Project Management New Museum - Assignment Example

? Report of the Project Team for Museum Education Building Overview The utilization of project management has changed from a traditional matrix to linear matrix that allows flexibility for the project manager. (Cleland, 2004). Traditional project management tended to be inflexible, slow, and failed to provide interdisciplinary coordination. The Project Management definition is a group of individuals brought together to manage the execution of a plan. The management team comes from within the organizations and consultants involved in design of the project construction documents. The basic matrix shown here has a general manager, the project manager and several functional managers. Projects have a start and end date, the funding limits, consumes human and nonhuman materials (Kerzner, 2006). Project management involves planning and monitoring of the project compares the intended and the actual end of the project. Analyze the impact and making adjustments as needed. (Meredith, 2006). Project management changed from hierarchical matrix to a linear matrix with the Project Manager responsible for the project from planning to completion. This makes selection of a project manager that has a set of skills that allows successful completion of the project. A manager needs experience, knowledge, good communication skills, interpersonal relationship, and the ability to make subset of the teams work in harmony and move the project to completion. Project Managers use a series of planning tools to assign tasks, monitor progress, and ability to adjust project timelines as needed (Meredith, 2006). Stakeholder charts identifies individual and groups with an interest in the project. Some of these stakeholders will work on the project as a team member. Work flow charts break the process used into segments each part dependent on the deliverables of the prior team efforts. In practice several phases operate at the same pace with deliverables due in the same time frame. Gannt charts track progress of the teams and allows for adjustment if one team's deliverable falls behind the due date. Introduction Gotham Science Museum planned expansion has received a legacy from a museum sponsor to fund the entire cost of the project. His bequest asked that environmental science as the focus of the new wing. The education director says that requests for programs dealing with environmental science are increasing. The present education space limits the ability to deliver hands-on environmental classes. The need for more space has become critical due to increase requests for classes and special programs related to the science. Current education department space handles approximately 120 students at one time. The education director has a waiting list of schools wanting to programs in the sciences to enhance learning experience of their students in the science disciplines (Chrysler Museum of Art, 2010). . Project The present museum structure has expanded twice in the last twenty years and has reached the limit of expansion capacity. The museum director recommended to the board of directors that the museum locate a building or vacant lot in close proximity to the main museum building as an education annex. A new facility offers potential to carry out the request of the legator that the new center concentrate on environmental science. An acquisition committee searched the available buildings and lots that fill the museum's vision of the annex. The city council stepped in with an offer of the Gotham Bank Building. The building is located close to the industrial section of the city, and in close proximity to the waterfront park. The building is five stories and offers an opportunity to completely gut and renovate the building using green technologies. The site selected, a planning committee organized of professional museum staff, members of the museum's support staff, and the city assigned an engineer and building inspector to the committee to advise on the feasibility of possible renovation concepts. The planning committee has completed the planned renovation and hired an architectural firm for the deconstruction and reconstruction of the buildingplans. A project manager was hired and given full authority over all phases of the renovation. His responsibility to keep focus on the completion of the project, assigns deliverables to the expansion team, and handles problems related to the contract and ensures a seamless flow of the work in progress (Kerzner, 2006). A series of charts details the steps for each phase of the expansion. Stakeholder Groups The museum stakeholders are a hierarchy that flows down from the board of directors, museum director, and the project manager. Secondary stakeholders are the professional museum staff, education staff, curatorial staff, collections management staff, and exhibit design staff. The support staff stakeholders security staff, janitorial staff, museum store staff, museum cafeteria staff, receptionists, office staff, advertising and marketing, and public relations staffs, and volunteers. The museum's marketing director developed a survey asking visitors what they would like the museum to exhibit and programs they wanted. The results are included as part of the planning phase of the expansion. Subset stakeholders are the building team contracted to perform the scope of work, museum consultants to assist in the design and configuration of the space, exhibit consultant to plan the display cases, fabricate the case mountings for the cases, and perform the installation of the artifacts selected for display in the new annex. The groups have goals and the project manager exercises overall control of the teams working to complete the project. The board of directors and the museum directors want timely information on the progress and potential problems that impacts directly on the ability of the manager and the team leaders to meet deliverables specified in the contract, Gantt, work flow, critical analysis charts and the steps taken to rectify the situation to keep the renovation on schedule. The Gannt chart and critical analysis chart provide the information for briefing the chief executives of the museum (Wiesman Museum of Art, 2007). Work Flow Structure The Project Manager develops a work flow chart that organizes the process needed to launch the expansion. Museum directors, public relations and marketing staff conduct public hearings, generate surveys on how the museum can go green in renovation. The Planning committee begins the project; under the umbrella of planning. Museum educators, curatorial, collections management, and exhibit and the specialist committee of specialist consultant hired to listen to the concepts wanted in the renovation by educators, the curators, collections management, and the exhibit staff envision for the renovated structure; the consultants produce a series of artist conceptions of how best to utilize available spaces. A second team studies how traffic will flow through the building. This committee needs familiarization with applicable laws and regulations regarding access for the disabled. Educators work with consultants on the layout of the classes and laboratories; curators, collections, and exhibit staff and consultants plan the layout exhibit spaces in the classes, and the common areas of the building. Support staff plan with consultants plans the security systems. The museum sales and marketing plan the gift shop configuration; representatives of the catering staff plan the museum cafe capacity to service visitors and special events. The acquisition committee searched for the site utilizing the planning team plans and search for structures that meet the requirements for renovation. The third phase a mentions briefing; the briefing uses various charts and concept documents to show selected audiences of government, corporate, foundations, and public meetings to show the stakeholders how the renovation proceeds and marketing uses the same briefing documents to appeal for donation to the building fund. The flow of the work charts present brings order to a process for teams working on their deliverables at the same time. Design and preparation of construction documentation lays out the scope of work for contractors to prepare bids, specifically lays out how the renovation starts, checklists, and staff charged with ensuring the scope of work is done according to specifications. Any problems encountered are reported to the Project Manager and he will decide if the scope needs revision. The final step in the documentation process is the negotiation of contracts where terms are worked out; time allotted for the completion of the project, any bonus or penalty for nonperformance, language for the resolution of conflicts in work performed or clarify terms of the contract all fall under the authority of the project manager. The documentation also contains safety regulations mandated by safety requirements. The building plans completed, reviewed, and approved deconstruction and construction begins. A Contract Office Representative monitors performance of the work done in his sector and reports to the project manager on work accomplished. The COR cannot amend or approve a change in the scope of work; only the project manager has authority to amend a contract after consultation with museum executive staff. The project manager sets a baseline to measure performance of the contract and serves as a reference point for monitoring progress during each phase of the renovation (Gray, 2006). A Gannt chart measures the progress of the project and allows flexibility to lengthen or shorten times on deliverables due. (Kerzner, 2006) (Kerzner, 2006). The project nears completion advertising begins and marketing plans for the grand opening of the annex and highlights unique features of the museum. The new annex uses solar panels on the green roof to generate electric power to operate electrical systems. The renovation used recycled materials for much of the renovation work. (Brown, 2011). The final processes of the renovation work in tandem; the project manager with the CORs and contractors walk through the museum noting work not completed and documenting using a "punch list" of noted deficiencies that need correction before the final signoff and contract price paid. Evaluation of the systems in the museum, HVAC, electrical, computer operated exhibits, and audiovisual systems documented for correction under the warranty of the building systems. The grand opening allows stakeholders see the result of the renovation of the Gotham Bank Building into the Gotham Environmental Science Education Annex. The bequest from our late sponsor allowed the museum to bring his wish to fruition. The comments visitors recorded in the visitation log, to museum staff, directors, marketers, and public relations personnel validated the vision of both the legator and the decision to go green in the renovation process Museums provide learning experiences not available in traditional science programs taught in the schools. Museum hands-on programs allow students to see and do tasks that laid foundations of the scientific theories that guide modern scientific thought. The Gotham Science Museum renovation allowed a wonderful opportunity to go behind the scenes and observe how a museum operates. The artifacts on display represent only a small fraction of the collection housed within the museum. The annex allows the museum to place other unique objects from the collection on exhibit, and acquire additional artifacts they otherwise would not have know existed; a visitor to the grand opening may have a better example of the specimen the museum exhibit and willing to donate his artifact. This donation allows rotation of exhibit objects to rest the first artifact for a period time to relax the components that make up the object. Professional Critiques of Benefits and Accomplishment of Museum Expansion The economic downturn led some museum to cancel, delay, or scale back planned expansion. The following case studies show that museum expansion is possible in spite of a flat economy. These institutions have used new technologies to enhance the effect of dollars spent on renovations. Some museums have the advantage of worldwide stakeholder base to draw on for a capital building fund drive. The National D-Day museum in New Orleans recently completed a 70,000 sq. ft. 280,000,000 expansion of the museum to highlight the Pacific Theater of World War II. The project analysis conducted by Timothy Ryan Chancellor of the University of New Orleans estimated a 112.5,000,000 construction budget that will create 2791 jobs for the city and surrounding parishes. Ryan predicted 70,000,000.00 income generated by temporary jobs for the local economy (Roberts, 2005). The D-Day museum used visitor surveys and suggestions that the museum expand its mission from D-Day to encompass all theaters of the war. The D-Day museum used the designation as the National World War II by Congress as a marketing tool to appeal for corporate pledges, grants, and private donations to fund the expansion drive. The museum had the advantage of the rebuilding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The museum escaped serious damage but the economic stimulus the museum could provide in job creation and pumping badly needed money into the city allowed the expansion plan to go forward. The board of supervisors of Hood River County used a different but equally effective approach for a museum construction. Hood River County commissioned a study for a planned location for the History Museum. The county government hired a consultant who produced a cost-benefit study, analyzed potential sites with pros and cons, and the economic impact that the new museum would have on the county. The consultant made a comparison of similar museum in the area and made forecasts based on interviews with museum directors and marketers (Parman, 2010). A comparative study highlights the advantages and disadvantages of location, access, and measures competition as a tool for marketing and public relations to build support for the museum. The study commissioned by Hood County Board of Supervisors had the support of the local government body, as they were the ones who commissioned the feasibility study for turning Hood River into a tourist attraction. The report validated the concept of a local history museum. Museum boards of directors and museum directors contemplating expansion and commission an economic impact benefit need to specifically spell out their mission statement set the terms of the study conducted to ensure they have fair representation of their market niche and not compared with a museum much larger than they are, and have a strong historic impact on national history. The American Association of Museums constantly monitors the ebbs, flows of the national museum scene, and delivers timely information through symposiums and articles to educate and inform its membership and communities on trends in the industry. A recent article reports that museums are canceling or delaying planned expansions due to the economic downturn in the economy. Museums report endowments down and corporate and individual donations severely impacted by the recession. Other museums, such as the Witte Museum of San Antonio, Texas, for example have planned their expansions in a series of segments. The Witte Museum planned a 50,000,000-dollar expansion and used a three-step approach to reach their expansion goal. The first step involved a survey of the museum's stakeholders. They were asked what they would like to see. The survey results validated the museum's planned expansion. Second step museum marketing staff, director, and board used the survey to build support for the expansion. They reported that visitors approved the expansion on a smaller scale that proved doable in 2010 (Moriss, 2009). The examination of museum expansion projects in the news and on museum websites contradicts Moriss' theory. The Boston Children's Museum occupied an abandoned nineteenth century warehouse on the border of the old industrial district in 1979. The museum planned for a major renovation of the property and worked fund raising opportunities through corporate gifts, grants, and private donations. The museum completed a 47,000,000-dollar renovation that made unique use of their building. The plan called for the deconstruction and renovation of the existing building and added a three-story extension from the roof up. The Children's Museum provides a chic vintage-modern look and enhanced the building as a teaching tool with the use green construction technology. The roof of the 23,000 sq. ft. extension is grass and children assist in planting boxes of sedum on the roof. The museum's mission is to raise awareness of environmental changes using the building as a laboratory in the operation of a green building. The landscape of the museum blends seamlessly with the city's harbor walk and a public park designed for an adjacent vacant lot extends the museum grounds. The efforts of the museum's green curriculum and building resulted in a LEED gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. The North Carolina Museum of Art completed a 127,000 sq.ft. expansion that utilized green technology in the construction phase. The lighting for the museum is natural and reflected by aluminum panels constructed of thirty percent recycled material. Fifty percent of the museum's exterior walls are glance and uses a frit pattern that screens out fifty percent of sunlight (North Carolina Museum of Art, 2007). The photocells on the roof alert the computer of changing light conditions and adjust track lighting and shading screens to adjust light conditions in the museum. The roof has 362 skylights designed to emit only northern shining light into the building. The North Carolina Museum of Art has increased its exhibits fifty-four percent and the renovations to the East Wing and grounds add to the appeal of the building to the visitor. The Wiseman Art Museum of the University of Minnesota underwent a renovation in 1993, but growth necessitated further expansion (Wiesman Museum of Art, 2007). The museum launched a new capital-building fund in 2007 and the museum's directors announced the start of the public phase of the fund drive. The museum proposes adding three new wings to the existing building to allow greater exhibit space for its collection and allow collaboration of various media genres in the gallery near the main entrance. Thoughts on the Gotham Science Museum Experience The renovation of the Gotham Bank Building into the Gotham Museum of Environmental Science Annex provided experience in designing a building for a complete restructure of a commercial building into educational building. The planning and acquisition phases taught skills that work for any project. The entire process in real world timeframe showed that all phases of the work flow chart occur more or less at the same time. The exception is deconstruction-reconstruction relies on the architectural drawings and scope of work documentation that specifies how and in what order the work is done, as well as the material used and reporting requirements as the project advances. Project managers must possess maturity, patience, team leader, listening and talking with and not at people and keep open the lines of communication and encourage supervisors and workers to bring issues to the attention of the manager to resolve the issue in a satisfactory resolution. Project management bears the full responsibility for the satisfactory completion of the project. (Meredith, 2006). Conclusion The Project Management team for the Gotham Science Museum project exposed a niche for project management field. The skill set of setting baseline for deliverables for groups working in the same space each with a different task and interdependent on the completion of another team completing its scope of work in the time allotted to keep the project moving forward. The delay of team in completing a deliverable, the manager needs flexibility to utilize the team idled to work on items on the punch list for that area. A completely new lexicon develops as non-museum personnel of outside contractors speak in museum terms when referring to artifacts or activities the museum professional performs to meet their deliverables to mount and exhibit makers. The basic deconstruction and construction operation of a project follows normal flow of any construction project. The devil is in the detail as more detailed work is performed on the electrical circuits, HVAC, each gallery has its own heat and humidity levels based on the exhibits on display. Curators will come with hydrometer reading indicating another item for the punch list. Overall project management of the science museum annex proved a learning experience in the profession of management and science by working around the exhibits for the new building. The museums in the examples above proved that museums can plan and execute an expansion by bringing stakeholders into the process Marketing surveys and public hearings generate the energy to push expansion idea along. Boston Children's Museum and the North Carolina Museum of Art incorporated green technology for their expansion and provided a teaching moment for the public on energy conservation. The renovation of Gotham Bank allowed the Science Museum to incorporate green technology into the power generation plant, for the electricity in the building, operate HVAC system at a lower cost and provided tax benefits and building credits. Bibliography Brown, T. S. (2011). Boston's Children's Museum. Green Source . Chrysler Museum of Art. (2010). State of the Region. norfolk: chrysler museum of art. Cleland, D. I. (2004). Project Manager's Portable Handbook 2e. New York: McGraw-Hill. Gray, C. L. (2006). Project Management: The Managerial Process 3ed. New York: McGraw-Hill. Kerzner, H. (2006). A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. Hoboken: J Wiley. Meredith, J. R. (2006). Project Management. Hoboken: John Wiley. Miami Museum of Science. (2001). A New Case. Miami: Miami Museum of Science. Moriss, M. (2009). Are Expansion Plans Recession Proof? American Association of Museums . North Carolina Museum of Art. (2007). Green Statement. Raliegh, NC. Parman, A. (2010). Location of the History Museum A Report to Hood River County. Eugene: none. Roberts, D. (2005). D-Day Museum Plans Expansion. New Orleans City Business . Wiesman Museum of Art. (2007). Expansion. St. Paul, Minnesota. Read More