The Trophy Project The ill-fated Trophy Project was in trouble right from the start. Reichart, who had been an assistant project manager, was involved with the project from its conception. When the Trophy Project was accepted by the company, Reichart was assigned as the project manager. The program schedules started to slip from day 1, and expenditures were excessive. Reichart found that the functional manag- ers were charging direct labor time to his project but working on their own pet projects. When he complained of this, he was told not to meddle in the functional manager's allocation of resources and budgeted expenditures. After approxi- mately six months, Reichart was requested to make a progress report directly to corporate and division staffs. Reichart took this opportunity to bare his soul. The report substantiated that the project was forecasted to be one complete year behind schedule. Reichart's staff, as supplied by the line managers, was inadequate to maintain the current pace, let alone make up any time that had already been lost. The estimated cost at completion at this interval showed a cost overrun of at least 20 percent. This was Reichart's first opportunity to tell his story to people who were in a position. to correct the situation. The result of Reichart's frank, candid evaluation of the Trophy Project was very predictable. Nonbelievers finally saw the light, and line managers realized that they had a role to play in the completion of the project. Most of the problems were now out in the open and could be corrected with ade- quate staffing and resources. Corporate staff ordered immediate remedial action and staff support to provide Reichart a chance to bail out his program. QUESTIONS 1. Did the project appear to be planned correctly? 2. Did functional management seem to be committed to the project? 3. Did senior management appear supportive and committed? 4. Can a single methodology for project management be designed to force coopera- tion to occur between groups? 5. Is it possible or even desirable for strategic planning for project management to include ways to improve cooperation and working relationships, or is this beyond the scope of strategic planning for project management