Ways to Work through Miscommunication and Poor Planning:

The Channel Tunnel

Andy Kock - Marisa Potter - Timothy Howell - William Grant

Bellevue University

Group 4

Introduction

The Channel Tunnel was a project to create a tunnel for transportation between Great Britain and France.  While a project of this magnitude took years to complete and did not always go according to plan in the end it has all been worth it. Project managers need to set their plans and be able to stick to them along with being able to face adversity. As this project has shown if a project gets off track or does not have a good foundation it can cause delays in time and increase the cost. This project had many complications that could have been avoided if the members involved would have planned ahead which will be explained throughout this presentation.

Objectives

• How to Avoid Conflict on a Project

• How to Avoid Scope Creep

• The Importance of a Project Owner

• How To Avoid Project Overruns

How to Avoid Conflict on a Project

• Communication - All parties must keep a very open line of communication throughout the entire project so everyone stays on the same page.

• Compromise - All parties must keep an open mind and be willing to meet in the middle.

• Be Proactive - All parties must perform their due diligence so they have a clear understanding of the expectations and goals to be met.

• Plan - A very clear plan and scope will eliminate some of the confusion later in the project.

How to Avoid Scope Creep

Scope Creep - adding features and scope without addressing the effects on time, costs, and resources, or without approval.

• Have a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) - understanding what the tasks are and who is expected to pay for and complete them is essential.

• Change Orders - All parties must acknowledge the process and timeline for change orders.  Who approves and how much time do they have? 

• Contract - All parties must take the time to review the original contract prior to starting any work so they understand what is to be done, who pays for what and how long they have.

The Importance of  Project Owner

Every project must have an owner that clearly defines the project, sets expectations, determines how it is going to be funded and protects from liability.

• Definition - A clear outline of what the project entails and the scope.

• Expectations - The level of quality expected while performing project related tasks

• Funding - How the project will be paid for and who will approve funding.

• Liability - What measures will be in place to make sure the project stays on track.

How To Avoid Project Overruns

Cost overruns are a significant contributor to the failure of many projects.  When you come up with a plan for the project it would be ideal to set aside funds for overruns and delays by +/- %10.

• Planned Value - Estimated value of work to be accomplished within a fixed period.

• Estimated Cost - Estimated cost of work to be accomplished within a fixed period.

• Actual Cost - Actual cost of work to be accomplished within a fixed period.

References

• (Fairweather, V. (1994, May), Civil Engineering, 64(5), 42), Anderson, Graham; Roskrow, Ben (1994). The Channel Tunnel Story. London: E & F N Spon. ISBN 041919620X. 

• European Commission. Directorate-General for Regional Policy and Cohesion. (1996). The regional impact of the Channel Tunnel throughout the Community. Luxembourg: European Commission. ISBN 9282688046. 

• Flyvbjerg, B. Buzelius, N. Rothengatter, W. (2003). Megaprojects and Risk. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521009464. 

• Institution of Civil Engineers (1989). The Channel Tunnel. London: Thomas Telford. ISBN 0727715461. 

• Kirkland, Colin J., ed. (1995). Engineering the Channel Tunnel. London: Chapman and Hall. ISBN 0419179208. 

• Whiteside, Thomas (1962). The Tunnel under the Channel. Rupert Hart-Davis. ISBN 0684832437. 

• Wilson, Jeremy; Spick, Jerome (1994). Eurotunnel — The Illustrated Journey. HarperCollins. ISBN 0002555395.