Questions and Answers of MegaProject Management

How would you create a culture of fact-finding rather than fault finding on a project with serious safety concerns and near misses?
What are the most important factors to consider in changing behaviors?
Assume you were hired as director of risk management to develop a risk program for a new tunnel project in the United States. The project director has given you full authority to develop the
Assume you are the risk manager for an inner-city project similar to the Big Dig. Develop a checklist of 10 items for the project team to assist them in identifying, assessing, responding to, and
In the introduction to this chapter, William A. Foster is quoted as follows: ‘‘Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and
Assume you were hired as director of quality management to develop a quality program for a new tunnel project in the United States. The project director has given you full authority to develop the
When megaprojects fail because of a quality error, no matter how large or small, who should be held accountable? The designer? The project owner? The management consultant? The contractor?
Do you agree with the statement that quality should drive a project rather than cost and schedule? How would you convince your project director that quality must always supersede the triple
Develop a definition of a failed project. Is a failed project one with cost overruns? Delayed performance? Quality failures? Risk failure? Or is a failed project one that never finishes because the
The following statement in italics was contained in the final NTSB Report on the I-35W Bridge Collapse in Minneapolis. What is alarming about this statement, and what should project managers do to
Based on the Big Dig tunnel collapse case study, explain the root causes of the failure of quality in this case. Describe the quality assurance and quality control strategy, processes, and procedures
Explain the root cause of the failure of quality in the Mississippi Bridge Failure case study. Why did the National Transportation Safety Board conclude that, though the bridge had been rated as
Why are failures of quality control often attributed to project failure, and yet quality success stories like the Big Dig’s Clean Air initiatives, in balance, are not given sufficient consideration?
How would you identify safety critical design and long-term critical failure modes on your project, and what type of procedures would you implement to ensure that these concerns were properly
Explain the relationship between project integration and change management by explaining how integration can be used to bring about change.
As described in this chapter, megaprojects have the potential for massive fraud, false claims, kickbacks, bribery, and public corruption. Government agencies, consultants, and contractors should
Why does your reading refer to project integration as the ultimate change management challenge?PROJECT INTEGRATION AND CHANGE MANAGEMENTProject management was developed over many centuries as a means
Explain how integration was exacerbated by the Big Dig’s organizational structure, which separated design from construction through its traditional design-bid-build model. Would it have been better
Describe the difference between partnering and public-private partnerships by giving an example of each.
This chapter refers to the use of independent auditors that were external to the project. What are the advantages of independent audits? Describe what you believe should be the role of an independent
Review the Big Dig’s Partnering Contractual Provision discussed in this chapter and describe any changes you would make to incentivize the parties to want to use the partnering process more
Explain why there was such a large volume of claims and changes on the Big Dig. What were the systemic problems in the project that caused the number of claims to escalate over time? If you were the
How does an audit differ from a performance control system?
What are the benefits of an Oversight Coordination Commission like the one used on the Big Dig? Can you recommend any improvements for structuring the Oversight Coordination Commission?
Assume you discover that one of the barriers to controlling costs on a project is the failure of the project managers to enforce the contract because it was ambiguously written and there is a failure
This chapter begins with the following quote from the famous Chinese philosopher Lao Tsu: If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.a. What did he mean by this quote, and
Explain the meaning of the following quote by the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. How is it applicable to project change management?We see the world the way we do not because that is the way it is,
To maintain credibility with stakeholders, it is important to always convey the truth about project cost and identify the precision of estimate values. Transparency in estimate communication is
If you were to prioritize characteristics that are essential for a director of project management for a large infrastructure project, what would be your top three, in order of importance. Explain for
What are the skills required to manage change in a complex project?
Assess the following problems and describe the most important skill a project manager would need to resolve each of these problems:a. A conflict between a project sponsor and the project’s
Do you believe Hall is correct in his assumptions about culture, as described in your reading? If so, what examples can you give that demonstrate high- and low-context cultures? How would context
Explain the difference between a project manager and a leader by analyzing each of the following scenarios from the perspective of the manager and the leader. For example, if a project is running
Will new leadership be required for the projects of tomorrow described in this chapter? If so, what skills do you see as essential for the innovative projects of our future? How will we manage

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