Construction Management in Developing Countries, Lecture 8, Project Pperation and Maintenance in Developing Countries, impediments in implementation of planned maintenance

1. Chapter 8
Project Operation and Maintenance
(in developing countries)
(4 hours)
Prof. Dr. Hari Krishna Shrestha
Center for Postgraduate Studies
Nepal Engineering College
Changunarayan Municipality, Kathmandu

2. Importance of O&M
• Hundreds of projects around the world demonstrate how the newly built
infrastructure deteriorates after the project’s termination. Therefore, it is
imperative to plan for operation and maintenance (O&M)…
• O&M activities encompass technical, managerial, social, financial and
institutional issues. O&M is a crucial element of sustainability, and a frequent
cause of failure of service facilities in the past. Many failures are not technical
ones. They may result from poor planning, inadequate cost recovery, or the
outreach inadequacies of centralised agencies (LSHTM/WEDC 1998).
• O&M has been neglected in the past, or been discussed and introduced only
after a project was completed. Delay in applying O&M has adversely affected
the credibility of the investments made, the functioning of the services, the
well-being of rural populations, and the development of further projects.
• Importance of O&M has gained considerable visibility over the past few years,
and it appears that policy-makers and project designers are now more
conscious of the direct links between improved O&M practices and the
sustainability of project services. There is also greater recognition of the need
to approach these projects in a comprehensive way, encompassing not only the
design and construction but also post-construction activities (BRIKKE 2000).
Source: http://www.sswm.info/category/planning-process-tools/ensuring-sustainability/tools-ensure-
sustainability/ensure-sustain-4

3. Construction Project Operation
• Construction Project is executed to create something new to achieve a specific
objective.
• Operation begins once the construction phase is completed.
• Operations are the ongoing execution of activities that produce the same
output, or provide a repetitive service.
• Operation is necessary to maintain and sustain the system and achieve the goals.
• Operations are permanent in nature, and their only constraint is to make profit
for the organization.
• O&M refers to all of the activities needed to run a project/scheme, except for
the construction of new facilities. The overall aim of O&M is to ensure:
• efficiency, • effectiveness and • sustainability
of project facilities (adapted from CASTRO 2009).
Operation consists of:
• Smooth running of a project without any unplanned interruptions throughout its
lifespan.
• overseeing, designing, and redesigning daily operations
• managing process that converts inputs into outputs.

4. Objective of Project Operation
• To have regular expected level of goods and services from the
project
• At the right time (effectively)
• In reliable and sustainable manner (involves technical,
financial, social and environmental issues)
• With least cost (efficiently)
Potential Thesis Topic:
Analysis of Operation Model of Middle Marsyangdi HEP (or any other institute/project/line
agency)
How is it run on day to day basis? Does it have an operation manual (OM), and does it
cover all aspects of operation (technical, human resource, finance, social, environmental,
public relation, legal? Is the OM followed? Are the staff members aware of OM, and the
way to use it? How often the OM is updated, who updates it, are they trained? Does it
require updating? What are the weaknesses and strengths in the manual? How can the HEP
be made more efficient by improving the manual? Is the MM HEP’s OM very different than
manuals of other similar projects? What lessors can be learned from comparative analysis
of different manuals?
Will the MM HEP support preparation of your thesis, if it does not have OM yet?

5. Poor Project Operation can result in Project failure
Reasons for poor project operation:
• Lack of clear goals, objectives
• Goal incompatibility – conflict in objectives
• Lack of required technical skill
• Poor management skill
• Poor quality materials used in the project
• Material sizes used are not readily available
• Lack of updated operation manual or improper
manual use

6. Operational Activities
• Planning the operation
• Implementing the plan
• Monitoring the operation
• Adjustment of the plan in response to
monitoring
Potential thesis topic: Trend of operation cost in
irrigation/hydropower/micro-hydro/water supply projects of Nepal;
Factors affecting operation costs in infrastructure development
projects in Nepal
Operation cost comparison in private vs. government vs.
community managed HP/WS/Sanitation/Irrigation/Housing projects

7. Maintenance
• Maintenance involves the technical
activities, planned or reactive, which
are needed to keep the system working.
Maintenance requires skills, tools and
spare parts (Carter 2009).
• Includes all actions which have the
objective of retaining or restoring an
item in or to a state in which it can
perform its required functions.
• Reduces the deterioration of asset and
prolongs its life, reduces operating cost,
pushes back need of much expensive
rehabilitation and reconstruction.

8. Objectives of Project Maintenance
• Increase economic life
• Maximize availability and reliability of all assets
• Extend life of asset
• Prevent system deterioration (structural, mechanical)
• Ensure operational readiness of all the
equipment/components
• Reduce services and problem in management by
reducing frequency and cost of rehabilitation
• Minimize frequency and severity of interruptions in
operation process.
• Enhance personnel safety
• Reduce project downtime
• Better project operation

9. Planned versus Emergency Maintenance
Planned (Preventive and Corrective) Maintenance
• Routine maintenance: small and simple maintenance works,
carried on regular basis, not requiring forecast and assessment of
specific nature.
• Recurrent maintenance: generally higher interval of time than
routine maintenance; may need identification and preparation of
cost estimate.
• Periodic maintenance: maintenance works carried out in intervals
of years. Normally larger maintenance, using skilled human
resource; identification and preparation of cost estimate needed
before starting.
Emergency (Reactive) maintenance: carried out immediately after
unwanted/unplanned incident or after public complaint; can be
due to natural or human induced disasters.
A stitch in time saves nine.

10. Preventive and Corrective Maintenance
• Preventive maintenance: includes work that is planned and carried out
on a regular basis to maintain and keep the infrastructure in good
condition, such as network inspection, flushing of the well, cleaning and
greasing of mechanical parts and replacement of items with a limited
lifespan. It sometimes also includes minor repairs and replacement as
dictated by the routine examinations.
• Preventive maintenance is conducted before a breakdown occurs.
• Preventive maintenance is effective in preventing age (or fatigue) related
failures.
• Corrective maintenance: replacing or repairing something that was
done incorrectly or that needs to be changed; an example is the
reallocation of a pipe route or replacement of a faulty pump.
• Corrective maintenance is conducted after a breakage has occurred.
Normally more costly than preventive maintenance because
failure/breakdown itself causes multiple damage in other parts also.
Preventive maintenance is conducted to keep equipment working and/or extend the life of
the equipment.
Corrective maintenance (repair) is conducted to get equipment working again.

11. Types of Maintenance
Maintenance
Planned
Preventive
Routine Recurrent Periodic
Predictive Corrective
Shutdown Breakdown
Unplanned/
Reactive
Emergency
planned corrective: Regular budget allocation (cumulative) for sudden project shut down;
projected downtime in hydropower or water supply projects, overhaul or replace bridge
after its service life, replace major components after design life.

12. Planned Maintenance Management System
• Restoration of asset is a challenge which can
be achieved by a planned maintenance
management system (PMMS), comprising of a
series of interdependent routine, recurrent,
periodic and emergency activities.
• The key to ensuring effective maintenance is
to make certain that responsibilities are
clearly defined and maintenance personnel
have the tools and skills to do their job
effectively. It is also essential to schedule
preventive maintenance.
Can you develop PMMS for your organization, as an output of your thesis?

13. Functional Status of the Projects
S.N Status Criteria No of
Schemes
Covered
HHs
Coverage
(%)
1 Well managed projects 7,464 373,295 17.91
2 Minor repaired required 16,935 809,996 38.85
3 Major repair required 4,375 246,481 11.82
4 To be rehabilitated 4,967 437,800 21.00
5 To be reconstructed 3,438 189,756 9.10
6 Projects not possible for re-
operation
467 27,008 1.30
7 Others 15 530 0.03
Total 38,307 2,084,866 100
Source: Nationwide Coverage and Functionality Status of Water Supply and Sanitation in
Nepal, Final Report, National Management Information Project (NMIP), Department of
Water Supply and Sewerage (DWSS), Panipokhari, Kathmandu, March 2011

14. Design aspect of O&M
• Ease of O&M should be made an integral part
of project design
• Design optimization to reduce O&M cost
• Level of technology chosen in the design
should be suitable for easier O&M (rural vs.
urban, local vs. central)
• Project components/parts chosen in the
design should be available for O&M
• Standardization of equipments/parts will ease
O&M

15. Community Management for O&M
For the projects owned and operated by community:
• community ownership and management approach
facilitates effective O&M
• End-users directly responsible for the O&M
• “owner’s manual” prepared by the contractor and
engineer at the onset of the planning process, keeping
the community O&M in focus:
– schedule and procedures for maintenance
– methods to carry out tasks such as bookkeeping, paying
employees, collecting bills (utility management),
inspection, refurbishments, replacement of parts, etc.
– What to do? When to do? How to do? Whom to contact?
Contact numbers…

16. Capacity Building for O&M
• Correct, unambiguous information at the right
time required for proper operation
• Training of “how to use correctly”, and do’s and
don’ts for proper operation
• training on technical matters, accounting and
simple financial management, basic contract
procedures, and monitoring and reporting
• Training to local officials
• Training to local technicians and O&M crew
• ToT to NGOs

17. Organizing and Planning O&M
• Organising for O&M does not represent a huge
task, but it does require certain level of planning,
commitment and monitoring. The aspects to be
organised are:
• What: the activity which is to be carried out
• When: the frequency of this activity
• Who: the human resources required for the task
• With what: what are the logistical support
(materials, spare parts, tools and equipments)
needed.
Potential thesis topic:
Trend of maintenance cost in irrigation/hydropower/micro-hydro/water supply
projects of Nepal;
Factors affecting maintenance costs in infrastructure development projects in Nepal
Maintenance cost comparison in private vs. government vs. community managed
projects

18. Example table for the type of tools which have to be developed
to support the O&M of a new infrastructure. The example relates
to the O&M of a septic tank (adapted from CASTRO 2009):

19. O&M Manual
O&M manual is a living document. It should be flexible to accommodate changes,
periodically updated based on experience and as organization matures.
O&M manual may include topics such as:
• Installation and configuration operations and associated definitions
• System maintenance, updates and upgrade policies, procedures, and schedules
• Proper and improper handling and maintenance of different types of equipment
• Database scheme, network typology, and flowcharts used to illustrate items such
as system design, data communications, program logic, and the relationship
between network nodes.
• Instructions for opening/closing and starting/stopping applications, devices, and
services under various conditions
• Procedure and sequences describing backup routines, media type, storage
locations, and schedules
• Security controls for staff, facilities, infrastructure and emergency response
procedures
• Frequently asked questions and troubleshooting techniques for common issues
• Roles, responsibilities and contact information for key personnel and support staff
• Other miscellaneous and/or relevant items

20. Characteristics of O&M Manual
• Easy: to understand, easy language, unambiguous
• Accessibility: stakeholders should have easy access
(hardcopy/softcopy, website)
• Jargon: no jargon, not loaded with abbreviations
• Regulations: related regulations, acts should be provided
• Manuals: multiple copies of the manuals, department-wise manuals
• Style: consistent style, text, sectioning
• Author/Editor: author and editors to be different persons
• Align: align with policies and procedures of organization
• Update: should be updated based on experience
• Educate: Train stakeholders and staff, continually reinforce O&M
practices
• Lessons: review previously used O&M, learn lessons from O&M
implementers, and update

21. Activities in preparation of an O&M Manual
• Identify the types of O&M required
• Identify information sources and information to be used in the
manual
• Identify and engage appropriate stakeholders and subject matter
experts (SME)
• Identify and incorporate SME inputs
• Develop each O&M manual
• Obtain approval from stakeholders and publish manual
• Test, train and exercise to reinforce and validate manual
• Prepare personnel through training and awareness campaign
• Document lessons learned and incorporate them in updated O&M
manual
• Treat O&M manual as living document and update them regularly,
to remain current with operational and system changes

22. Some common types of O&M Manual
• Product installation and maintenance manuals
• System description, operations, backup and recovery manuals
• Data and software administration manuals
• Human resources and personnel manual
• Help desk support manuals
• User Manuals
• Emergency and safety manual
• Quick reference guide
• Job aids
• Run book
Source: CDC Unified Process Practices Guide, 2008, O&M Manual, Department of
Health and Human Services, USA
Let us assign presentation topic. Presentation to be prepared and made in Nov 28 & 30,
2016. Report in MS Word format, by Dec. 7, 2016. (Tentative)