110Km 330KV Transmission Line and Substation Project Site Visit

It is unfair to put someone claiming to be a trainee on a task as big and commercially important as this.

• What are the prospects of taking someone else?
• What are the implications of sharing the apprehension with someone up the reporting ladder, preferably with the individual that is doing the assigning?
• What are the chances of delaying the visit until someone with more experience is able to go along too?

The visit needs to be seen as an opportunity to learn from others.

Thanks so much to understand with me. There are no prospects of taking someone else to the best of my knowledge Sharing the apprehension would make me look so inexperienced as an engineer (please take note that my company just delved into the engineering business from purely procurement) The dates for the visit have been fixed by the clients and they have restricted the no of participants per company visiting to two, I have been nominated with the Tendering/Contracts manager who has no engineering background.

The company doesn't deserve the work, then, as the infrastructure needed to tender and execute the work isn't there in sufficient quantity.

For goodness' sake don't name the company here!

To be honest your company are acting like fools. I mean no disrespect to you, you have the sense to realise your limitations.

I will add that I hope if your company get the contract they recognise your contribution given the little support they have given you.

Site visit is a part of tendering process. During site visit you can physically inspect the site and interact with other agencies who are at site. Before you visit site read out the technical specifications and note down the points you need to clarify at site. You can make your own format based on your technical understanding of the specifications. Pre bid tender is another stage where you can get clarifications from the client, consultant about all your techno- commercial details to submit your competitive offer.

From the Client's prospective they want to familiarize the bidders with the site conditions (Looks like a pretty remote site).

From your company's prospective which is ready to bid for the project, anything worth of interest is already there in the project BOQ, drawings and specifications. Realize that you have been selected for the assignment to show the Client that they are interested, any engineering skills at present on your part would be a secondary requirement.

But since you are representing your company and what you need to do is:

(a) You have to ascertain difficulties (ultimately the cost impact) in transporting to the remote project site; tools & plant, manpower, river crossings, water level etc.

(b) Right of way problems, local rules, opportunities for providing job to the local people (usually it is laborers and mostly required by local laws), accommodation and sanitation for the resident staff.

(c) Note down the names and contacts of Client's staff and try to create a bond (lobby).

(d)Have knowledge of the strengths of your company, what similar projects they have executed, what type of expertise and specialized equipment your company has got - Look for the opportunity to create an impact on the Client and create future links.

(d) PR is important, arrange gifts for the Client in the form of calenders & diaries from your company.

I think you are the right person to do the job. This is an opportunity for you to make in impact, do write a report at the end of the assignment to your employers with some useful tips for the sake of business.

Thanks so much every one, I have taken note of these things and would act on them. I wish myself the best.

Also, ask one of the senior engineers to give you a briefing of what he would do if he were to attend the site visit. Your colleagues should be willing to help prepare you for the task. Ask what information they would want to have, what questions they would ask, and how they would prepare for the visit. Part of their job as senior engineers should be to impart their knowledge and experience to the junior members of the staff.

PeterT has some good advice. Since you have Sr. Engineers available, ask them. It reminds me of my first Field Engineering chore I got after I got out of college. I was not too sure about what I was doing, but I found the problem and got the customer happy. We were a small company, and didn't even have a field engineering department. I was in production test, but I was available.

I also suspect that you have the chore "to get your feet wet" in the real world. It is quite different from Academia.

Best of luck...

Bill