UNIT ONE

1. INTRODUCTION

Communication plays vital roles in civil engineering academic and industrial settings.
Practical experiences across the board entailed that communication is more than half of
an engineer’s tasks in construction industries. The medium of technical communication,
especially the written aspect, in almost all settings is English. Engineering professionals
who are working as office and site engineers are required to write projects, proposals,
reports, memos and letters. Reading and evaluating engineering documents are the most
frequent tasks engineers often do in carrying out their industrial responsibilities.

At the end of learning this unit, students shall be able to :

 understand the concept of technical communication in engineering;
 be aware of the important components of technical communication in civil engineering
academic and industry related settings, and
 appreciate the usefulness and relevance of technical communication course for civil
engineers’ academic and work effectiveness.

1.1. Technical Communication

Brainstorming Activity 1.1

Directions: Look at the picture below and discuss on the given questions.
2. What can you say about the responsibility of the people in the construction industry?
Whom do we communicate with in the construction industry? Do you communicate them
in the same way? Why?
3. How is communication with bosses, who are busy to contact workers in person, carried
out in an engineering industry? Who are responsible to pass through communication in
engineering organizations?

1. Can you list-out the workers’ roles and responsibilities in the structure of a construction
industry? How do they communicate?

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2. Who are the stakeholders taking part in a construction industry? How are they
interrelated?
3. Do you think academic writing is different from technical communication? How?
TIPS:
Read these tips summarize and reflect to your group. Focus on the points you make
out of it.

Technical communication is an audience-centered means of communication that provides

the reader with clear, accurate, and ethically represented information. Technical
communication is distinct from the academic forms of writing you may be more familiar
with. The academic writer’s purpose may be to write an essay, a story, a research paper,
etc. Such assignments are often designed so that students can “write to learn” and show
mastery of information covered in
class. These works may or may not have an audience other than the professor. Technical
communication, however, is intended for another purpose. These documents convey
information to audiences who may or may not have prior knowledge of the material
discussed. Technical communicators must therefore determine the needs of their audience
and design documents that convey information in an accessible and appropriate manner.
Depending on the context of communication, it might also be necessary to convey
information in a concise and efficient manner, succinctly presenting points and cutting
extraneous or potentially distracting material.

Another key difference that distinguishes technical communication from academic

writing is the importance of visual formatting and explanatory language. Visual
formatting and explanatory language are the basic design elements of technical
documents. Visual formatting—e.g., headings, subheadings, or a table of contents—
shows the hierarchical structure of information and orients the reader within a text.
Explanatory or descriptive language provides the reader with a clear understanding of the
information discussed. This type of language can include explicit details of technical
information as well as information about the purpose of the document, how
the document relates to the reader’s needs, and what action is expected of the reader.

Visual formatting and explanatory language make technical documents functional and
easy to navigate. For example, if a technical report details funding for numerous
departments, the superintendent for a particular department might not want to read the
entire document. Instead, the superintendent may choose to only read the sections
regarding his or her department. A well-designed technical document should enable a
reader to scan through the document and easily find and comprehend the sections
relevant to his or her needs. You may have experienced a similar scenario when flipping
through a user manual, another example of technical communication. Instead of reading
the entire manual when setting up a device or troubleshooting during an emergency, you
probably scan the index and headings to find relevant sections.
A well-written user manual will include sections that clearly and succinctly present

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 information and enable you to electively complete your desired task. Other characteristics
common to technical communication include specialized terminology, abbreviations,
equations, images, and graphics (tables, graphs, figures, etc.).

Visual formatting and explanatory language are also needed in technical communication
to effectively represent complex information. Rarely does a complex idea have a simple
structure. For example, an analysis of water usage might span multiple countries, lake
and river usage, irrigation and power generation, political implications, infrastructure,
and technology. All
of these dimensions are interconnected. You will need to make choices about what
information to include, how to organize this information, and how to clearly express
connections between complex and multifaceted issues. Many arrangements will be
possible. The right arrangement is the one that best fits the audience, context, and
purpose of your document.

1.2. Types of communication

Brain storming activity 1.2.1

Direction: answer the following questions based on the information in the picture below.
1. What are the communication types workers in the construction industry used?
2. In the context of construction industries in Ethiopia, which aspects of communication are
often conducted in English and in Amharic? Why?

A B

C D

3. In which of the above communication types is formal communication in English becomes

really important? Can it be by using general communicative English or technical
communication? Why?
4. The technical writings done by the expert in picture "c" are often meant to be read by
others, so do you think reading technical documents can be an important aspect of
communication?

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 Communication in construction industries can be grouped in to four types: verbal, non-
verbal, written and visual. Workers taking part in the industry communicate using oral
language while they are attending meetings, taking part in conferences and briefings of
the project progress. Communication through technical writing is often employed in civil
engineering (construction industry). Writing technical documents aims to address
someone to read and evaluate so that professional decisions can be made. These texts
make use of visuals and other textual inputs to support ideas with figures and facts. The
overall communication in engineering is often performed technically though which
stakeholders in the industry could share goals and work together.
Activity 1.2.2
Scenario: I employed some of my students. They have gaps in disciplinary
knowledge and technical communication, but their most serious problem is technical
communication. They are not good in professional communication, frankly speaking
they cannot communicate. In some other settings of communication, I found them
good, but when I gave them to do engineering construction related tasks which
require communication, they cannot.
Source: taken from the interview of experienced civil engineer working as an
instructor and contractor
1. What is your reaction towards the above experience? Do you agree with the
contractor’s idea? Why?
2. Why do you think the engineers employed in the company are better in other
communication situations, but failed to accomplish communication tasks in the
construction industry?

1.3. Importance of Technical Communication in Civil Engineering

Technical communication is a means that provides technical information to target

readers. In engineering design and implementation, initiating, designing, managing and
evaluating a project are the major tasks. The role of technical communication all along
these tracks of the construction industry is integral. The ideas generated to initiate a
project through identifying and analyzing the purpose, problem, needs and tentative
solutions require creative thinking, technical writing, consulting documents and sharing
ideas. Preliminary surveys on the rhetoric of the project goal, users of the project and
socio-cultural and physical situations of the project demand analysis, synthesis and
creative skills realized in technical writing, reading and oral presentation.

Activity 1.3.1
Direction: identify the task(s) which is (are) most important skills in civil engineering
industries. Discuss how and why the following tasks are primarily important in civil
engineering industry.
1. analyzing and designing a civil engineering structure

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2. Technical communication in the initiation, design, management and evaluation phases of
a civil engineering project.
3. Preparing bill of quantity for the given construction project.
4. Solving local problems through designing and implementing projects?
Activity 1.3.2
Directions: read the following scenario which is the real experience and reflection of an
expert in civil engineering discipline who has been working as an instructor at university
and contractor in the construction industry. Analyze his experience and put forward your
reflection based on the questions given with.
Scenario.
Civil engineering graduates’ communication incompetence emanates from their culture
of segregating courses as ours and theirs. Students often label some communication
courses as if they are meant for others, consequently, they learn just for course
fulfillment. Honestly speaking, I often regret for the time I wasted overlooking the role
of communication courses as if they are predestined for others. What I have understood
after joining the world of work in civil engineering industry, at this juncture, is the
paramount importance of communication. In managing my construction company,
technical writing, reading documents and oral presentation at various settings are quite
frequent. My sole endeavors to score better in structural engineering, giving minimal or
no emphasis to technical communication skills, during my undergraduate study,
influenced [negatively] my competitiveness in the industry. I once mastered designing a
structure, but my incompetence in communication frequently disqualify the whole effort
I often exert. These days, the difference is in properly addressing the needs of distanced
clients who expect solicited or unsolicited projects through technically good and
convincing writings. Thus, it is in principle agreed that design should be safe and
economical, one cannot compromise the other. Likewise, technical communication is as
important as design, even much more important for me.
Source: taken from the interview of experienced civil engineer working as an instructor
and contractor
1. What is the attitude of the experienced engineer regarding the role of communication in
the construction industry?
2. Do you accept his ideas that explains as technical communication is the most frequent
and important task of a civil engineer in the industry? Why?
3. Compare the attitude you have about the relevance of technical communication in civil
engineering with that of the engineer in the above scenario. Who do you think is right?
Why?

Reflective Activity 1.3.3

Directions: Read the following case which was taken from the interview conducted with
an experienced structural engineer who has been working as an instructor, contractor and
consultant, owning a construction company. Answer the questions that follow based on
the information from the case.

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 Case
I employed about 150-200 workers in my construction company which is engaged in
construction and consultancy services. One day a client come to my office and consulted
me to investigate the project which was started some years back, but stopped due to the
bankrupted contractor who signed the contact and broke it without rational justification.
The request was to investigate the current status of the project, the remaining activities
with their cost estimation, and possible ways of finishing the project. I therefore assigned
one of my civil engineering employees to prepare a document to the third party whom the
client would like to request further funding. After some days the assigned engineer
came up with few pages document which has little description and explanations, but full
of tables, drawing, figures and estimations.

1. Do you think the engineer who prepared the document addressed the interest of the client
and the instruction of his manager? Why?
2. What is the attitude of the assigned civil engineer about descriptive and explanatory
technical writing as compared to his attitude towards the importance of drawings and
figures?
3. What will be your reaction if you are working as an engineer employed in the third party
whom this document was finally submitted to?
4. What are you going to do to satisfy the needs of the client if you are in the position of the
engineer assigned to prepare the document? How do you summarize the weaknesses of
the engineer?
Reflective Activity 1.3.4.Think-Pair-Share
Directions: Think your experience and exchange ideas in pairs and share the ideas joining
other groups.
1. In your academic engagement on campus, have you ever presented assignments and
projects?
2. Did you make it in English or Amharic? What causes you to do so?
3. Which one do you think is very important for your presentation: subject matter mastery
or technical communication ability in English?
Reflective Activity 1.3.5
Directions: the following text is adapted from an article revealing the relevance of
technical communication for Engineering Students. Read the excerpt and put forward
your reflection based on the questions that follow.

Ever since 1990s, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) has
been listing technical communication as one of the top skills that need to be assessed and
acquired for engineering students in general. While ABET issued assessment criteria for
different engineering majors or programs, it consistently included technical
communication as
one essential criterion across different programs. For example, as stated in Criteria for
Accrediting Computing Programs 2019-2020, computing engineering students need to
“communicate effectively a variety of professional contexts” (ABET Computing

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 Accreditation
Commission, 2018, p. 3). Likewise, the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
reported in
Vision for Civil Engineers in 2025 (the Vision) that an ideal, skillful civil engineer by
2025
should be someone who can “communicate with technical and non-technical audiences,
convincingly and with passion, through listening, speaking, writing, and visuals”
(ASCE, 2006, p. 11). To comply with the Vision, ASCE (2009) then published Achieving
the
Vision for Civil Engineers in 2025 and stated that educators should “ensure that
communications knowledge and skills are embedded in every civil engineer’s education
and
encourage their continued enhancement throughout every civil engineer’s career” (p. 59).
Kirkpatrick (2013), through talking about the results from Surveys of Academic,
Industrial, and
Early Career Engineers, reported that professional skills, in terms of interpersonal skills,
negotiating, conflict management, innovation, and oral and written communication were
typically the weakness of the contemporary engineering graduate students.
With the demands from the industry and the academic associations, different
engineering programs across the nation unanimously highlighted the importance of
technical
communication and incorporated course credits or units connected with this important
skill
into their programs. Source: Gao, Yang (2019) "Teaching Technical Communication to
Engineering Students: Design, Implementation, and Assessment for Project-based
Instruction.
1. What is your reaction about the idea of the excerpt concerning the role of technical
communication in engineering?
2. How do you compare the actual practice of teaching /learning technical communication
with its relevance in the world of work and the way the above articles argues for the role
it is given in international standards of civil engineering profession?

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 UNIT TWO
2. INITIATING A PROJECT

Engineering design activities are responses to the problems /needs for product, system,
machine or material. The Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)
defines that engineering design is the process of devising a system, component, or
process to meet desired needs. The engineering design component of a curriculum must
include most of the features like development of student creativity, use of open-ended
problems, development and use of modern design methodology, formulation of design
problem statement and specifications.
Unit Objectives:
At the end of this unit, students shall be able to:
 develop creative thinking skill of generating ideas to solve local problems;
 analyze engineering rhetoric that could be used as a preliminary related to engineering
design study;
 read scenarios and texts to critically analyze and synthesize manageable problems to
engineering design;
 conduct a preliminary survey considering rhetoric elements and reconnaissance survey;
 formulate a project problem through identifying and technically defining a problem using
background information as a tentative solution; and
 orally present the problem developed through careful description and technical
definition.

2.1. Stages of project development

In the process of initiating project proposal ideas, creative thinking skills of defining and
formulating problems and eliciting possibly tentative solutions are considered as principal
aspects. Defining the problem requires asking critical questions and getting much
information. This is followed by researching the problem to identify the extent of the
problem. After formulating the problem by knowing what the problem is and the extent it
affects, it is paramount to brainstorm possible solutions and look the problem from
different perspectives so that specifications and requirements will be established.
Generally a thorough understanding of what the problem represents and what the
solution would be is the step where we choose the best solution and start
developing a plan to carry it out.

2.2. Searching Engineering Problems

Brainstorming activity 2.1. 1

Look at the picture below. What ideas come to your mind? What is the man thinking of?
What do you think is the problem about? What type of engineering project do you think
this picture addresses? Generate as many ideas as possible from different perspectives
and share to your group.

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 Source: https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/illustration/puzzle-bridge-royalty-free-
illustration/526652933?adppopup=true
Activity 2.1. 2: Discuss on the following questions
1. How are you going to generate a project idea?
2. What is the first thing which you should do in the process of initiating an engineering
project?
3. Do you think the problem entails to the solution or the solution has no room in the
description of the problem in starting an engineering project idea? Why?
4. What are the sources of the problem that need an engineering design solution?
5. Are problems in engineering design project proposals and scientific studies different or
the same? Why?

Activity 2.1.2.
Directions: read the following information from the given scenario and answer the
questions that follow.
Scenario
There are lots of damages affecting the life of individual workers and the performance of
many construction companies in Ethiopia. Many people died and resources were
devastated due to the unsafe practice of supervising and constructing projects. A
construction company called for researchers to initiate two project proposals to be funded
with the aim of developing better safety construction tools and enhancing the competence
of coordinators in this respect through intervention.
1. What do you think is the problem that initiates the call for the project?
2. Considering the aims sought for the two projects, what do you think about the
nature of the research? Which one requires a proposal of scientific investigation and
engineering design?
3. What do you think about the output expected at the end of the two projects?
4. What will be the preferred field of study for the researchers to take part in the
project aimed to develop better safety tools? Civil? Mechanical? Electrical? Why?

2.3. Analyzing and evaluating a problem statement

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 Activity 2.2.1.
Directions: read the following extract is adapted from a civil engineering project
proposal.
1. What is the problem about?
2. Who do you think are the victims of the problem?
3. Why do you think this problem primarily seek a solution?
4. Are there tentative specifications and constraints indicated at the expense of technically
defining the problem?

Extract: statement of the problem

The importance of developing a constraint-free and reliable work plan has long been recognized
by the industry. However, numerous construction projects are still plagued by delays and cost
overruns, which can frequently be traced to ineffective identification and treatment of
constraints. First, when a constraint is not properly identified during scheduling, subsequent
conflicts in the field are inevitable. Today’s projects are becoming more and more technically
complex and logistically challenging, which exposes construction operations to even more
complex constraints. Second, the traditional scheduling methods, bar charts and Critical Path
Method (CPM) which are widely used as a basis for constraint analysis, greatly limit our
capability in modeling and resolving constraints during look-ahead scheduling. These methods
have long been blamed for their limitations in modeling and communicating constraints,
including inability to cope with non-time-related precedence constraints and difficulty to
evaluate and communicate inter-dependencies at the field operation level (e.g. Sriprasert and
Dawood 2002; Chua and Shen 2001). In summary, there is a need for a better understanding of
constraints in construction and a structured approach in identifying and modeling constraints to
ensure a constraint-free work plan.

2.4. Analyzing results of rhetorical analyses

Rhetoric is an important pedagogy in technical communication which is vital in the preliminary

analysis of engineering design. A technical communicator who writes a report or presents it
orally need to analyze the purpose, audience and context of reporting. Likewise an engineer who
is getting prepared to design a project which is aimed at solving problems needs to trace the
purpose first. This helps him/her to generate as many ideas that are binding to determine the load
and material related issues. The analysis of users also attributes to the determination of structure.
The other point of analysis is the preliminary geotechnical site survey (situation). These three
points of analysis are important to determine the structural units of the design.
Activity 2.3.1
Directions: read the following excerpt which is adapted from a geotechnical survey document
produced out of the investigation upon the request of Debre Markos University. Discuss on the
pre-reading questions and analyze the rhetorical elements included in the text based on the
questions that follow.
1. In a company you will be employed, you may be asked to design a construction project.
What do you think will be the first question you need to answer primarily?

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2. Following the response to the first question, what are the other leading questions,
responses and decisions you may think of?
3. Is that important to visit and select the site? How? Why?
4. What do you think will be the purpose of conducting a preliminary study at the
engineering site?
5. When do you think will be the time to conduct geotechnical surveys, before designing or
after designing a project?

Activity 2.3.2
Directions: Read the following text adapted from a report of preliminary survey
analysis results actually conducted upon the request of Debre Markos University, and
answer the questions below.

Debre Markos University has a plan to construct teaching hospital. The hospital is
aimed to serve as a referral hospital to the surrounding community in Gojjam,
assumed to accommodate more 1000 health and medical science students, and give
service for about 2 million people. This triggered the need to undertake foundation
investigation.
The Geotechnical investigation, Geotechnical Engineering and Underground
Construction Design and Supervision Works Sector (GIGEUCDSWS) has entered a
service level agreement with Building Urban Design and Supervision Works Sector
to carry out geotechnical investigation of the Hospital. The geotechnical
investigation, conducted at the project site, has involved rotary core drilling, Standard
Penetration Testing (SPT), water level measuring, collection of representative
samples, and laboratory testing works. Information collected from existing documents
review and from current study were analyzed and interpreted to characterize the
engineering performance of proposed construction site of the project.
The geotechnical investigation of the project has been planned and
implemented to
determine the type and extent of geological formations of the proposed building
foundation site, outline different geotechnical layers and determine the representative
engineering properties of the layers constituting the sub-surface , and provide
suitable foundation type and depth recommendation for the engineering construction.
Geotechnical investigation, conducted for the planned teaching hospital
building project site, has involved geotechnical core drilling, in-situ testing, and
laboratory test of representative soil and rock samples obtained from the field work.
Information collected from all sources of the study were analyzed and interpreted and
used for the geotechnical characterization of the proposed project construction site.
The main findings of the investigation revealed that the project area, within
investigation depth dominantly comprises of one major geotechnical layer: Residual
soil, which dominantly covered all parts of the project site, extends to the end of
drilling depth in all boreholes. The soil is generally medium stiff to very stiff, reddish
to brownish highly plastic silt. The soil mass possess low degree of expansion /swell

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 potential. In addition, there is no ground water encountered in all boreholes.
Recommendations are finally forwarded based on the findings of the
geotechnical investigation and consideration to the nature of proposed structure. First,
the foundation should be in accordance with different foundation depths on the
sloping ground, and using isolated foundation is pertinent. Second, it is vital to fill a
gully using approved select material compacted to 95% of MDD layer by layer where
the need arise. If the footings are placed at different levels, the slope of line joining
the two footings should not be steeper than two horizontal to one vertical. It is
generally recommended to perform construction during dry season which would
make the excavation work easier and also helps to place the foundation on a dry and
stable ground condition. Leaving the foundation excavation open for too long may
weaken the soil at foundation level and is not advisable. The construction of the
substructure should be done immediately upon the completion of excavation so that
the stress released due to removal of the over burden pressure should be compensated
by the structural load. Borehole drilling at the building site shows soil/rock profile at
the drilled point that represents average site condition and hence local variation in soil
type and engineering property is a possibility. So during foundation excavation,
supervision has to be carried out by experienced geotechnical engineer/engineering
geologist in order to compare the difference between geological log presented in the
soil investigation report and observation during excavation work and make the
necessary adjustment in the recommendation if deemed necessary.
1. What is the purpose of the project? Which party do you think identified the purpose?
2. How are the users analyzed in the text and what is the role of the client and the
investigator in making user analysis?
3. In the analysis of the project site, what are the points of analysis?
4. What are the methods the experts used to analyze the physical features of the project
site?
5. How do you categorize the nature of recommendations the investigator forwarded?
6. What are the recommendations that refer to the consultant who may be responsible to
conduct the design study, and the contractor who is allowed to run the construction?

2.5. Conducting Rhetorical Analysis

Activity 2.4
Directions: read the following Scenarios critically and discuss on the preliminary analysis of
engineering design especially at project initiation phase. Work out the cases based on the detail
instructions given with.
1. You are working in a construction company which is engaged as a consultant. A private
limited company, client, which works in the education sector, plans to open a new
elementary school. The owner of the company honestly gives the responsibility of
conducting the preliminary analysis and site selection for you (take any nearby site to you
and generates as many ideas). Share the responsibility in your group to conduct the

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 preliminary survey and rhetoric analysis and prepare a short oral and written report so
that the company will later communicate you to prepare the design of the project.
2. Debre Markos University (Client) wants to construct a complex building near the river
bank western part of its compound and writes a letter to its project office (engineering
team) to conduct a preliminary study. Taking you as a team member who was assigned to
analyze the purpose of the building and the way the owner aims the building is to be
used, what do you suggest for the client after the study is over?
3. A man has consulted you about his plan to use the free swampy area near his residence
by constructing a G+4 building. What questions do you ask him in your preliminary
analysis before designing the engineering drawing? Conduct a preliminary survey and
present the results to your group and write the results of the analysis.

2.6. Writing the description of problem

Every scientific investigation or engineering design process embarks at need/problem
identification and development. In engineering design, a mere description of the problem
cannot be sufficient rather showing the magnitude of the problem and developing it by
showing the extent in an objective and measurable manner is vital. This leads to the
proposition of a tentative solution at the time of defining the problem using insights from
background information. A problem statement addresses an area that has gone wrong. In
writing one, you must discuss what the problem is, why it’s a problem in the first place,
and how you propose it should be fixed. to describe the problem statement, ideal frame
how things work, reality(what, who and why), consequence and proposed solution are
included in most engineering settings.
Read and discuss on the following sample sentences used to describe an engineering
problem statement.

 The manufacturing and assembly process for Product X is as efficient as possible. (Ideal)
 Currently, certain parts need to be transported from one assembly line to the next and
installed by hand. (Reality)
 The incremental loss in efficiency means that Company Y has not been meeting its
production goals this year. (Consequences)
 To reduce the need for manual transport of parts, conveyor belts and mechanical robot
arms should be installed between assembly lines. This way, workers can stay at their
respective stations rather than having to walk back and forth across the assembly room
floor. (Proposal)
Source: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-write-a-
problem-statement

Activity 2.5.
Think of any personal problem you often observe in your classes, dormitories, buildings,
cafeteria etc. Identify and describe the problem in-depth. Then use different measures to
know the technical description of the problem by using background information from

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 literature or your earlier readings. Eventually write one paragraph describing the problem
in detail.

2.6. A letter of the client to the consultant

Letters are one of official means of communication written to facilitate the process of
running projects among clients, consultants and contractors beginning from their
conception phase. Once the client initiated a project idea solicited, he/she/it may search
for a consultant to study and design the project, and finally supervise the implementation.
This demands official communication among themselves through letters which have the
following skeletal structures.
 Heading: The heading provides your contact information, the date and the address of the
company to which you are applying. It should always include: Your name, Your phone
number, Your city, ZIP code, Your email address.
 Salutation: The salutation is where you address employers politely and professionally.
Don’t use generic terms, such as “To Whom it May Concern.” Instead, show your
interest with a personalized greeting. Do some research to find the hiring manager’s
name, and address them directly using formal conventions.
 Opening paragraph: A killer opening paragraph will catch the hiring manager’s attention
and make them want to read more. To achieve this, convey confidence and excitement for
the position from the get-go. Check to see if the company has shared any recent news and
tie it into your opening statement. For example, “I read about your recent launch of
[XYZ] product, and I was thrilled to see you had an opening for a development
operations engineer on your product development team. I’m confident that the skills I’ve
honed in my five years of experience as a field quality reporter have prepared me to excel
at this position.”
 Body: The body of a cover letter is where you show how your skills and experience
match the position and convey clearly how your goals and interests align with the job and
the company. Use details and examples to make your point that if hired, you will be able
to help the organization succeed in reaching its goals. For example, mention a specific
skill or two vital to the role and provide an example of how you used it in past positions
to achieve a goal for the company or to improve a product. Use numbers to enhance your
example.
 Closing paragraph: Here’s your chance to really bring it home. Reiterate your interest in
the job and your confidence that you’re the best candidate for it. Underscore your
excitement by inviting the hiring manager to check out your resume and let them know
you look forward to speaking with them about your credentials soon. End it with a call to
action, such as “Please contact me at 555-555-1212 Monday through Friday between 8
am and 6 pm to arrange an interview.”

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Activity 2.5.
Assume you are working as a civil engineer in @Con Consultant Company which is
selected to develop a project document for Addis Ababa University that intends to open a
new campus. Write a letter to the client explaining your experience and confirming your
potential to effectively design the project. Consider the skeletal units of letters
highlighted above.

Project 1
Think of a socio economic or technology or any local problem which require civil
engineering solution, and explain it using your own ideas as much as you can. Look the
problem from different angles to formulate it properly and give many details by
conducting a preliminary analysis of purpose, situation and users. Outline your response,
write a problem statement and present it orally. NB. You can join your team and share the
problems personally identified, and evaluate each other’s reports and select a better one
to modify and report to the class.

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 UNIT THREE
DEVELOPING AND COMMUNICATING PROJECT PROPOSALS

Persons and organizations that write effective proposals win grants, contracts, and jobs;
persons and organizations that do not write effective proposals often just wind up ‶going
away‶-sometimes ‶far away‶. Proposals are important because they directly or indirectly
provide the income that keeps us warm, dry, and well fed! Proposals provide pervasive
solution to problems or needs. One of the three important things you need to have in
writing proposals are clear description and identification of the problem to be solved.
Though it is thought that readers may know the problem, giving details is vital for full
understanding. The second point in writing proposals is proposing a solution by showing
its viability in approaching the problem. The last point is showing how the proposed
solution presented in the approach can be implemented.

Unit Objectives :
After completing this unit, students shall be able to :
 formulate a project idea after appropriately identifying and defining a project
problem or needs;
 analyze proposals designed for different purposes;
 creatively generate project proposals to solve problems affecting the livelihood of
local people;
 synthesize background information helpful to develop tentative solutions by properly
acknowledging sources;
 write project proposals used for various purposes;
 orally present project proposals designed for academic and work related purposes
using appropriate language and ethics; and
 write official letters used to facilitate communication among stakeholders in
developing a project proposal .

16
1.1.Identifying and Developing a Project Problem

Finding an idea for your engineering project requires you to identify the needs of
yourself, another person, or a group of people, which is the act of looking at the world
around you to identify these needs. To help you find an idea for your engineering
project: create a list of all the things that annoy or bother the people around you. Record
this list in your notebook, and mind map possible design problems, ideas, or areas of
interest to you. Once you have found an idea for your engineering project, describe the
problem by writing a problem statement. Your problem statement must answer three
questions: What is the problem or need? Who has the problem or need? Why is it
important to solve?

Activity 3.1.1

Directions: think of and list out as many problems, as possible, affecting the socio-
economic and cultural welfare of local people you sensed and observed on campus, at
village or anywhere in Ethiopia. Prioritize them from the most severe to least severe ones,
and finally take the most serious problem. Present your problem justifying how far
chronic the problem is. Address this through the questions: What is the problem or
need? Who has the problem or need? Why is it important to solve? Eventually share these
ideas with your team.

Activity 3.1. 2

Use mind map as a strategy to generate as many ideas as possible that may be taken as
part of the analysis and proposed solution of the problem described in the following case
which may help you to answer the questions below.

Case 1
During rainy seasons, the way from Debre Markos town to Debre Markos University is
often blocked due to the over flow of the river bank. The university’s transportation
services, its students and staff often suffer as the height of the bridge is very short and
some attempts of maintaining the bridge failed. The university plans to reconstruct a
bridge which is located about 50 meters away from its main gate, at Wuseta River,
through the technical support of its engineering students as a client and contractor.
1. Take yourself as a contractor agreed to run this project, and discuss the way you
are supposed to run this small project with your team. Elicit the purpose, users and
nature of the place (visiting or guessing), and propose a design which could solve the
problem.
2. Identify and develop the problem, and propose an engineering solution.
3. Write the results of the preliminary user and situation related survey in brief, and
present the result and proposed design to your class so that the students could debate on
the strengths and weakness of the design submitted to you.

17
3.2. Proposal Development
Brainstorming Activity 3.2.

1. What makes a proposal different from the main study or project implementation?
2. Do you think proposals for a scientific investigation and proposals for engineering
design process or proposal for engineering construction bids are the same or different?
3. What are the procedures that you are going to do in writing an engineering design
related proposal?
4. Can you categorize the nature of the proposed ideas listed from a-d below as
engineering design proposal, construction bid proposal or scientific investigation
proposal?
a) A hydraulics engineer is assigned to develop an engineering design proposal
which may solve the problem of accessing water at the topmost elevations in G+8
communal residents.
b) An engineer who has expertise knowledge and geotechnical skills is assigned
with other soil test expertise to scientifically study the suitability and environmental
situations of an engineering site.
c) A structural engineer is assigned to develop a proposal on engineering design
process to solve the needs of densely populated urban people through constructing large
communal apartments.
d) Debre Markos University received an engineering design proposal which was
conducted by Brave Consultants P.L.C. The university finally announced a call for
proposals so that eligible contractors who have relevant license to implement the
proposed engineering design.

Tips:
A proposal is an idea developed out of needs and problems by tentatively defining and
proposing solutions through their respective methods and materials. In terms of their
means and ends, proposals are different. There are engineering design proposals which
base themselves with the needs of solving problems through constructing buildings,
highways, water distribution lines, responding to bid calls, and investigating problems
through scientific methods.
Proposals are sometimes solicited by clients and they are sometimes unsolicited.
In unsolicited proposals writing and convincing project donors becomes an integral task.
In both cases knowing the interest of clients and donors is primarily important. Local
organizations may solicit a proposal on the basis of their needs and problems prioritized
whereas external donors may call proposals on various development agenda.
Professionals write proposals addressing the need of internal and external organization at
different settings.
The engineering design process is a series of steps that engineers follow to come up
with a solution to a problem. Many times the solution involves designing a product (like a
machine or computer code) that meets certain criteria and/or accomplishes a certain task.
This process is different from the Steps of the Scientific Method more familiar with basic
and applied research. If your project involves making observations and doing

18
experiments, you should probably follow the Scientific Method. If your project involves
designing, building, and testing something, you should probably follow the Engineering
Design Process. Engineering design is a tentative solution to problems and needs which
made a safe and economical design the nucleus part of the solution. The process in this
regard includes defining a problem, gathering pertinent information, generating solutions,
analyzing and selecting solutions, testing and implementation.

3.3. Analyzing proposals.

Activity 3.3.1
Directions: the following is a sample proposal taken from a construction research which
the structural units of a proposal are included. Read the text and analyze the components
and discuss the ideas to be included in each element of a project proposal.
1. Match the paragraphs of the proposal with introduction, problem, objective,
review, and methodology.
2. Share each of the paragraphs into a group of three and present the ideas to be
included in each component of the proposal.
3. Recap the whole picture of a proposal.

Title: A Conceptual Framework for Scheduling Constraint Management

Every construction project is unique and has its own operating environment and sets of
technical requirements. As a result, the execution of a construction project is subject to
numerous constraints that limit the commencement or progression of field operations,
which invariably have significant negative impact on overall project performance. By
definition, constraints refer to any condition, such as temporal/spatial limitations and
safety/quality concerns, which may prevent a project to achieve its goals. Successful
execution and control of a construction project relies on effective identification and
management of constraints through master planning and short-term look-ahead
scheduling. While the master schedule provides a global view of a project and the
overall execution strategy, a look-ahead schedule offers a detail account of operational
constraints and a detailed plan showing work to be done within a relatively short time
window.
Ideally, these detailed schedules should reflect actual field conditions and provide field
personnel with operation instructions free of constraints and conflicts (Hinze 2008). This
look-ahead scheduling and constraint analysis procedure is also a critical component of
the last-planner methodology proposed by Ballard (2000). This research project will
provide an overview of state-of-art schedule constraint analysis practice during look-
ahead scheduling. In addition, it will propose a conceptual framework for managing
constraints.

The importance of developing a constraint-free and reliable work plan has long been
recognized by the industry. However, numerous construction projects are still plagued
by delays and cost overruns, which can frequently be traced to ineffective identification
and treatment of constraints. First, when a constraint is not properly identified during

19
scheduling, subsequent conflicts in the field are inevitable. Today’s projects are
becoming more and more technically complex and logistically challenging, which
exposes construction operations to even more complex constraints. Second, the
traditional scheduling methods, bar charts and Critical Path Method (CPM) which are
widely used as a basis for constraint analysis, greatly limit our capability in modeling
and resolving constraints during look-ahead scheduling. These methods have long been
blamed for their limitations in modeling and communicating constraints, including
inability to cope with non-time-related precedence constraints and difficulty to evaluate
and communicate inter-dependencies at the field operation level (e.g. Sriprasert and
Dawood 2002; Chua and Shen 2001). In summary, there is a need for a better
understanding of constraints in construction and a structured approach in identifying and
modeling constraints to ensure a constraint-free work plan. More specifically, the
following research questions need to be addressed to limit the scope of the study:
1. What are the typical constraints found in various construction projects?
2. How to classify these constrains for easier identification and modeling?
3. What are the current industry practice as well as research advancements in modeling
and resolving constraints?
4. How to unify the constraint classification knowledge and various constraint modeling
efforts into a framework for total constraint management?

The long term goal of the research is to develop a formalized constraint management
system. Constraint management is defined herein as the process of identifying,
classifying, modeling, and resolving constraints. The objective of the current study is to
provide a comprehensive review of literatures and industry practices in relation to
constraint analysis and outline a conceptual framework for constraint management.
Particularly, the study has the following sub-objectives:
 To provide a comprehensive review of sources and characteristics of constraints
typically found in construction projects;
 To develop a constraint classification method for easier constraint identification
and modeling;
 To review current industry practices and researches in regards to constraint
modeling;
 To outline a conceptual framework for total constraint management.
The result of this study will be valuable to the industry practitioners as well as related
software providers in developing better practice and tools for constraint management and
look-ahead scheduling.
A preliminary literature review shows that past studies are primarily focused on
understanding and modeling a particular type of constraint, such as technological,
contractual, resource, spatial, and information constraints. Limited progress has been
made on classifying various constraints according to their characteristics in a
comprehensive manner. In terms of modeling and resolving constraints, various
approaches have been recommended. For example, many CPM-based methods are
applied to deal with time-related constraints; knowledge-based systems were used to

20
automate work plan generation; network-based optimization algorithms were developed
to resolve constraints; and databases and visualization techniques, such as 3D, 4D, and
Virtual Reality (VR), are used to communicate and visualize constraints. What is
missing from the past studies is a comprehensive and structured approach in managing
constraints in construction projects.
The primary research method for this study is literature review and conceptual modeling.
Constraint identification and classification through a structured approach is the very first
step toward a “zero-constraint” environment. This study will first review various types
of constraints in construction and their characteristics. Based on this understanding, a
classification method will be developed to categorize constraint factors for the purpose
of constraint identification and modeling. In the second stage of this study, existing
constraint modeling methods will be identified based on a comprehensive review of
current industry practices and academic researches. Finally, once the constraint
classification and modeling techniques are identified, a conceptual framework for total
constraint management will be outlined. This study will be conducted between
September 2010 and May 2011
References
 Ballard, G. (2000). “Last planner system of production control.” Ph.D.
Dissertation. Univ. of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
 Chua, D. and Shen, L. J. (2001). “Constraint modeling and buffer management
with integrated production scheduler.” Proceedings of International Conferences on
Lean Construction 2001, Singapore.
 Hinze, J. W. (2008). Construction planning and scheduling, 3rd ed. Pearson, NJ.
Sriprasert, E. and Dawood, N (2002). “Requirements identification for 4D constraint-
based construction planning and control system.” Proceedings of CIB W78 conference –
distributing knowledge in building, Aarhus, Danmark

Activity 3.3.2

Directions: below are questions that clarify insightful points to be included in

developing each component of a proposal. Read the above proposal again and react to the
questions.

A. Introduction:
1. State the objective and scope of the project giving description clearly and
concisely.
2. Discuss the need for and value of the project in the context of a customer’s need
including any relevant background.
3. Also describe the knowledge and skills acquired in earlier course work which
plays major role in the problem formulation and problem solving.
4. In an unsolicited proposal you should discuss the problem or opportunity that
caused you to write the proposal. In solicited proposals this may not be necessary:

21
 The party requesting proposals knows the problem very well. Still a background
section even in a solicited proposal can be useful.
5. It demonstrates that you fully understand the situation and enables recipients to
check your interpretation of it.
B. Preliminary Literature Review;
1. Is the current status of art in the area of the problem included in preliminary
literature review?
2. Are research results of the existing products or technologies summarized?
3. Does it have the description of the advantages and disadvantages in the
perspective of the design requirements related to the project?
4. Are there main technological points that serve as the main reason why the
proposed project is important and solves the problem mentioned?
C. Methodology: It is the explanation of engineering approach (including solution
alternatives).
1. Is system level of the project and rough solution ideas described?
2. How many alternative solutions are proposed?
3. Are schematic diagrams and components necessary for the project solutions with
their explanation included?.
4. Are the content of knowledge gained in the courses taken to pursue the solution
approaches mentioned?
5. . Does it have the explanation of the procedures on how you plan to go about the
project, even the theory relating to your approach?
6. As some people need to know how the work will be done and why it will be done
that way, does this discussion enable you to demonstrate your professional
expertise?
7. Are the activities to be done included herein or separately?

22
  Read the other components of a proposal and check if the sample
proposal has these all or not?
 Results: It is the description of the Work Product. Some proposals need a
section in which the proposed project—in other words the results of the
work—is described. This might be a constructed building a program design
blueprints or plans or even a 40-page report. The point is to provide details on
what the recipients will get.
 Project Management: Describe of timeline schedule and milestones using
chart. Detailed description of task assignment of each member of team must
be presented. Also describer rough budget and resources and facilities needed
and if there is any request to department or class. Mention here safety
concerns and/or engineering ethics relevant to the project. (3/4 page)
 Conclusion: Conclude by rephrasing the problems and needs and benefits of
the project. Also rephrase the objectives of the project. Then summarize the
engineering approaches and alternative solution ideas. Normally the final
paragraphs of your proposal urge the recipients to consider your proposal
contact you with questions and of course accept your bid or request. This is
also a good spot to allude once more to the benefits of doing the project
coordinators according to their competencies and to sell the benefits to be
gained through your proposal.

3.4. Reviewing Literature

3.4.1. Organizing Background Information

Supporting a research project and its proposal with sources fuses tracing the users and
existing engineering solution. Answering questions related to users’ analysis pertain to
what target users need or want, how much would my target user be willing to pay for a
design, and what size should I make for my target user?

Background research is especially important for engineering design projects, because you
can learn from the experience of others rather than blunder around and repeat their
mistakes. To make a background research plan— a roadmap of the research questions
you need to answer: Identify questions to ask about your target user or customer; Identify
questions to ask about the products that already exist to solve the problem you defined or
a problem that is very similar; Plan to research how your product will work and how to
make it.

Existing Solutions: Research the products that already exist to solve the problem you
defined or a problem that is very similar, and Research how your product will work and
how to make it. Then, ask questions to help you understand products or programs that fill
similar needs to the need you identified:

 What products fill a similar need?

23
  What are the strengths and weaknesses of products that fill a similar need?
 What are the key, must-have features of products that fill a similar need?
 Why did the engineers that built these products design them the way they did?
 How can I measure my design's improvement over existing designs?

Activity 3.4

Directions: Be in a group of three and think of a problem which required an engineering

solution and analyze users. Describe the nature of the tentative solution and elicit the
related projects implemented to investigate your solution is more relevant than others.

3.4.2. Citation and Referencing

In the process of organizing background information, especially at the time of exploring

solutions to the problem and developing methodology, acknowledging sources by citing
in text and including in the list of references is an important ethical issue. Paraphrasing,
summarizing and quoting are the possible strategies to make borrowing ideas legitimate.
Otherwise, illegitimate practices lead to plagiarism. Below are some insights on how to
cite in text and writing the list of references with two different styles.

Sou APA style (author, date) IEEE style (numbered)

rces
Jour Another study found that..... Another study found that..... [1]
nal (Perkins, Bird, Jacobs, & Devoy,
artic 2016)
les Perkins, W. T., Bird, G., Jacobs, [1] W. T. Perkins, G. Bird, S. R.
S. R., & Devoy, C. (2016). Field- Jacobs, and C. Devoy, “Field-scale
scale study of the influence of study of the influence of differing
differing remediation strategies remediation strategies on trace
on trace metal geochemistry in metal geochemistry in metal mine
metal mine tailings from the Irish tailings from the Irish Midlands,”
Midlands. Environmental Environmental Science and
Science and Pollution Research, Pollution Research, vol. 23, no. 6,
23(6), 5592–5608. pp. 5592–5608, 2016.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356- https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-
015-5725-7 015-5725-7
Boo Another study found that..... Another study found that..... [1]
ks (MacDowell, 2012, p. 34)
MacDowell, L. S. (2012). An L. S. MacDowell, An
Environmental History of Environmental History of Canada.
Canada. Retrieved from Vancouver, BC: UBC Press, 2012
https://www.ubcpress.ca/asset/92 [Online]. Available:
96/1/9780774821018.pdf https://www.ubcpress.ca/asset/9296

24
 /1/9780774821018.pdf
Cod According to the concrete design
According to the concrete design
es code... (Canadian Standards
code...[1]
and Association, 2019)
stan [1]
dard Canadian Standards Association. Design of concrete structures, CSA
s (2019). Design of concrete Standard A23:3, 2019. [Online].
structures (CSA standard Available:
A23.3:19). Retrieved from https://subscriptions.techstreet.com
https://subscriptions.techstreet.co /products/836680.
m/products/836680

Consult your department on the style selected in writing proposals and projects. Does it
have similarities or differences with the samples given above? Refer back to the books or
articles you have nearby and look at the citation and referencing style used.

3.5. Communicating project proposals

3.5.1. Analyzing project proposals

Activity 3.5.1.

Directions: read the following project proposal and answer the questions given below.

1. What are the ideas/contents of the introduction tries to address?

2. What is the type of project proposal? A proposal for research or construction bid
or solicited or unsolicited? How do you know?
3. Compare the structure and contents of this proposal with those discussed earlier.

Introduction: The company was established in 1970. From building houses, the
company started taking larger projects from various industries. Our team
consists of highly skilled professionals, focused on delivering quality and value.
We are very critical in understanding the needs of our clients and we give our
clients the guarantee that we deliver our projects on time within the budget and
of the highest standard of quality. We see to it that our project teams work very
closely with our clients and that their needs will always be considered in major
project decisions. We secure with our clients our transparency in costing, budget
control, project scheduling, and commissioning as part of our accountability and
integrity. We believe in our service-oriented approach to business as the reason
for our continued success. We value our clients, employees, and other business
partners and consider them to be a vital part of our success and we aim in
making a strong relationship with our clients, employees, business partners, and
the community. Today, we are one of the leading project and construction
management firms in the country and we take pride to our work, and we leave

25
you worry-free as you watch your imaginations come to life. The client shall
provide the necessary documents and we shall assist the client in the procurement of
construction permits and other licenses for the smooth commencement and
implementation of the construction work regarding the project. In case where the
client prefers or requests to procure the necessary permits and licenses, they assume
all legal responsibility for the completed work.
1. The Project: The project involves the construction of a commercial building
located at , with an approximate area of {landArea18} square meters. The
proposed structure shall stand at 4 feet and will have 4 units of commercial
space for rent for retail and service establishments on the ground and second
floors, and other commercial space for the other floors. The proposed
commencement of the construction shall be on Wednesday, April 17, 1991
and expected to be completed on Friday, February 3, 2017.
2. Scope of Work: In accordance with requirements set forth in this contract, the
project shall be undertaken to include the following:
3. 1. Coordinate with the client during the design and document preparation.
2. Coordinate and assist the client's representatives and architects in all
meetings.
3. Advertise and manage biddings and awards on behalf of the client.
4. Provide a detailed cost estimate of materials and schedules in accordance
with the architectural design of the project.
5. Administer, supervise, provide periodic inspection, review contractor
estimates, completion of project reports, and final inspection of review.
6. Procure applicable building permits and special permits for permanent
improvements.
7. Ensure cleanliness and waste disposal being compliant to environmental
standards and legal requirements
Logistics: Construction projects can be a big undertaking and therefore we likewise
take the essential steps to manage the project and ease down burden off from our
clients. Nonetheless, it’s important to understand how the work might affect you and
your property. Unless otherwise another agreement has been set, we assume sole
ownership over excess materials used on the construction site after the project, and
ensure on leaving the property clean and free of construction materials and debris
upon completion of the project. For additional materials procured, we shall make
every effort to ensure that the new materials match up with existing materials.
However, it should be understood that from time to time, there will be instances that
this cannot be possible. Safe and sanitary toilet and other essential facilities will be
provided by the client to the construction crew within the whole duration of the
project. It shall be the client's responsibility to secure personal property. We shall not
be responsible for damage to personal property that was left in the work area or the
well-being of pets and other animals brought to the construction site. We will have
full use of electrical power and lighting to perform work, and access to the service
panel and expenses on the usage of electricity and lighting shall be borne by the

26
 client.
Proposed Construction Amount and Terms: The total contract price for the
construction project shall be. An initial payment shall be paid prior commencement of
the construction project with us. The said amount shall be paid to your account to be
provided upon acceptance of the proposal. The agreed payment in installments shall
be paid in terms as shown as the table below:
Payment
Description Amount
Date

Limited Warranty: We provide a guarantee against defects in workmanship and

materials used in the construction process for a period of 1 year upon completion of
the project and receipt of full payment, and warranty to the building construction as a
whole for 10 years. This Limited Warranty does not cover:
 Normal wear and tear, warping of material, natural grain and texture
variations of wood
 Defects in equipment or appliances covered by the manufacturer
 Cracks formed after concrete
 Damage due to sunlight, Damage due to sunlight
 Any defects arising from modifications after project completion
 Loss or injury due to natural disaster or any fortuitous events
Agreement: Client has fifteen (15) days from signing upon this agreement should the
latter decide to cancel the said agreement.
Company Signature over Printed Name Client Signature over printed Name

3.5.2. Writing proposals

A proposal is a document written to persuade readers that is proposed to benefit them by

solving a problem or fulfilling a need. It is a kind of suggestion from an individual or
organization to another individual or organization or department urging some actions.
When you write a proposal, therefore, you must convince readers that they need what you
are proposing, that it is practical and appropriate, and that you are the right person or
organization to provide the proposed product or service. One of the most important tools
for clients, consultants and contractors is the project proposal documents. With it, you get
work, either for the company that employs you or for yourself, if you’re an independent
consultant. Proposal writing is a competitive affair in engineering especially for
consultants, and writing a bid project proposal is vital for contractors solicited by the
client.

Brainstorming Activity 3.5.2.1

Direction: think about answers to the following questions and share ideas with your
team.

27
1. Have you seen any difference between an engineering design process and a
scientific investigation?
2. Do you conceive that research in engineering can be conducted using scientific
methods or engineering designing process? Why?
3. An engineer who desires to solve the technical problems of accessing water to the
people living in a communal G+5 and above buildings, and an engineer aiming to
investigate the ‘improvement of safety in construction projects by strengthening
coordinators' competencies in health and safety issues’. Can they apply engineering
design process and the process of scientific approach in the same way for both projects?
Why?

Activity 3.5.2. 2

Directions: Read the following cases critically and select one of the cases to draft short
informal proposal considering the important components of writing proposals in
engineering.

Case 1: Debre Markos Town Water Supply and Sewerage Removal Service Organization
has some problems in accessing water to residents situated in a few sites during electric
power instabilities. Residents in communal houses at G+ 4 and above often suffer as the
instable electric power used to this purpose has become ineffective and increments in
urbanization forced the municipality to apply the shift system in which residents in
limited localities are expected to get water shortly for a day or half in one round. These
people living in these topmost floors fail to get water and often suffer fetching water from
their nearby dwellers at the lower floors.
Case 2: Due to the contemporary expansion of industrialization at Burie industrial
zone which is located eastern and south eastern part of the town , rural people may be at
risk of pollution as some factories negligently leave untreated wastewater to the nearby
Yisir and other rivers.

1. How do you understand the problem and the need of the communal dwellers?
2. Why is solving this problem really important?
3. Write the introduction of your proposal on this issue stating the purpose and scope
based on the problem identified, discuss the background knowledge and methods
employed to solve related problems; justify the benefits and feasibility of the project as it
is unsolicited, and show how your solution will help in solving the current problem by
supporting with the state of the art in the area.

Activity 3.5.2.3
Directions: read the following points highlight the focus we need to have in writing the
introduction part of the project proposal. Check if the purpose, problem, some reviews
and scope of the proposal are included as parts of the introduction or not?

28
Introduction of a proposal may reach up to half a page. It needs to address the following
issues:
 Stating the objective of the project goals and its scopes is important.
 Discuss the need for and value of the project in the context of a customer’s need
 Include relevant background describe the knowledge and skills acquired in earlier
course work which plays major role in the problem formulation and problem
solving.
 In an unsolicited proposal, you should discuss the problem or opportunity that
caused you to write the proposal. In solicited proposals, this may not be
necessary, the party requesting proposals knows the problem very well.
 Still, a background section even in a solicited proposal can be useful. It
demonstrates that you fully understand the situation and enables recipients to
check your interpretation of it.
 Make reference to some prior contact with the recipient of the proposal or your
source of information about the project.
Problem identification and development
 Identify the requirements, specifications (or standards, rules, or regulations), and
constraints of the project around the root cause of the problem.
 Make sure the design requirements must be quantitative and measurable. If
applicable, description of the sustainable design related to the project and
solutions would be beneficial.
 Briefly include a short section in which you state explicitly what you are
proposing to do.
Benefits and Feasibility of the Project:
 To promote the project to the recipient, some proposals discuss the benefits of
doing the project. This is particularly true in unsolicited proposals where the
recipient must be convinced that the project is necessary in the first place.
 Current Status of Art:
 Summarize the search and research results of the existing products or
technologies with references.
 Describe their advantages and disadvantages in the perspective of the design
requirements of the project.
 Find the main technological point that serves as the main reason why the
proposed project is important and solves the problem.

Activity 3.5.2.3
Directions: Develop a system that might solve the problem explaining the measures
describing details with drawings and explanatory details, and the description of issues
related to tasks, deliverables and project management. Look at the TIPS below for
reference.
TIPS
Engineering Approach (including solution alternatives): not more than half a page

29
 Describe in system level your project and rough solution ideas.
 There should be more than one solution alternatives with somewhat detailed description
even though the solution should be refined later.
 Providing schematic diagrams and components necessary for the solutions would be
helpful- provide explanation with drawings.
 Also, mention what contents of knowledge gained in the courses taken would be applied,
and what contents of knowledge would be learned to pursue the solution approaches.
 Some proposals need a section that explains how you plan to go about the project, even
the theory relating to your approach.
 For some projects, people need to know how the work will be done and why it will be
done that way. As in the background section, this discussion enables you to demonstrate
your professional expertise.
Tasks and Deliverables:
 Describe the scope of your expected work, including works to be completed, tasks
to be conducted.
 The task description should follow the order of the project progress or the order of
components of the project. Also, here describe deliverables, which means you
have to clear declare what you will give your customer such as prototype,
schematics, manual, etc.
 Description of the Work Product in which the proposed project—in other words,
the results of the work—is described like a constructed building, a program
design, blueprints or plans, or even a 40-page report. (3/4 page).
Project Management
 Describe of timeline and milestones using chart.
 Detailed description of task assignment of each member of team must be
presented.
 Also describer rough budget, and resources and facilities needed and, if there is
any, request to department or class.
 Mention here safety concerns and/or engineering ethics relevant to the project.
(3/4 page)

Activity 3.5.2. 4
Directions: Write a one paragraph conclusion for your project proposal summarizing
the purpose, problem and solutions proposed. Described and convince the
municipality of the town to consider the problem and fund your project.
Conclusion
 Conclude by rephrasing the problems and needs and benefits of the project.
Also rephrase the objectives of the project.
 Summarize the engineering approaches and alternative solution ideas. State
briefly on costs and timeline.

30
  The final paragraphs of your proposal urge the recipients to consider your
proposal, contact you with questions, and of course accept your bid or request.
 This is also a good spot to allude once more to the benefits of doing the project.

3.5.3. Presenting a project proposal orally

3.5.3.1. Moves in oral presentation

Concise technical information is often communicated to target audience through oral

presentation and briefings. It can be carried out procedurally considering the preparation,
presentation and reflection aspects of presentation. In the preparation stage, the presenter
prepares visuals and rehears the content, situation and audience. At the time of
presentation, introducing, delivering and concluding the presentation. After this, a
reaction to the audience through addressing the questions that may be raised is an integral
part.

Brainstorming Activity 3.5.3.

Directions: Think of the presentations you have made or attended recently. Describe the
way those presentations were carried out stepwise. Discuss what you did/ said in the
introduction, delivery and conclusion parts of your presentation.

INTRODUCTION
 introducing yourself and subject of your presentation,
 plan carefully about what point of entry will stimulate your audience
 Form a springboard into the main topics of your delivery.
 Keep your audience and their ‘needs’ very firmly in mind.
 Outline the main points that you will be covering during your presentation.
 catch your audience’s attention at the beginning
 consider stimulating more interest by posing a question, presenting a puzzle
MAIN PRESENTATION
 is influence by the general context , aim of your presentation and the expected
audience.
 decide between a big picture approach and one that selects a smaller area with
more detail.
 feel more confident about what to include and what to exclude.
 Three or four main points are normally sufficient for a presentation of up to a
half-hour.
 For a longer presentation, do not exceed seven main points not to overload the
audience.
 You should also decide what is best covered through speech, text, images
 make sure that it is relevant, accurate and interesting to the audience; your

31
audience will find it easier to maintain concentration and to stay with your argument.
CONCLUSION
 thank the audience for their patience
 Leave your audience with something memorable, say a powerful visual or a
convincing conclusion, with a key idea, a central theme to take away and want to reflect
on later.
 Summarize your points, again using visual aids to reinforce them if possible.
 Do not let the pace and energy of your presentation drop at the end.
 to invite questions or discussion.

3.5.3.2. Language and ethics during presentation

Oral presentation in academic settings requires ethics and using formal language. When
giving a presentation, it is not obligatory to use complicated language constructions, to
use long words, or to speak in nested and convoluted sentences. If you choose to speak
in a way that does not necessarily come naturally to you, or is in some way made more
complicated than it needs to be, you will in all probability not communicate effectively.
Use correct language and proofread (words used appropriately; correct spelling and
punctuation). It is essential to check your work for errors. Also follow general principles:
avoid gender stereotyping; avoid racist and racism stereotyping; avoid being aggressive,
swearing or obscenities; use the language that can include everybody (Pritchard, 2008;
Drew and Bingham, 2010).

Activity 3.5.3.1.

Directions: listen to the presentation your friends conducted in class. Focus on their
moves from introduction to conclusion and responding to questions. Identify the
language structures, phrases and words etc used by presenters. What did they say in the
moves? How did they address gender, racism, aggressiveness and inclusiveness?

Some common phrases of oral presentation that often work in academic settings are
suggested in the introduction, presentation and concluding remarks.
Introduction (after greeting the audience and introducing yourself or being introduced)
The subject/topic of my presentation today will be …
Today I would like to present recent result of our research on …
What I want to focus on today is …
Outlining the structure of the presentation
I will address the following three aspects of …
My presentation will be organized as can be seen from the following slide.
I will start with a study of … . Next, important discoveries in the field of … will be
introduced.
Finally, recent findings of … will be discussed.
Introducing a new point or section
Having discussed …, I will now turn to …

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Let’s now address another aspect.
Referring to visual aids
As can be seen from the next slide/diagram/table …
This graph shows the dependency of … versus …
The following table gives typical values of …
In this graph we have plotted … with …
Concluding/summarizing
Wrapping up …
To summarize/sum up/conclude …
Inviting questions
Please don’t hesitate to interrupt my talk when questions occur.
I’d like to thank you for your attention.
I’ll be happy/ pleased to answer questions now.
Dealing with questions
I cannot answer this question right now, but I’ll check and get back to you.
Perhaps this question can be answered by again referring to/looking at table …

3.5.3.3. Using audiovisual aids and PowerPoint presentations

 select the information to display, and how it would be best presented
 use key terms and bullet points that you can expand on, rather than expecting your
audience to read all the information themselves.
 turn off the projector after each transparency
 use more pictures and diagrams than text,
 after three days, an audience will have retained 7% of what they read (bullet points,
or other notes on the screen), but 55% of what they saw pictorially (charts, pictures,
diagrams).
 you should be aware that visual aids are complementary to the presentation and you
should not focus too narrowly on visual aids because you will lose the key point of
presentation.
 Avoid clutter slides at all costs, and select a clear font
 Use bold rather than underline and avoid italics;
 A dark background and light colored text (white or yellow) for contrast will make
your words stand
 Use a font size of 20 or over: use a 36 point for titles and a 28 point for body text
 Use pictures and icons and beware of the special effects, sound effects
 Keep the presentation consistent,
 Less than 30 words per slide, 5–6 words for headings a maximum of five bullet points
per slide
 Keep the number of slides down to one per minute or even one per 40 seconds

33
3.6. Dispatching project proposals

3.6.1. A letter of consultant

To realize the development of project proposals, clients often announce call for proposals
addressing mainly consultants to develop an engineering project proposal and supervise
the implementation of projects. The applications of different consultants will be later
evaluated based on their performances.

Activity 3.5.4.1.1.

Directions: read the following letter of the consultant written based on the solicitation of
the client to initiate a project based on its primarily needs analyzed. Answer the questions
using the information given in the letter of consultant.

1. Look at the format of the letter and discuss the elements included in the letter
2. What are the ideas addressed in each of the paragraphs?
3. What is the emphasis the manager has given in writing this letter? Why?
4. Analyze the letter and identify the two major points communicated through this
letter.

Brave consultants PLC….

Ref.no________
Date:_________
From: Brave consultants PLC
Debre Markos

To: Debre Markos University

Debre Markos, Ethiopia

Subject; Application for engineering consultancy service

Dear Sir/Madam,

Brave consultants PLC is pleased to apply for the engineering consultancy post
announced to the construction of students’ dormitories and lounge at its health compass.
Our company is experienced in supervising building constructions, repairing bridges, and
road construction. As an experienced company in civil engineering similar activities, I
believe our company can extend its expertise to the success of the construction proposed.

We have fifteen years’ experience in civil engineering, and have been an engineering
consultant with Super Engineers for twelve years. Our major roles in this post include
offering technical advisory in project development, preparing engineering drawings,
preparing the bill of quantity, analyzing, and interpreting data relevant to engineering.

We have successfully contributed to the completion of five bridge reconstruction

34
projects, two road contraction projects, and supervised construction of ten apartments in
different regions of Ethiopia. We have extensive experience using computer-aided design
software, solid works, and interpreting architectural plans.

We are keen on achieving quality output and expected results in the required timeline.
We would be glad to hear a response from you esteemed institution.

Yours sincerely,

…….., Manager

3.6.2. A letter of contractor

The completion of developing construction project proposals with their detailed design
leads to another announcement expecting contractors to develop a construction bid
proposal as per the call from the client. Writing and attaching cover letters requesting and
convincing the client to select their proposal is a common task for civil engineers
working in the construction industry.

Activity 3.5.4.1.2

Directions: The letter below is taken from a cover letter attached with a proposal. Read
the letter closely and answer the following questions

1. What was the issue the letter is written on?

2. Read each paragraph and analyze the ideas that you need to include while writing
in a similar situation?
3. How do you evaluate the consideration the contractor has given to ethics in
technical communication-letter writing?

MT Construction Company…….
Ref.no___________
Date:_____________
To: Ministry of Education
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Dear Honorable,

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to submit to you our Construction Bid Proposal
and for the chance to create a future partnership with you. For your information, we have
enclosed our proposal in complete detail for your review in order to undertake
management for constructing your dream project.

We are a one of the leading construction and project Management Company in region
with almost fifty years of experience in the industry. We understand our clients' needs and
concerns, and we are compliant with the international quality standards. Our top of the
line technical and management skills deliver our projects on time and within the budget.

35
Our success metric is to always give satisfaction to our clients by adding value to their
businesses and interests. With this, we hope to build a strong relationship with you. Please
be at liberty to review the enclosed proposal and do not hesitate to have the necessary
adjustments that you wish to make.
I look forward to meeting you on your most convenient time and discuss with you further
the proposal. You may contact me at, or email me directly at [email protected].
Thank you for the time and attention and we hope to hear from you soon.
Sincerely,
Source: https://www.jotform.com

36
3.7. Ethics in Technical Communication

Brainstorming Activity:3.6.1

Look at the picture herein and share ideas with

your team members:

1. What do you think are the causes for this

kind of half deformed buildings?
2. Do ethical problems in technical
communication attribute to this type of
project failure?
3. What are the problems associated with the
proper reporting, data sufficiency and
rationality in technical communication?

The development of an engineering project proposal requires factual data and transparent
communication which could not be subject to multiple interpretations and vagueness.
Using sufficient data, presenting visuals and properly suppressing information and
appropriately acknowledging sources demand communication ethics. Credibility can be
established through using appropriate professional language, citing highly respected
sources, providing reliable evidence, and using sound logic.

Activity. 3.6.2.
Directions: read and evaluate the information in the following scenario from technical
communication ethics perspective.
Scenario 1: Following the rough analysis of purpose, need and situation a client has done
during the initiation phase of a big project; a client selected a consultant to develop a
project proposal. The consultant has made a preliminary study taking few samples of the
users and site surveys. Some of the data collected in the reconnaissance survey signify
that soil type and land crack risks that might occur in the site; however, the consultant
suppressed them as he based the study on the major findings depicted. The contractor did
not make in-depth investigation with the assumption that the consultant studied all risks
critically. After the construction of the structural units was over and layering of bricks
and the finishing works were done at the fifth year of the project, the basement started to
crack. In six months time, the whole building was at risk so that the client ordered the
consultant and the contractor to suspend the project. The contractor and consultant
blamed each other associating the problem with one another’s weaknesses.
1. Who do you think is professionally unethical? Why?
2. Do you think the consultant is ethical to suppress some of the data during the

37
preliminary survey?
3. What are the ethical causes for the failure of the project? How do you know?
4. What can you infer from the scenario regarding ethics in technical
communication?

Problem/project 2

Directions: generate as many ideas of your own as much as you can by selecting one
local problem, explain it in detail from various perspectives. Write the introduction by
properly formulating the statement of the problem and developing solutions after
consulting background information. Finally, present your introductory section of a
proposal in written and oral aspects of technical communication. NB. Discuss and
evaluate each other’s idea to share new ideas and improve the idea to further use it in
developing your proposal in teams.

38
 UNIT FOUR
4. COMMUNICATION IN MANAGING ENGINEERING PROJECTS
The design of a project and its investigation can be realized if the needs are addressed and
the problems got solved after the full implementation of the project. The mere
investigation and design of the tentative solution will not be an end by itself as proper
management demands competent technical communication in project monitoring and
evaluation.

Brainstorming Activity 4.1.1

What sort of things do you think might be communication on construction sites? Discuss
with your class and use this space to generate and note ideas.

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________

Activity 4.1.2. Brainstorming

To be able to do your job effectively, receiving lots of instructions is very important. While
receiving instructions from your boss, it is mandatory to answer questions related to what?
Where? When? Who? How?

Boss: recent fractures are found at different parts of the building; avoiding or minimizing them
should be your primary task; it is good to consult experienced masonry workers and take the
right measure.
Taking yourself as an engineer, how are you going to respond to this instruction?

4.1. Briefing site observation and analysis

39
Observing a project site and communicating it orally are too important in project
monitoring and evaluation. Office and site engineers are required to explain the progress
mostly when the three bodies: client, contractor and supervisor meet infrequently. As a
responsible person to run the project, engineers at site and project office are supposed to
tell their employer and other stakeholders that they have completed a task. Letting them
know about the fault found in a tool or materials or describing an incident that occurred
on the site are vital focuses.

Meetings at the site with client, consultant and contractors follow policies that are given
on what should be reported and whom the report should be given is important. When you
are giving verbal report, try to remember all the skills you should use when sharing
information: think about what you want to say, include relevant information, put them in
the right sequence, and consider non-verbal language.

Activity 4.2.1.

Directions: you are one of the engineering team to discuss the failure of the following
building as can be seen in the picture taken from construction facts of Addis Ababa city
Admin website. Look the pictures critically, anticipate the possible causes of this project
failure and discuss on the problem with your team based on the questions given below
and orally report to the class.

1. You are assigned as a supervision team to investigate the causes and

consequences of such a building. How do you describe the problem of this construction
project?
2. What do you think causes for the collapse of this building?
3. How do technical communication to report the progress at earlier phases of the
project, its preliminary study, nature of the design and implementation of the project
management contribute to such crisis?
4. What do you think the basic, rhetoric, critical evaluation, ethics and team work
facets of technical communication attribute to this down fail?

40
5. How do you view the failure of the above project from the perspective of the
following extract?
No one wants to be the bearer of bad news. And no one wants to point the finger. We all
are concerned about how we are perceived by others. And we don't want to jeopardize
our position within a company or organization. Also, we might be asked by someone
above us to "fudge the data" a little bit in order to keep a grant or contract. Our working
relationships or even our jobs might be on the line. Perhaps a grant might not get funded
if certain data are not reported. Or perhaps our company won't get a contract if we don't
promise that our construction plan can hold the number of cars the client desires. When
the pressure is on, the consequences may not seem so dire. But if we don't wish others to
lie about the maximum amount of cars that can use the parking deck safely while we are
in the parking deck, then we certainly should not do it, either.
(Powell, 2016)

Activity 4.2.2

Directions: Below is the way a novice civil engineer employed by a contractor reported
what he does in a construction industry. Read the report critically and evaluate the report
and suggest a better way to give it clearly, concisely and to the point.

I finished building that wall next to the tree with the birds nest in it. I broke my trowel
though. I cleaned up all the broken bricks and left over mortar and put them in a rubbish
skip. That took me a while. I also built that nice black window into the wall where you
told me to put it. I had to go the office four times while I was building the wall.
Source: Powell (2016)

Activity 4.2. 3

Directions: Think of the time you come back to campus this year and select one
construction site and list out its progress within the last four to six months. You can
confirm asking people working in the site. Think about what you want to say, include
relevant information, put them in the right sequence, and present the report to your team
members who are working as a client and supervisor.

 Visit any of the buildings which were constructed some years back during the
establishment of second generation universities in Ethiopia, DMU for example or other
undergoing projects for different purposes on campus. Observe the project site and
analyze the fitness of the building to the purpose. Support your presentation with pictures
and figures. Consider your expectation about the life span of the project and the number
of users.

4.2. Types of report

41
Reports can be designated as formal and informal. Formal reports are often encountered
as research, development, or design reports. Formal reports are usually written accounts
of major projects that require substantial research, and they often involve more than one
writer. The formal technical reports contain a complete, concise, and well‐organized
description of the work performed and the results obtained. Most formal reports are
outside reports from one company to another. The format varies greatly, depending on
the company’s standards and the nature of the report. Most formal reports are divided
into three primary parts—front matter, body, and back matter—each of which contains a
number of elements. Often, a cover letter (or transmittal letter) or memo precedes the
front matter.

4. 2.1. Short progress report

Informal reports include memorandums, letters, progress notes, survey-type results, and
similar items in which the major purpose is to present a result without including detailed
information. Informal reports usually do not need an abstract/executive summary or
references. They are usually too short to require them. Informal reports usually contain
only one or two pages of text.

Activity 4.2.1

Read the following short report, analyze the three components, and respond to the report
as per the questions given with.

To: MBBC
Debre Markos
Ref. construction of student lounge at health campus
Subject: instruction to safeguard safety and environmental issues

It is recalled that your company has, made a contract agreement with DMU for
construction of students lounge at health campus. Accordingly, the project has been
commenced as of the of July 2020 and underway.

Consequently, pursuant to clause 34 sub-clause, .34.2 clause 45 of the GCC of the

contract, the contractor is obliged to take full responsibility for the adequacy, stability
and safety of the site and take all the necessary measures to obviate any risk of accident
or damage or to ensure security of the site, any associated and adjacent facilities during
the project execution period.

Accordingly, the contractor shall take all essential steps , on his own responsibility and
at his expense to ensure the safety of the site, his employees and the structures in the site
and the vicinity and also he shall comply, and shall ensure that its employees comply
with, the requirements of relevant health and safety and other relevant legislation.

42
However, in our evaluation conducted at two phases, there is no sufficient and applicable
safety equipment, safety appliances like shoes, helmets and reflective vest for the
employees and any authorized person involved in the site. There are not any prevention
measures, safety manuals, and warning and caution signals, hazard notification marks to
the site. These all problems detected in the first phase of our evaluation were
communicated to your office. In the second evaluation conducted on December 2020,
there are no sufficient and applicable safety equipment, appliances, helmets and reflective
vest for engineers and other related workers. You have failed to provide any of the
aforementioned prevention measures.

Hence this report is to kindly re-instruct your office to properly implement the safety,
health and environmental regulations of the state and provide all the necessary welfare
and safety requirements on the site and discharge your contractual obligations in the
soonest possible time.

With regards,

1. Identify the three components of the report and explain their relevance to make
the report sound.
2. Analyze the rhetorical elements of the report so as to reason out the purpose,
audience and context?
3. Assuming yourself as a contractor, respond to the report explaining that you had a
financial constraint to fix the stated problem.
4. Are the components of this informal report similar to any lengthy (formal) report?

4.2.2. Progress reports

You write a progress report to inform a supervisor, associate, or customer about progress
you've made on a project over a certain period of time. The project can be the design,
construction, or repair of something, the study or research of a problem or question, or
the gathering of information on a technical subject. You write progress reports when it
takes well over three or four months to complete a project. In the progress report, you
explain any or all of the following:

 How much of the work is complete

 What part of the work is currently in progress
 What work remains to be done
 What problems or unexpected things, if any, have arisen
 How the project is going in general

43
Activity 4.2.2.

Look at the following pictures and identify the type of construction projects. In your oral
reports to your group, try to describe what is completed, the current status, the remaining
part and things about your expectation of the project in general.

Progress reports have several important functions; they:

 Reassure recipients that you are making progress, that the project is going
smoothly, and that it will be complete by the expected date.
 Provide their recipients with a brief look at some of the findings or some of the
work of the project.
 Give their recipients a chance to evaluate your work on the project and to request
changes.
 Give you a chance to discuss problems in the project and thus to forewarn
recipients.
 Force you to establish a work schedule so that you'll complete the project on time.

Timing and Format of Progress Reports

In a year-long project, there are customarily three progress reports, one after three, six,
and nine months. Depending on the size of the progress report, the length and importance
of the project, and the recipient, the progress report can take the following forms:

 Memo--A short, informal report to someone within your organization

 Letter--A short, informal report sent to someone outside your organization
 Formal report--A long, formal report sent to someone outside your organization

44
Take a look at the discussion in "Format of Proposals,". You can use the same format on
progress reports as you can on proposals: memo, letter, separated report; or cover memo
or letter with separate report.

Organizational Patterns for Progress Reports

The recipient of a progress report wants to see what you've accomplished on the project,
what you are working on now, what you plan to work on next, and how the project is
going in general. To report this information, you combine two of these organizational
strategies: time periods, project tasks, or report topics.

Time periods. A progress report usually summarizes work within each of the following:

 Work accomplished in the preceding period(s)

 Work currently being performed
 Work planned for the next period(s)

In your progress report, you also need (a) an introduction that reviews the history of the
project's beginnings as well as the purpose and scope of the work, (b) a detailed
description of your project, and (c) an overall appraisal of the project to date, which
usually acts as the conclusion.

Introduction. Review the details of your project's purpose, scope, and activities. This
will aid recipients who are unfamiliar with the project, who do not remember certain
details, or who want to doublecheck your approach to the project. The introduction can
contain the following:

 Purpose of the project

 Specific objectives of the project
 Scope, or limits, of the project
 Date the project began; date the project is scheduled to be completed
 People or organization working on the project
 People or organization for whom the project is being done
 Overview of the contents of the progress report

Project description. In most progress reports, include a project description to review the
details of your project for the recipients:

Conclusion. The final paragraph or section usually reassures audiences that all is going
well and on schedule. It can also alert recipients to unexpected changes or problems in
the project.

Revision Checklist for Progress Reports

As you reread and revise your progress report, watch out for problems such as the
following:

45
  Make sure you use the right format. Remember, the memo format is for internal
progress reports; the business-letter format is for progress reports written from
one external organization to another. (Whether you use a cover memo or cover
letter is your choice.)
 Write a good introduction-in it, state that this is a progress report, and provide an
overview of the contents of the progress report.
 Make sure to include a description of the final report project.
 Use one or a combination of the organizational patterns in the discussion of your
work on the final report.
 Use headings to mark off the different parts of your progress report, particularly
the different parts of your summary of work done on the project.
 Use lists as appropriate.
 Provide specifics-avoid relying on vague, overly general statements about the
work you've done on the final report project.
 Be sure and address the progress report to the real or realistic audience-not your
instructor.
 Assume there will nonspecialist reading your progress report. But don't avoid
discussion of technical aspects of the project-just bring them down to a level that
nonspecialists can understand.

4.3. Critical evaluation of a report

Some projects often experience failure due to problems related to preliminary survey,
poor design and management. Evaluating their status proactively or reactively is
mandatory in the practice of managing engineering construction project progress.
Objective and ethical reporting highly attributes to fix problems before a complex crisis
happens.

Activity 4.3.1.

The following is a project evaluation document adapted from a case study that
experienced civil engineering professionals who are working as instructors, contractors
and consultants did in teams. The purpose of this evaluative report is to make a structural
failure analysis and retrofitting design report for a G+2 market center owned by Dire
Dawa Micro, Small Enterprise Development Agency and develops a document for the
third party. Read the report and answer the questions that follow.

46
Dire Dawa Micro and Small Enterprise Development Agency intended to build a G+2
market center at Legehare are, Dire Dawa. After completing all the design and tendering
process of the project, the agreement between the client and the selected contractor come
to end.

On the course of the construction supervision and design checking of the project, some of
the structural elements are found to be under designed. Since the construction of the
foundation structures are already completed, a serious measure must be taken so as to
make the building safely usable for the intended purpose. To this effect, the client
nominates two of its staff members to check, evaluate and recommend possible solutions
to the problem observed. Bases on the request made by the client high profile
professionals’ engineers have voluntarily joined the technical committee to technically
assist the committee in the process of redesigning and solution recommendation.

The technical committee sets out its methodology based industry practice and experience
of the technical professional members of the committee. The methodology is thus
determined to be conducted through the following six stapes that range from discussion
and preliminary problem identification, document review and site visit to retrospective
analysis/redesigning and retrofitting.

This document tries to elaborate the modified design for the Legehar market center. In
order to satisfactorily modify the original structural design, an extensive study was
undertaken to consider alternative strategies to transform the existing structure into a
more economical, safe and technically appropriate structure. A protracted design
consultation process involving the client body clearly highlighted the necessity to
consider this project in a wide range of economics, safety and functionality. So the
pivotal question to be addressed is the establishment of a clear and conspicuous new
identity to the structure.

Retrofitting is the process of addition of new features to older buildings, heritage

structures, bridges to reduce the vulnerability of damage of an existing structure during a
near future which helps to increase the strength, resistivity and overall lifespan of the
structure. Based on the above basic assumption and actual site condition differences, the
initial design has been modified. This modification carefully considers the function of the
building and it compliance with the Ethiopian building code standards.

The objective of this modification is to suitably consider soil and assumption related
situations. The type, bearing capacity, and other unforeseen behaviors of the soil greatly
affect the footings size and depth, so this modification considers these behaviors of the
soil. Based on our document review results, the initial design of this market center took
assumptions of live load for general use according to the Ethiopian building code
standards. But in this modification the live load taken is for shopping structure so that it
resists loads that are designated for shopping areas.

Modification has been thoroughly discussed and decided on the changing roof slab and
columns as supportive measures to be taken in the project. Changing the slab roof to a
47
corrugated iron sheet is one important solution. This change of slab roof to a corrugated
iron sheet helps to reduce the load that the structure has to carry, making the structure
more economical and safe. Also the change helps to highly reduce the water proofing
works, which in result makes the roof work cheaper and easier to construct. The other
change has to be done by jacketing which is the process whereby a section of an existing
structural member is restored to original dimensions or increased in size by encasement
using suitable materials. A steel reinforcement cage or composite material wrap can be
constructed around the damage section onto which shotcrete or cast-in-place concrete is
placed. The columns located along axis B and 6 are subject to jacketing. In order to
securely hold the reinforcements that are going to be added during the jacketing, the
footing pads of these columns need 5cm chiseling and temperature reinforcements should
be added on the top of pads. Also 5cm concrete should be casted after placing the
reinforcements. This should be carefully done in accordance to the modified structural
drawing and the engineer’s order on the site. There are the specific columns which need
jacketing, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, C6, I6, J6 and k6. Moreover, the aforementioned
modifications should be carefully supervised and the quality of the binding materials
should be approved by the supervisor.

We , the under signed technical committee declare that we have professionally, and
without any second party interference whatsoever evaluated the project to the best of our
knowledge, and have subsequently affixed our signature to the final technical report on
this 3rd day of February 2015.

1. Analyze the report and categorize each of the paragraphs as they are part of :
methodology, declaration, introduction, retrofitting, and analysis
2. What does the report tried to address in each of the components? Discuss in
groups and reflect to your class.
3. What do you think is the relevance of the reports declaration?
4. How do you evaluate the report? What strengths and weaknesses can you draw
out of the report?
5. Report the summary of this document orally and in written modes.

4.4. Writing reports on project status

A report need to qualify the characteristics of accuracy in details, information sources

documentation, realistic audience and situation. The way headings and lists, special
format, length and technical content are written need to be accurate too. The organization
of reports has three components. In the First paragraph citing the name of the report, and
mentioning the date of the agreement are important in writing the report. The middle
paragraph focuses on the purpose of the report and gives a brief overview of the contents
of the report. The final paragraph encourages the reader to get in touch with any
questions, comments, or concerns, and gives contact information. It closes with a gesture
of good will, expressing hope that the reader finds the report satisfactory.

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Activity 4.4.2.

Directions: the following informal (short) is adapted from an authentic report of the
consultant instructing the contractor on the changes made on the reinforcement bars.
Read the text and analyze and evaluate the report considering the questions given below.

Report on Changes in the Reinforcement Bar

From: Brave Consultants’ PLC

To: Muluken Bitew Building Contractor
Ref. construction of students lounge at health campus
Subject: changes made in the reinforcement bar

Dear Sir/Madam,

It is to be recalled that your company has made a contract agreement with Debre Markos
University for the construction of students lounge at health campus. Accordingly, the
project has been commenced as of 27th July 2020 and underway.

Consequently, due to additionally introduced basement floor and associated design

change: the foundation pad reinforcement bar has been designed to be Ø14 with c/c
120mm from f5 flooring pad. However, reference is made to your letter dated 25/03/2013
by which you have requested us for reinforcement bar type change from Ø 14 to Ø 20(
with equivalent area of steel as per the design) stating that there is scarcity of
reinforcement bar in the current market and you have had sufficient stock of bar Ø 20.
Meanwhile, in your letter you have also confirmed that the associated payment shall be
made as per the original design there too.

Regarding this, scrutinizing the issue in detail and to hasten the project progress
shortening the additional time demand for the purchase of the rebar we have accepted
your genuine proposal. Accordingly, you are instructed to execute the reinforcement by
of Ø 20 with c/c 200mm for F5 flooring pad in place of the deign provided via letter
ref.xxx Dated xxx. Thus, you are demanded to execute the foundation structure
construction with due care and diligence in the soonest possible time. Moreover, we
kindly affirm that the payment shall be made with the original design of Ø 14 with c/c
120mm for F5 footing pad.
1. What can you say about the nature of the report? Is it a letter? Can a report be in
the form of letter? Why?
2. What are the three major components the report has?
3. What does the consultant aim to do in each of the ideas explained in the
paragraphs?

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4. If you are working by the side of the contractor what would be your response after
reading this letter? What points would you raise to weigh the acceptance or refusal
complaint of the report?

4.5. Writing Letters and Memos

Activity 4.4.3.1.

Directions: read the following pair of letters and analyze the language and contents
included based on the questions that follow.

Heading ……….. Ref.no….

Ref……. Date…..
Date…….. To: At-Con Engineering And
To: contractor Architecture Consultancy PLC
Addis ababa
Reference: construction of B+G+5 First Instance Ref. B+G+5 office building
Court Subject: wall cladding
Subject: Response on the proposal of stone
cladding Dear sirs,We have seen from the
Dear sir, referenced letter that your office do
Reference is made to your letter ref. no xxx dated not accept our proposal for
on xxxx. in which you have proposed stone replacing marble cladding with light
cladding for external wall instead of marble weight carving stone and urged us
cladding which has been requested for other to proceed marble cladding with
alternative materials due to work methodology appropriate fixing methodologies.
problems by your letter referenced … dated … and
asked for proposal with our reference letter ref. Our concern was the strength of a
no..dated… hosting and cladding materials,
though we have examined all
Accordingly, we have gone through in detail on possible options in fixing the
your proposal and the stones cladding have marble on hollow concert block
decorative nature, symbolizes luxury and not good wall, hence we request your
from the scale of the building whereas the marble esteemed office to propose detailed
cladding shows clarity, grace full and durable. appropriate fixing methodologies, if
Due to this, we do not accept the proposed stone any, to proceed the work as fast as
cladding alternatives. This is to ask to proceed possible.
with marble cladding with appropriate fixing
methodology. With kind regards,

With kind regards, Tel, email… address

_________________________________________
Tel, email… address

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 1. What are the common elements the two letters have?
2. How do you evaluate the relevance of the response letter to the first letter written
to?
3. In the claims the two parties have, which side do you support? Report to your
friend how the idea of one of the parties will not be acceptable?
4. Write a response letter to the one whom you believe has wrong response?

Activity 4.4.3.2.

Directions: Respond to the compliant letter based considering the points addressed
in.

Directions: you encountered two problems in the construction project you are running.
Fractures occur in the building structures to the nearby earthquake and dalliances
associated to transportation problem due to the blockage of main roads from Addis
Abeba to Bahir Dar. This resulted in 1% increment to the construction cost from the
contract budget agreed as 500 million birr. Write a letter a letter of complaint explaining
that you need the client to pay the money spent beyond the estimation stipulated in the
agreement.

Writing memos
Memo or memorandum is a reminder used for communicating official business within an
organization. Memos are brief business documents usually used internally to inform or
persuade employees concerning business decisions on policy, procedure, or actions. It is
often written from a one-to-all perspective, broadcasting a message to an audience to
update a team on activities for a given project, or to inform a specific group within a
company of an event, action, or observance. The format of the memo is required to have
header, title of individual, date and subject, a message containing discussion and
declaration, introduction, body and conclusion.

Activity 4.4.5.1.

Directions: Evaluate the following sample memo if the technicality and language
addresses the audience, the purpose is clear, the tone is formal and objective, the subject
has emphasis and it is unbias. Is the format of the memo appropriate?

Higher education Facility Services Memo

To: Prospective Contractors

From: Higher education Facility Services
Subject: How to Request a Project

Requests for all new construction and building renovations including the purchasing of
furniture and equipment that will require modifications to utilities (phone, data, power,
plumbing or mechanical systems ) or structures should be made on the “ Project Request

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Form ” enclosed. This form was developed to help consider most of the typical needs of a
project and should be filled out by you as much as possible and forwarded to Facility
Services. Upon receipt of the completed form Facility Services will review the scope of
work and assign a Project Manager to work with you in preparation of a Budget Estimate
for you to fund through your department’s operating budget or for you to submit for the
annual Capital Budget request process. The Project Request Form can be submitted to
Facility Services throughout the year allowing ample time for planning and pricing larger
projects. This will avoid last -minute request which are difficult to fulfill on short notice.

Your help is much appreciated; thank you for your support

Source: https://studylib.net/doc/8726599/request-a-project-memo-and-form

Activity 4.4.5.2.

Directions: You are working as a project manager in a Construction site. You want to
communicate to all workers at different walks of life concerning the new working policy
sent to you from the head office, notify the procedures to be following within etc.
Improve your memo after giving peer feedback and post all classroom walls so that
others can comment on.

4.6. Ethical Issues in Reporting

The effectiveness of a construction industry mainly depends on implementing appropriate

project monitoring and evaluation. Each of the stages of a project need consistent follows
up. Any construction could be safe and economical if every stage of its progress is
properly and ethically communicated.

Activity 4.6.4.1.

Directions: Read the following scenario and critically evaluate if it is ethical or not?

The contractor’s cost of excavation and filling it with a quality soil is in part of the
counteract agreement. He first took the excavated poor soil and sold it to an individual.
He then reported as he bought another quality soil and filled. He finally asked multiple
payments-excavation, transpiration, filling and soil and transportation. What are the
problems he has?

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Activity 4.4.4.2.
Directions: the explosion spaceship Challenger in 1986 is the real example that an
ethical and faulty communication and its real consequence. Read the extract and answer
the questions below based on the information from the text.

There was an "O ring problem," or "the failure of a rubber seal in the solid rocket
booster" with regard to the shuttle's construction (Winsor 336). From early 1984 until
July 1985, the O-ring problems were noticed but not taken seriously. Or dismissed. On
July 22, 1985, MTI engineer

Roger sent a memo to Lund, who was MIT's Vice President of Engineering. In the memo,
Roger stated that the O ring problem was serious, and concluded, "It is my honest and
very real fear that if we do not take immediate action . . . to solve the problem . . . then
we stand in jeopardy of losing a flight along with all the launch pad facilities" (Winsor
341). The vice president wrote a letter on August 9 in response to Roger’s memo. His
letter stated the facts very plainly. For example, he writes, "If the primary seal were to
fail from . . . 330 660 milliseconds the chance of the second seal holding is small. This is
a direct result of the o ring's slow response compared to the metal case segments as the
joint rotates" (Winsor 330 660 milliseconds the chance of the second seal holding is
small. This is a direct result of the O-ring's slow response compared to the metal case
segments as the joint rotates" (Winsor 343).
Source: Powell, Tamara, "14.Ethics in Technical Communication" (2016). Sexy
Technical Communications. 14. htp://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/oertechcomm/14

1. Whose technical communication (writing) was the cause for jeopardy of losing a
flight along with all the launch pad facility? Why?
2. What is the failure of communication which was partially responsible for that
disaster?

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3. What can you say about the technical communication between It’s engineer Roger
Boisjoly and the Vice President of Engineering, R.K. Lund, who was.? Whose
language is plain and clear?
4. How do you reflect on the experience and problem of hiding or burying information
in reporting?

Project 4

Directions: Think of the time you come back to campus this year and select one
construction site and list out its progress within the last four to six months. You can
confirm asking people working in the site. Think about what you want to say, include
relevant information, put them in the right sequence, and present the report to your team
members who are working as a client and supervisor.

Visit any of the buildings which were constructed some years back during the
establishment of second generation universities in Ethiopia, DMU for example or other
undergoing projects for different purposes on campus. Observe the project site and
analyze the fitness of the building to the purpose. Support your presentation with pictures
and figures. Consider your expectation about the life span of the project and the number
of users.

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