This series of case studies offers
students the opportunity to take a deep dive into a new infrastructure development (mega-project). Each case offers an account of the
lifecycle of a megaproject, highlighting particular decisions taking place over the project life-cycle that require critical judgement calls. The cases acknowledge the
multiple actors participating in the decision-making processes including the promoter (sponsor), suppliers, and other stakeholder groups, eg end-users, local authorities, interest groups and regulators. The cases enable to discuss who
the megaproject leaders are, what they do, and implications of alternative organizational and process designs, contracting and procurement strategies,
and product architectures to project performance, value creation, and value distribution. The cases have been designed for graduate-standing courses and advanced executive education. The copies below are available for viewing purposes. Copies and video materials
for classroom use can be requested from Nuno Gil.
Gil, N. (2020).
Cairo's Time Bomb: Who is Coming to the Rescue? (Click here to download an inspection copy)
Alliance Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Fu, Y, Gil, N (2018).
Belt and Road Initiative (-带-路): The Turkmenistan-China Gas Pipeline (Click here to download an inspection copy)
Alliance Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Okuk, O Gil, N. (2015).
The Kampala City Authority: The turnaround of Uganda’s Capital (A) (Part A)
Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Okuk, O, Gil, N. (2015).
UNRA Kampala-Entebbe Expressway: Uganda’s First Toll Road (A,B)
(Click here to download an inspection copy of part A.)
Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Drews, F., Gil, N. (2015).
Thames Tideway Tunnel: Reinventing PFI for London’s Next Biggie (A,B) (Click here to download an inspection copy of part A.)
Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
•Video Interview with Andy Mitchell, CEO, Thames Tideway Tunnel. .
Produced by Nuno Gil. The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Msulwa, R., Gil, N. (2014).
Britain's High Speed 2: All Aboard? (A,B) (Click here to download an inspection copy of part A.)
Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
Msulwa, R., Gil, N. (2014).
India's Golden Quadrilateral. The Mother of All Projects (A,B).(Click here to download an inspection copy of part A.)
Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
This case introduces students to the challenges of developing a national infrastructure system in India, the world's largest democracy.
The setting is the development of a network of dedicated freight corridors deemed critical to enable the diversification of India's agrarian
economy, and thus enable the transformation of India into a manufacturing hub. The case provokes discussions about project governance, the meaning
of project performance, and the complicated relationships between project promoters, governments, politicians, and international lenders. More broadly,
it allows to debate the suitability of infrastructure development practices in the Western world to a developing economy.
Gil, N., Lundrigan, C. 2013.
Crossrail: The Perfect Storm (A,B).(Click here to download an inspection copy of part A.)
Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
•Video Interview with Andy Mitchell, Crossrail Programme Director. Produced by Nuno Gil. The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
•Video Interview with Andrew Wolstenholme, Crossrail Chief Executive. Produced by Nuno Gil. The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Gil, N. 2013.
Qatar 2022 World Cup: Expect Amazing Infrastructure. (Click here to download an inspection copy of part A.)
The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
This case introduces students to the ramp-up challenges faced by a global firm headquartered in the Western world after being awarded a major
programme management contract in a Middle East Country. The setting where West meets East is the Qatar government's ambitious plans to modernize
the state's infrastructure for staging the FIFA WorldCup in 2022. Students are faced with the task of designing a delivery partner organization
that is responsible both to ensure the stadiums are ready for the tournament and influence a raft of external parties tasked to deliver other
infrastructure ahead of the games.
Gil, N.,Lundrigan, C. 2012.
London 2012: The Regeneration Games (A,B,C,D). (Click here to download an inspection copy of part A.)
Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
•Video Interview with Sir John Armitt, Chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority. Produced by Nuno Gil. The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
•Video Interview with Sir David Higgins, Chief Executive of the Olympic Delivery Authority. Produced by Nuno Gil. The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
•Video Interview with Alison Nimmo, Director of Design and Development of the Olympic Delivery Authority. Produced by Nuno Gil. The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Gil, N., Lundrigan, C. 2012.
BAA Heathrow: The Intelligent Client (A,B).(Click here to download an inspection copy of part A.)
Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
•Video Interview with Steven Morgan, Capital Projects Director, Heathrow Ltd. by Nuno Gil. The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Biesek, G., Gil, N. (2010).
Network Rail: Future-proofing the Arpley Chord Project.(Click here to download an inspection copy of part A.)
Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
This case introduces students to the notion of infrastructure project design for evolvability, a.k.a., future-proofing infrastructure, and how options
logic and real options reasoning can help to realize this notion at project front-end strategizing in a multi-stakeholder, resource-constrained project
environment. The setting is a UK's Network Rail Enhancement Project. This is a third-party railway project funded by the Warrington Borough Council in
partnership with the North West Development Agency (NWDA).
Gil, N. (2009).
The BSF programme: Teacher Involvement in Design (A) and (B).(Click here to download an inspection copy of part A.)
Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
This case introduces students to the notions of programme and project governance structures, and to the role they play in resolving tensions between
the end-user design requirements and the institutional and policy contraints in which the projects and programmes unfold. Specifically, the case enables
to discuss how much share of voice to give to infrastructure end-users in design decision-making, and how to manage it. The setting is the Building Schools
for the Future programme in the UK.
Gil, N. (2008).
BAA: The T5 Project Agreement (A),(B).(Click here to download an inspection copy of part A.)
Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
This case introduces students to a range of commercial contracting strategies between the project client and the supplier base
(designers, contractors, manufacturers). The case enables to discuss the appropriateness of alternative strategies as a function of four factors: supply
chain capabilities, nature of transactions, institutional constraints, and economic cycle. The setting is the Terminal 5 project at Heathrow airport.
I suggest requesting students to read the following paper to prepare for classroom discussion - Gil, N. (2009). Developing Project Client-Supplier
Cooperative Relationships: How much to Expect from Relational Contracts? California Management Review, Winter, 144-169.
GIl, N. 2008
The T5 Project: Single Terminal Occupancy Change (A), (B) (Click here to download an inspection copy of part A.)
Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
This case introduces students to the problem of managing customer-led design change requests in large infrastructure projects and programmes.
The case enables to discuss the reasons leading to late change requests, the impact of instructing change to project teams when design and construction
tasks overlap, and the adaptation costs as a function of whether design architectures are modular, integral, and have been safeguarded (or not) to cope
Upstream Problem-Solving under Uncertainty and Ambiguity: Evidence from Airport Expansion Projects. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 55 (3)
508-522.
Gil, N., Yaghootkar, K. (2006).
The Beetham Tower Project: Planning for Repetitive Activities (A), and (B).(Click here to download an inspection copy of part A.)
ECCH Ref. 606-053-1
This case introduces students to the basic principles of the line-of-balance (LoB) method. This a method suitable to schedule and plan the production process
for projects with repetitive activities occurring in different spaces. The case is useful to discuss the basic issues in the planning of complex engineering
projects, including task reliability, contingency planning, change management, and production design. The use of the case requires students to build a
relatively simple line-of-balance based on real-world data. It is appropriate to use with undergraduate and graduate-standing students. The setting is
the development of the 171m-high, mixed-use skyscraper in downtown Manchester by Beetham Organization Ltd., a leading UK real estate developer.
Gil, N. (2005).
Intel: The ‘Copy Exactly’ Policy. Infrastructure and Cities Case Series.(Click here to download an inspection copy of part A.)
Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
This case introduces students to the managerial challenges in speeding up the delivery of complex engineering projects when design overlaps
construction under conditions of high uncertainty in design requirements. The case is useful to discuss when managers should draw the line between
allowing design changes to adapt to evolution in requirements as opposed to freezing the design to keep the project on time and on budget. The case
also enables to discuss the use of design reuse strategies in projects. The setting is the design and development of semiconductor fabrication facilities
(fabs) by a Intel. I suggest requesting students to read the following papers to prepare for classroom discussion: Gil, N., Beckman, S. (2007).
Design Reuse and Buffers in High-tech Infrastructure Development: A Stakeholder Perspective. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 54 (3)
484-497 I also wrote a teaching note with recommendations about how to best use this case in the classroom.
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