Consider the following case. You have recently been appointed head of a new agen

Question

Consider the following case. You have recently been appointed head of a new agency established to monitor pollution emissions from coal-fired power plants throughout the Midwest. The data you collect will have a direct impact on an anticipated presidential decision concerning acid rain in the Northeast and Canada. You must try to develop the most comprehensive and precise measures possible and then monitor as many plants as you reasonably can during the relatively short period prior to the presidential decision. Most of your staff have been in the pollution control field much longer than you and are highly committed to the goals of your agency. They have been arguing that a new piece of equipment, an Emission Systems Monitoring Instrument (ESMI), is the only device that is capable of taking precise measurements of the particular pollutants with which you are concerned. The problem is that the ESMI is both extremely expensive and would require nearly half the time you have available just to be delivered. You are skeptical about whether the ESMI is worth the cost, but even more concerned that its limited availability will mean that you will fail to meet your deadline. You also think, though you are not sure that the rough estimates generated by the existing equipment are sufficient for the purposes of your report to the president. Do you go ahead with the existing equipment, or do you buy the ESMI?

Explanation / Answer

Answer -

I am the head of a new agency established to monitor pollution emissions from coal-fired power plants throughout the Midwest. The data I collect will have a direct impact on an anticipated presidential decision concerning acid rain in the Northeast and Canada. We must try to develop the most comprehensive and precise measures possible and then monitor as many plants as reasonably can be during the relatively short period prior to the presidential decision. But our team does not have strong confidence on the existing measuring equipment for the required task. Our team suggests purchasing new equipment called ESMI (Emission Systems Monitoring Instrument), which is competent for such type of precise measuring work.

Following are the concerns as below

·       The equipment is very expensive.

·       The equipment availability is for half of the time. Not sure whether we will be able to complete the required measurement before the presidential decision.

·       The manager self not sure on the quality of measurement of the existing equipment and its data.

·       Time availability is very less and the measurement needs to be done before the presidential decision, which is coming soon.

So based on this scenario, as a agency head I choose the below option

I will go ahead for purchase of new equipment i.e. ESMI for carrying out the precise measurement as per the project requirement for the presidential decision. The reasons for the same are as below -

1.     No compromise on quality - I do not want to compromise on quality of measurement, as this is the only basis on which the presidential decision is going to happen for the acid rain in the region. So data quality and accuracy is key most requirement in this case.

2.     Support’s Experience Team’s view – I would like to go ahead with the experienced team’s decision of need of the ESMI for this precise measurement, as they have sufficient experience in such activities.

3.     Support with quality work in the Presidential decision – I want to ensure the highest level of quality in the work for the presidential decision, so would like to have the ESMI for the work.

4.     Parallel measurement with existing equipment – I want to run the additional measurements with existing equipment so that we have back up data to support the decision better.     

Though the cost of the equipment is high, but this equipment is the future of the agency in terms of measurement of the emission levels. So this new equipment will be needed for future requirement as well. So this is the better time for purchasing this new equipment so that it will serve the current scenario as well it will be useful for future requirement also.

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