PRJ5105 Project Integration and Change Management Assignment Sample

Assignment Instruction 

Word count/Time provided: 3,000 words report (excluding references) and power point file

This task will give students an opportunity to practice the subject topics in a real project environment and demonstrate their competencies in using integration management methods. This assessment requires students to analyse a real-life project (either on-going or completed) to develop and write the Project Plans for Integration Management, Change Management and Configuration Management tailored to the selected real-life project. Student can select project in their field of interest, but project must be aligned with the discipline of project management

Following resources may assist student in selecting a real-life project but the students could select any other real life case study project suiting their preference:

• Projects within the Transport Program for UNSW:
https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au/projects

•City of Sydney, projects within the Changing urban precincts program:
https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/building-new-infrastructure

• Kerzner, H 2017, Project management case studies,6th edn, John Wiley &
Sons,Hoboken, New Jersey.

Solution

Introduction

Project management is the practise to coordinate activities for project completion in timely manner for while meeting all of the goals and requirements established for it. The resources and time are available to complete a project's final deliverables (Walker, 2015). Current assessment is focussed on designing project plans for integration, change and configuration management. For this assessment, case study of ‘Melbourne Metro Tunnel" is being considered. The City Loop is now a tangled mess, but the Metro Tunnel currently under construction will simplify it so that trains may run more frequently and serve more stops throughout Melbourne (Metro Tunnel, 2022). Larger and more comfortable trains, cutting-edge signalling equipment, and five brand-new stops are just some of the benefits of the Metro Tunnel, which will connect Sunbury in the west to Cranbourne/Pakenham in the south-east. 

Case Project Identification

Project type

Melbourne Metro Tunnel proposes building a new underground rail line with five new stations and high-capacity trains from Sanbury in the west to Pakenham/Cranbourne in the south-east. Elements of the Metro Tunnel Project will kick off focus on the groundwork of a limit infrastructure to accommodate the vast most of an extra 1,000,000 passengers, bolstering the utilisation of the railway framework throughout the rail network during peak hours. The examination has to pay special attention to the railway line's maximum speed (Metro Tunnel, 2022). 
 

Figure 1: Metro Tunnel map
(Source: Metro Tunnel, 2022)

Characteristics and Need

It helps in expanding the network's peak capacity by more than 39,000 passengers each morning and afternoon thanks to the introduction of additional, higher-capacity routes. Including innovations like extended platforms and higher capacity services that provide a tiered approach to building the metropolitan rail network, Metro offers the backbone for future improvements to the network (refer below image). If the Expanded Program is completed, it will allow for the gradual introduction of increased capacity on the Sunshine - Dandenong Line beginning in 2031, accommodating an additional 41,000 passengers every peak time (VAGO, 2022).

Key Challenges and Constraints

Growing usage on Melbourne's metropolitan railways—from 213.9 million in 2008-09 to 240.9 million in 2017-18, an increase of 13%—has presented significant rail transition issues. Due to the scale of the construction, the metropolitan rail system has become more important. In terms of constraints, the project could face cost and time pressures because of the pandemic hits and supply chain disruptions (Patrick Hatch, 2022). 

Timeframe

Construction of the Melbourne Metro might take as long as eight years. Major construction is scheduled to begin in 2017, and new train services are planned to launch by 2026, pending the receipt of all required clearances. The figure below illustrates the lengthy lead periods required to create and implement a project of Melbourne Metro's magnitude and complexity, highlighting the urgency with which this investment must be made (Victoria big build, 2016).
 

Figure 2: Timeframe
(Source: Victoria big build, 2016)

Costing

The below table conveys the estimated cost the project will cover in its completion. Possibilities for integrated planning, including as rights of way development over and surrounding new station infrastructure, exist to help alleviate the initial investment costs of the project (Victoria big build business case, 2016).
 

Figure 3: Project costing
(Source: VAGO, 2022)

Stakeholders

The below figure conveys about the high level end stakeholders that have high interest in the project. One of the stakeholders includes decision makers that play an important role in taking decisions in the project (Victoria big build, 2016). 

 
Below are the other stakeholders in that play a significant role in managing the operations of the project and these stakeholders are responsible for achieving economic development with such project. 
 

Thus, government also act as major contributor in funding the project that will ultimately results in improving public transport. Further, these projects also have the directly and indirectly affected stakeholders that would be ultimately benefited in terms of employment, infrastructure development and adding to more revenues for businesses (Victoria big build, 2016).   

   
 
In the below image, there are additional more stakeholders are NGOs, transport groups and community and media that would be affected in terms of growth of economy, growth of transport, higher media coverage, etc. 

Best practice

Preparation for the project's launch in 2025 began in 2018, and that year is rapidly approaching. Oversight annoyances to public events, businesses, and residents are one of the Metro Tunnel construction project's many drawbacks (Chapman, 2017). In context of this project, getting around Melbourne and to other key locations like Melbourne Airport will be easier for all Victorians. Central Business District (CBD) amenities like the state station library and Town Hall will focus on revitalising key areas and influencing passengers' new habits with train service.

Integration management plan

Tasks, resources, stakeholders, and outcomes are only few of the aspects of a project that need to be coordinated via project integration management (Burke, 2013). The goal of integration is to meet project outcomes efficiently and achieve predefined goals.

The following component comprises the integration management plan:

Business case:

The Metro Tunnel project will concentrate on generating the organisational limit for enabling more passengers and additionally allowing the usage of the train system at the most peak times. The organization's management will use a metro tunnel to improve access for all Victorians and provide passengers with just 30-minute assistance from the airport to the CBD (Victoria big build business case, 2016).

Project objectives:

To examine the Transport Problem in Depth: The city's economy and popularity will benefit from serious thought being given to corporate transportation in Melbourne. Occupations and high-traffic regions will be viable targets for surveys (Cotton and Guo, 2017,).
Build future metro rail: Continuous Procedures with Enhanced Productivity without Past-Present Arranged Use Speculation. Improving the efficiency of the already in place frameworks and resources in light of the hypothesis, and afterwards requesting such improvements from the board (Bennett, 2017).
Offer support to public: Determining where to start and where to conclude the trips; allocating the trips; confirming the total number of trips that need to be taken. 

Improved transport: The number of public vehicles on the road will reduce, proper attention will be paid to transportation agencies, and the public transportation system will function more effectively MBA assignment expert 

Scope:

The Metro Tunnel will offer a new edge rail network linking Sunbury in the west to Cranbourne / Pakenham in the south-east, using high-capacity metropolitan trains and five new underground stations. Significantly, the line would relieve congestion just on Swanston Street/St. Kilda Road tram corridor, the busiest in the world, by extending heavy rail service to Arden, Parkville, and the Field for the first time. (Bennett, 2017).

Requirements, constraints and challenge

Constraints

Melbourne's economic competitiveness and popularity will suffer as a result of this constraint and the corresponding network demand. It will also cause insufficient public transportation services, impact travel around and into Melbourne's central business district, and suffocate the city's untapped potential. Since the growing support limit and demand constraints on rail organisation would result in a less accessible vehicle to the development regions of CBD (Connolly, 2015.).

Challenges

Time commitment - the risk-based technique will need more time and effort than other approaches since Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) isn't receiving the standards without the need for risk assessment to guide the partners and Infrastructure Australia.
The underestimation of the likelihood of technical and financial challenges in deep access to shafts is only one of the obstacles (Gido and Clements,  2014).
The consequences of the portability test for passengers include the potential for lengthy waits at the elevators due to their small capacity, and the inability of the station's design to accommodate anticipated growth as a favour to the wanderer kind (Svejvig and Andersen, 2015).
Contracted worker have difficulties in insulating the noise generated by activities of construction such as private activity, noise and traffic (Parsamehr et al., 2022).

Requirements:

The requirements of the Metro Tunnel project have been fulfilled due to the timely and highly productive completion of the project.

Management Process

Initiating a project means creating a shared vision and set of goals, as well as gaining buy-in from key stakeholders via well-defined milestones. Project stakeholders are identified and documented in the stakeholder register, and a project charter is developed to offer an overview of the project and a clear road map (Jeston, 2014).

Project planning: The planning stage is where you put up the project infrastructure to assist you accomplish the project objectives within schedule, financial, and resource restrictions. Additional information about the project's scope and the steps that need to be taken to bring it to fruition is provided to team (Sage and Rouse, 2014). 

Execution is the phase of a project in which the strategy laid forth in the plan is implemented. During this stage, most of the funding will be used to create the deliverables. Stakeholder involvement and communication, quality control, and the building of strong teams are all part of this process (Rosemann and Brocke, 2015.).
In this stage, stakeholders check the project's development and see how it stacks up against our initial projections. It entails doing something about roadblocks or delays.

Project closure: This is when project officially finish down the project by receiving consent from the customer or stakeholder. The project's documentation and lessons acquired need to be saved for posterity.
 

Figure 4: Project management process

Tools and techniques:

A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a method used in project management for completing complex, multi-step projects. It's a strategy for doing difficult things by dividing them up into smaller, more manageable parts. A work breakdown structure (WBS) is a tool used to divide a large project into more manageable chunks. (Siami-Irdemoosa et al., 2015). 

Delivery approach:

• Distributing risks to the party or parties most qualified to handle them; 
• Maximising chances for cost- and time-effective collaboration with the private sector; 
• And completing the project on schedule and under budget.

Lessons Learnt

The plan for the Metro Tunnel project's joining includes all the major developments necessary for each step's effective technique and gadgets. Relational and group skills are required for dealing with the work effectively without peacemaking and group gatherings, which is why they are essential for the development of venture contracts. Enhancement of Project Management Strategy: Strategies and Tools for Achieving Powerful Results, Such as Preparing an Agenda and Holding Board Meetings, etc (Morris, 2013). Reports such as a change log, risk register, and accomplishments list are necessary for stage-based project coordination and management 

The lesson covers having a better informational project oversight including the results of proper management and focused attention (Meredith et al., 2017). The next step, "Deal Closing," makes use of expert judgement, change analysis, record analysis, and pattern analysis among other methodologies and tools.
 
Change management plan

By anticipating and planning for potential impacts to the program's budget, timeline, scope, resources, and stakeholders, a change management plan develops and explains the process for managing change as it occurs (Hornstein, 2015). 

The change

Figure 5: Change in budget
(Source: VAGO, 2022)

The accompanying chart makes it clear that adjustments have been made to the project's spending plan and timeline. After the first stage of the project was over, this was determined. Since then, they've had to make adjustments to both the budget and the timetable. Consequently, several adjustments were made. Problems that surfaced after the first phase of the Melbourne Metro Tunnel project was finished prompted a number of course corrections (Metro Tunnel, 2022). In order to go on to phase two, the project needs more time and money than was originally planned for. The first phase has cost around $1.35 billion, which is somewhat higher than anticipated. This was cause for mild alarm, but surprises of this kind are to be expected. According to the numbers, then, the first phase cost $1.35 billion, or around $98.4 million more than originally estimated. The increase is 7.6 percent (VAGO, 2022). Furthermore, the main works stage money was used to pay for an Early Works Services Understanding (EWSA) that cost RPV $68.3 million. Coronavirus epidemic has also had an impact on the project. After the first phase of the project was finished, an audit was performed and the following adjustments were made based on the results of the audit.

• Due to concerns about time and money, several of the less significant objectives that had been part of the original scope had to be cut. The first phase of the project has already consumed the vast majority of the money set aside for contingencies.

• Everything electronic in nearby clinics and laboratories might be harmed by the electromagnetic interference (EMI) from the trains. The danger is real and must be reduced (VAGO, 2019).

• RPV and CYP want to mitigate these EMI threats before the testing phase starts in June 2023. So that testing may proceed without a hitch, they should have been carried out lately.

• In order to limit costs to the previously agreed upon $12.58 billion and finish the project by September 2024, RPV will need to keep a close eye on the risks that keep sprouting up throughout the implementation phase (Metro Tunnel, 2022).

Project change management plan is applied in Melbourne tunnel project that comprises of the following steps:

Defining the shift and revising its impact on objectives - Focusing on what needs to be changed is one thing, conducting an audit of the business's fundamental practises to see if they measure up against the organization's stated goals is something else entirely, and doing so will help guarantee that the company is headed in the right direction ethically, strategically, and monetarily (Siebert et al., 2015). 

Measuring effects: The next step of the project should be verification of the outcomes at different levels of affiliation. Every part of a project has to be properly surveyed, since this is what will allow the organization's overall design to trickle down to each employee (Doppelt and McDonough, 2017).
Correspondence: This step entails recruiting the project staff to work on the revamp. In this way, project keep in mind the importance of focusing on the most efficient means of communication among team members (Meredith et al., 2017).

Managing change: The next step is ensuring that the employees in the organisation have enough training to do their jobs effectively. The delegates should be teachers who possess the knowledge and skills necessary to do their jobs effectively in light of the changes being implemented. (Al Freidi, 2014). Moreover, it keeps in mind the emphasis on learning management skills and producing the greatest possible outcomes for the organisation.

Change implementation: The support system need to have a legitimate framework that is substantial and aids the employees in really and essentially adapting to the changes that are taking place. It's useful for developing the kind of representative behaviour that focuses on the specific skills that are essential for achieving the best possible outcomes (Morris, 2013).

Estimation of progress: The board's advancement necessitates the upkeep of an improved framework, which can be used to gauge the impact of a company's actions and ensure that the appropriate channels are in place to foster the development of skills (Gido and Clements, 2014).
 

Figure 6: Change management plan
(Source: Walker, 2015)

Lessons Learnt

The leaders' strategy for change has implications for the efficient and secure transmission of the work, and these implications provide instances. This is principally anticipated in the reception of the legal frameworks, which comprise all of the fundamental innovations that should be buried. This includes a focus on motivating the staff so that they can quickly adapt to the organization's changes (Hornstein, 2015). It is also suggested that people be given proper legal thought on the reasonable goals that would aid them in comprehending the importance of the change. Getting the appropriate eyesight, which will aid in adjusting the group's perspective, was also emphasised by those who were progressing (Al Freidi, 2014.) 

Configuration management plan

Project managers will need to create a document outlining their strategy for dealing with any changes that may be made to the project's settings. Configuration is the essential component of a project's success in project management. Project managers strive towards various configurations of deliverables in order to successfully complete a project (Quigley and Robertson,  2019).

Process of change control followed for configuration management
 

Plan: Creating a plan is the first stage in every endeavour since it serves as a guide for the rest of the work to follow (Hornstein, 2015). 

Critical steps in this phase of the project include (VAGO, 2019): 

• Planning and environmental assessment and regulatory permissions
• Acquiring land (gaining access is a top priority for construction projects) 
• Preparing the construction site 
• Kicking off the Tunnel and Stations PPP contract 
• Designing, constructing, and putting into service rail infrastructure.
• Other activity sequences, such as enabling and early works, are also along the critical path and need to be managed with care.
• Design is complete to the point that enabling and preliminary tasks may begin.
• Finalizing preliminary and enabling construction before beginning main construction y Procurement
• The finalisation of the tender paperwork for the reference design and the principal works
• Release of the Request for Proposal, the Proposal Submission, and the Evaluation Process
• The biggest construction contracts have been awarded.

Identify: Determined and noted are the configuration's needs. Functionality, design, and other specifications may all be part of the criteria. During the identification stage, a starting point is established for the configuration process.

Control: Any time the project's remit changes, the project's structure must evolve to accommodate the new circumstances. The Board documents the new alterations, evaluates them, and then grants final approval. This is completed as part of the project's change control procedure. This facilitates finishing the project inside the bounds the customer established at the outset (Anwar, 2014). There was extensive community support for Melbourne Metro as determined by a variety of engagement initiatives carried out between 2008 and 2013. Wide engagement has proceeded after the Victorian government committed to the project in early 2015.

The public has been involved in, and will continue to be involved in, the design, development, and delivery of Melbourne Metro via a staged communication and stakeholder engagement strategy. Conferences with relevant parties, press conferences with peak bodies and community organizations, and the distribution of internet resources and questionnaires are all part of this strategy to reach out to and collect feedback from the many groups who have an interest in the project (VAGO, 2022).
Status: As new versions of the configuration are always being made available, the configuration's evolution may be monitored in real time. We offer complete information on both the old and new configurations. That way, it's less of a hassle to track out who made what adjustments to the project and when.
Audit: To make sure the project is using the most recent configuration; tests are run on a regular basis, which is audited. This is useful for anticipating and addressing any problems with the project.

Need for configuration management plan in project

The goal of configuration management inside a project is to keep track of and prevent unauthorised modifications to the project's outputs (Burke, 2013. ). Project managers in Melbourne tunnel is able to perform many things more easily when they use configuration management, which is a discipline that provides exact control over the project's assets. It defines the deployed and installed project variants and store data on their status, ownership, and connections and keeps a current log with all of this data (Chapman, 2017). 
 
Conclusion

The Melbourne Metro Tunnel Project is one of Victoria's most anticipated infrastructure initiatives. It's an ongoing rail infrastructure project in Melbourne. The project's stated goal is to build two parallel rail tunnels, each about 9 kilometres in length, under the city of Melbourne from South Kensington to South Yarra.
With Melbourne's population rising at an exponential rate in the next years, Problems that surfaced after the first phase of the Melbourne Metro Tunnel project was finished prompted a number of course corrections. After the first stage of the project was over, this was determined. Since then, project managers had to make adjustments to both the budget and the timetable. Consequently, several adjustments were made. In order to go on to phase two, the project needs more time and money than was originally planned for. Many shifts have occurred, and it is probable that there will be many more in the future. With this, the revised timeline and budget will allow the project to be finished on time, giving the people of Melbourne a more streamlined and easy means of transportation.

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