Speaking - Stakeholder and Risk Management

Project Management Blunders (Stakeholder Management)

The presentation carefully examines the project entirely from a project management perspective. Based on the latest research, from the Titanic community, it reviews all the major phases of the project (initiation, planning, design, construction, testing, implementation & operations) through a project management framework namely the Project Management Body of Knowledge. Close attention is paid to the 10 month period from Olympic's maiden voyage through to her collision with HMS Hawke, and the substantial impact on the project to complete Titanic. The project had started well but became embroiled through meddling stakeholders, with different agendas, compromises, a rushed job, more compromises, changes late in the project, improper testing, and a poor implementation. The presentation covers many things that go wrong in a project which lead to a project failure (or disaster). This is where the biggest learning lessons are for today's project managers.

Audience: Project Managers, Program Managers

Project Management Blunders

Titanic Lessons for IT Projects

Every year we experience IT projects from "hell" that we know will turn into an operational disaster. But do any come close to a Titanic's track-record of four years in development (1909-1912) and 4 days in operation? Imagine you are in one of Titanic’s lifeboats. As you look back you wonder how such a disaster could have happened. What were the causes? How could things go so badly wrong? No one had expected it. Titanic’s maiden voyage was a disaster waiting to happen as a result of the compromises made in the project. You will learn from Titanic's construction project and voyage, and how to take stock to understand key issues of project management to ensure success long after deployment. Download an abstract in PDF format.
Based on articles published in Gantthead.

Audience: IT professionals

Titanic lessons for IT Projects

Titanic Lessons for Projects (Risk Management)

This presentation looks predominantly at risk management and how principal stakeholders could have been more carefully managed. You will learn how risk figured in Titanic's construction project, in terms of how risks where identified, analyzed and then managed through each stage of the project. Part II also dispels some of the common myths around Titanic like the impact of the quality of steel, and the cold temperature. The story of Californian is revealed in some detail, and how the risk adverse captain refused to budge during that night. Learn how to apply Titanic’s lessons on risk management to a project today. Download an abstract in PDF format.

Audience: PMs, IT professionals

Titanic lessons for Projects (Risk Management)

Titanic Lessons for Business

This presentation highlights the lessons from Titanic’s disaster to a general business audience, and is the least technical presentation in the series. It focuses on the business view of the story, and the role of executives and steering committee. You will learn from the successes and mistakes of Titanic's construction project, how the executive sponsor can unwittingly compromise the project, and how to apply Titanic’s lessons to a business today. Download an abstract in PDF format.

Based on an article published in the National Post.

Audience: General business professionals

Titanic lessons for business

Learning Objectives

You will learn how the lessons learned from Titanic’s project and subsequent disaster can be applied to contemporary projects. It will help attendees identify warning signs at each phase of the project that could take it off track including the following:

• How during requirement phase non-functional requirements get overshadowed by functional requirements.
• How during the requirements/design phases the executive sponsor can unwittingly compromise the project.
• How decisions during the project can have a catastrophic impact in the operation.

Full of intriguing historical details, the presentation helps project managers to work out strategies to deal with these warning signs, and how to respond to the fall out of these.

The Benefits

In today's world, project teams face greater pressure than ever to complete on time and on budget. In modern projects, we often have situations where we believe that we have designed, built, or launched a "perfect" solution. However it's very easy to underestimate the broad range of ways in which circumstances can impact the success of a project. Without effective project management even what seem to be perfect solutions can fail. The benefits of the presentation include the ability to:

• help a project team to more accurately identify risks, assess resources, and cost benefits
• identify stakeholders and develop strategies to work with them effectively
• focus on risk assessment and management throughout the project to deliver a solution that will survive the perils of production

Note: This presentation conforms to the internationally recognized standards of the Project Management Institute (PMI®). You will receive 1-2 PDUs (professional development units) upon completion.

Overall Feedback Feedback UK APM 10 Feedback UK APM 11

“Mark, the presentation on how lessons from the building and maiden voyage of the RMS Titanic are applicable for today's projects was outstanding. What was particularly useful was how you related the PMBOK knowledge areas to that project, and then discussed with our panelists the parallels that could then be drawn with our agency's projects. It was a perfect example of how, even on the best run projects, the results may be disastrous if shortcuts are taken in quality assurance and control. You definitely made the case for continually reviewing your project's risks and assumptions and checking their validity in the light of changing scope. Well done!”
Bob Morse, PMP

Mark, The briefing you did for us [Washington IRS] DC was one of our best programs and I heard the [Washington] DC Chapter briefing was outstanding.
Thanks, Carol Huber PMP