ENGN6001 Engineering for a Sustainable Future Management

What’s on Week 1?

The biggest news for this week is to get a start on the scenario assessment! so head to the assessment tasks area and check it out.  You’ll find the Scenario Discussion board in the the Week 1 Forum.

• You need to complete part A of class challenge 2.
• keep working on class challenge 1 (due at the end of week 2)
• Make sure you participate in the scenario discussion and submit your completed D&R Log for week 1

Scenario Topic 1 – Advisor to the Minister

In this first week you are to undertake the role of the advisor to ‘The Minister’ for National Government. The Minister will be responsible for issuing a set of ‘Minister’s Sustainability Requirements’ as part of the approvals process.

The Minister would like to you (The Advisor) to provide advice regarding stakeholder groups, particularly to identify stakeholder groups, their interests, sustainability perspectives and potential conflicts.

1. Download the Exec Summary of the Phase 1 Report.Become familiar with the context of this report. Key elements of the government position in Week 1 are as outlined in this Stage 1 Report. Available here (https://infrastructure.gov.au/rail/publications/high-speed-rail-study-reports/phase1.aspx)
2. Identify who are the stakeholders involved or affected, using a salience model.
3. Discuss (here) what their interests and sustainability perspectives might be;
4. Identify the related conflicts that may need to be resolved.
5. Place your thoughts as a post in the discussion board below
6. Attah your week 1 Decision & Reflection Log (D&R log) here.

Governments make a policy commitment to add an international airport at Goulburn.  This new airport has a need to be serviced by the HSR.

Scenario Week 2 – Adviser to the Minister Part 2

The HSR project has now been approved by the relevant state governments and has national government backing.

The project proponents have now applied to The Minister to receive the ‘Minister’s Sustainability Requirements’ as part of the approvals process to enable them to commence detailed planning and consultation. Your role is to undertake the role of the advisor to The Minister and provide a briefing note to The Minister with your recommended ‘Minister’s Sustainability Requirements’. This is to include detail on how these Requirements relate to the previous stakeholder identification and assessment task. Note that only the Requirements need to be listed in your weekly post. Your briefing note should be developed over the next 2 weeks and then also attached to your week 2 discussion board.

• Download the Full Report of the Phase 1 Report. Available here
• Consider each of the frameworks discussed in Topic 2 (week 2 of Perci) and how they apply to the ECHSR.
• Review how these provide for stakeholders and the strengths & shortcomings.
• Develop a list of ‘Minister’s Sustainability Requirements’ that the project will be required to address in the subsequent stages (Topics 3 – 6).
• Attach your week 2 Decision & Reflection Log (D&R log) here.
• Use the list from above in the developed of the Minister’s Briefing Note – to be submitted  here as a document in addition to your D&R log – can be in the same or different post. (additional 4 marks).  You can use any format you would like, provided it is between 1 to 2 pages (maximum) in length. You can find examples by google searching  for  Ministerial Brief Template. 

Governments make a policy commitment to add rural communities as expanded centres under the centres policy at Seymour, Albury Wagga , Goulburn, Taree, Kempsey, Coffs Harbour, Grafton and Lismore.

Scenario Week 3 – Strategic Planning Manager Part 1

Stakeholder Review

The ‘Minister’s Sustainability Requirements’ have been published and now the HSR proponents will need to incorporate them into the project design from concept through the delivery.In Topic 3 the focus now changes and you are to carry out the role of Strategic Planning Manager for the HSR proponents.

Utilising a framework of your choice (however you must justify your choice by comparing frameworks) develop a concept development process that enables the ‘Minister’s Sustainability Requirements’ to be incorporated into the concept design.

Particularly consider what key design elements of the HSR may need to be compromised to address the Requirements.

1. Develop a concept development process that enables the ‘Minister’s Sustainability Requirements’ to be incorporated into the concept design
2. Use the framework/s of your choice.
3. Consider the types of compromises you might be asked to make and how you might deal with these conflicts.
4. Reflect on the Scenario Change for this week
5. Reflect on the impact of the decisions you made in the Advisors role on this week’s tasks and include your week 3 Decision & Reflection Log (D&R log) here.

What’s on this week?

Now to this week, for this week:

• Don’t forget you need to complete your D&R Log and discussion
• Class Challenge 3 Part A is due this week!
• It would be good to start thinking about how you will structure your final report, maybe even aim to create a table of contents this week. (check the marking criteria as a guide to the table of contents)

Governments decide to open up the terms of reference to include maglev options; COP21 implications on carbon lead to role for the ECHSR to provide fast trips from outer suburbs of the major cities to reduce car usage. As Strategic Planning Manager, how do you incorporate opportunities for improving sustainability outcomes that could open up because of this decision?

Scenario Week 4 – Strategic Planning Manager Part 2 

In your role as Strategic Planning Manager for the HSR proponents; working from your concept development process, develop a clear ‘Project level top level specification’ that enables the downstream Delivery Teams to clearly understand the sustainability outcomes expected from the project so they can engage fully with taking these into the project delivery life cycle. (see attached guide for Top Level spec.)

1.Working from your concept development process, develop a clear Project level top level specification that enables the downstream Delivery Teams to clearly understand the sustainability outcomes expected from the project so they can engage fully with taking these into the project delivery life cycle.The ‘Project level top level specification’ is to be posted here as a separate document from your D&R Log (it may be in the same or a different post)

2.Reflect on the Scenario Change for this week

3.Reflect on the impact of the decisions you made in the Advisor’s role on this week’s task.

4.Remember to discuss some aspect of the Scenario in the discussion board below and include your week 4 D&R log here.

What’s on this week? (Week 5)

Welcome to week 5, hope you are all going well and ready for the last two weeks of effort!  This week we have;

• Usual Scenario D&R log and discussion. Getting close now… how will it all work out?
• Class Challenge 3 Part B

Hopefully you created a table of contents for your final report last week.  Try to create dot points this week of the major things you’ve done or thought so far against each heading.  It would be good to discuss any questions about this at the end of Wednesday’s webinar.

Funding constraints lead to a need to stage the implementation of the ECHSR. In your collective role as planning and engineering manager; develop and recommend a staging plan that gives the best opportunity to realise the sustainability outcomes as quickly as possible.

Scenario Week 5 – Engineering Delivery Manager Part 1

The focus has again changed and now you are to undertake the role of Engineering Delivery Manager during the detailed design phase of the HSR project.

1.Develop a delivery process that enables the sustainability outcomes and the concept design to be developed into detailed designs that realises the sustainability expectations.

2.Think about what issues you might come across in your engineering teams compared to business as usual.

3.How would you deal with shaping the culture in your teams to embrace the concepts of engineering for a sustainable future?

4.What engineering initiatives could be being applied to reduce the environmental and social impacts of the ECHSR systems?

5.Reflect on the Scenario Change for this topic

6.Reflect on the impact of the decisions you made in the Advisors role on this topic’s task

7.Reflect on the impact of the decisions you made in the Strategic Planning role on this topic’s task

8.Place your thoughts as a post in the discussion board below  and include your week 5 D&R log here.

What’s on this week? (Week 6)

Scenario Week 6 – Engineering Delivery Manager Part 2

The project is moving beyond detail design and you are shifting your focus to overseeing construction, commissioning and operational readiness.

1.Think about the issues you might come cross in your construction and commissioning teams compared with business as usual.

2.How would you deal with shaping the culture in these teams to embrace the concepts of engineering for a sustainable future?

3.What would you do to maximise the likelihood of operations and maintenance managers embracing the sustainability potential incorporated into the ECHSR system and why?

4.Reflect on the Scenario Change for this topic

5.Reflect on the impact of the decisions you made in the Adviser’s role on this topic’s task

6.Reflect on the impact of the decisions you made in the Strategic Planning role on this topic’s task

7.Place your thoughts as a post in the discussion board below  and include your week 6 D&R log here.