Change Management and Physical Restructuring of the Irish Defence Forces - Essay Example

Change Management and Physical Restructuring of the Irish Defence Forces Table of Contents 1. Introduction and Background to Project 3 Project Analysis: 3 Why this is a Project 3 2. Critical Examination Irish Defence Forces Reorganisation project 5 The most appropriate way or mode of accessing the viability and constrains in the project is through effective adoption and use of project management triangle. The triangle ensures proper understanding or analyzing the underlying constrains that may arise during implementation and execution of the underlying project. Notably, irrespective of the size of the project, all projects usually face a series of problems; however, some of these constrains end up to be the avenue of the success for such projects. Therefore, the use of the project management usually leads to effective execution of any project since it is an avenue for effective decision making. 5 Irish Defence Forces Reorganisation project adopted the simple time, cost, and scope project management triangle. This mode or form was effective for this project since it allowed every project element to be analyzed independently. This mode of analysis helped in reducing challenges and confusion that might have occurred since the use of triangle theory allowed the analysis of these elements collectively but in an independent manner. However, collective analysis of these elements may have tampered with vital decision making thereby leading to other challenges that were experienced in the project implementation. 5 5 Time 5 Naturally, a project’s stipulated activities may take longer or shorter periods to complete. It should be noted that the completion of any project activity usually depend of numerous factors some of which include quantity and quality of the workforce that depends on skills and experience among other factors (Steffan, 2008; p. 149). Despite being a crucial element in project management, time is usually uncontrollable. It should be noted that the Irish Defence Forces Reorganisation project was completed later than the originally stipulated time. The project started in January 2012 and was stipulated to last for 42 months, but it instead lasted for a period of 64 months. 6 Nonetheless, it should be noted that this elaborate time became beneficial to the project and the project managers since the extra time allowed project managers to analyze factors that might have been overlooked at the project definition. Additionally, all the resources especially the rightful human resources including the right number and experienced as well as killed worker are availed before the commencement of the project. Nonetheless, there was still need to meet the time object in this project like any othet project. 6 Cost 7 It is vital that both the organization and the project manager to have a cost estimate in running a project. This element can be achieved effectively by developing and implementing a budget for the project. For the Irish Defence Forces Reorganisation project managers, the budget was to help in implementing the project below certain costs. However, it was necessary for the project manager to allocate additional resources towards meeting deadlines that seemed elaborated (Steffan, 2008; p. 149). 7 Traditional project management models for assessing success are cost-benefit calculations, the use of expert surveys, value-benefit analyses, and recurring risk auditing (Heizer and Render, 2004). Consistently, due to internal resistance and external stakeholder influence, the scope of the project continued to change, which increased the need for additional financial and labour resources to guarantee project success within the expected timelines. Since the project was wholly internalised, the Defence Forces should have recruited or trained key officials on adequate control methodologies that could have improved the assessment of cost problems and potential risk (which was incurred with public backlash from a variety of stakeholders). There is no evidence that advanced accounting and PM evaluation efforts were occurring as aligned with traditional PM strategy and models. This is a human resource-based issue, and an oversight of senior project governance or it is, perhaps, the product of an organisation operating with a €688 million budget believing that cost over-runs could be offset with reductions in other areas throughout the year. This budget was inflated slighted slightly to €868 to cater for the extended project duration. Even though it was a legitimate case, the reorganisation did not maintain an efficient measurement system that could have enhanced successful phase completion throughout the project. 7 Scope 8 Quality 10 It should be noted that quality has never been part of the project management; however, effective implementation of these elements within project management triangle is the only way to achieving ultimate objectives as per very deliverable. Notably, high quality is usually associated with high cost a fact that is sometimes true. Using poor quality resources will only lead to unsuccessful overall project (Steffan, 2008; p. 153). Therefore, it is upon the Irish Defence Forces Reorganisation project managers to ensure quality resources are used to achieve quality Defence Forces Reorganisation. 10 3. The Project Constrains and Decision Making 10 The above three elements are sometimes the major source of project constrain that required effective decision making. Constrains that emanate from these elements are be eradicated by striking the balance that ensures that the quality of the result is never compromised. Therefore, for the Irish Defence Forces Reorganisation project manager to ensure that these constrains are minimized or evaded completely, he or she must prevent the stakeholders from altering the basis of the original scope and maintaining limits on both human and financial resources (Zwikael and Smyrk, 2011; p. 42). 10 Effects of the Project on Soldiers and the Public 11 Impact of the Stakeholders 12 4. Recommendations for Improvement 13 5. Conclusion 15 7. Appendices A: 21 1. Introduction and Background to Project The Irish Defence Forces are the armed services of the Irish Military. It consists of Naval Services, the Air Corps, the Army (covering ground and air operations), and the Reserve Defence Forces are made of part-time military members. Commissioned officers in the Defence Forces are granted their commissions by the President of Ireland, with supplementary decision-making and presidential representation occurring through the Irish Minister of Defence. It is the responsibility of the Defence Forces to secure the state against foreign and domestic threats, prepare the state for terrorist and non-terrorist armed military threats, ensure peace-keeping in the country, and provide humanitarian relief efforts coordinated with support from the United Nations. Domestic non-combat activities include policing of fisheries, bomb disposal, and stabilising chemical threats (Defence Forces Ireland, 2013). In 2009, the Irish Defence Forces began to over-run its allotted budget for operations, which had been set at €688 million (O’Brien 2012; Burns 2010). This situation called for restructuring of the Irish Defence Forces since the government could not afford another budgetary increase to secure effective and productive operations. This restructuring involved labour reduction of key services including barrack, condensed tangible resource allocation to the Forces, and redeployment of posted service persons to undertake front line operational roles (Forde, 2012). Therefore, this report identifies and evaluates the project management aspects the Defence Forces’ recent reorganisation. Project Analysis: Why this is a Project Project management is defined as being a discipline of operational science in which planning, organisation, human motivation, and resource control efforts contribute to achieving a set of specific and desirable goals. Projects are short-term objectives with a specific beginning and well-defined end with intended completion; thus, it is time constrained and impacted by financial resource availability and human ability/capacity to ensure that project deliverables are met (Nokes, 2007). Notably, a project must meet all endeavours; objectives and goals whilst taking into consideration all known or expected constraints that could hinder productive outcomes. These constraints, include time, scope, budget, and quality (Jeston and Nelis, 2008; PMI, 2008). The Irish Defence Forces reorganisation is a project since it engulfs all the principles and necessities that are defined or incorporated in the project definition. These include time frame within which the plan is to execute to completion. The Irish Defence Forces Reorganisation was planned to be completed in January 1, 2013. Moreover, it is worth noting the project has a one year time frame since its launch in early 2012 (Kovacs and Spens, 2012; Pg. 245). 2. Critical Examination Irish Defence Forces Reorganisation project The most appropriate way or mode of accessing the viability and constrains in the project is through effective adoption and use of project management triangle. The triangle ensures proper understanding or analyzing the underlying constrains that may arise during implementation and execution of the underlying project. Notably, irrespective of the size of the project, all projects usually face a series of problems; however, some of these constrains end up to be the avenue of the success for such projects. Therefore, the use of the project management usually leads to effective execution of any project since it is an avenue for effective decision making. Irish Defence Forces Reorganisation project adopted the simple time, cost, and scope project management triangle. This mode or form was effective for this project since it allowed every project element to be analyzed independently. This mode of analysis helped in reducing challenges and confusion that might have occurred since the use of triangle theory allowed the analysis of these elements collectively but in an independent manner. However, collective analysis of these elements may have tampered with vital decision making thereby leading to other challenges that were experienced in the project implementation. Time Naturally, a project’s stipulated activities may take longer or shorter periods to complete. It should be noted that the completion of any project activity usually depend of numerous factors some of which include quantity and quality of the workforce that depends on skills and experience among other factors (Steffan, 2008; p. 149). Despite being a crucial element in project management, time is usually uncontrollable. It should be noted that the Irish Defence Forces Reorganisation project was completed later than the originally stipulated time. The project started in January 2012 and was stipulated to last for 42 months, but it instead lasted for a period of 64 months. Nonetheless, it should be noted that this elaborate time became beneficial to the project and the project managers since the extra time allowed project managers to analyze factors that might have been overlooked at the project definition. Additionally, all the resources especially the rightful human resources including the right number and experienced as well as killed worker are availed before the commencement of the project. Nonetheless, there was still need to meet the time object in this project like any othet project. Cost It is vital that both the organization and the project manager to have a cost estimate in running a project. This element can be achieved effectively by developing and implementing a budget for the project. For the Irish Defence Forces Reorganisation project managers, the budget was to help in implementing the project below certain costs. However, it was necessary for the project manager to allocate additional resources towards meeting deadlines that seemed elaborated (Steffan, 2008; p. 149). Traditional project management models for assessing success are cost-benefit calculations, the use of expert surveys, value-benefit analyses, and recurring risk auditing (Heizer and Render, 2004). Consistently, due to internal resistance and external stakeholder influence, the scope of the project continued to change, which increased the need for additional financial and labour resources to guarantee project success within the expected timelines. Since the project was wholly internalised, the Defence Forces should have recruited or trained key officials on adequate control methodologies that could have improved the assessment of cost problems and potential risk (which was incurred with public backlash from a variety of stakeholders). There is no evidence that advanced accounting and PM evaluation efforts were occurring as aligned with traditional PM strategy and models. This is a human resource-based issue, and an oversight of senior project governance or it is, perhaps, the product of an organisation operating with a €688 million budget believing that cost over-runs could be offset with reductions in other areas throughout the year. This budget was inflated slighted slightly to €868 to cater for the extended project duration. Even though it was a legitimate case, the reorganisation did not maintain an efficient measurement system that could have enhanced successful phase completion throughout the project. Scope The scope is the concentration of the outcome of the project and it usually consist of a list of deliverables that must be addressed by the project team; otherwise, the project coulf have been bound to fail (Zwikael and Smyrk, 2011; p. 42). It was vital for the Irish Defence Forces Reorganisation project manager to understand effectively on how to manage the scopes as well as any changes that might have risen from the same scopes. The Defence Forces model has historically been autocratic, where decision-making uses a top-down approach. Decisions are made at the senior level and move vertically downward with little opportunity for labour sentiment and problem-solving (Project Management Know How, 2013; Pg. 02). Grieves (2010), however, iterates that change must be negotiated to motivate individuals and reduce resistance to change. The project did not take into consideration the impact of human resources and internal change resistance that continued to impose constraints on achieving effective phase outcomes. The goal of the project was also to change the cultural characteristics of serving members internally. However, utilising an autocratic methodology of command and control during the project was insufficient for the psychological outcomes, thus impeding the success of the project. Fairholm (2009) indicates that to develop a desired culture, communications must be transparent and open, there must be an established vision and mission, and leaders must be coaching, educating and inspiring. There is no evidence that the project planners and managers considered the impacts of psychological resistance that impedes change objectives and strategies. Leaders should have established a sense of psychological safety, which ensures that the psychological needs of key stakeholders are addressed and satisfied (Terrell, 1989). Ford and D’Amelio (2008) indicate that when change is implemented along an established model, managers often become the victim of irrational psychologically-driven responses that impede change success. Notably, adjustment to such demands led to the change of the project scope in order to incorporate every stakeholder. Since change implementation and restructuring was to be carried out wholly by internal service persons, delays in phase completions were complicated by labourer sentiment about their potential security within a downsized military model. During the Vietnam War, the United States Army attempted a similar downsizing effort to reduce cost burdens along their defence strategies (Riker-Coleman, 1998). However, in another highly autocratic military model, there was little emphasis given to soldier behavioural components and psychology which led to distrust among congressional representatives and de-motivated service persons who attempted to sabotage the project’s advancement (Riker-Coleman, 1998). This and situations like it should have provided a project management benchmark that utilised more effective evaluation tools in the Irish Defence Forces reorganisation project, including 360 degree feedback mechanisms, change champions to address human needs, and a total quality management frameworks to ensure service persons adhered to project expectations. The project management benchmark helped in comparing cost, quality, and time with other organization that have ever carried out the same project. Notably, this approach allowed the project managers to identify areas that might bring the problem in the projection implementation and work on such before such generated to other major problems. Additionally, the benchmark helped in improving and minizing any extra cost (Kerzner, 2001; Pg. 197). Quality It should be noted that quality has never been part of the project management; however, effective implementation of these elements within project management triangle is the only way to achieving ultimate objectives as per very deliverable. Notably, high quality is usually associated with high cost a fact that is sometimes true. Using poor quality resources will only lead to unsuccessful overall project (Steffan, 2008; p. 153). Therefore, it is upon the Irish Defence Forces Reorganisation project managers to ensure quality resources are used to achieve quality Defence Forces Reorganisation. 3. The Project Constrains and Decision Making The above three elements are sometimes the major source of project constrain that required effective decision making. Constrains that emanate from these elements are be eradicated by striking the balance that ensures that the quality of the result is never compromised. Therefore, for the Irish Defence Forces Reorganisation project manager to ensure that these constrains are minimized or evaded completely, he or she must prevent the stakeholders from altering the basis of the original scope and maintaining limits on both human and financial resources (Zwikael and Smyrk, 2011; p. 42). The project involved different stages including initiation stage that served as the foundational planning methodology for establishing the appropriate human capital. This stage usually requires an assessment of the current operations strategies and a project charter that illustrates the project scope and an appropriate delineation of specific responsibilities along the project (Fairholm, 2009; Pg. 26). The strategies herein aim at ensuring that the project achieves its desirable current and future goals and objective. Additionally, they also intend to allow or give room for future expansion among other adjustments. This was accomplished by evaluating the strategic operational capacity with different posts for deployed military divisional members and their potential impact on security within the border and in relationships with international stakeholders (Kovacs and Spens, 2012; Pg. 271). The initiation phase determined that €688 million was not sufficient to engage international stakeholders properly whilst defending the military security infrastructure within Ireland appropriately. Concurrently, initiation determined the level of appropriate military labourers that would be required in order to satisfy the strict €688 million government-mandated budget. It was during initiation that the project planners determined that labour would need to be reduced from a previous cap of 11,500 to 9,500 (Forde, 2012). Effects of the Project on Soldiers and the Public Having encompassed the preliminary aspects of the project, the Irish Defence Forces realised it could no longer sustain a three Brigade system strategically or financially especially for the Army that would need to be consolidated to a two Brigade system (Irish Defence Forces, 2013). The Irish Defence Minister, Alan Shatter, received three different proposals from the Chief of Staff and Secretary General justifying capacity and operational strategies for reducing the volume of Brigades servicing the Irish Army. Notably, this proposal could also sustain the operations with significant reductions in available resources (Shatter, 2012). Furthermore, there was a senior level that was used to establish evaluation measures that were related to the initiation and planning phases. It is worth noting these measures helped identifying operations whilst maintaining appropriate security management based on solid strategy proposals. Additionally, the proposal provided an effectively of adjusting the military operation model for the leaner procurement and resource distribution ideology. However, it should be noted that some of the soldiers were relieved off their jobs, this iniative was to provide more financial resources to fund the project (O’brien, 2012). Despite being a move to raise the funds, it was one of the move that would create a bridge in the security of the country since it might have reduced the loyality and uncertainty to work by those who were still working. It is notable that the Irish Defence Forces did not achieve appropriate planning in the project was in determining cost predictability. Cost predictability is the ability of project managers and planners to predict cost estimates associated with the project throughout all phases identified in the initiation stage. Cost predictability is “an assertion based on the basis of data, theory and experience, but in advance of tangible proof” (ICPT, 2012; p.2). Believing that the operational strategies provided by the Chief of Staff and Secretary of State would be sufficient for ensuring cost controls in each phase of the project. The Defence Forces were unprepared for cost over-runs in certain phases of the project. Though the exact budget allotted for the reorganisation project was not published by the Defence Forces, there was a general expectation that funding for the project would come from taxpayers that served as a preliminary foundation of budget planning (Wah, 1999). However, this changed agenda was informed, post initiation, that these changes must be transparent to the taxpaying citizen; organic change must be wholly internalised utilising the annual budget provided to the military forces (Clonan, 2009). Impact of the Stakeholders This changed the scope of the project to include increased involvement with the Representative Association of Commissioned Officers, RACO. This organisation was founded in 1991 under legislation from the Defence Amendment Act which provides RACO with funding capabilities for various associations involved with the Irish Defence Forces (RACO, 2013). It is essential in determining the success of project because of what mentioned by Lt. General Sean McCann. According to him, the project’s post-implementation phases received considerable resistance to change from key stakeholders, something not considered in the initiation and planning phase of the project project (Nelson, Nute, and Rodjak, 1998). For instance, the PDFORRA(Permanent Defence Force Other Ranks Representative Association), an organisation which represents active soldiers in the Defence Forces, published public anger sentiments about downsizing and removing 500 jobs from the military operations model (Brady, 2012). More stakeholder relationship management had to be included into the project management model in order to avoid a backlash of negative public relations, funding losses, and general concerns from citizens that the change reorganisation would negative impact the security of the Irish state (Winston, 1970; p. 142). As such, McCann was forced to assign change champions in multiple divisions of the Forces and along the various phases of the project to ensure that the reputational damage did not jeopardize the success of the organic change project. Whereas it was anticipated that the closure of the project would result in a training model that would be short-lived to encompass all people affected by the changes, it is believed that training will take years (Brady, 2012). This is due to different stakeholders that form part of the project; ranging from public relations to general stakeholder management. Taking into consideration difficulties due to public and private resistance, the project is yet to reach its total completion. Trainings are still being facilitated to ease stakeholder concerns and backlash. This is an example of the need for a cyclical model of project management to ensure effective deliverables. This is because complications along the original planned model of reorganisation continue to over-run the original time frame anticipated for completion. 4. Recommendations for Improvement The improvement of the any project depends on the understanding of the factors that might have lead to disconnect or failure during project implementation. Basically, such failures are mainly attributed to by human behaviours. Therefore, human behavioural responses must be considered in order to ensure PM qualitative factors follow effective and desirable change without leading to failure in the desired process (Zastrow and Kirst-Ashman, 2013; Pg. 89). Though many of the quantitative phases of the project such as troop deployment for security efficiency and establishing new homogenous Brigades with an emphasis on cost controls faced some serious implementation problems. This indicated the insufficient or lack of measurement systems to evaluate and address psychological safety thereby leading to change resistance (Heizer and Render, 2004; p. 112). To eradicate such difficulties in project management, it would have been vital to emphasize of the training the human resource capacity that seemed to be insufficient. In addition, there was a culture resistance within the ranks of the Defence Forces and there are no models established to engage external stakeholders more productively. This action or sentiment could be restructured to eliminate the posibility of endangering the safety and well-being of Irish citizens (Defence Forces Ireland, 2013); moreover, the element of failure or dangerous behaviour could have been eliminated if project managers and planners had established a promotional that focused on public relations campaign to address multiple stakeholder needs in the external environment. Additionally, the accountancy function of the project should have been an integral contributing component to the reorganisation as it would have better predicted short-run costs, allocated expenditures appropriately, and measured the actual return on investment for each phase of the project. An assigned strategic management accountant with practical experience in finance could have been the financial leader of the project. Such an expertise could have minimized changes of scope by explaining to the stakeholders on the diverse effect of changing such such scopes. Furthermore, such an expert usually perform his or her duties with less-biased, but with more holistic view of the entire organisation and the change effort that can provide valuable economic insight where required (Wu, 2007). Though it is true that adequate and above-average analyses occurred at higher levels of the Defence Forces’ hierarchy, there were few autocratic management systems used as control the scope of the project and this interfered immensely with the project’s budget (Forde, 2012) thereby interfering with the intended success of the project (Project Management Know How, 2013; p.02). Nonetheless, if all the project stake holders realizes that there are certain needs to change the scope, a clear culture change objectives of the project should be used to evaluate and incorporate the change. Therefore, the project managers must ensure an autocratic and controlling culture towards evaluating the new scope with insufficient financial resources of the project. In this case, the communities of practice and inter-professional engagement between disparately-ranked service persons must ever be engaged in the decision making process. 5. Conclusion The Defence Forces reorganisation project had a a series of achievements and challenges that seemed to have delayed the proposed project deadline by nearly one year. However, most of these drawbacks could have been evaded by engaging both internal and external stakeholders (the defence all officials and public) effectively. Moreover, the desired project’s objectives would have been achieved effectively and promptlyly if the entire project teams would have work together and kept the strategies and objectives of the project entirely on course. Additionally, the project team could have applied the principle of the project management benchmark. Nonetheless, the project that involves a country’s security such as military forces should be managed with top secrecy but without compromising anyone’s security and safety. 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Appendices A: Gantt Chart for Irish Defence Forces Reorganisation and Change Project Project Plan PLAN PLAN ACTUAL ACTUAL PERCENT ACTIVITY START DURATION START DURATION COMPLETE PERIODS               1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 Activity 01 1 5 1 4 25% Activity 02 1 6 1 6 100% Activity 03 2 4 2 5 35% Activity 04 4 8 4 6 10% Activity 05 4 2 4 8 85% Activity 06 4 3 4 6 85% Activity 07 5 4 5 3 50% Activity 08 5 2 5 5 60% Activity 09 5 2 5 6 75% Activity 10 6 5 6 7 100% Activity 11 6 1 5 8 60% Key   Plan   Actual   % Complete   Actual (beyond plan)   % Complete (beyond plan) Gantt Chart for Irish Defence Forces Reorganisation and Change Project Gantt Chart has a series of advantages in project management; nonetheless, for this case, the above Gantt Chart aims at avoiding complete confusion during project implementation since it gives the visual timeline for starting and completing a specific stask as listed above and below as activities. Moreover, it erases any mode of confusion at that may be experienced during project completion. The chart also keeps everyone participant on the same page thereby limiting chances of misunderstanding. Additionally, it links project or tasks; thus, providing step by step implementation thereby reducing chances of skipping a step. Therefore, the chart is an effective mode of allocating resources to maximizing resources. Activity Description Activity 01 Conduct Preliminary operations analysis Activity 02 Determine labour capacity Activity 03 Determine labour needs Activity 04 Brigade deconstruction Activity 05 Barracks deconstruction Activity 06 Post redeployment Activity 07 Restructure procurement supply network Activity 08 Supply warehousing restructure Activity 09 Modernise new barrack construction Activity 10 External stakeholder engagement Activity 11 Rebalance infantry support Read More