Case Study: Sydney Sydney

Opera House Opera failed

Project
Name
Institution
Date
Background
• The New opera house in Sydney was a project commenced in 1959.
• It was pioneered by Eugene Ashley Goosens.
• The project was meant to take 4 years.
• It was affected by many challenges including cost and time overruns.
• The project was influenced by other large opera houses such as
Stockholm and San Francisco.
Main aims
• Innovate local art
• Compete with other large
cities worldwide.
• Cultural center.
Functions Executive Committee
• Managed the construction and management of the project.
• Manage budgets
• Timeline management
• Manage project deliverables.
Challenges
• The executive committee were ineffective because:
• They were slow to respond to requests for approval and proposals during the
project.
• The architect, John Utzon was selected withour proper enforcement of rules.
Challenges Cont.…
• Utzon’s proposal was more than the site limit
• Could not accommodate the recommended number of seats.
• Did not detail the construction method.
• There were concerns over the design, cost and schedule estimates.
Reasons for selecting Utzon’s proposal
• It reflected oceanic location of the future of the opera house.
• It captured the imagination of one of the influencial judges.
• It would be the first multipurpose venue of its kind for operas and
concerts.
Project complexities
• Cost challenges. The project costed $3.6 million.
• Lack of expertise – Inexperienced artichitect.
• The project was rushed to commence without proper planning.
• Lack of consultations in the designs.
• Cost overruns
• Time overruns
Crucial Timeline – Stage 1
• Stage one was scheduled to be completed in 1961 but was completed
in 1963.
• Initial cost was $1.398 million, but costed more in the end.
• Reasons, Government did not conduct proper survey of the site.
• Impact from unknown variables
Recommendations for stage 1
• Proper site inspection.
• More reliable cost estimates.
• Proper scheduling during planning to determine the actual timeline of
the project.
• Creating a work breakdown structure and network diagram.
Crucial timeline - Stage 2
• Construction challenges due to complexities.
• The designs were practically unachievable.
• Changes in the construction models affected the work.
• Stress and exhaustion on the project team.
Crucial timeline - Stage 2 Cont. …
• Project delays
• Legal contractual challenges.
• Strained relationships
• Time overruns
• Cost overruns.
Recommendations for stage 2
• Streamlining the project goals.
• Proper cost estimations
• Proper schedule estimates during the planning stage.
• Team motivation
• Risk analysis
• Detailed planning.
Reasons for the project failure
• Overall challenges in the project
• Poor planning
• Poor recruitment
• Inexperienced team
• Lack of team cohesion
• Goals were not properly aligned.
Lessons Learned
• Project planning is an important factor in determining the project
success.
• Project managers must ensure they understand the project
requirements and deliverables before they start the project.
• Team cohesion and understanding is key for the project success.
Key stages in project management for
project managers
• Project Initiation
• Project planning
• Project execution
• Control and monitoring
• Project closure
(Project Management Institute, 2017)
Success in project management
• Clearly defined goals
• Proper project planning
• Effective and experienced leadership
• Executing the project as per the project plan.
• Team collaboration and consultations.
(Project Management Institute, 2017)
References
• Project Management Institute. (2017). A guide to the Project
Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK guide) (6th ed.). Project
Management Institute.