Achieving Project Goals Simulation

Achieving Project Goals Simulation

MGT/437

March 30, 2015

Achieving Project Goals Simulation

The simulation was for a project called Operation Elephant’s Ark, an effort to relocate eight elephants from the Zakinaka National Park where overpopulation was depleting natural food sources to a sanctuary in Ungoba where the population had been drastically decreased by illegal poaching. It was a very interesting simulation with previously identified tasks that needed to be sequenced into a work breakdown schedule.  After completing the scheduling of events the project begins and several unexpected complications arise that require alternative planning and risk analysis to keep the project on track without jeopardizing the safety of the project team or the elephants.  

From a project management perspective it was invaluable having the guidance of Joe Paden, President of the Huduma Foundation and Maisha Mbandi, former Project Director of Operation Big Cat Rescue.  Having only been involved in technical projects previously there were several aspects of this plan that were completely foreign and required insight from project team members.  Seeking their guidance as different issues came up was the only way to properly evaluate options, risks and make the right decisions to keep the project moving forward while ensuring the safety of the project team and the elephants.  Having all of the tasks identified up front made creating the work breakdown schedule much easier.  

Some of the clear advantages of project management in this scenario are the planning, contingency planning, risk/benefit assessments and proper team selection.  First, the scope of the project was very clear and the tasks were very specific.  A comprehensive schedule was put together with all possible outcomes identified along the way.  Each of these evaluations had a risk/benefit assessment so the team could properly weigh their options.  Having knowledgeable and experienced team members to provide input on each scenario also helped in the decision making process, without their information and feedback the project could have easily been compromised even with the contingency plans. One last advantage that stood out was the support of the local government.  In one instance their assistance provided crucial support during a crisis as the aircraft approached the airport.  

Time seemed to be a major limitation in this scenario, it left little if any wiggle room for breakdowns in the schedule.  This seemed to be driven by the fact that the elephants needed to be sedated for their own safety and that of the project team.  The sedatives only lasted for a short amount of time and multiple doses could jeopardize the health of the elephants.  These limitations did not leave room for error but could not be avoided.

There are several ways to avoid bottlenecks and the team here did an excellent job in several areas.  They had a clear and detailed work breakdown schedule that included critical paths.  This allowed them to look at the critical paths and do in-depth what-if analysis to come up with scenarios.   They also considered the possibility that a vendor could fail to deliver and developed contingencies.  Each contingency was thoroughly evaluated and contained a risk/benefit analysis.   Lastly they put together a great team that consisted of experienced professionals who had knowledge of the area and similar experience with animals.