Germany's Brandenburg Airport - Case Study Example

AAAAA PROJECT Name: Course: Instructor: Date: Part 1 – UCLan’s proposed EIC Building According to Chang (2016), there are numerous risks and uncertainties involved in project execution and implementation. However, he insists that the planning is the most effective solution to mitigate and manage most risks should they eventually occur. Apparently, the overall success in project management is hugely related to the method of method of management preferred by the project manager. Hence, the planning phase in project implementation allows the project manager sufficient time and space to evaluate all the available resources, skill and tools so as to pick on the most efficient method of management that almost guarantees success. Failure to identify and implement an effective method of project management either increase or further complicate the responsibilities of the project manager making him or her less effective in the various duties and responsibilities. Basing on the above explanation, I would strongly propose the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) as the most suitable method of project management in the course of executing The Engineering Innovation Centre Building planned construction of the Foster Car Park. Chang et al. (2016) explains that The Project Management Body of Knowledge is a project management method which caters for the generally recognized and accepted good practices in professional project management. In order to increase the usage of the method, The PMBOK Guide, a document that contains guidelines, recommendations and standard practices for managing public projects have been developed to help project manager’s master and effectively apply the method in various projects. The method is considered as generally accepted since the PMBOK guidelines can find application in almost all contemporary projects. On the same note, PMBOK guidelines emphasize on good practice, an indication that the PMBOK knowledge, skills, tools and management techniques have significantly increased chances of success in most projects whenever deployed. In order to incorporate the latest trends in project management as proposed by modern project managers and consultants, the PMBOK guidelines are revised and released after every two years. Hence, the most recent guidelines were released in June 2016 and will be in place for implementation until June 2018 when the new edition will be released. The choice of this method of project management has been made on the basis of the numerous advantages that the methods have as compared to other practices. For instance, The Project Management Body of Knowledge presents illustrative guidelines on the responsibilities and expectations of the project manager in every phase of the project implementation (Portny, 2013).. The guidelines give general outcomes to look for as well as the success indicators for every phase. In this case, the project manager finds it extremely easy to identify any deviations from the guidelines and can quickly initiate corrective measures. Similarly, the project manager is in a position to develop a future projection of every phase and thereby prepare in dance. In most cases, the failure by most project managers identifies success indicators creates a situation where mistakes are realized when the implementation is extremely advanced. As a result, the corrective measures do not only end up costly but also eat into the project schedule and the overall duration. Such setbacks and related scenarios can effectively be overcome by using the Project Management Body of Knowledge method of project management. Another suitability of The Project Management Body of Knowledge method to a project of this nature is the fact that the overall evaluation of success or failure of the project will be assessed from a public perspective as compared to private investors’ perspectives. The standards to be employed in this project must, therefore, suit the recommended guidelines for public projects. The Project Management Body of Knowledge has been found to be the most effective method of managing public projects due to cost-friendly nature of the method. While private projects require modifications to meet personal desires, public projects are designed and implemented with the interests of the diverse public at heart. Rather than deploying a method that would please a section of the public and draw negative criticism from other quotas, The Project Management Body of Knowledge method ensures a balance in the different perspectives of the various stakeholders regardless of their diverse background. On the same regard, the success rate of the method as witnessed in prior projects of this nature increases the chances of success the Engineering Innovation Centre Building planned construction of the Foster Car Part 2 Managing a project: Germany's Brandenburg Airport Preamble After the declaration of Berlin as the official capital city of Germany in 1990, there was a need to construct a large commercial airport due to the expected traffic increase in the city and its environs. Apparently, Tegel Airport, Schönefeld Airport and Tempelhof Airport that had all along been used were showing signs of aging and becoming increasingly congested due to rising passenger numbers. Hence, a single airport concept was proposed to cater for the economic viability and the closure of Tegel, Schönefeld and Tempelhof once the new airport was opened. There were also plans to ban commercial aviation from any other airport in Brandenburg once the proposed single airport was completed and functional. The idea of Berlin Brandenburg Airport was launched on 2 May 1991 with the initial proposal indicating joint ownership between the Federal Republic of Germany and the state governments of Berlin and Brandenburg. The mayor of Berlin became the chairman of the advisory board by default. Project Description My project of interest is the Berlin Brandenburg Airport which is currently under construction, barely eighteen kilometers towards the South of Berlin City in Germany. Upon completion, the facility is expected to serve as an international airport with a locality of approximately six million inhabitants. Similarly, Berlin Brandenburg Airport is expected to offer a significant competing to Tegel Airport since the oldest airport in the city, Schonefield airport in currently under expansion to accommodate the rising number of passengers and air cargo. Germany has an average annual passenger population of close to 34 million people, and hence Berlin Brandenburg Airport is expected to serve as the third busiest airport in Germany. Despite the expected tremendous financial gains, the implementation of the project to construct Berlin Brandenburg Airport has been taken under a considerable snail pace. The planning phase of the project is believed to have been completed in the year 2001, and initial constructions started a whopping fifteen years later in 2006. According to the initial project plan, the complete Berlin Brandenburg Airport was to be opened to the public in 2010. However, the construction phase has been hit by a series of delays and cost overruns that have been attributed to poor planning, mismanagement of the allocated funds and corrupt project implementation officials. Basing on the current state of the project, it is estimated that the airport will open in either late 2018 or early 2019 almost ten years behind the initial project schedule. Failures of the Project The project to construct Berlin Brandenburg Airport has been marred by various challenges and hurdles. For instance, during the initial stages of planning for the project, it was expected that Berlin Brandenburg Airport would be owned and hence operated by a private investor. In fact, the hopes increased after the proposals were called and two internationally renowned firms showed serious contention to invest in the project. One firm was led by Hochtief, through its Hochtief Airport subsidiary which incorporated ABB Fraport and Bank Gesellschaft Berlin as business partners. The second firm comprised IVG, Flughafen Wien AG, Dorsch-Consult, Commerzbank and Caisse des Dépôts. On 19 September 1998, the Berlin Brandenburg Flughafen Holding GmbH (BBF) BBF mad an official announcement to the public that Hochtief consortium had won the tender and subsequently been granted the exclusive rights to negotiate the terms and conditions for an acquisition of the Berlin Brandenburg Airport holding. The firm had also won rights to negotiate for the construction and subsequent operation of the new airport for a contract that would last a period of 50 years, subject to renewal upon evaluation. Hochtief and its partners were officially commissioned to start the construction of the ne2 airport on 31 March 1999, a move that saw IVG file a lawsuit. Upon review, it was found that at some points the process of assessing the applicants had been biased towards Hochtief. In this regard, the contract awarded to Hochtief was annulled on 3 August 1999. When the calls for proposals were made for the second time, Hochtief Airport and IVG combined and submitted a plan for a joint bid. Due to the impracticality of the plan, the management board chose to scrap the privatization plan and subsequently paid Hochtief and IVG approximately €50 million compensation for their planning effort. Hence, the project failed to acquire a private investor. Success of the project Despite the various challenges, there has been a tremendous success in the construction of the proposed Berlin Brandenburg Airport. Success in this rate is measured regarding the completed section of the overall project. According to the implementing team, more than seventy percent of the project has been completed. The airport construction company still insists that it will stick with the initial projections of commissioning Berlin Brandenburg Airport in the second half of 2017. The airport's executive management board, as well as the supervisory board, is all in agreement that there is no point of abandoning the schedule given the enormous potential to beat the deadline as earlier or established by Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH (FBB) According to Chief Executive Officer of by Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH (FBB), Dr. Karsten Mühlenfeld, the fact the management board is yet to receive the approval of the fifth supplement will not hold back the team in the pursuit to commissioning the airport in the second half of 2017. He, therefore, restores hope in major stakeholders that the anticipated the once imaginary Berlin Brandenburg Airport may soon become a reality. Hence, most people in Germany and around the world will stay in a close watch to monitor and establish the truth in the statements made by Dr. Karsten Mühlenfeld. However, despite the financial and managerial challenges, the project team should be lauded for their efforts in the entire project. Project Management Method Basing on the descriptions given and the current state of the proposed project to construct Berlin Brandenburg Airport, the most preferred, suitable and effective method of project management to be applied to this project is the Projects in Controlled Environment method, often abbreviated as PRINCE2. PRINCE2 is not only a method of project management but also as a certification program for project management practitioners who meet the various accreditation, qualifications, and training (Hinde, 2012).. The fundamental advantage of this method is that it largely emphasizes the need to break down the complete project into smaller and manageable stages that can be easily controlled and managed (Hoboken, &, John, 2003). PRINCE 2 becomes the most preferred method basing on the nature of the challenges that have faced the proposed Berlin Brandenburg Airport construction. For instance, funds for the construction of the airport have been scarce, a fact that has seen the construction work stall at various stages. Hence, breaking down the entire project into constituent sub-tasks will ensure that the smaller funds obtained through the state budgetary allocations are directed toward a specific task. For example, the project management alongside the project can decide to break down the project into runway construction, construction of the terminus, construction of a perimeter fence and the installation of the various security and radar systems. The breakdown will also help allocate priorities to the various stages of the project. The team can choose to concentrate on the runway and construct it to completion before embarking on the terminus. The prince2 method will also make the supervision responsibility of the project manager extremely easy. Given the nature and complexity of the project, it might be quite challenging to oversee the simultaneous implementation of the project plan. However, subdividing the project into tasks makes it possible for the manager to concentrate on one aspect until it is completed before shifting to the next item. This is also bound to reduce incidences of shoddy work due to managerial laxity. Lessons Learnt Some lessons can be inferred from the project to construct Berlin Brandenburg Airport. As earlier on mentioned, the project has suffered major setbacks due to the failure by the various stakeholders to effectively pal for the project. Tracing the history of the proposed Berlin Brandenburg Airport, one case easily points out that problems started even before the construction tender was awarded. As a result confusion and mistrust among the managers has continuously haunted the project even to the current state of construction. The major lesson here is therefore that sufficient and effective prior planning carries the day in project management. In fact, the rate of success of any intended project can easily be established from the project plan. Another vital lesson from the Berlin Brandenburg Airport construction project is the effect of insufficient resources on the overall project life. Normally, when drawing up a project plan, the team assumes that all the required resources will be availed within the required time span so as to enhance smooth running of the project. Hence, any incidence of absence of the resources weighs down heavily on the overall progress of the project. The construction of Berlin Brandenburg Airport would not have stalled and dragged were all resources availed to the implementing team. Finally, another vital lesson from the project to construct Berlin Brandenburg Airport is the importance of government support in most public governments. The dependency on donors and private investors to fund major public resources can easily compromise the quality and progress of such projects. For instance, the proposed construction of Berlin Brandenburg Airport would have been largely successful had the government intervened in the earlier stages when it appeared that private investors had hidden personal agenda in the project. Conclusion The proposed project to construct Berlin Brandenburg Airport serves the best case study for studies in project management. Although a public project, the construction of Berlin Brandenburg Airport also entail aspects of private project management and hence likely to enrich the learning of the managers. Besides the project management skills, the project also takes one through the process of tender advertisements, bidding and awarding, a process that has always been marred by numerous controversies and irregularities especially in the public sector. Nevertheless, the Berlin Brandenburg Airport is slowly turning into a reality despite the many problems that have faced the implementation process. It is, therefore, a wish of very Germany citizen and the desire of all stakeholders that the Berlin Brandenburg Airport is eventually completed and people get to enjoy the numerous benefits that were promised upon completion of the project. References Chang, C. M. (2016). Engineering management: meeting the global challenges. Hinde, D. (2012). PRINCE2 Study Guide. Hoboken, John Wiley & Sons. Portny, S. E. (2013). Project management for dummies. Hoboken, N.J., John Wiley . (2003). Q & As for the PMBOK guide, 2000 edition. Newtown Square, PA, Project Management Institute. Read More