3 Project m anagem ent

f r a :
l U A

Introduction

1 Read th e fo llo w in g d e fin itio n of'project'. Which w ords in

the d e fin itio n mean the same as deadline, budget and q uality
objective?

A project is a task or set o f tasks undertaken within specific

tim escales and cost constraints in order to achieve a Language focus 1: Project stages
particular benefit.
1 Look at the six-stage m odel o f project m anagem ent. Match
Business - The Ultimate Resource the w ords in the box w ith the words w ith sim ilar meanings
underlined in the sentences.
2 On a corporate level, projects can range in scale from
Stage 1 Proposal - identify the idea or need.
organising a stand at a trade show, developing a new p ro du ct
or service or b u ild in g a g ia n t sports stadium . Projects are also Stage 2 ’ Initial investigation - a 2brief 3overview of the possible
som ething individuals do in th e ir own lives. Note dow n the 4reauirements and solutions.
tim e, cost and q u a lity objectives o f a pro je ct th a t you have Stage 3 Detailed investigation - Undertake a feasibility study of the
com pleted in the last few years such as: options and define the chosen solution.
■ o rg an isin g a p a rty Stage 4 Development and testing - build the solution.
■ m a kin g a career ch a n g e Stage 5 Trial - 6pilot the solution with real people.
■ a rra ng ing a holiday
Stage 6 Operation and closure - 7put it into practice and close the
■ m o v in g house
project.
3 There is always conflict between the three variables o f tim e,
cost and quality. W hat m ig h t happen to the costs and q u a lity a first b sh o rt c needs d do e general view
f im p le m e n t g test s o m e th in g new
objectives in th e project you described above if you had half
th e tim e available? W hat w ould happen to your deadline and
2 Why do you th in k th e early stages o f pro je ct m anagem ent
q u a lity objectives if the b ud g e t was suddenly cut by 50%?
are considered to be the m ost im portant?
4 There are sim ilarities in approach to many projects. W ork in
pairs and loo k at the photos above. Choose one o f the fo llo w in g Transferable skill: Engaging w ith th e tex t
projects and consider the preparation needed:
One o f the best ways to im prove your understanding o f a te xt
■ a c lim b in g e x p e d itio n u p M o u n t Everest
is to engage w ith it actively and n o t sim ply passively take in
■ a sche m e to reduce tra ffic in a c ity cen tre
inform ation.
■ th e launch o f an e xcitin g n e w p ro d u c t
1 Read the follow ing opinions about project management and
m ark which ones you agree or disagree w ith or don't know about.
1 Projects need to be directed by a group o f people, not one
single individual.
2 You should always make a detailed plan o f the whole project
before you begin.
72 8 PR O JE C T M A NA GEM EN T
 3 Different projects require very different processes and
approaches.
4 The early stage o f a project (planning, testing, investigating)
takes 75% of the total time. research decreases the time o f completion. Good investigative
5 M aking changes to th e p ro je c t on ce it is in full o p e ra tio n is very work means clearer objectives and plans. In the early stages,
costly. creative solutions can slash delivery times by half and cut
6 Everybody in volve d in th e p ro je c t or affected b y th e p ro je c t costs dramatically. Once development is under way, changes
can be very costly.
should be e n g a g e d in th e project.
7 Frequent m e e tin g s m ake team s w o rk m ore closely tog e th e r. 5 Engage vour stakeholders and understand their current and
8 It's almost impossible to communicate with your team if you future needs. 5. The author agrees with this
A stakeholder is any person involved in or affected by a
have no plan.
project. The involvement o f stakeholders such as users and
9 Having a g o o d plan, c o m b in e d w ith th e rig h t co n tro ls and customers adds considerable value at all stages o f the project.
processes, can he lp to e lim in a te risk. Engaging the stakeholders is a powerful mover for change,
10 All good projects should come to an end. while ignoring them can lead to failure. When viewed from a
stakeholder perspective, your project might be just one more
2 Now read the te xt w hich follow s and decide w he th e r the problem they have to cope with. If their consent is required to
author agrees o r disagrees w ith each o f the above o pinions. make things happen, it is unwise to ignore them.
Compare your answers w ith a partner and explain w hy you 6.The author disagrees
6 Encourage teamwork and commitment. with this
agree or disagree w ith the text. The more closely people from different disciplines work and
the more open the management style, the better they perform.
Reading: The p rin c ip le s o f p ro je c t m a n a g e m e n t Although this is not always practical, closeness can be
achieved by frequent meetings and good communication.
1 Read the fo llo w in g extract from The Project Workout by
7 Monitor against the plan. 7. The author agrees with this
Robert Buttrick.
Good planning and control are essential for effective project
management. If you have no definition o f the project and
no plan, you’re unlikely to be successful. It will be virtually
impossible to communicate your intentions to the project team
1 Make sure vour projects are driven by benefits that support
and stakeholders. If there is no plan, terms such as ‘early’,
vour strategy. 1. The author agrees with this Tate’ and ‘within budget’ have no meaning.
You should be able to demonstrate explicitly how each
project you undertake fits your business strategy. It is Risk management is key: using a staged approach is itself a
essential to screen out unwanted projects as soon as risk management technique, with each stage acting as a formal
possible. The less clear the strategy, the more likely review point at which risk is put in the context o f the business
unsuitable projects are to pass the screening. benefits and costs of delivery. Projects are risky. It is essential
to analyse the project, determine which are the inherently
Each project should have a single project sponsor who risky parts, and take action to reduce, avoid, or, in some cases,
is accountable for directing the project and ensuring that
insure against those risks.
the expected benefits fit the strategy and are likely to be
realised. Despite all this foresight and care, things will not always go
2. The author agrees with this smoothly. Unforeseen issues do arise that, if not resolved,
2 Use a consistent staged approach to manage vour project. threaten the success o f the project. Monitoring against the
It is rarely possible to plan a project from start to finish. agreed plan is a discipline that ensures events do not take
However, you should be able to plan the next stage in those involved in the project by surprise.
detail and to the end o f the project in outline. As you
progress through the project you gather information, reduce 8 Manage the project control cycle. 8. The author agrees with this
uncertainty and increase confidence. Monitoring should focus more on the future than on what
3. The author agrees with this has actually been completed. The project manager should
3 Use a typical staged project framework. continually check that the plan is still fit for purpose and likely
You should use the same generic stages for all types o f to deliver the business benefits on time.
project. This makes the use and understanding o f the
process familiar and easier, avoiding the need to learn Many projects are late or never even get completed. One o f
different processes for various types o f project. This generic the reasons for this is ‘scope creep’: more and more ideas are
framework should then be tailored to take into account the incorporated into the project, resulting in higher costs and late
content of each project, the level o f activity, the nature of delivery.
the activity, the resources required and the stakeholders and 9 Formally close the project. 9. The author agrees with this
decision-makers needed. Finally, every project must be closed, either because it has
4. The author agrees with this
4 Place high emphasis on the early stages o f the project. completed its work, or because it has been terminated early.
High emphasis might mean that between 30% and 50% of By explicitly closing a project you make sure that all work
the project’s lifecycle is devoted to investigative stages. ceases, lessons are learned, and any remaining assets, funding
Studies clearly show that placing a heavy emphasis on or resources can be released for other purposes.

8 PROJECT MANAGEMENT 23
2 With a partner, w rite dow n six com prehension questions 2 Complete these sentences using some o f the verb/noun
on a separate piece o f paper th a t you can ask another pair o f com binations from exercise 1 .
students. C om plete the tw o h a lf-w ritte n questions below about 1 We are going to have t o __________________ if we want to get
Parts 1 and 3 o f th e text, and then w rite fo u r m ore questions the project finished on time.
a bo ut the rest o f the te x t on page 73 (Parts 4-9). W rite answers 2 Strong individuals may like taking control, but a good project
to your six questions on th e back o f the piece o f paper. manager w ill___________________
1 When is the best time to ...? (Part 1) 3 Successful project managers will have no problems in
2 Why is it a good idea to ... ? (Part 3) inside and outside the organisation.
Exchange your questions w ith a no the r pair o f students. 4 Unfortunately, we are going to have t o ___________________if
we want to get the project finished on budget.
Language focus 2: V e rb /n o u n com binations fo r project 5 It's important that w e ___________________and know exactly
planning what we need to do before we start the project.
6 After the last project failed, we need t o ___________________
1 W ith o u t loo king at the text, make collocations by com pleting
amongst the shareholders if we want to attract investment.
th e fo llo w in g table w ith the words below.
Critical analysis
in fo rm a tio n th e stakeholders costs de livery tim es
un w a n te d projects confidence te a m w o rk 1 The Reading text places a strong emphasis on planning, yet
what might be some o f the dangers o f too much planning?
Part 1 screen out unw anted projects 2 Many people m ight disagree that having frequent meetings
means that people will work well together. What other ways
Part 2 gather
are there o f building strong teams?
Part 2 increase

Part 4 slash

Part 4 cut

Part 5 engaging

Part 6 encourage

Now look at the te x t to check your answers.

O u tp ut: Scheduling a project Stage 1

In small groups, loo k at th e project schedule below. Discuss
You are at the early stage o f a proposed project to improve traffic w h a t order the stages shou,d |ogjca||y be done jn Comp!ete the
flo w in your local city centre. Your task is to hold a m eeting and co,umn marked Stage jn the ta b ,e
appropriately plan the different stages o f this tw o-year project.
Stage 2
Discuss how long each stage o f the pro je ct should take. Then
com plete the ta ble by shading in the cells. The first stage has
already been program m ed over three months.

Project Stage City Centre Traffic Management Project Schedule

Stage Year 1 Year 2

J F M A M J J A S 0 N D J F M A M J J A S 0 N I

Survey car and van drivers coming into the city centre

Put together project team, initial plan and schedule 1

Implement the selected traffic-flow solutions across the city

Propose selected solutions to key stakeholders to improve traffic flows

Measure car, van and bus traffic flows coming into city centre

Have preliminary meetings with all major stakeholders

Pilot and test possible solutions to improve traffic flow in one part of city

Monitor effectiveness of the new traffic-flow scheme

Visit other similar cities which use effective traffic-flow schemes

,1

74 8 P R O JE C T M A NA GEM EN T
 C ase study
8.2 Practice: Russian oil industry - Sakhalin-1 Project

Learning o u tc o m es
■ Get an insider's v ie w on o n e o f th e w o rld's b ig g e s t projects.
■ Learn fu tu re p e rfe c t and fu tu re c o n tin u o u s tenses.
■ Plan p ro je ct goals and objectives.

P r o je c t p r o file
Sakhalin-1 Project in the
Russian Federation is one
of the biggest oil and
gas projects in the world,
with projected reserves
estimated at 2.3 billion
barrels o f oil. In the first
phase o f the project,
engineers had to design
and drill highly complex
offshore wells from an
onshore rig using extended drilling for record-breaking distances
o f over ten kilometres, build oil terminals for storage and construct
a pipeline to transport the oil. In the second phase of the project,
an offshore platform was built. The operator of the project is Exxon
Profile: Russian oil industry - Neftegas Limited, which is an affiliate of the Exxon Mobil Corporation
Sakhalin -1 Project in the USA. Other participants in the Sakhalin-1 Project include
Russian, Indian and Japanese oil companies. Other stakeholders
The Russian Federation is on e o f the largest oil producers include the Russian government, the local government and the
and exporters in th e w orld, w ith proven reserves o f over population in Sakhalin. At the height of the project there were over
60 billion barrels o f oil. M ost o f these reserves are located 8,000 people from all over the world working there.
in isolated an d rem o te areas such as Siberia an d th e far
east o f th e country. S a k h a lin -1 Project is a vast oil and Is la n d p r o file
gas project o n th e island o f Sakhalin. The island of Sakhalin
is about 950 kilometres
long. It is a very remote
and isolated place in the
In tro d u c tio n
far east of the Russian
Look at the photos and read the b rie f profile above. Discuss the Federation, situated in an
following questions. earthquake and typhoon
zone. It is a nine-hour
1 What do you im agine th e living and w o rkin g conditions are
flight from Moscow,
like for people w orking on projects like this?
with a seven-hour time
2 What type o f personality and w h a t typ e o f skills do you th in k difference. Temperatures
people need to have to w o rk in the oil ind ustry in rem ote and reach minus 40°C and much o f the island is covered in snow, ice and
isolated locations? freezing fog for six months o f the year, with huge sheets o f moving
ice in the surrounding sea.This sea is also home to the endangered
3 Do you th in k you personally could w o rk in the Russian oil
grey whale. Mountains and forests cover most of the island, and
industry as a project m anager on site? W hy/W hy not?
bears and reindeer roam wild.There are over 60,000 rivers and
streams, many of them breeding grounds for wild salmon. The local
Reading: Sakhalin - th e place and th e project
population is under one million inhabitants - the main economic
1 Work in pairs. Student A should read th e project profile and activity is fishing.
Student B should read the island profile.

8 PROJECT MANAGEMENT 75
W ith o u t loo king back at th e text, tell your p artne r about w hat
you have read.

2 W hat do you th in k are some o f th e main challenges and

issues o f this project?

3 Look at th e table below and match th e issues and challenges

o f th e pro je ct w ith th e examples, e.g. 1 g.

Issues and challenges Examples

1 Living conditions a predicting the weather and the price o f oil

2 Health and safety issues b non-availability of off-road vehicles that go anywhere

3 Environmental concerns c establishing budgets / scheduling stages of the project

4 Dealing with the unknown d different working styles and attitudes in multinational teams

5 Political issues e working outside at temperatures of-40°C

6 Moving around the site f effect on the grey whale population

7 Working conditions g nothing to do in the evening

8 Technical and engineering issues h transporting material to the site

9 Logistical complexity i complex negotiations between the consortium and the Russian government

10 Intercultural communication issues j disagreements between different participants within the consortium and between
the consortium and the local and national government in Sakhalin and Russia

11 Stakeholder conflicts k long-distance drilling / building earthquake-proof structures

12 Initial project planning issues 1 procedures to prevent accidents and injury when dealing with heavy machinery on
site in isolated locations

Listening 1: Project o verview

2 W hat do you th in k HSE refers to in extract 6 ?

Business view 3 Before you listen again, can you rem em ber if the fo llo w in g
statements are true or false?
1 Extract 1:They used a tractor during building and excavation
works.
2 Extract 1:The Russian Niva four-wheel drive wasn't able to survive
in Sakhalin.
3 Extract 2: It's very difficult to correct mistakes made in the early
stages o f the project.
4 Extract 3:The pipeline was constructed in the Philippines.
5 Extract 4:The airport can close for more than tw o weeks during
bad weather.
6 Extract 4: No one responds to the office email during bad weather.
7 Extract 5: All material must be built for arctic conditions.
8 Extract 6:There were some major injuries on the project.
9 Extract 6: It was difficult to work with the HSE people.
10 Extract 7:There was only one channel on theirTV.

4 Listen again. Are the statem ents above tru e or false?

1 Listen to seven short extracts, w here Suleyman Narimanov
speaks about w orking on th e Sakhalin-1 Project. Match them to 5 W hat do you th in k you w ou ld fin d the hardest th in g about
seven o f the areas o f project m anagem ent in the left colum n o f living and w orking on Sakhalin-1 ?
Reading exercise 3 above.

76 8 PROJECT MANAGEMENT
 Listening 2: Focusing on tea m w o rk 2 W hich tense is used to do the follow ing?
1 To talk about something in progress in the future (or expected to
be in progress in the future)
1 when m ultinational teams live and w o rk to ge th er in a rem ote
2 To talk about something that is seen as already completed before
and isolated place there can be problems. W hat problems, as a
a certain time
result of cultural differences, m ig ht occur in the fo llo w in g areas?
3 The fu tu re p erfect is often used w ith phrases like by the end
■ food
o f next week, and the fu tu re continuous is often used w ith
■ languages
phrases like this tim e next week, etc.
■ a sense of humour
■ management styles Use th e fo llo w in g prom pts to make sentences using the fu tu re
■ levels of formality perfect or fu tu re continuous a bo ut your personal, professional
or study plans.
■ sports
by the end o f the day by the end o f the year
How can project managers help m u lticu ltu ra l teams get on
this time next week in a month's time
well and w o rk well together? How can the com pany help?
by the end of the month this time next year
3 Listen to the second part o f th e intervie w w ith Suleyman in a year's time
Narimanov and note dow n w h a t he says a bo ut the points
4 Complete these sentences w ith the correct form o f the verb in
below.
brackets, using the fu tu re perfect or fu tu re continuous.
1 The problems that can occur in multinational teams
1 We need to get on well, as w e ____________ together closely on
2 How the company can help people overcome cultural problems
this project, (work)
3 The problems o f having a senior manager from a different country
2 In another 10 or 15 years all the North Sea gas----------------------
to the rest of the team
(go)
4 The best ways to encourage good teamwork and comm itment
3 Within a month or tw o after graduating from this university, 98%
Intercultural analysis of those seeking jo b s ____________ one. (find)
4 Give me the report because I ____________ him some time next
Different cultures can exist in different departments within the week, (see)
same company. Discuss the following questions. 5 Fortunately, w e ____________ updating the server in time for the
1 Why do you think there is sometimes conflict between start o f the new project, (finish)
project managers and health and safety inspectors? 6 Without more state help, local com m unities---------------------the
2 Who deals with the following objectives: project managers or pain for years to come, (feel)
health and safety inspectors?
1 keep within the budget 2 reduce risk O u tp ut: Planning goals and objectives
3 do the job on time 4 follow procedures
You are going to take p art in a m eeting between project
managers fo r a Russian oil company and independent health,
safety and environm ental managers hired by the company.
Language focus: Future perfect and future continuous ( 0
Your aim is to agree on a project schedule th a t ensures the
The tw o tenses are form ed like this: jo b is done in record tim e w hilst m inim ising risk to the people
Future perfect: w ill + have + past p articiple o f the verb w orking on site.
Future continuous: w ill + be + -ing form o f the verb Stage 1
W ork in small groups. Half the groups should take th e role o f
1 Are the tenses in these sentences fu tu re perfect or
project managers (see page 140), w hile the other groups should
future continuous?
take th e role o f health, safety and environm ental managers (see
1 A representative will have phoned you by the end of the week.
page 144). Read the project m anagem ent team's schedule, the
2 So you'll be struggling for work next year.
notes and your role card and prepare fo r the m eeting.
3 111 have done the work you've just given me by the end o f next
week. Stage 2
4 He'll be working on this bridge this time next year. Conduct the m eeting and agree on the schedule.

8 PROJECT MANAGEMENT 77
8.3 Skills: Maintaining relationships

L earn in g o u tc o m e s
■ Discuss future arrangem ents w ith o th e r companies.
■ M aintain a g o o d relationship w ith o th e r com panies by using
indirect language.
■ Signal differing identities and groups using 'we'.

In tro d u c tio n

1 Look at th e fo llo w in g list. W hich ideas d o you th in k are th e

m ost im p o rta n t fo r d e v e lo p in g a g o o d business relationship?

s h o w in g respect at all tim e s seeing th e oth e r's p o in t o f v ie w

re a ch ing a c o m p ro m is e w h e re th e re are differences
a v o id in g c o n flic t n o t b e in g to o d ire c t in requests
s h o w in g th a t yo u are w o r k in g to g e th e r
b e in g h o n e s t an d o p e n at all tim e s

In w h a t ways are g o o d rela tio n sh ip s in business d iffe re n t fro m

o r s im ila r to personal friendships?

2 We o fte n use in d ire c t requests to be p o lite . For exam ple,

if you w a n t som eone to close a w in d o w , you co uld say, It's a
b it cold in here, isn't it? In pairs, discuss h o w you can m ake an
in d ire c t request fo r a pay rise. H ow m any d iffe re n t ways can you Td like a 150% rise.”
t h i n k o f to do this?

3 You w ill hear th e fo llo w in g in d ire c t request in th e Listening

w h ich fo llo w s. @ 0 2 1
So I guess the best w ay forw ard isju s t to kind o f leave you to sort o f 2 Listen to th e end o f a m e e tin g w he re th e accounts m anager
digest this. A n d then you know, we'll perhaps w a it for you to come back (Charles) and th e sales d ire c to r (Liam) fro m an IT co m p a n y are
to us a b o u t the next s ta g e ... ta lk in g to a c lie n t (Valentina). A nsw er th e fo llo w in g questions.
W hat exam ples o f in d ire c t la n gu ag e can you see? W hich 1 When does Liam say he can send the figures?
fu n c tio n s fro m exercise 1 m ig h t be addressed by th is ty p e o f 2 What is Valentina's response to this?
language? W h a t w o u ld be a d ire c t w ay o f req ue sting this? 3 In your opinion, w hy does Liam mention the football game
4 D irectness is som etim es seen as a g o o d th in g in in te rn a tio n a l between the tw o companies?
business m eetings. W hy d o you t h in k th is is?
C ritical analysis

Listening: A sales m e e tin g b e tw e e n IT com pan ies Read through the audio script o f the meeting on page 79, and
compare it w ith your role play in the Listening exercise.
1 W o rk in pairs to role pla y th e end o f a m e e tin g b etw e en a
1 How definite are the arrangements you made compared with
sales m an ag er and a client.
those in the audio script?
Sales m anager: You w ant to tell the client you will contact them
2 How did the participants on the recording try to build a
about the figures by next week and you will schedule another
relationship? What about you in your role play?
meeting when the client is ready. Try to develop a good relationship
3 Why do you think the speakers in the recorded meeting are
w ith the client.
so indirect?
Client: Try to be flexible about dates and try to develop a
relationship w ith the sales manager.

78 8 PRO JECT MANAGEMENT

 Language focus: S ig nallin g id e n titie s th ro u g h 'w e' r&: A u d io script
'We' is far m ore im p o rta n t in business th a n in everyday
com m unication. This is because, in b u s in e ss ,'w e '(a n d 'u s') can
Charles: ... well, 1mean we fully support that so it shouldn't
refer to d iffe re n t g ro up s o f p eo ple and com panies, and is used
be a problem.
to emphasise c o op eratio n. It can be used 'in c lu sive ly' - to ta lk
V alentina: Right. OK. That m ight be a cheaper thing for us to do.
about everyone - and 'exclusively' - to inclu de some people
Charles: OK.
(us), b u t n o t o thers (you /th em ). Some languages have d iffe re n t
V alentina: Right.
words fo r th e inclusive and exclusive use of'w e'.
Liam: So, we need to get those figures to you. We should
1 Look at th e fo llo w in g tw o exam ples: be able to get those to you this afternoon or

1 ... w e think you should be looking at this ... tomorrow.

2 ... so, w e agree on t h a t ... V alentina: Whenever. There's no hurry.

Liam: No?
In these exam ples, is 'w e ' inclusive or exclusive?
V alentina: No, just fit them in around w hat else you do. But it's
2 Here is a list o f some o f th e m ost c o m m on uses o f'w e ' in just useful information for us.
m eetings b etw e en d iffe re n t com panies. M atch th e uses o f'w e ' Liam: OK.
( 1 - 5 ) to th e explan atio ns (a-e). V alentina: Yeah.
1 Exclusive present'we' a it is unclear exactly who it refers to Charles: No problem.
2 Inclusive corporate'we' b both companies V alentina: Great.
3 Inclusive present'we' c the members o f the speaker's Liam: So, 1guess the best way forward is just to kind o f
4 Exclusive corporate'we' company who are present leave you to sort o f digest this. And then you know,
5 Vague'we' d all participants w ho are present we'll perhaps wait for you to come back to us
e the speaker's company, not the about the next stage. I'm sure you're going to have
other company some more questions.
V alentina: Probably.
3 In pairs, lo o k at th e a ud io scrip t o f th e m ee ting , and h ig h lig h t Liam: You know, really it's just about making this make
all the exam ples o f'w e ' and 'us'. Decide w h e th e r th e y are sense for you and for us.
inclusive or exclusive uses. V alentina: Yes. Thank you.
4 'We' o fte n emphasises co o p e ra tio n . W hy is it im p o rta n t to Liam: And I'm sure w ith all this stuff there's a way of
emphasise co o p e ra tio n in business? doing it where it's going to please us all. But 1think
next tim e we'll just get together and we'll work
In tercu ltu ral analysis everything out then.
V alentina: Great.
Some uses o f exclusive'we'can damage a relationship. For
Liam: OK?
example, if a British person says'We British are very polite'to
V alentina: Yes.That's great.Thanks very much.
somebody from another country, how m ight the listener feel?
Charles: OK. Right.
How could the speaker reword this?
Liam: And 1think we've g ot a football match the week
after next, haven't we?
Charles: Yes, 1spoke to Raj.
V alentina: Is that here?
Liam: Yeah.

O u tp u t: N e g o tia tin g sensitive a rra n g e m e n ts

Stage 1
In pairs, carry o u t tw o role plays. S tud en t A should lo o k at page
140, and S tu d e n t B sh ould lo o k at page 144.
Stage 2
H ow effe ctive w ere th e m eetings? W hat w o u ld you do
d iffe re n tly n e xt tim e?

W atch S e q u e n c e 4 on th e DVD to fin d out m o r e about M a n a g in g o p e r a tio n s.

8 PROJECT MANAGEMENT 79
Learning o u tc o m e s
■ Compare and contrast figures
and trends.
■ Write a report describing figures
and trends in graphs.
■ Understand the issue o f carbon
emissions across industries.

W ritin g skill: Describing graphs

The graph below predicts possible carbon emissions scenarios

if governm ents and o th e r policy-m akers fo llo w certain
regulations. Regulations could include lower speed lim its
fo r vehicles, energy efficiency standards fo r factories and
machinery, and p ro h ib itin g th e sale o f certain products such as
high-energy lig h t bulbs.

Evolution o f transmissions by major industrial

In tro d uctio n category for Targeted regulation scenario
■ Manufacturing
1 Are you w orried a bo ut global warm ing? W hy/W hy not?
□ Waste/fugitive
2 Which o f the possible effects o f global w arm ing below do you □ Agriculture
th in k is the biggest problem? Order them in terms o f seriousness: □ Land use
□ Buildings
■ rising sea levels
□ Transport
■ red uce d to u ris m
□ Power
■ species e x tin c tio n
■ w a te r shortages
■ increased disease

3 The need to reduce carbon emissions across industries to

slow dow n global w arm in g is o fte n discussed. Which o f the
fo llo w in g situations do you th in k are m ost likely to happen?
Which w ou ld have th e greatest effect?
2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
■ C onsum ers ch a n g e th e ir b e h a v io u r and d e m a n d lo w -c a rb o n Source: Carbon Trust and Oxera analysis
pro du cts. G tC 0 2e = Global tonnes o f CO, equivalent
■ G o ve rn m e n ts m ake regulations, such as a ca rb o n tax fo r h ig h -
1 Discuss these questions and make notes.
ca rb o n industries.
■ T e ch n ological advances (for e xa m p le e le ctric cars) lead to n e w
1 What does the brief description above the graph tell you?

ways t o c u t emissions.
2 What does the title o f the graph tell you?
3 What do the vertical and horizontal axes show?
4 D ifferent industries produce d ifferen t am ounts o f carbon. 4 What are the general trends over the 50-year period?
Look at th e pictures above, and m atch th em w ith these 5 How do emission level differences compare across differing
industries. Which one do you th in k produces th e m ost carbon, decades? Example: In the. ZOZOs ... However, in Z030 ...
and w hich produces th e least? 6 How do certain industries differ at the same point in time?
a power b a g ricu ltu re c m a n u fa c tu rin g d tra n s p o rt Example: In 2.040, the mcmw-facfcwring industry’s emissions
e w a ste disposal
2 Summarise the in fo rm a tio n on th e graph in one sentence.

80 W RITING 4: DESCRIBING GRAPHS

 Language focus: Com parisons a n d contrasts O u tp u t: D escrib in g a g ra p h

When describing graphs, tw o o f th e key fu n c tio n s are m aking The gra ph b e lo w shows th e p re dicte d effects o f te chn olo gical
comparisons and contrasts. advances in h e lp in g to solve th e p ro b le m o f carbon emissions
across m a jo r industries. Such advances could inclu de electric
1 What are th e mistakes in th e fo llo w in g sentences?
vehicles and cheap fo rm s o f renew able power, e.g. solar or
■ The percentage o f male and female executives is particularly the
m arine pow er.
same.
Evolution o f emissions by m ajor industrial
■ The company faced a considerably low return once it didn't sell
category fo r Technology scenario
enough to breakeven.
■ M anufacturing
2 Look at these d iffe re n t ways o f c o m p a rin g and co ntrastin g ■ W aste/fugitive
inform ation. □ Agriculture
□ Land use
1 A is____________ bigger than B.
□ Buildings
2 A is____________ the same as B.
□ Transport
3 A is____________ different from B.
□ Power
4 A is____________ as big as B.
5 A is.____________ the biggest.

Which o f th e fo llo w in g w ords can fit in to each gap in 1-5 above? 20

considerably v irtu a lly e xa ctly som ew hat to ta lly

c o m p le te ly q u ite about s lig h tly a gre a t deal
a p p ro x im a te ly by fa r n o t very
2000 2010 2020 2030 2040 2050

3 Look at th e gra ph on page 80 and com pare results fro m tw o Source: Carbon Trust and O xera analysis
points on th e tim e lin e using phrases fro m exercise 2 . G tC O ,e = Global tonnes o f C O , equivalent

Example: In 2.030, th e carbon emissions o-f th e power Industry Stage 1

are predicted to be considerably higher than In Z050. Sum m arise th e in fo rm a tio n by selecting and re p o rtin g th e
4 Look at th e mistakes b e lo w a b o u t th e g ra p h on page 80 and m ain features and m ake com parisons w he re relevant. You
correct th em . Some o f th e mistakes are language mistakes and sh ou ld w rite th re e paragraphs.
some are a b o u t th e c o n te n t o f th e graph. Paragraph 1: A general description o f the graph
1 The considerably biggest producer o f carbon is power. Paragraph 2: Explanation o f w hat is in the graph, starting with
2 The power industry produces exactly more C 02 than other comparisons o f general trends, moving to comparisons o f specific
industries. points
3 The building industry is unique in reducing its carbon emissions Paragraph 3: A one-sentence conclusion that summarises the
over the 50-year period. general trend in the graph
4 In 2020, the power industry will have the highest C02 emissions. Stage 2
On the other hand, it will have greatly increased compared to In sm all groups, discuss w h e th e r yo u r answers to exercise 3 in
2000 . th e In tro d u c tio n have changed.
5 Read these inco rre ct com parisons o f tre n d s d escrib ing th e
graph on page 80, and correct th em .
1 In the graph, C 02 emissions in the waste industry rise and then
fall over the 50-year period, whereas they fall steadily in the power
industry.
2 Overall, C 02 emissions gradually increase from 2000 to 2040 in
both the agricultural and the power industries.
3 Both the agricultural and manufacturing industries'emissions
peak at around 2025, and then decline steadily.