Capturing Every Water Drop

AVI SHARMA

Bachelor of Technology (2008-12), Associate (Project Planning & Control)

Civil Engineering, KEC International Ltd.

Shri Ramdeo Kamla Nehru Engineering College, 2012-Present

Nagpur

1. Academic Background:

Examination	Year	Board/ University	Marks Obtained
GRE	2012	-	308 (Q-155, V-153)
TOEFL	2012	-	99
B.E. (8^th Semester)	2012	RTMNU	72%
B.E. (7^th Semester)	2011	RTMNU	70.5%
B.E. (6^th Semester)	2011	RTMNU	66.14%
B.E.(3rd Year)	2011	RTMNU	65.9%
B.E. (2nd Year)	2010	RTMNU	65%
B.E. (1^st year)	2008	RTMNU	57.76
12^th	2007-08	C.B.S.E	69.4%
10th	2005-06	C.B.S.E	69.3%

2. Professional Experience:

Associate (Project Planning & Control) for water infrastructure projects (Canal, Dam and waste water treatment plants), KEC International Ltd. (July 2012-Present)

§ Working with McKinsey (consultant to company) for incorporating process re-engineering in planning.

è Creation of standard WBS & activities for entire water business.

è Providing linkages to each of the activity with duration.

è Configuring the project on Primavera with resource loading.

è Testing a pilot project of Pench Dam, India.

§ Setting up and implementing Project Progress Monitoring System by defining Weightages (Earned Value).

§ Setting up of “Key Progress Indicators & Milestones”.

§ Subcontractor Progress Monitoring and Review.

§ Resource Budgeting / Allocations.

§ Preparation of MIS Reports / “S-curves”

§ Reporting project progress to Senior Management / Stake Holders like JV, Client etc via Primavera dashboards which includes CPI, SPI, expected completion of project etc.

§ Continuous interaction with Execution Team in order to
achieve Baseline Target.

§ Preparation of Revised / Recovery Works Program.

§ Creating Project Benchmarking database for evaluating
future water projects.

§ Preparing cost overrun reports incorporating design changes

§ Working with McKinsey (consultant to company) for incorporating process re-engineering in planning.

§ Conducting preliminary discussion with contractors for finalization of rate and T&C.

§ Assist HO project manager in claim management.

3. Academic Projects:

Worked with a Research Team on ‘Evaporation Suppression Project’, working in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under leadership of Prof. Moshe Alamaro of Harvard-MIT Division of Health.

Collected Data from Central Water Commission & Maharashtra Jivan Pradhikaran(MJP).

Research & Analysis of data collected.

Submitted my analysis for Goa, Bihar and Maharashtra.

Bachelor’s Final Year Thesis on: “Watershed Prioritization of Upper Wunna catchment of Godavari Basin using Remote Sensing & GIS”.

Won Award for the Best Presentation on “Scope and Future of High-Speed Railways in India”, in Technovision’10 (A national level technical fest).

Presented a research paper on “Effect of Non-Standard Curing Tests on Compressive Strength of concrete” in 2010 (A national level Civil Engineering Symposium)

3. Academic Internships:

Completed internship at Ordnance Factory, Ambajhari (Nagpur) under Ministry of Defence, in the area of water management, from May, 2010-June, 2010.

Analyzed water supply scheme for a capacity of 3,500 home networks

Gave valuable solutions on water supply scheme in administrative building.

è Administrative building is the highest building in the estate. To provide water to top most floor of this building, authorities were using high pressure. I suggested inclusion of a tank and solar model to increase efficiency of system.

Analyzed and advised on stability issues in Ordnance Factory, Ambajhari estate’s earthen dam.

Completed summer training and did project on water supply at National Academy of Defence Production (NADP), Nagpur.

4. Computer Proficiencies:

Primavera, MSP, Oracle JDE (beginner), STAAD.PRO (Medium level expert) and ARC GIS desktop 10 (final year project, hence very familiar) and other MS Office package software.

5. Extra-curricular Achievements:

Performed as volunteer in United Nations’ International Policy Centre for Inclusive Growth (UN IPC-IG) on “Website Launch – Mobilize Communication Channels”.

Received USA President’s Volunteer Service Award for my contribution to an American NGO named Humanity Road.

Performed as Data Miner and assisted United Nations Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs (UNOCHA) on “Media Monitoring for OCHA crisis in Libya”.

Founder of “The Bigbattle”, a Twitter based debate platform on relevant issues for the nation.

Declaration:

I hereby declare that all the information provided above is true to best of my knowledge.

Place: Nagpur Avi Sharma

Date: 1^st Oct., 2013

Looking back at my experience of about one year and a few months since I joined KEC International, an Indian MNC, as Graduate Engineer Trainee (GET) in its Water Business Unit, I proudly say that in such a short span, I have been equipped with so much technical knowledge and skills in Project Management. I have gone successfully much beyond expectations of all. It has been my probably excellent performance that in spite of being the junior most, my company picked me up to develop as a coach by my company’s consultant, McKinsey, for analyzing & redrafting the planning process in different business units for proper execution and close control.

My company had decided to adopt Primavera in its Water Business Unit around the time I joined this company. Considering my technical savviness & high intellect since I topped my induction training as well, my company in all likelihood experimented with me for making me to learn and implement Oracle’s Primavera (P6 8.1 Enterprise). It was the beginning of Primavera in this company consisting of 4 Sub-Business units (SBU). There was palpable skepticism in top management echelons at that time about effectiveness of Primavera. During the testing of my project, it was found that for proper co-ordination of Design, Procurement and Construction can be done by use of it. It was also noted that resource loading the activities not only helped us in present project but also become a data bank for similar condition project for future tenders. Management was particularly keen about the dashboard of enterprise version to see overall health of Business units and individual projects to provide a correct picture of business which in line helped then to take critical business decision. It was my successful implementation of Primavera that my company now has decided to adopt it in all of its SBUs. I’m regarded as a harbinger of Primavera in my company. I have attended two trainings on primavera since then, in which I got the topmost score. For me also, it changed direction of my life.

Further to it, it is again recognition of my capability that I’m regarded as an effective cross-functional team member who gets indulged with any new project since the start during project planning, cascade the same plan to years, months and week for timely project execution by comparing it with the baseline, its tight monitoring & control and appropriate feedback. My work includes preparation of project plans in consultation with all stakeholders and updating them as and when required. I prepare earned value analysis (CPI, SPI, CV and SV) to judge project health which is reported to the top management, resource utilization S Curves, risks and obviously, plan for the next month. My job also includes cross-checking the data which is being formed by putting actuals with EPR system. My part of job also includes to update functional stakeholders of project to know about look ahead plan and activities they have to undertake for timely completion of project. That also mean that it is important for me to raise a red flag when any claims (due to client’s delay) is possibly due. I also have to prepare draft of letter to client to update them of possible delays if client need to provide us approval for drawings or other obligation. Finally, I also conduct preliminary negotiation with new sub-contractor, discussion T&C, targets, resource requirement (machine & manpower) to achieve targets and finally preparing work order of the same after the sub-contractor have been finalized by my project manager

I have been involved in 3 Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) projects of Non-overflow section of Dam, Intake well structure and Sewage Treatment Plant (SBR Technology) with 153 km of RCC pipe laying work. As the projects were EPC in nature, my company understood that they would require advanced level planning and any co-ordination/communication gap between design, procurement and construction will lead to delay in the project.

It was an honor for me when my company, in spite of my being too junior, recommended me to develop as a coach by McKinsey on analyzing & redrafting the planning process in different Business Unit for proper execution and close control. In all, 25 people from the entire organization were recommended. This project is a process re-engineering (a process undertaken once in a decade & only 20 people are selected as coaches from 4 of its Business Units) in which McKinsey is our consultant. Everyone in the team is having an experience of at least 8 year except me. I've only one year experience. It is probably credit to my professional capability that McKinsey also selected me for this project. During the course of this very exercise, numerous boot-camps and discussions with international experts, I could see that I’m participating in this exercise on equal footing as all others. Even one McKinsey expert remarked that I have full control on planning & project execution processes in my Business Unit.

I have also successfully gone through a 7 day training on Project Management by one of the top MBA institutes in India, namely, SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (PMI registered Education Provider). I was awarded the “Well Done Award” from the Executive Director, Human Resource of my company for implementing learnings of this training in my daily routine and sites.

With all above achievements in such a short span & observations by my senior & experts, I got clear direction of my future career. I’m a person most suitable for Project Planning, Coordination, Generating Ideas, Monitoring and giving Feedback. Incidentally, I could also observe that I possess majority of requisite competencies for the field of Project Management.

By background, I’m a Civil Engineer from one of the top private engineering college of India, namely, Ramdeobaba College of Engineering & Management, Nagpur, Maharashtra State. I have scored First Division in my Undergraduate studies. During my engineering, I have certain original kind of assignments to my credit-

1. I have assisted Prof. Moshe Alamaro of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on his research for reduction of evaporation in the water reservoirs. I was lauded by him for the effort. I did the quantitative analysis on possible benefits and total reduction in evaporation based on each state in India (Ref: Letter of Appreciation attached).

2. I did my final year project thesis on “Morphological Analysis of Upper Wunna watershed” to determine type of soil, erosion etc. by using GIS (ARC GIS).

3. I received appreciation and award for my presentation on “Scope & Future of High Speed Railways in India” (It was presented in a national level technical symposium).

4. Presented my research work on “Effect of Non-Standard Curing Tests on Compressive Strength of concrete” in a national level symposium on Civil Engineering (2010).

5. I was given an opportunity to work on a project of an earthen dam for the purpose of ground water recharge. It was my first hand on experience.

6. Learning of PERT & CPM and other basic concept concerning projects came to me quite naturally. In fact, it was my easiness in presentations & discussions on Project Management, which fetched me my present job.

Initially, I got a view that I should get into Environmental Engineering discipline taking that this is my area of natural interest. However, now on analysis, my earlier success with the Water related assignments were basically my natural interest with the Project Management. Now I know without any doubt that working on Projects comes naturally on me and it ought to be my field of future career. Put together, I did my Undergraduate Studies in Civil Engineering creditably well. I have been good in academics, practical, various projects and assignments.

Besides I have varied interests. Volunteering & helping people is my trait. I volunteered UNOCHA during Libya crisis. Some of the relief operations were planned by the concerned UN agencies, based on my team’s inputs. As a mark of recognition, I received the best UN online volunteer team award from UN. I also volunteered to work with an American NGO named Humanity Road and received US President’s Volunteer Service Award in 2011 for my contribution. Also, in India, I’m managing a debate platform on Twitter for spreading knowledge & highlighting important issues of the society. This platform has featured a number of the top personalities of India. I remained active in the college events from my first year till the date, again due to my tech savviness. I was part of technical team (computers) for almost all the major events at my department and college level.

I’m equally good in handling disasters. To give an example, on death of a top political leader, Balasaheb Thakrey, Mumbai came to a standstill. Due to shutdown of all kind of public transport, I started an online spreadsheet for car-pooling. It helped over 250 people during the 3 day shutdown. People were able to reach airports, hospitals & other necessary destinations. I received numerous mentions in newspapers for this initiative.

I know that there are bound to be people having better academic qualifications than me. But it is actual performance and deliverance on ground which finally matters. I have established my working credentials, my intellectual capability, fast grasping & good decision making capability. I feel that I have all attributes required for an effective & successful Project Manager. That is what finally makes me to apply for Construction Management so that my academic knowledge & associated practical skills becomes among the best.

Arizon State University is a premier institute and Construction Management program of the university is billed highly prestigious and intensely academic & practical oriented. Faculties for the program are highly learned and well known. I sincerely urge the Admissions Committee to take note of my accomplishments and my preparedness for the program. By the time I come for the program, I will be completing my 2 years in my current organization and same should be given due weight age of further attenuation of my experience.

I would like to meet financial responsibility through my personal funds, some loan from the bank and part financial assistance from the University. I’m looking forward for positive response from the admission committee. I can assure the University that I will prove my metal for the program and will be a successful student of the University. From my side, I shall feel proud if I am

Capturing Every Water Drop

Wednesday 6 November 2013

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