Project Management

Assignment 1

Topic: The Maintenance of the WS4 Corridor

By Chandika Gupta, Sheenu Ralhan and Shivangi Kale

School of Design, Ambedkar University

Aim: To create a project with defined objectives within a timeline. With a focus on

Visualization, Articulation, Structure and Market demand.

Duration: 19th August 2016 to 23rd September 2016

Introduction: For the first assignment in project management, the task was to choose a topic to

research and turn into a project in order to learn about its potential as a project, looking into

factors such as stakeholders, scope, timeframe and measurability. The process followed to

choose topics was a class activity where we listed a series of areas in which we had interest and

from there divided them up based on the bases of needs they were addressing. From there we

narrowed it down, our team choosing the Maintenance of the WS4 Block & Corridor as the

focus of our project.

Research:

Tools Used

Interviews

Group Discussions

Observation

*Note: All interview questions and findings and secondary research are in Appendix 1&2

Sample Size:

On the basis of our research we realized that the corridor is a shared space housing a series of

stake holders:

1. Students (From AUD and IGDT)

Students who have their classes in the workshops of that corridor.

Students who come to study, socializing and smoke.

2. Security Guards

3. Sulabh staff from both Universities

4. The Office of Dean and other non-teaching staff.

5. Ehsaas clinic staff

Teaching Staff Students Sulabh Workers Security Guards Other Staff

3 23 4 5 3

Insights

1. The University’s perception of it as a convenient dumping ground has results in a cycle

of Utility vs. Perception.

2. The Eahaas clinic there has to deal with sensitive issues and their patients prefer to

remain anonymous, causing difficulties for them to cross through the area.

3. The female students feel it is unsafe to go anywhere else to smoke.

4. The Unprofessional atmosphere of the area causes friction between the students working

in the block and teachers.

5. Any major intervention could potentially disturbed or displace a stakeholder from the

area.

Breakup of the problem:

https://stormboard.com/invite/347698/team3014

Problem Statement:

What could be done to change the perception of the students, universities and other

concerned entities towards the WS4 Block?

After arriving at a problem statement, we began secondary research on changing space and

perception (Appendix 2) and began generating an Idea Bank (Appendix 3), from which we

narrowed the list down to the following.

Dumping to rubble in the space out of

convenience by University

Mistreatment of the space by

University

Negative Perception of space

by students

Mistreatment of the space by

students

Negative perception of the

space by the University

Cost analysis of Ideas for the maintenance of the WS4 block.

1) Health based Installation art.

Location: the inner walls of the corridor.

Area:

Concept: to place basic art work/paintings/ posters on the inner wall of the corridor so

that it

a. Improves the aesthetic look of the area,

b. implant the idea of health in the minds of the people using the space

c. address the health based concerns of the support staff in the area.

Resources: Art supplies+ Fine arts students

Duration: Short Term

Cost: Rs.600 to Rs.1500 per empty space

*Based on the cost of the supplies

Work Break Down: Material

Procurement

Measure of

Acceptance

Execution Design Equipment

General

Store(Acrylic Paint)

Permission

Fine arts students

Budget

Health Based

motif

Stencils, Brushes,

Aerosol cans, board,

paper.

Timeline: Per Installation for a total of 4.

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Permission Plan with

Fine arts

students

Plan with

Fine arts

students

Procure

supplies

Base

Layers/coats

Adding Main

Content

Finishing

Touches

Blank areas between the doors

2) Metal Hooks

Location: Mounted on the boundary wall grill.

Area:

Concept: Metal hooks that can be used to

a. set up tarps to cover the debris.

b. hang up the debris if possible,

c. set up an awning that creates more shaded areas for the students.

d. used to display the work of students at AUD

Resources: Hooks/Metal, Welders, Tools

Duration: Mid Term, due to the time permissions will take.

Cost: Rs.400-600 per hook + Cost of workers.

*AUD owns welding tools.

Work Break Down: Material

Procurement

Measure of

Acceptance

Execution Design Equipment

Hardware store

Hooks

Solder Metal

Screws

Bolts

Supports

Steel

Permission

(PWD

Estate Division

AUD

IGDT)

Engineer

Welder

Budget

Metal hooks

attached to the

fence to serve

multiple purposes.

Welding Tools

Safety equipment

.

Supports in the grill that can sustain the

weight of the hooks

Timeline:

Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4 Month 5 Month 6

Put together

proposal

Consult

Engineer

Costing

Present to

Estate Division

AUD, and to

IGDT

Get approval or

restart

Present to

PWD

PWD Visit and

assessment

Procurement of

materials

Hiring of welders

Installation

of the

hooks

3) Re-Designate a Dumping area

Location: Shift the Dumping to behind the CR block

Dumping:

Concept: shift the dumping of debris to a lesser used area of the University

Resources: Man power

Cost: 0

Duration: Short Term, Simple Protocol change.

Current Situation

4) Installing of wheeled dustbins for managing waste 660L Bin

Approx. Rs 18,500 / Piece, price negotiable

• Technical specifications for four wheeled bins 660L • Made of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) material.

• Four solid rubber wheels of 200 mm dia. and have swivelling through 360 deg.

• Material resistant to heat and chemical.

• High resistance to UV Radiation.

• Deeper combs for optimal lifting device.

• Reinforced lifting trunnion for lifting devices.

• Safety brake features on wheels for easy locking.

• Adequate no. of well-placed handles for easy handling.

5) Do not disturb signs when class is in progress

Price range – Rs 800 to 1300

Compact, 63 inches portable easel weighs only 3 lbs.; creates an instant display stand to

support up to 5 lbs. display weight

Collapses down to 15 inches folded size for easy travel and storage; black, tripod frame

matches any interior

Lightweight display easel quickly and easily sets up and collapses for instant use in the

office

Appendix 1: Primary Research

Interview Questions

Students

Why do you come to workshop corridor?

How often do you come here?

What do you use this space for?

Is there anything about the space that disturbs you?

What do you think about the area?

How is it different from the rest of the university?

Why do not you use common room for socializing and other place to smoke?

Why do you think that workshop corridor is safer for smoke?

Security staff ask you to leave corridor space, how do you react to that situation?

How many times you come to workshop corridor?

Did Ehsaas clinic staff ask you to leave this space?

Security Guard and Sulabh Staff:

• What problem are you facing in the workshop corridor because of students who gathers

for smoke and socializing?

• Why do not you tell students to not sit in the corridor?

• Did you ever try telling students leaving the space as classes are going on the corridor?

• What sort of work you do in the entire day?

• What your head say when the area is not clean and maintained?

• Have you witnessed any incident when faculty tried to tell students about the leaving the

corridor space?

Findings:

Teaching Staff (*Volunteered the information without a formal interview)

Don’t care about the socializing in moderation

The noise is a distraction to their students

The smell from the smoke and the trash creates a unprofessional atmosphere

Security staff

Tried to tell students not to use that space for socializing and smoking but they do not have

authority to force students.

They have to maintain the area noise free for the classes in which they are failing.

They have to keep ensure about the mishap in the area and due to smoking, drinking and

socializing, the risk gets increased.

Sulabh Staff

Have a work to clean the dustbin once in the morning.

Earlier staff used to clean the corridor thrice a day but after larger number of people using

the space, the frequency has got increased to several times a day.

They have to clean the washroom after every hours as smoking materials choke the

washroom. Sometimes they extract alcohol bottles from there.

Students creates lot of garbage in the corridor and it’s very difficult to maintain cleanliness

in the area all the time.

They got threatened by their heads and have risk of losing their job if they are not able to

keep the corridor clean even after several take on cleaning it.

Students

Come for socializing, studying and smoking with friends.

They don’t have any other place to socialize and smoke after closing of Dara Shikhoh area.

The common room available for students in on 3rd

floor and barely accessible.

Girl students are finding it safe to smoke inside the campus as kashmere gate area is not

safer for girls to do such activity.

They keep changing their sitting arrangements in the corridor itself when someone ask

them to leave space.

Appendix 2: Secondary Research

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept93/vol51/num01/How-

Schools-Are-Redesigning-Their-Space.aspx

http://www.howdesign.com/featured-design-news/experience-design-public-spaces/

http://www.pps.org/

https://www.cleverism.com/strategies-for-changing-brand-perception/

http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/11/health/enayati-power-perceptions-imagination/

Appendix 3: Idea Bank

Health based installations

Planting a garden

Growing vegetables

Setting up a tea stall in the area

Building a shed for the debris

Opening up areas at the ground level for students to spend time in

Using Points where you can engage multiple stakeholders

Place DND boards showing that a class is in progress

Install white boards, so that the students are engaged

Youth news bulletin boards

Exhibitions displaying works by students who use the block. This is to show that the

place is used by the block