Establishing a Management System and the Role of Civil Engineering Consultants for Early-Stage Geothermal Development in Japan

Abstract

Japanese civil engineering consultants are in general responsible for managing the entire development process of a project across multiple stages and they engage in various activities depending on their expertise. Previously, the relationship with the local government and the regions was of a form of waterfall style (“waterfall method”), where the clients prepare specifications and the civil engineering consultants implement their works according to these specifications. However, in cases of development of renewable energy to make it a major power source, this relationship has shifted to a form of a more agile style (“agile method”), where the civil engineering consultants are required to be diverse, responsive, and deployable to reflect the recent volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity (VUCA) era. This study therefore focuses on early-stage social acceptance of the geothermal development process in Japan, and the sixth and seventh editions of PMBOK are referred to examine the diverse activities that contribute to solving the problems faced by local governments and regions where renewable energy is being developed. Finally, upon such discussions, directions and specifics for future management systems are proposed.