PRJ5105 Project Integration and Change Management Report Sample

PRJ5105 Project Integration and Change Management

Assessment 3: 

Project Management Skills Assessment -

Project Plans for Integration Management, Change and Configuration Management – 

Part A- Report

This assessment requires working individually, students to analyse a real-life project and develop and write a Plan for 
(a) Integration Management 
(b) Change Management and 
(c) Configuration Management

Assessment 3 Detail

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 ongoing 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. This assessment also requires student present their plan using a presentation file (max. 10 mins with no restriction on word count or number of slides in the PowerPoint file). For this purpose, student will need to create Power point presentation slides and use them during “live” delivery. The components of the assessment (word file and PowerPoint file) must be submitted in Canvas using assignment submission link for final marking as per due date specified in Canvas. Word file and PowerPoint file needs to be separately submitted in Canvas in Assessment 3 and Assessment 4 sections separately.

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

During the initial days of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, multiple lockdowns were called to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus and this has led to the suspension of construction works. According to the MBA Assignment Experts overview, The lack of availability of the required materials and the delay of projects has increased the cost of construction in the UK. In the post-pandemic era, construction work has again begun to take place, and the Crossrail Project is one of them (Farrell and Topham, 2019). Construction projects have the capability of transforming the lives of individuals. A well-planned and executed construction project has always turned out to be beneficial for the stakeholders and has become the reason for the development of the surrounding area (Lobo, 2020). Construction works create employment to thousands of individuals and after the completion of the project, it helps in boosting the nation’s economy. This is the real-life project plan of the Crossrail Projects, London, and this project will discuss and analyze the integration management, change management, and configuration management requirements for planning and executing this huge project. The first phase of the project is estimated to begin in June 2022. The second phase will begin in the autumn of 2022, and the third phase will begin in May 2023. Canary Wharf is the main contractor of this project, and the location of this construction project is London. 

An overview of the project

This Crossrail project is popularly known as the Elizabeth Line, and it is the UK's biggest railway project. The completion of this project will connect the Great Western Main Line with the Great Eastern Main Line. There are a total of 41 stations on these two lines, and 10 new stations will be built for the passengers living in Central London. For the purpose of building this project, tunnels that are 26 miles long have been bored for the purpose of building this project. The materials that have been excavated during the boring of tunnels are reused for building natural reserves on Wallasea Island, Essex.  The route connecting Paddington with Abbey Wood opened in May 2022, and it was a big hit because, within days, 200 million passengers boarded. The construction started from the year 2009 onwards and more than 15,000 employees are part of this huge construction project. This dream project has been promoted and supported by the 

Cross London Rail Links. It is a joint venture company under the banner of Transport for London and the Strategic Rail Authority. The main purpose of this project is the development of the transportation system of London to make the lives of the rising population of London easy and seamless. This construction project will also add to the economic health of the country. It will add an estimated amount of 42 billion euros to the economy of the United Kingdom. This transport system will provide the passengers with more frequent as well as a reliable journeys by train for citizens of London (Ting et al. 2021). The major challenge of this project is the process of tunneling. The huge and technologically equipped tunneling machines have been boring the lanes of London since the 1860s. This kind of construction blocks roads and the entrance of several institutions and houses. Thus, it becomes a cause of inconvenience for the residents of the locations. This project has used years of research and planning in order to minimize the risk of damage that the boring can cause to the existing households and infrastructure that are situated above the tunnels. This construction will lead to the development of the city of London and will make the lives of its residents easy. The passengers do not need to travel in any other transport after the completion of this Crossrail Project. 
Integration Management

Project charter (the multiple purposes of the project)

There are multiple purposes of the Crossrail Project and the main purpose of this project is to minimize the travel time to go to London to make it more accessible to everyone. This accessibility will enhance the business environment of the location. Even the citizens residing in the suburban regions of the United Kingdom can reach London only in 45 minutes. More than 200 million passengers are expected to use this transportation facility, and the main purpose of this project is to increase the London railway capacity by 10%. This Crossrail project will not only benefit the citizens of the United Kingdom; it is estimated that the Crossrail project will add 42 billion to the economy of the United Kingdom. When this project is completed, businesses from all over the United Kingdom will benefit (Harymawanet al. 2022). 

The scope statement of the project

The scope of the Crossrail project is wide—it will change the definition of transportation for the residents of London, UK. This construction will become the benchmark of sustainable construction for the world to see. The economic situation of the United Kingdom will be enhanced with the completion of this project. The residents of London will enjoy the major benefits due to this construction. 

The project management plan

Project goals: The main goal of this Crossrail project is to enhance the travelling experience of the residents of the United Kingdom. The main objective of the project is to use sustainable and innovative measures to complete this project by creating little to no inconvenience for the residing citizens of London. The use of sustainable methods of construction and planning has reduced the cost of construction (Yasseri, 2019).

Budget: The managers of the project have reached an agreement with the stakeholders and fixed the budget of the project: and ensured that this project is beneficial for all the stakeholders and it will lead to the development of the United Kingdom. 

Risks: The risk factors of this project mainly lies in the tunnelling process. the 6.2 diameter tunnel needs to be constructed by 1000 ton tunnelling machines under the main city of London now, it has the potential risk of damaging the infrastructures situated above the tunnel and causing inconvenience to the residents of the city. 

Work breakdown structure: The project has begun from the year 2009 and from that year more than 100 million hours of work has already been performed. The work of fitting out the tunnels has been finished and only minor works of fitting are left. New 120 key milestones have been detected by the construction agency, and these milestones will be reached in the three allotted phases. Only the final fitting and testing will be done in the three remaining phases, and the commissioning will start at the end of this year, 2022, in the majority of new stations. The full route of this railway operation is expected to start in the year 2023 (BBC,2022). 

Stakeholder management plan: Big construction projects are problematic and complex but by using sustainable measures, the Crossrail project has succeeded in achieving all its milestones under a very low budget. Simon Bennet is the head of the learning legacy of this project and he was the ex-head of theis thatLondonlocalon management of this project. The main advantage of this project is that it will lead to the development of the United Kingdom and its citizens. The stakeholders of this project have been highlighted by using the standard procedures of mapping. This project has a long list of stakeholders and they are as follows: future passengers, businesses of London, local authorities and political parties, communities of London etc. This kind of construction project always has a permanent or temporary impact on the community. So, the Crossrail project has consulted and communicated with these stakeholders in the initial phase and throughout the project. 

Direct and manage project work

The engineers have proved themselves to be dynamic programmers during the construction process of the Crossrail project. The engineers and their team have operated the whole project in a very flexible way, and the project is responsive to the convenience of the stakeholders. The required changes for this project are managed systematically, positively, and effectively by the engineering team. The changing requirements of the project are beautifully handled and managed by the engineering team. The whole process and management of the project has been put forward by the team of engineers in the form of a report to all the involved beneficiaries and investors of this project (Sun et al. 2021). 

Perform integrated change control

The programme change control was integrated to control the Crossrail Project’s baseline programming. The purpose of this change control was to alert the management team of the Crossrail project with new potential variances. Give the management team proper time and baseline for using corrective measures and actions as identified and then implement them. This will help in the process of allocation of expenditure and the return of Programme contingency - by providing enough time the managing risks are avoided. This change control process has helped in the process of budget management and helped in keeping the budget within the provided funding.  

Tools and techniques

The designing and construction of the Crossrail project have been initiated and planned by the engineering experts. The process of designing and developing the tunnels, shafts, portals, etc. has been powered by the technical expertise and skills of the appointed engineers. This project is the outcome of the collective performance of civil, geotechnical, mining, electrical, and mechanical engineers. Engineers are the stars of all levels of the construction process; they have turned out to be the guiding light and mind of this project. This kind of leadership has ensured the safety of the whole construction process and turned out to be beneficial for the stakeholders. 

Change Management

Preparation of the project for change

The Crossrail project, in order to successfully and smoothly implement changes, is prepared in two main ways: logistical and cultural. The project has begun by preparing itself culturally by keeping in mind the cultural needs and reservations of the stakeholders and the workers. They are the major elements of this project, and thus, they are valued throughout it. The next step in delivering the project is logistical understanding (Jayatilleke, 2018). In the process of preparation, the manager of the project plays a very vital role: he is responsible for preparing the workers to recognize and deal with potential changes in the future. This process is meant to initiate awareness among the employees about the different challenges and problems that projects can face in the future. 
plan and vision for change

When the employees are prepared and ready to face or embrace organizational changes the managers are expected to prepare proper planning for dealing with the changes. First, the strategic goals of the change need to be discussed with the employees, and they must realize what the new goals are and how the employees can work towards them. The new performance indicators need to be installed in order to measure the rate of success. New project leaders are appointed by the Crossrail project manager to supervise the whole process and the implementation of change. The project scope also needs to be discussed, and new steps and actions need to be assigned for the completion of the project. 

Implementation of changes

After the employees of the Crossrail project have implemented the plans - the next task is to follow all the assigned steps in order to implement the changes as decided by the managers. This implementation of changes can bring in changes in the structures, strategic underpinnings, processes, etc. During this process of implementation, the manager is expected to play the role of empowering and supporting the employees and helping them in the process of achieving the targets. The managers in this project play the primary role of mitigating the upcoming challenges and roadblocks in the most efficient way. The mission and vision of the project are continuously and repeatedly discussed so that the employees do not go out of focus on the set targets of the project (Hechanova et al. 2018). 

Inculcate changes with culture and practices

The change that has been implemented in the Crossrail project needs to be maintained so that the employees do not go back to the previous stage. The workflow, processes, and culture of the project need to be controlled by the manager in order to prevent this kind of mishap. Because of the proper planning and execution, the employees of the project do not revert back to the old state of affairs, mainly during the period of transition. The new cultures and practices get embedded in the project and this restricts the employees from reverting back. 

Review and analysis of the outcomes of change

The change initiative is taken and completed by the Crossrail project because of its effective team members and leaders; it is a successful attempt. The success of the project is proved by the conduction of the project post-mortem, this has helped the leaders to assess that the change management initiative has been successful. Valuable insights are highlighted by following this process of evaluation, which will help in future change management programs. The potential roadblocks are also identified and new measures to mitigate them are planned by the employees of the Crossrail project (Dzwigol et al. 2019). The effective change management initiative of the team has made the Crossrail project a successful, sustainable project that looks after the wellbeing of all the involved stakeholders. 

Configuration Management

Planning

The planning of configuration management starts in the initial stage of the project management plan that has been initiated by the Crossrail project team. Configuration management is an important part of the project management process. The whole process of configuration management of the Crossrail Project has been documented so, all the stakeholders remain aware about what is happening in this project - it is meant for providing updates to the stakeholders. The process of configuration management is approved by the sponsors of the Crossrail project and the management team of the project. Not everyone will understand the reports of configuration management because they are filled with jargon, but the employees have explained the report in simple and understandable words for everyone to understand (Ji et al. 2020). 

Identification of configuration items

Identification and attaching an identifier to the identified configuration item is very essential for tracking purposes. The whole process of the project is broken down into small steps by the managers of the Crossrail Project. Configuration items are totally related to the requirements of the project. The project documents are required to keep everyone informed and updated. The project outcomes need to be analysed and reported. The changes and the creations need to be evaluated before they are implemented. The security measures and safety of the involved employees are taken into consideration throughout the project (Guissouma et al. 2018). 

Controlling the records

The audit trail is maintained between the original requirements of the Crossrail project and the final results. The configuration records are confidential, which is why they are kept under control. It is not enough to maintain the safety and security of confidentiality from the public. The employees of the project are also kept away from the confidential ingredients of the project. It is essential for maintaining the safety and security of the project and the individuals who are directly involved with it. The resources and assets of the project are funded by the government and sponsors; these items are highly expensive. So, the safety and security of these items are maintained throughout the project in order to avoid any kind of mishap. 

Accounting for status

Status accounting is a vital part of this whole process of configuration management of the Crossrail project. The status of the object is verifiable, measurable, and traceable at any point in the project. This quality is essential to prove that this project is devoid of any kind of corruption. All the stakeholders have the right to check the progress of the project according to their whims and fancy. 

Final Audit

The final stage of configuration management is auditing, and this is the most important stage of the Crossrail project. The configuration items are audited in this Its final stage is to ensure that it has fulfilled its required purpose despite the iterations it has faced throughout the princess. Audits of this level are performed by the third-party audit team in order to avoid mishandling and misinterpretation of data (Chodorowskiet al. 2021). This shows that the initiative taken in this project is beneficial for all and has used the right means that are sustainable and cost-effective. This checking is essential to do before the completion of the project, and this gives the involved people confidence about their performances. This process ensures that the involved members have not altered anything within the project without letting the management know. This kind of evaluation is the need of the hour; this adds value to the Crossrail project in all possible ways. 

Conclusion

It is proven that the Crossrail Project, popularly known as the Elizabeth Line, will become economically and environmentally beneficial for the City of London and the United Kingdom. The City of London will be highly benefited by this project in many ways. It will help the ongoing businesses and market of the city. The railway line will minimise the daily congestion of transport and this will give rise to new employment opportunities (Bischoff et al. 2019). The estimated cost of this construction is 16 billion euros, but the estimated return from this project is more than double this amount, that is 42 billion. So, it can be nominated as the right project from all angles, and the management needs to be appreciated for doing it right. This kind of huge project generally follows the traditional plans and methods that have already been used in some other projects. But this Crossrail project has dared to choose innovative and sustainable methods for conducting this project by ignoring the risk factors. The Crossrail Project has proved its efficiency by being innovative and sustainable from the very beginning; it has set a benchmark indeed. The project has used several new technologies like BREEAM and CEEQUAL and this has proved the sustainable characteristics of the project. Using sustainable measures has reduced the cost of this project. 

References

BBC News (2020) “Crossrail needs extra £450m and delayed until 2022,” BBC, 21 August. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-53847738(Accessed: August 27, 2022)

Bischoff, C.A., Mason, P.J., Ghail, R.C., Giannico, C. and Ferretti, A., 2019. Monitoring excavation-related ground deformation in London, UK using SqueeSAR™. In Tunnels and Underground Cities: Engineering and Innovation meet Archaeology, Architecture and Art (pp. 5360-5368). CRC Press.

Chodorowski, A., Ingram, P. and Black, M., 2021. Crossrail project: the impact of 4–18 Bishop's Bridge Road on the new Elizabeth line, London, UK. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers-Geotechnical Engineering, 174(1), pp.83-90.

Dzwigol, H., Shcherbak, S., Semikina, M., Vinichenko, O. and Vasiuta, V., 2019. Formation of strategic change management system at an enterprise. Academy of Strategic Management Journal, 18, pp.1-8.

Farrell, S. and Topham, G. (2019) “Crossrail faces further delays and will cost more than £18bn,” The guardian, 8 November. Available at: https://amp.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/nov/08/crossrail-faces-further-delays-and-will-cost-more-than-18bn-tfl(Accessed: August 27, 2022)

Guissouma, H., Klare, H., Sax, E. and Burger, E., 2018, August. An empirical study on the current and future challenges of automotive software release and configuration management. In 2018 44th Euromicro Conference on Software Engineering and Advanced Applications (SEAA) (pp. 298-305). IEEE.

Harymawan, I., Nasih, M., Agustia, D., Putra, F.K.G. and Djajadikerta, H.G., 2022. Investment efficiency and environmental, social, and governance reporting: Perspective from corporate integration management. Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management.

Hechanova, M.R.M., Caringal-Go, J.F. and Magsaysay, J.F., 2018. Implicit change leadership, change management, and affective commitment to change: Comparing academic institutions vs business enterprises. Leadership & organization development journal, 39(7), pp.914-925.

Jayatilleke, S. and Lai, R., 2018. A systematic review of requirements change management. Information and Software Technology, 93, pp.163-185.
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Lobo, S. and Abid, A.F., 2020. The role of social media in intrastakeholder strategies to influence decision making in a UK infrastructure megaproject: Crossrail 2. Project Management Journal, 51(1), pp.96-119.

Sun, J., Yamamoto, H. and Matsui, M., 2020. Horizontal integration management: An optimal switching model for parallel production system with multiple periods in smart supply chain environment. International Journal of Production Economics, 221, p.107475.

Ting, C., Gilson, B., and Black, M., 2021. Developing the 3D geological model for Crossrail 2, London, UK. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology, 54(2), pp.qjegh2020-029.

Yasseri, S.F. and Bahai, H., 2019. Interface and integration management for fpsos. Ocean Engineering, 191, p.106441.