Factors that impact project quality at a nuclear power plant in South Africa

Abstract

The nuclear industry has established stringent controls to ensure that electricity is produced in a safe and reliable manner. It is expected that a nuclear power plant should be operated safely, adheres to processes and procedures that govern those safe operations, and implements projects or modifications that are of a high quality; and this would be considered as ‘business as usual’. This is crucial for an industry that is under constant scrutiny, since every project or modification, which is implemented, is critically judged. One important contributing factor to the successful operation of any nuclear power plant is the implementation of projects and modifications in accordance with respective nuclear codes and standards, specifications, processes and procedures. The industry demands that this should be a norm, as quality is synonymous with safety and reliability; factors that cannot be compromised or divorced from each other on a nuclear power plant. Recently, however, there has been great concern relating to non-conformances experienced throughout the project lifecycle, which ultimately affects the quality of modifications and projects, which are implemented at the plant. The research project investigates factors that affect project quality at a nuclear power plant in South Africa. Against the above backdrop, the research problem was “the delivery of poor quality projects have an adverse effect on modifications and projects, which are implemented at the nuclear power plant in South Africa”. The primary research objectives of this study are the following: · To investigate the root cause and impact of inconsistent project quality practices on the project lifecycle; and · To recommend measures that should be established to improve the way in which project quality is conducted throughout the project lifecycle.