THESIS ABSTRACT

Abstract

Hydropower is a cornerstone of Nepal's clean energy strategy, crucial for driving economic growth and advancing sustainable energy solutions, particularly with its rapid development in Koshi Province. As a reliable and cost-effective renewable energy source, hydropower's success hinges on efficient project management and the effective utilization of Project Management Tools and Techniques (PMTT), which are vital for enhancing project efficiency and minimizing time and cost overruns. Despite their global success in complex projects, hydropower projects in Nepal still face challenges, including significant delays and cost overruns, which undermine their full potential and benefits. The primary objective of this research is to assess the current status, impacts on project performance, barriers, and strategies for effective utilization of PMTT in hydropower projects within Koshi Province, Nepal. A mixed-methods approach is employed for data collection and analysis, incorporating both questionnaire surveys and Key Informant Interviews (KII). Engineers representing Clients, Consultants and Contractors involved in hydropower projects in Koshi Province participated in the survey. The statistical tools such as Bloom's Cutoff and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) using SPSS, have been carried out for quantitative data analysis and thematic analysis for the data collected through KII. The findings of the study indicate that the utilization of PMTT in hydropower sector is predominantly low. The major impacts of PMTT on project performance are project efficiency and optimization, quality assurance and risk management, cost effective, and enhanced documentation quality. Likewise, comprehensive project and financial management, project quality and stakeholder satisfaction, and market competitiveness and reputation are the principal impacts of PMTT on overall project success. The findings indicated that implementation and adoption barriers, planning and organizational deficiencies, management and expertise shortcomings, financial and cost constraints, and communication and governance issues are the significant barriers for utilizing PMTT. vii The main strategies identified to overcome the barriers and make effective utilization of PMTT includes mandating PMTT in bidding, enhancing training and communication, optimizing tools, and strengthening governance with clear organizational structures and recruitment of competent personnel at key positions. These strategies aim in enhancing project productivity, reducing cost overruns, and ensuring timely project completion.

Keywords

Hydropower is a cornerstone of Nepal's clean energy strategy, crucial for driving economic growth and advancing sustainable energy solutions, particularly with its rapid development in Koshi Province. As a reliable and cost-effective renewable energy source, hydropower's success hinges on efficient project management and the effective utilization of Project Management Tools and Techniques (PMTT), which are vital for enhancing project efficiency and minimizing time and cost overruns. Despite their global success in complex projects, hydropower projects in Nepal still face challenges, including significant delays and cost overruns, which undermine their full potential and benefits. The primary objective of this research is to assess the current status, impacts on project performance, barriers, and strategies for effective utilization of PMTT in hydropower projects within Koshi Province, Nepal. A mixed-methods approach is employed for data collection and analysis, incorporating both questionnaire surveys and Key Informant Interviews (KII). Engineers representing Clients, Consultants and Contractors involved in hydropower projects in Koshi Province participated in the survey. The statistical tools such as Bloom's Cutoff and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) using SPSS, have been carried out for quantitative data analysis and thematic analysis for the data collected through KII. The findings of the study indicate that the utilization of PMTT in hydropower sector is predominantly low. The major impacts of PMTT on project performance are project efficiency and optimization, quality assurance and risk management, cost effective, and enhanced documentation quality. Likewise, comprehensive project and financial management, project quality and stakeholder satisfaction, and market competitiveness and reputation are the principal impacts of PMTT on overall project success. The findings indicated that implementation and adoption barriers, planning and organizational deficiencies, management and expertise shortcomings, financial and cost constraints, and communication and governance issues are the significant barriers for utilizing PMTT. vii The main strategies identified to overcome the barriers and make effective utilization of PMTT includes mandating PMTT in bidding, enhancing training and communication, optimizing tools, and strengthening governance with clear organizational structures and recruitment of competent personnel at key positions. These strategies aim in enhancing project productivity, reducing cost overruns, and ensuring timely project completion.