US-ISRAEL DESALINATION PLANT

AUDIT COVERED THE PERIOD FROM 6/75-9/79 AND WAS CONDUCTED THROUGH REVIEWS OF PROJECT DOCUMENTATION, INSPECTION OF TESTING SITES, AND DISCUSSIONS WITH AID, GOI, AND EMBASSY OFFICIALS. THE PROJECT WAS DESIGNED TO DEVELOP, CONSTRUCT, OPERATE, AND MAINTAIN A PROTOTYPE DESALTING PLANT, TO DEVELOP AN INTERMEDIATE TEST MODULE TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE FINAL PROTOTYPE PLANT, AND TO EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY OF OPERATING LARGE-SCALE DESALINATION PLANTS. PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION PROBLEMS AT ENGINEERING AND ADMINISTRATIVE LEVELS HAVE CAUSED A 2-YEAR DELAY IN PROJECT PROGRESS. THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT (NCRD) WITHIN THE MINISTRY OF ENERGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE (MOEI) HEADED THE PROJECT. THE OFFICE OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT (OPM) WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ACTUAL PROJECT ACTIVITIES AND DAILY MANAGEMENT. HOWEVER, THE GOI REPRESENTATIVE FROM NCRD CONSIDERED THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF OPM AND AID TO BE LIMITED AND GAVE GREATER AUTHORITY TO THE GENERAL CONTRACTOR THAN TO OPM. AS A RESULT, THE CONTRACTOR BEGAN CONTROLLING DAILY ACTIVITIES AND AID WAS EXCLUDED FROM MEETINGS AND RECEIPT OF NECESSARY INFORMATION. UNDER PRESSURE FROM AID, GOI REORGANIZED THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE. THE PROJECT WAS TRANSFERRED FROM NCRD TO THE OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR GENERAL, A NEW OPM DIRECTOR WAS APPOINTED, AND A JOINT STEERING COMMITTEE WAS FORMED TO RESOLVE ISSUES THAT OPM CANNOT RESOLVE. BECAUSE OF THIS REORGANIZATION, PROGRESS HAS CONTINUED AND WORKING RELATIONS AND RESPONSIVENESS OF ALL PARTICIPANTS HAS IMPROVED. THEREFORE, NO RECOMMENDATIONS WERE MADE IN THE AUDIT REPORT. PROJECT ACHIEVEMENTS INCLUDE PREPARATION OF PROCUREMENT DOCUMENTS, APPROVAL OF PRELIMINARY DESIGNS FOR THE PROTOTYPE PLANT, NEAR-COMPLETION OF THE FIRST ANNUAL TECHNOLOGY REPORT, AND PROJECT UPDATE USING A PLANNING EVALUATION REVIEW SYSTEM. AN IMPORTANT DECISION WAS REACHED TO DESIGN THE INTERMEDIATE MODULE AS A PROTOTYPE FOR SIMULATION OF A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT COMBINED WITH WATER PRODUCTION.