DUBAI ELECTRICITY & WATER AUTHORITY (DEWA) PROJECTSCASE
Background
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) delivers world-classservices of electricity and water that meet the highest standardsof availability, reliability and efficiency. DEWA serves over800,000 customers across Dubai, a flourishing global cityconsidered as a leading hub of business activity in the Middle Eastand Northern Africa regions. Since its inception in 1992, DEWA hasevolved and grown, measuring and adjusting the ways it serves itscustomers and integrating project management across theorganization.
The Challenge
Dubai has experienced an unprecedented growth over the last twodecades that transformed the city and propelled its gradual rise toglobal business prominence. This growth added complexity to thealready daunting task of providing water and electricity servicesto consumers and businesses in a region with a population thatexceeds two million. In 2014 alone, water connections increasednearly 30 percent, rising from 23,350 in 2013 to 30,000. The powerdemand increased another five to six percent in 2015.
“To keep pace with this growing demand for water and electricityservices, the advent of green technologies, and the push towardrenewable energy, DEWA strives to achieve the leadership visionwhich was translated into the federal and local strategies. Theseinclude the UAE Centennial 2071, the UAE Vision 2021, the DubaiPlan 2021, and the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, ensuring thesustainable development of Dubai, to make it the happiest andsmartest city in the world,” said His Excellency Saeed Mohammed AlTayer, Managing Director and CEO of DEWA.
The Issue
As more and more projects were initiated, DEWA’s leadershipdiscovered that standard project management practices were notbeing observed across the organization.
1. Identify and describe the multiple range of problems that DEWAwould have faced due to standard project management practices notbeing followed.
2. What can be the most possible outcomes of initiating multiplemega projects without following the project integration managementprocesses?
3. In your opinion, how can these issues be solved? If you were oneof the project managers of DEWA, what actions would you propose tothe top management?