PMI Virtual Library 2009 Muhammad Javeed Sarwar

Project Management and Planning in Telecommunication Restoration Projects: The Key to Success in Flood Disaster Recovery
By Muhammad Javeed Sarwar, PMP, PE

isaster is a Latin word and re-construction projects Most restoration and remeaning bad star are managed and planned in a construction projects are managed professional manner, with proper and is defined as an occurrence having ruinous planning in project management and planned in a professional results, with such occurrences being the key to their success. In including natural and manthis article, we will focus on projects manner, proper planning in made events. Disasters, relating to the restoration project management being the which can negatively affect of telecommunication infrastructure the health, property, and in flood-affected areas. key to their success. livelihood of the people within the disaster area, often results in permanent changes to the societies involved, to the Affects of Flood on Telecommunication Networks environment and ecological system. Natural disasters such as The telecommunication systems are highly susceptible to floods, earthquakes, landslides, cyclones, and human-induced physical destruction due to flood, which can disturb the disasters such as war, terrorism, fire, and accidents, indeed exchanges and cable network infrastructure. High-level floods cause severe damage to the life and property throughout the cause congestion/overloading of telecommunication networks world every year. Floods remain the most frequent form of and, in general, incur damage to the following aspects of the natural disaster in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, the United telecommunication infrastructure: States, China, Indonesia, and Russia. The resulting damage Satellite gateways switches depends on the intensity and magnitude of the flood. The Microwave towers and exchanges major challenges commonly caused by flood are loss of human Cellular BTS (base transceiver station) towers lives, destruction of infrastructure, damage to public properties Cables for LAN (Local Area Network) and exchange and health services, shortage of food supplies, and interruption buildings of government administrations in affected areas. Optical fiber cables Relief/restoration programs are integrated with public Internet backbone/services and government administration, thereby ensuring smooth Power supplies in the area, thereby affecting all of the management in the flood-affected areas. Most restoration telecommunication facilities

Disaster Management Cycle for Telecommunication Restoration Projects All types of disasters, including floods, must go through a well-defined disaster management cycle. This cycle illustrates the ongoing process by which governments, businesses, and civil societies plan to promptly react during and immediately following the disaster and take appropriate actions for recovery. A typical disaster management cycle for restoration of telecommunication infrastructure consists of three phases: Phase I. This phase is normally short-lived (concluding within just days or weeks). It starts immediately after the flood as a short-term measure to meet the requirement of flood-affected people. The relief projects in this phase are aimed at restoration of basic telecommunication facilities required to support relief operations in the area. These projects are focused on achieving the following: Establishment of emergency communication (voice, fax and data services) through GMPCS (Global Mobile Personal Communications via Satellite), which includes: Thuraya satellite telephones, INMARSAT (International Maritime Satellite) terminals, Isat phones, BGAN (broadband global area network) terminals, and Iridium Satellite Telephones Establishment of VSAT (very small aperture terminal) communication for provision of voice, data, and video services Provision of Microwave communication through Mobile microwave platforms Provision of WLL (wireless local loop) communication to landline subscribers temporarily Establishment of exchanges/switches along with terminal equipment for provision of communication Installation of Microwave communication towers Engineering of public safety networks to provide basic voice communication to support interorganizational communication during flood relief operations Provision of emergency communication to sensitive installations/offices (e.g., police and fire departments) Phase II. Because the transition from relief to rehabilitation is rarely clear-cut, phasing has to be managed carefully. This phase consists of taking long-term measures for restoration work in a coordinated manner and starts when the situation in the flood-affected area becomes relatively normalized. At this stage, government, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and relief agencies establish their command, control, and communication network to supervise the

relief efforts (within 4- to 12-months maximum). The telecommunication restoration projects in this phase are focused on following: Survey/Feasibility study to ascertain damage to telecommunication infrastructure in the flood-affected area Establishment / repair of satellite gateways in the area Re-erection of damaged microwave towers Repair/construction of inundated exchanges, along with buildings and telecommunication node centers Revamping of BTS towers for restoration of GSM (Global System for Mobile) communication Laying/repairing of LAN/WAN (wide area network) cables Repair of optical fiber cable to restore the communication Restoration of internet connections Repair of damaged power distribution systems, standby generators and batteries Repair/installation of WLL systems Phase III. This phase starts once the flood-affected people start returning to their homes and is treated as an implementation/restoration phase, which is concluded within several months. During this phase, the telecommunication services/facilities are restored/extended to the homes/offices of flood affectees. These efforts include:: Restoration of exchanges/gateways services Provision of terrestrial/landline communication services to the subscribers Provision of internet facilities Elaborate communication arrangements for important departments (e.g., administration/police and fire departments) Preparation of comprehensive damage report covering the extent of damages and missing equipment All equipment installed during phase I (emergency) be removed/uninstalled and kept as a reserve Project Management Methodology in Telecommunication Restoration Projects Project management plays a significant role in costeffective and efficient execution of telecommunication projects, especially in flood-stricken areas. Needless to say, the major objective is to ensure that the project does not suffer in terms of quality, time, and cost overruns. Specific to telecommunication projects in flood disaster, project management methodology enhances restoration of telecommunication infrastructure, right from site survey to

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site installation/integration, with optimum manpower, so as to execute the project successfully in time. Chartering of Projects In project management, chartering outlines the project and provides it with a clear role and responsibilities, identifies stakeholders, and defines the authority of the project manager. In flood disaster management, the projects are chartered just after the beginning of relief work, and specialized technical teams/groups are constituted and assigned specific objectives to be accomplished within a specific timeframe, which is of crucial importance. Planning Considerations In order to plan telecommunication relief projects in floodaffected areas, the following specialized considerations must be kept in mind: Affected areas must be divided into divisions, subdivisions, and districts, while the layout of the telecommunication infrastructure is kept in view. Subdivisions and districts must be divided suitably so that they are compatible with allocated resources. The scope of work must be precisely estimated for each Sub-division/district. The extent of the damage must be kept in view while the requirement of resources for each subdivision and district is calculated. Resources must be allocated to each subdivision/district with clearly defined responsibility and authority. Human resources (technical teams) must be allocated according to the nature of work and the terrestrial requirement of each subdivision and district. Technical teams must be competent for undertaking the maintenance / installation responsibilities described in Phases I and II. Centralized management for procurement of telecommunication equipment. While the division/subdivision/districts are kept in view, communication channels for relief projects should be clearly defined/planned. Project Execution During the execution of the telecommunication relief projects, generally the project work is categorized as: Repair/maintenance of microwave towers, along with the antennas Installation/repair of satellite dishes, along with allied equipment

Construction/repair of exchanges, along with buildings Laying/repair of optical fiber / LAN cable Restoration of Internet services Project work is executed by responsible technical teams within their specified subdivisions/districts in consultation with the central executive body, which is responsible for management of entire relief project. The central executive body oversees and ensures the following: Management and coordination of telecommunication work for all subdivisions/districts Allocation of responsibilities Repair / maintenance status of telecommunication infrastructure Formulation of comprehensive damage report Reconstruction/repair of exchange buildings Supervision of procurement and logistics Inventory management Solving problems and creation of work-arounds in relief areas The success of telecommunication relief projects generally depends on the expertise of technical team members. Also, in a continuously changing environment, care must be exercised in ensuring quality construction / repair work. By using GIS (Geographical Information System), the status of telecommunication infrastructure maintenance / restoration work can be managed effectively, which may also be integrated with on-line project management software. Monitoring and Controlling Continuous monitoring and controlling are key to success in the restoration of telecommunication infrastructure projects. Due to the constraint of work in flood-affected areas with limited technical team members, the following need to be emphasized by the central executive body: Subdivision/districtwise progress on repair/maintenance of the towers/antennae should be exercised Supervised repair/maintenance of optical fiber cable and LAN for each subdivision/district Construction / repair of exchange buildings, along with allied equipment Availability of dedicated technical staff, according to requisite expertise at each phase gate Physical verification of technical aspects at each kill point (i.e., phase exit or milestone) by independent survey / audit teams Handling/coordinating changes efficiently within the

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boundaries of each subdivision/district reconstruction, and peace-building efforts. Moreover, the Formulating a comprehensive forecast through earned cooperation and coordination among the administration, the value technique / indices (e.g., SPI, CPI, ETC, and telecommunication hierarchy/community, and the general EAC). public is indispensable in enabling the prompt restoration Integrating on-line project of telecommunication facilities for management software resolving the problems of affected having GUI (Geographical people through administrative User Interface) on a echelons working in subdivisions The participation of engineers and / districts. Apart from amenity GIS can be helpful in monitoring / graphically value, all such projects also technical teams is critical in the plotting the progress facilitate project management of telecommunication restoration of telecommunications technical teams in learning restoration projects in different techniques/skills infrastructure, reconstruction, flood-affected areas thereby enhancing not only their In order to ensure smooth professional competency through and peace-building efforts. functioning of the project, lessons learned, but also a sense the status of each activity of accomplishment. should be monitored critically at node centers Monitoring/survey of telecommunication restoration About the Author work through satellite imagery including Google Earth Mr. Muhammad Javeed Sarwar, PE, PMP, is a (where applicable), in order to ensure the pace of work Telecommunication Engineering graduate from University according to a predefined timeframe of Engineering and Technology (UET), Lahore, Pakistan. He has worked on a variety of projects, primarily in the government sector, has held different managerial positions Conclusion in the government sector since 1984, and has worked on Telecommunication links are most frequently disrupted in flood-stricken areas; therefore, telecommunication restoration several telecommunication- and satellite-related projects. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and projects are launched to alleviate human sufferings and holds masters degree in project management as well as in improve the living standard of flood-affected people. The Satellite Communications from Punjab University, Lahore participation of engineers and technical teams is critical (Pakistan). in the restoration of telecommunication infrastructure,

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