The successful implementation of a major project that involves biofuels, waste-to-energy, or other alternative energy technologies requires careful coordination to provide the proper flow of design and, subsequently, materials, equipment, parts and labor to the project site and the proper sequencing of construction tasks, start-up and commissioning activities.

Fundamental to this coordination is the development of a project plan, design criteria, operation policies, procedures, assignment of responsibilities, and a scope of project implementation tasks. Equally, important is the implementation of a project control system to provide consistent and accurate project progress reports to the client and the project management group.

Subsequent to the identification of project and client requirements and criteria, project selections are made and are assembled into an integrated project control system with detailed scheduling of all project tasks to be completed prior to final commissioning.

The control system comprises a mutually agreed-upon project implementation plan that includes the project design and scope, design and implementation criteria, and milestone schedule, and includes:

• A work breakdown structure to assist in the control and reporting of project costs,
• A detailed budget allocating project costs to the work and task breakdown structure,
• A detailed project implementation schedule that supports the milestone schedule,
• Cost and schedule control programs that identify departures and variations, and which analyze labor, equipment and materials resources,
• An action program for revising and forecasting schedules and costs to reflect project activities, and anticipate and correct project-related issues, and to take advantage of project-related opportunities.