Progress of permitting (main cause of delay) was followed up with a special report.

Due to the delay of the permitting process, a special reporting system was established to provide an overall picture of the on-line status of the permitting progress. This practice was a comprehensive and suitable means to increase information and to reduce uncertainty.

Planning

Updated project plan after the project was delayed.

A project plan which described all of the remaining main steps and activities of the project was prepared to provide an overview of the entire project.

The project plan was a good and suitable practice to gather information, to obtain an overview of the situation and to reduce uncertainty.

Start-up team/country study team.

Country specific information and knowledge was gathered and forwarded to the project team. The start-up team also established practices and contacts with local project stakeholders and participants.

Due to the intensive and rapid sales phase, this practice was missed and information regarding the country had to be gathered and contacts established after the project had commenced. Based on experiences with previous projects, the turnkey contractor would have received great benefit from this practice. Both uncertainty and equivocality would have been reduced with this practice.

Informal information processing mechanisms

Direct contact

Personal relationships between the turnkey contractor and the customer.

The turnkey contractor’s project manager No. 4 managed to establish good and trusting personal relationships with the end customer. The turnkey contractor’s project manager No. 3 did not have a similar sense of humor to his counterpart from the end customer.

As a consequence of good personal relationships between the turnkey contractor and the end customer, the end customer did not require penalties due to the delayed project although entitled to do so. Personal relations were important in situations where equivocality was the prevailing factor.

Personal relationships between the turnkey contractor and the main contractor.

The turnkey contractor’s project manager No. 4 managed to establish good personal relationships with its main subcontractor.

Co-operation worked well. Personal relations were important in situations where equivocality was the prevailing factor.

Direct contact between the turnkey contractor and subcontractors for the evaluation of subcontractors’ capabilities in the host country.

The turnkey contractor changed subcontractors and evaluated new, potential subcontractors in the host country before selection.

The turnkey contractor received information from subcontractors and could immediately provide feedback and explain what information was required. This was a suitable approach and practice for situations where both uncertainty and equivocality were present.

Personal commitment.

The turnkey contractor’s project manager No. 2 checked all sites personally with customer.

Personal participation and commitment were important in situations where equivocality was the prevailing factor.

Integrator

Experienced individuals.

Utilization of the experience of the turnkey contractor’s individual employees during the sales phase and in the different project phases.

The turnkey contractor did not utilize the experience of individuals and as a consequence some risks materialized in the project. Use of the experience of individuals is a suitable approach to reduce equivocality.

Group meetings

Kick-off meeting.

Lessons learned from previous projects to be introduced and discussed in the project kick-off meeting.

Experience from previous projects was not fully utilized in the studied project. Lessons learned sessions are suitable practice for the situations where equivocality is a prevailing factor.

Face-to-face project follow-up meeting.

The turnkey contractor visited the regions and took the customer with him to see the actual progress and status of the sites.

The turnkey contractor got to know the customer’s feelings about the status and issues of the project. At the same time, the turnkey contractor built a trusting relationship with the customer. This approach was suitable for situations where equivocality was the prevailing factor.