Management of projects requires experimentation, flexibility and a willingness to work closely with project beneficiaries to learn about, and respond to local needs. The survival of our project depends on how well do we acknowledge and understand the targeted goals. Organizations are the frameworks through which most projects’ works are carried out and within individual seek to satisfy many of their goals. Against the foregoing, this paper seeks to examine the best approaches, tools, etc. for the factors that mitigate the success of the project.
Factor 1: Errors went undetected within ground-based computer models of how small thruster firings on the spacecraft were predicted and then carried out on the spacecraft during its interplanetary trips to Mars.
A model is an abstraction of reality, a simplified version of something (William, 2002). Examples of models include automobile test tracks and crash tests etc. Models are sometimes classified as physical, schematic, or mathematical. Since computer models fall under physical, we will concentrate on physical models. Physical models look like their real-life counterparts. The advantage of these models is their visual correspondence with reality.
The variety of models in use is enormous, ranging from the simple to the exotic: some are very crude, others extremely elegant. Nonetheless, all have certain common features: They are all decision making aids and simplifications of more complex real-life phenomena. Models ignore the unimportant details so that attention can be concentrated on the most important aspects of a situation, thus increasing the opportunity to understand a problem and its solution (William, 2002). Managers use models in a variety of ways and for a variety of reasons. Models are beneficial because of they:
· Are generally easy to use and less expensive than dealing directly with the actual situation.
· Require users to organize and sometimes quantify information and, in the process, often indicate areas where additional information is needed.
· Provide a systematical approach to problem-solving.
· Increase understanding of the problem etc.
Based on the benefits of models, System Approach will be used to reduce this factor. A systems viewpoint is almost always beneficial in decision making. A system can be defined as a set of interrelated parts that must work together (William, 2002). In a business organization, the organization can be thought of as a system composed of subsystems (e.g marketing subsystem, operations subsystem, finance subsystem), which in turn are composed of lower subsystems. The systems approach emphasizes interrelationships among subsystems, but its main theme is that the whole is greater than the sum of its individual parts. A systems approach is essential whenever something is being designed, redesigned, implemented, improved, or otherwise changed. It is important to take into account the impact on all parts of the system.
Factor 2: The operational navigation team was not fully informed on the details of the way that Mars Climate Orbiter was pointed in space, as compared to the earlier Mars Global Surveyor mission.
In factor 2 the approach to be used is MBO. Drucker defined the concept of management by Objectives (MBO), in order to ensure that individual objectives of the entire management group within a structure towards a common policy (Knowles, 2011). In order to gain compatibility within the organization requires clearly spelled out objectives to avoid confusion.
One key element in MBO is that every specified objective must be verifiable-there should be no vagueness, it must be specific. One advantage of having the verifiable goal is that it enables the leader and his team to also agree on needed resources-human, material and financial to accomplish the objectives as these have to hand in hand (Akintayo 2003). Also, MBO provides opportunities for participative decision making and free flow of information (both downward an upward) which contribute immensely to the health of the organization. MBO tend to emphasize teamwork and achievement of team results, rather than individual performance alone (Knowles, 2011).
Factor 3: A final, optional engine firing to raise the spacecraft’s path relative to Mars before its arrival was considered but not performed for several interdependent reasons.
Systems Approach is preferred in this factor. The Baldrige criteria provide a system perspective for managing an organization and achieving performance excellence. The core values and the seven Baldrige categories form the building blocks of the system. However, successful management of the overall enterprise requires synthesis and alignment. Synthesis means looking at the organization as a whole and focusing on what is important to the whole enterprise. Alignment means concentrating on key organizational linkages among requirements given in the Baldrige categories. The core values and concepts are embodied in seven categories as follows: Leadership, Strategic Planning, Customer and Market focus, Information & Analysis, Human Resource Focus, Process Management, and Business Results. So, if all these core values are considered the interdependent reasons will not take place or influence the final decision.
Factor 4: The systems engineering function within the project that is supported to track and double-check all interconnected aspects of the mission was not robust enough, exacerbated by the first-time handover of a Mars-bound spacecraft from a group that constructed it and launched it to a new, multi-mission operations team.
In the fourth-factor Self-Assessment Process Approach is suitable to reduce the risk. Self-assessment RADAR system which is: Results, Approaches, Deploy, Assess and Refine system. Since engineering system was not robust enough, the team would have deployed new approaches that are easy to assess and refine the system to lead to good and quality result. The senior management team must consider the strategic results they are looking for from the application of the model, and agree to appropriate measurement instruments to assess how well they are delivered (Knowles, 2011), which lead to the desired result.
Factor 5: Some communications channels among project engineering groups were too informal.
In factor 5, I am proposing Hoshin Kanrin it is an execution tool for deploying an existing strategic plan throughout the organization, although it can facilitate the strategic planning process (Knowles, 2011). This strategic planning employs Deming PDCA. Deming pressed for the adoption of informed decision making based on quality data. He advocated the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle. In using the PDCA cycle managers are encouraged to start with small changes about things that are really important. Planning should be integrated with daily activity underpinned by good vertical and cross-functional communication. To actualize such communication network employees and continuous improvement must be essential to the organization or the company. Appreciation for the system is the starting point, and it refers to everyone in the organization working to achieve optimization. Toward that end, management must eliminate internal competition.
Factor 6: The small mission navigation team was oversubscribed and its work did not receive peer view by independent experts.
In this aspect, I will propose ISO 9000. The purpose of the International Organization for Standard (ISO) is to promote worldwide standards that will improve operating efficiency, improve productivity, aid reduce cost. The ISO 9000 is a set of international standard on quality management and quality assurance. These standards are critical for companies doing business internationally, particularly in Europe. Using ISO will checkmate the work of the team because the team was overburdened with a lot of roles or functions.
Factor 7: Personnel was not trained sufficiently in areas such as the relationship between the operation of the mission and its detailed navigation characteristics, or the process of filing formal anomaly reports.
In this area, we are going to use DMAIC Methodology. This is a five-step methodology of define, measure, analyze, improve and control and is used to both improve process performance and to improve the process or product design (James, 2011). This will establish fully trained and experienced coaches and mentors to provide support. This approach proposes that only staff that is directly involved with the project should be trained and those that might be affected by them on an appropriate degree, so that money or cost can be saved. Train on a just-in-time basis so that skills are used very soon after they are trained and periodic review of project progress to ascertain the degree of compliance.
Factor 8: The process to verify and validate certain engineering requirements and technical interfaces between some project group, and between the project and its prime mission contractor, was inadequate.
In this aspect am proposing ISO 9000 series of standards is the international standard for quality management. The objective of this series of standards is to aid supplier quality assurance and provide a common, authoritative and widely accepted standard by which to evaluate and compare the potential of firms to meet acceptable levels of quality and reliability (Knowles, 2011). Also, more enlightened organizations see ISO 9000as a genuine opportunity to improve the way they do business. With ISO 9000 the company will be able to screen engineering requirements that will lead or produce quality and the technical input that will sell the project to the outside world.
Which considerations would you take in order to implement your proposals within the organization?
The following are my considerations:
· Speed of implementation
· Cost of implementation
· Quality of the final services & product
· Accessibility of services to intended beneficiaries.
· Replication of project
Finally, it is important to keep in mind the distinction between “outputs” which are the tangible products of a project. Project implementation today is, therefore, a function of inputs versus outputs, the cost versus benefits, and people’s participation versus implementation.
SOLUTIONS AND STRATEGIES
There should be realistic objectives for participation, and allowance must be made for the fact that some stages of planning, such as design consultation, will be relatively protracted, while other phases, such as the transfer of assets for utilization will be shorter.
There must be an explicit, adequate financial commitment to the success of the project. There must be plans to share responsibilities in all stages of the project cycle.
By acquiring skills and mastering new situations and a performance goal setting to demonstrate and validate, the adequacy of one or team’s competence by seeking favorable judgment and avoidance negative judgments about one or team’s competence.
STRATEGIES
· Specification of time-frame for the completion of the project.
· Budgeting to actualize cash flow and support
· Identification and assignment responsibilities
· Allocation of resources required to perform
CONCLUSION
This paper examined the influence of approaches, tools, and techniques in project implementation and goal setting and achievement in the organization. All these approaches have demonstrated the ability to bring about success and development in the project.
REFERENCES
Akintayo and Oghenekowo (2003). Corporate Strategies for policy formulation. Yemi Modern Printers, Ibadan, Nigeria.
James, T. (2011). Operations Strategy. Bookboon.com
Knowles, G. (2011). Quality Management. Bookboon.
William J. Stevenson, (2002). Operations Management McGraw-Hill, Irwin.
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