The project team should identify the implementation issues that may need to be resolved. Depending on the nature of the difficulties, they may need to be resolved either before the official commencement date of the project or during the construction period.
A project may face four broad types of difficulties:
• Administrative;
• Social;
• Legal; and
• Supply of materials for project construction.
Some of the typical administrative difficulties faced include land acquisition, utility shifting, lack of coordination between government departments, absence of clear rules, and undefined process and lack of control over the speed of decision-making in other government departments whose approval or concurrence may be required.
Ideally, land acquisition and the shifting of utilities and structures should be completed before the start of construction. Comprehensive site readiness is probably the single most important element to avoid delays in large, complex infrastructure projects. This requires early coordination between the physical works team and the teams preparing the social and environmental components.
Chief among the difficulties that are social in nature include agitation by local groups either against the project itself or some elements of it. Resistance against payment of increased tariff, new toll and agitation for more social benefits to local communities could also be common.
Critical attention needs to be given to the preparation and implementation of the social and environmental components of large projects. The resource needs for these components should be carefully assessed and made available in time. A large project may require relocation of households and other establishments. The impacts of such relocation (particularly public discontent) can be largely minimised by taking adequate mitigation measures through designing and implementing an appropriate resettlement and rehabilitation plan with the direct participation of the affected people.
The typical legal difficulties in implementation may include difference in the interpretation of tender conditions, grant of execution stay by court, violation of environmental and other laws, and consumer complaints. The project team should have the competency to deal with these matters.
The project may also face difficulties in getting the supply of right construction materials in time due to shortage of supply, price escalation and delay in the amendment of codes and specifications.
The project team should consider if any of such implementation difficulties would arise and how these may be resolved.