Constructing the Medupi Power Station Case Study Memo

Case Study Recommendation Memo Assignment

At Fern Fort University, we write Constructing the Medupi Power Station case study recommendation memo as per the Harvard Business Review Leadership & Managing People case memo framework. If you are looking for MBA, Executive MBA or Corporate / Professional level recommendation memo then feel free to connect with us.

Other topics that can be covered in the above case memo are Change management, International business, Leadership, Organizational culture, Strategy . The recommendations in the case memo are - aligned with strategy of the company, based on robust data, and provide a clear roadmap for execution.

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Constructing the Medupi Power Station Description

Leadership & Managing People Case Study | Authors :: Caren Scheepers, Schalk Marais

Medupi, rising from the dry Limpopo Province bush veld, was the first baseload project built in South Africa in 20 years. It would be the largest dry-cooled coal-fired power station in the world and was developed by Eskom, which generated 90 per cent of Southern Africa's power, at an estimated cost of R125 billion. In spite of the worldwide concern about greener energy, coal remains the most popular power station fuel for South Africa, due to the country's vast resources of 224 million tonnes annually. The new capacity Medupi would offer was sorely needed. Regular and nationwide load shedding, due to a shortage of capacity, affected the entire country during 2007 and 2008 and all businesses were asked to turn off non-essential lighting and equipment, even during the day. It had been no mean feat to keep to a project schedule that involved various suppliers providing different packages at different dates and also required accommodating several interfaces during both the design and implementation of the work on site. Due to the massive scale of the project as well as the highly specialized civil engineering required for different sections of Medupi's construction, three companies joined forces to tackle the job, namely Murray & Roberts, Aveng and Concor. Murray & Roberts appointed Coenie Vermaak as project director at Medupi and at 34 the youngest project director in the group. The managers of the joint venture realized quickly that this would be "a project like no other." The three companies' different ways of working necessitated much more integrated coordination. For instance, employees from the different parent organizations had different job descriptions, were numerated differently, had different benefits, structures, processes and cultures. Medupi's uniqueness provided an opportunity to be pioneers in the construction industry and to "reconstruct construction" with a different way of working on a construction site. A culture of employee engagement and alignment was required.

Change management, International business, Leadership, Organizational culture, Strategy

Purpose of Leadership & Managing People Case Study Recommendation Memo

A Case Study Memo or Case Study Recommendation Memo is a routinely used document in leading organizations, and you may be writing number of such memos to executive leadership to “sell” or elevate an initiative that either you are undertaking or you wanted to kick start. Therefore, it is essential that you have a professional case study recommendation memo.

The purpose of a recommendation memo is to concisely recommend a course of action and provide rationale supporting the recommendation. The case study recommendation memo is a one-two page document (not including exhibits) that recommends your course of action and rationale. This format promotes a concise and clear strategic thought process.

Elements of a Case Study Recommendation Memo for – MBA & Executive MBA

1. First Paragraph of Constructing the Medupi Power Station recommendation memo

• This paragraph expresses your intent or action that you required after reading the Constructing the Medupi Power Station case study (This recommends……).
• Topic overview of the case study (the “what”, not “when” or “how”): costs, funding, etc.
  
• Ends with the hook: selling idea, the “why” or payoff: this part reveals the author’s point of view. What you intend to do after reading the case and it clearly mention your decision.

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2. Background of Constructing the Medupi Power Station case study

This paragraph explains why we are talking about this today. It lays out the story. It provides us details from the case story such as -

• Historical perspective on the problem is provided. Details are elaborated that underline the given problem.
• Highlights - what brought us to this moment, why we are in this position, what brought about the need to make this decision.
• Dimensionalize the importance of the problem to the organization and how it is impacting the organization.
• Constraints – Provide a situational analysis based on case study analysis.
• Keep the background section both factual and concise. It is part of the memo where we provide a brief insight into the problem and define the problem.

Checklist

Is the background clear, concise, and easy to follow?
Does it explain why action is needed now?
Does the appropriate sense of urgency come across in the case study?

3. Recommendations for Constructing the Medupi Power Station Case Memo

Recommendations section will provide details regarding what is needed to be done, how it can be done, when to do it and who will do it. It can be elaborated with scenario planning as businesses

• The details of what, when and how. NO 'why'.
• This section should be very specific (100% clear). It must be actionable (How much will it cost, when, how, who). The reader should be able to read this and know how to carry out this recommendation.
• Some cases will require more than one recommendation. It often happens that the firm will require more than one recommendations as there are numerous unknown in the market place.

Checklist

Is the recommendation clear and actionable? Does the firm has capability to implement the recommendations or does it needs to hire fresh talent?

4. Basis for the Recommendations

• Here the reader of the case memo will learn WHY each recommendation is the UNIQUE right thing to do.
• 2-3 solid reasons are typical. The reasons should be backed by clear logic, organization’s vision and mission statements, and robust data analysis.
• Orignal recommendation can be backed by few supporting roadmap to actions. In operations cases the Critical Path Method of PERT can be used to illustrate the point.
• Support includes impact on profit, share, and anything else that can affect long-term business goals of the firm.
• Analysis should address applicable quantitative issues such as NPV, break even analysis, pro forma statement of project budget, sensitivity analysis; as well as qualitative issues, such as, technology consistency, architectural conformance, innovation potential, etc.
• Appeals to precedent and anecdotal evidence in absence of data, but only in limited, carefully constrained manner.
• Shows how the recommendation will put the firm at a competitive advantage or is simply acompetitive necessity.
• The goal is to read the basis and conclude the recommendation.

Checklist

• Is the recommendation an inescapable conclusion of the basis?
• Does the basis for recommendation appropriately consider:
  1. Core competencies and consistency with mission?
  2. External customers and internal clients?
  3. Competitors?
  4. Attractiveness – quantitative measures if applicable (e.g., NPV, ROI, break-even, payback)?
• Are all assumptions explicitly stated (e.g., needs, technology trends)?

5. Discussions

• Outline other alternatives not selected and provide brief reasoning for doing so.
• Discuss risks and key assumptions for Constructing the Medupi Power Station case memo (use full disclosure, reference options grid) of your recommendation.
• When you give a precise number or range, you must support the basis as well.

Checklist

• Is the analysis thorough with key alternatives fairly considered using options grid?
• Risks associated with recommendation for Constructing the Medupi Power Station are properly addressed given the present capabilities and future expectations?

6. Next Steps for Constructing the Medupi Power Station case study memo

• Clearly specify the roadmap of the execution. Provide specific date and action that are required to carry on the next steps.
• Task assignment, objectives, roles and metrics should be mentioned in advance to reduce ambiguity and replication. (what will be done, by whom, and by when)

Checklist

• Clear follow-up/next steps?
• If appropriate, lay out timeline with key milestones to implement recommendation.

7. Exhibits for Constructing the Medupi Power Station case memo

• An Exhibit can be a data chart, map, graph, grid, or simple data table.
• While doing the calculations please mention all the assumptions. The reader won’t able to decipher each of the assumption so make them explicit.
• Exhibits should have Title, sources, footnotes to calculation. The point of the Exhibit should be instantly clear to the reader.
• Exhibits should be cited in the proper order (i.e., do not cite Exhibit 4 first in your Memo and then Exhibit 2).
  

Checklist for Constructing the Medupi Power Station case study memo exhibit

• Is the analysis presented in the case memo - precise, accurate, and data-based?
• Are the exhibits clearly laid out, titled, and referenced in the case study memo?
• Is every assumption mentioned in the case memo is explicitly listed?

NOTE: Every memo may not include every element described above. The specific case will dictate what must be included. For custom case memo please email us or process the order.

You can order Constructing the Medupi Power Station Case Study Recommendation Memo with us at Fern Fort University .