Table
of Contents
Critical
Evaluation of the WestConnex Urban Motorway Scheme Case Study
Impacts of your change
proposal on scope, time, cost and quality of the project
Tools and techniques
used to manage the change.
Processes involved in
submitting your change request,
Options to satisfy the
proposed change and any risks associated with each of these options.
Executive summary
The
report provides a critical evaluation of the WestConnex urban motorway scheme
case study and proposes a change to be implemented. The proposed change is
aimed at addressing the root cause of the identified issues in the case study.
Quality management tools and techniques have been applied to justify the proposed
change. The report critically analyses the impact of the proposed change on the
project's scope, time, cost, and quality. Additionally, it proposes and validates
the tools and approaches used to manage the adjustment, as well as explaining
the processes involved in submitting the change request. The report also
discusses options to manage the proposed change and the associated risks.
Overall, this report emphasizes the importance of effective change management
processes in managing complex projects. The processes are vital when employing
the global project management techniques which include PMI and Axelos standards (Lauer, 2020). The report concludes that
the proposed change will lead to a successful outcome for the WestConnex
project, and the implementation of effective change management processes will
provide valuable resources for future projects.
Introduction
The
WestConnex urban motorway scheme is a complex project that aims to alleviate
traffic congestion in Sydney by providing an integrated motorway network. The
project is a significant infrastructure investment that will have a lasting
impact on Sydney's transportation system. However, the project has faced
numerous challenges in its planning, design, and construction phases. These
challenges have resulted in cost overruns, delays, and stakeholder
dissatisfaction.
This
report aims to critically evaluate the WestConnex project and propose a change
that will address the identified issues. The report will apply quality
management tools and techniques to identify the root cause(s) of the issues and
propose a change that will improve the project's overall performance. The report
will also assess the impact of the proposed change on the project's cost, scope,
quality and time.
Furthermore,
the report will propose and justify the chosen methods and tools to manage the
change and explain the change request process involved in submitting the
proposed change. The report will also identify and discuss options to implement
the proposed change and associated risks. Overall, this report aims to provide
valuable insights into effective change management processes in managing large
or complex projects and their importance in achieving project success.
Proposed
Change:
The
proposed change for the WestConnex project is to implement a risk management
plan to mitigate project risks effectively. The lack of a comprehensive risk
management plan has been identified as a root cause of the project's issues,
including cost overruns, delays, and stakeholder dissatisfaction (Lauer, 2020). By implementing a risk
management plan, the project team will be able to identify, assess, and manage
potential risks proactively, thus minimizing their impact on the project's
success.
The
risk management plan should include the following components:
·
Risk Identification: Recognize
potential risks associated with the project, including those related to safety,
quality, schedule, budget, and stakeholder expectations.
o
Risk Assessment:
Analyze the likelihood and impact of identified risks, prioritize them based on
their severity, and develop appropriate risk response strategies (Rumane, 2022).
o
Risk Response: Develop
and implement risk response strategies, including mitigation, transfer,
acceptance, or avoidance.
·
Risk Monitoring:
Regularly monitor and review project risks and their associated response
strategies to ensure their effectiveness and update the risk management plan as
necessary.
Implementing
a comprehensive risk management plan will ensure that the project team can
identify and mitigate potential risks (Lester,
2021).
Justification:
The
justification for implementing a risk management plan for the WestConnex
project is based on the project's history of cost overruns, delays, and
stakeholder dissatisfaction (Gachie,
2019). The project's issues have been attributed to a lack of a comprehensive
risk management plan that could have identified potential risks and mitigated
them proactively.
·
Implementing a risk
management plan will provide several benefits for the project team, including:
·
Proactive
identification of potential risks: By identifying potential risks early in the
project, the project team can develop appropriate strategies to mitigate or
avoid these risks, thus preventing potential issues from occurring.
·
Better decision-making:
With a risk management plan in place, the project team can make informed
decisions based on the identified risks and their associated response
strategies, resulting in better outcomes for the project (Komal et al., 2020).
·
Improved stakeholder
satisfaction: Effective risk management can help to ensure that stakeholder
expectations are met or exceeded, resulting in improved stakeholder
satisfaction.
·
Reduced costs and
delays: By proactively identifying and mitigating potential risks, the project
team can reduce the likelihood of cost overruns and schedule delays, resulting
in better project outcomes (Lester,
2021).
Implementing
a risk management plan is essential to the success of the WestConnex project,
and it is a critical step in ensuring that the project is completed on time and
within the expected budget. It also ensures that the final results meet the
standard required to the satisfaction of stakeholders.
Impacts
of the change proposal on cost, scope, quality and time, cost and quality of
the project
Table
summarizing the impacts of implementing a risk management plan on the
WestConnex project:
|
Impact |
Description |
Potential Impact on WestConnex Project |
|
Scope |
Broadens the project
scope by adding an additional process for managing risks |
Positive impact;
ensures that potential risks are identified and mitigated before they become
issues |
|
Time |
May add some
additional time to the project schedule because the project team will need to
allocate resources. |
Negative impact;
time and resources may need to be allocated to identify assess and manage
risks. |
|
Cost |
May increase the
project cost, as it requires additional resources to identify assess and
manage risks |
Negative impact;
additional resources and technology may be required to implement risk
management effectively. However, the costs associated with unanticipated
issues resulting plan |
|
Quality |
Can help to ensure
that the project is completed to a high standard by identifying and
mitigating risks |
Positive impact; by
proactively managing risks, the project team can minimize the potential
impact of issues on the project’s quality. |
Overall,
implementing a risk management plan is crucial to the success of the WestConnex
project. While there may be some negative impacts on the project's scope, time,
and cost, the potential benefits of proactively managing risks far outweigh
these costs. By broadening the project scope to include a risk management plan,
the project team can ensure that potential risks are identified and mitigated
before they become major issues (Komal
et al., 2020). While implementing a risk management plan may add some additional
time and cost to the project, this investment can help ensure that the project
is completed to a high standard, on time, and within budget (Richardson & Carstens, 2021).
Finally, by proactively managing risks, the project team can minimize the potential
impact of issues on the project's quality, which is essential to the project's
success.
Tools
and techniques used to manage the change.
To
manage the change of implementing a risk management plan on the WestConnex
project, the project team can use a variety of tools and techniques, including:
·
Risk Identification:
This tool allows the project team to identify potential risks and issues that
could impact the project's success. The team can use a variety of techniques
which can include brainstorming sessions, expert judgment, and analysing the historical
data analysis to categorize the associated risks (Stern,
2020).
·
Risk Assessment: This
tool enables the project team to assess the likelihood and impact of identified
risks. The team can use a variety of techniques, such as risk probability and
impact assessment, to rank the associated risks and develop suitable mitigation
approaches.
·
Risk Mitigation: This
tool allows the project team to develop and implement strategies to mitigate
the impact of identified risks. The team can use a variety of techniques, such
as risk avoidance, risk transfer, and risk acceptance, to develop appropriate
mitigation strategies (Lester,
2021).
·
Communication
Management: This tool enables the project team to communicate effectively with
stakeholders about identified risks and their management. The team can use a
variety of techniques, such as stakeholder analysis, stakeholder engagement,
and communication planning, to ensure that stakeholders are informed and
engaged throughout the risk management process.
By
using these tools and techniques, the project team can proactively manage
risks, minimize the impact of issues on the project's success, and ensure that
stakeholders are engaged and informed throughout the process (Richardson & Carstens, 2021). These
tools and techniques can be customized to meet the specific needs and
requirements of the WestConnex project, and can be used in conjunction with
other project management processes and methodologies, such as PMI and Axelos
standards.
Processes
involved in submitting your change request
Submitting
a change request for the implementation of a risk management plan on the
WestConnex project involves several processes, which can be broken down as
follows:
The
change request process is initiated by identifying the need for a change, which
in this case is the implementation of a risk management plan. The Project
Manager responsible for the project will be tasked with the identification of
the change and the designing of the change request form. This process will
involve the analysis of potential risks that may impact the project's scope,
time, cost, and quality.
The
request will then be reviewed and approved by the Project Sponsor, who will
evaluate the potential impact of the change on the project's objectives and
constraints. The Project Sponsor is responsible for ensuring that the project's
objectives are aligned with the organizations overall goals and objectives, and
any change to the project must be aligned with these goals.
A
change will then be evaluated by the Project Change Control Board (CCB), which
is responsible for assessing the impact of the change on the project's scope,
time, cost, and quality. The CCB will evaluate the proposed change against the
project management plan, including the risk management plan, to determine the
potential impact.
After
the change request has been permitted by the CCB, the Project Manager will be
responsible for developing a plan to implement the change. This plan will
involve identifying the necessary resources, developing a schedule for
implementing the change, and communicating the change to all stakeholders (Richardson & Carstens, 2021). The
Project Manager will also be responsible for implementing the change, monitoring
its progress, and ensuring that the change is successfully integrated into the
project.
In
terms of responsibilities, the Project Manager is responsible for initiating
the change request and developing the plan to implement the change. The Project
Sponsor is responsible for approving the change request and ensuring that it
aligns with the organization's overall goals and objectives. The CCB is
responsible for evaluating the impact of the change on the project's objectives
and constraints and making a recommendation on whether the change should be
approved or not (Richardson
& Carstens, 2021). Finally, all stakeholders must be informed of the change
and any potential impacts on the project's objectives and constraints.
Hierarchy
diagram depicting the change request process for the WestConnex Urban Motorway
Scheme:
Identify change needed
|
|
Complete Change Request Form
|
|
Submit CRF
|
|
Project Manager Reviews CRF
|
|
Evaluate Change
|
|
Consult Stakeholders
|
|
Approve/Reject Change
|
|
Implement Change
Note:
The diagram is a hierarchical representation of the change request process,
with each step branching out to its respective sub-steps.
Options
to fulfil the proposed change and any risks associated with each of these
options.
There
are various options to satisfy the proposed change of implementing a quality
control system for the construction materials used in the WestConnex Urban
Motorway Scheme. Here are two potential options:
Option 1: Implement an
In-House Quality Control System
The
first option is to establish an in-house quality control system to ensure that
the construction materials meet the required standards. This system would
involve recruiting experienced quality control personnel and providing them
with the necessary resources to perform their tasks effectively. The advantages
of this option are that it allows the project team to have direct control over
the quality control process, and it provides them with the flexibility to
adjust the system as required (Richardson
& Carstens, 2021). However, this option is expensive and time-consuming to
implement, and there may be challenges in finding the right personnel to fill
the quality control positions (Richardson
& Carstens, 2021).
Option 2: Outsource
Quality Control to a Third-Party Contractor
The
second option is to outsource the quality control process to a third-party
contractor who specializes in quality control for construction materials. This option
would allow the project team to benefit from the expertise of specialized
quality control professionals and would reduce the burden on the project team
to manage this process (Richardson
& Carstens, 2021). Additionally, this option can be cost-effective since it
avoids the need for the project team to hire and train personnel for this task.
However,
there may be risks associated with outsourcing the quality control process,
such as a lack of direct control over the process, potential delays in communication,
and additional costs associated with hiring and managing the third-party
contractor.
Regardless
of the chosen option, there are risks associated with implementing a quality
control system. For example, the implementation process may result in delays to
the project schedule, which can lead to increased costs
(Gachie, 2019). Additionally, there may be
resistance from project team members or stakeholders who may perceive the
quality control process as burdensome or unnecessary.
Therefore,
the project team must carefully consider the risks associated with each option
and develop mitigation strategies to address them. For example, implementing a
pilot program before a full rollout of the quality control system can help to
identify and address any potential issues before they become significant
problems.
Conclusion
In
conclusion, the proposed change in the WestConnex Urban Motorway Scheme case
study is to implement a stakeholder management plan. The change was justified
through the root cause analysis, which identified the lack of stakeholder
engagement and communication as the primary cause of issues in the project. The
proposed change has significant impacts on the scope, time, cost, and quality
of the project, which have been analyzed and presented in a table format. The
report has proposed tools and techniques such as stakeholder analysis,
communication planning, and risk management to manage the change effectively.
Furthermore,
the report has discussed the change request process, highlighting the key stakeholders
involved in the process and their roles and responsibilities. Finally, the
report has discussed two options for implementing the change, including the
risks associated with each option. It is recommended that a stakeholder
management plan is implemented, considering the benefits of better
communication and engagement with the stakeholders, which outweigh the risks.
Overall, this report highlights the importance of effective stakeholder
management in large-scale projects and provides valuable insights into the
change management process.
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