for the structured approach. The team used project management practices to

develop the project plan and charter and integrate actions to develop a strong team culture, and ensure good management practices,

transparent and positive decision making processes and delivery, and clear communication between all parties. Daily on$-$site meetings and

weekly senior management meetings with all vendors helped achieve these goals. According to the project charter, the project team, equipment

suppliers and subcontractors were to take a collaborativ e approach. Project managem ent practices facilitated this approach and enabled the

team to anticipate, define and solve broader system problems. This was essential to gettingthe work done before the target completion date.

The project team also applied project management skills to risk management using A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge

$($PMBOK$$ Guide$)$Third Edition, which outlines method