Read the case study carefully and answer the questions that foliow. [40 MARKS] THE INPACT OF EXTERNAL QUAUTY ASSURANCE UPFRONT TO IMPROVE GOVERNANCE OF MAJOR INVESTMENT PROUECTS Condrentod with the recurring problem of large cost overruns and laie deivery of large public inestrent projects, the Norwegian government initiated a review of such projects and the planning system at the end of the last century. If was done to identify the main causes and suggest means to improve governance of such large investments. The aim was to avoid embarrassing cost everruns in the feture, but also the type of flawed investment cases one had seen in the past and impreve retum on imestments. As the result of the study, a qualiar assurance scheme was established yeat 2000 under the Ministry of Finance to holp strengthen overal governance of large public projects. Megaprojects take many years to prepare and implement. Only loday, 13 years after, a sufficiently large number of projocts had been completed to allow researchers to document some of the effects of the scheme and its wider impact on government and industry. Megaprojecks are recognized as an important part of corporate and public life, bul with varying repulations. This is reflected in the media where unsuccessful cases seefn to get more publicity than the successful ones. The most common type of failure the media appears to report on is cost cverrun. Number ho is schedule overnun. That is because information on cost and progress is more easily avalable than more complex issues regarding relevarce. etc. Even if the oudcome is seen to be usefu, the media tend to focus essentialy on the large public construction projocts that have suffered huge cost or time overruns, such as Denver's U\$\$5 bilton airport 200% overspend (Szylowicz \& Goecz. 1995), or the U.K.'s Scotlish Parliament coming in "10 times over budget and moce than thee years iate' (Tempest, 2004). Measuring success in a megaproject is not simple and straightforward. One reascn is that success may be interpreted differently by different individuals and institutions, depending on their preferences, values, and to what degree they are affected by the project. Another is that the degree of success is time-dependent. For instance. Shenhar, Dvir, Levy, and Malz (2001) offer a chronological sequence of events as a compound definition of project success: (1) Meeting fime, budget, and other requirements, (2) impact on the customer, (3) benefit to the performing organization, and (4) preparing the future. The project's stakeholders do not necessarily share the same view of success. The project manager typically sees his or her job successfully accomplished when the project is on time, Wthin budget, and to specifications. The users wil be concerned about the immediate effects of the project, and the investor or commissioner will typically be more concerned with the long-term economic viability. The user's view on success is essential. Pinte (2007, P. 7) quotes srom an Inioworld article describing a U.S. Army study of IT projects [that] found that 47% were delvored to the customer but nol used; 29% were paid for but not dellvered, 19% were abandoned or reworked; 3% were used with minor changes, and only 2% wert used as delivered." This is not to say that all megaprojects are maneged badty-indeed, the management and governance of many megaprojects has made considergble improvements in recent yeass (see, for example. HM Treasury (2007) for an upbeat report on the U.K.s Otfice of Government Commerce), After many decades with developments in the oroject management profession, there is more expertise now in delvering efficiently and successfully a wellefined pre-specifed project within a welf-defined constant environment. This has proved very valuable in certain ircumstances. But the focus on project management has been much too narrow in the media and the public. ruly, a much wider view needs to be taken on the success and fallure of projects. The initial choice of the egaproject concept is of critical importance. This represents the one key decision of many made during the fime of a megaproject. which is likely to have the largest impact on long-term success or failure (Winams, mset, \& Sunnevag, 2009). Here, by "the project concept," we mean much more than just the techrical solution t includes the entire business case, the various organizations involved, and the various mechanisms and angements involved in the interorganizational relationships (see also Miller and Hobbs [2009]). racted from hitse huwwpmiorgileaminguhbraryimpact-oualfya5Furance- mprove-publis-projacts-8963 Answer ALL the questions in this section. QUESTION ONE 1.1 As highlighted in the case study, measuring success in a megaproject is not simple and straightfocwand. (20 Marks) Against this background advise project stakeholders en the stralegies they noed 10 corsider when measuring the qualty of public sector projects. Your response should include relevant examples. 1.2 With reference to relevant frameworks, discuss the steps that need to be apglieg by project managess of (20 Marks) major investment projects to enhance quality improvement. SECTION B [60 MARKS] Answer ANY THREE (3) questions in this section. QUESTION TWO (20 Marks) With reference to any relevant examples discuss the contents and significance of a qualify mansgement plan. QUESTION THREE (20) Marks) Mr Brown the project manager of Asphalt Projects has indicated hs desire to adopt the Total Quality Management approach within his organisation to improve the quality of deliverables. Considering this provide an evaluation of TQM that will be considered by Mr Brown ahead of his decision. QUESTION FOUR Using any project of your choice advise a project manager on how they should handie project quality management from the beginning to the end of the project. Your response should emphasize on the activities that need to be prioritised in each of the stages highlighted. QUESTION FIVE You have been requested by a team of project managers to suggest toois or initiatives that they can adopt or implement in a bid to ensure that their project activities (deliverables) are in line with the customer requirements. Your response should discuss the suggested method/s in depth. END OF PAPER