Federation Square

The Federation Square project had a very aggressive schedule in order to be complete by the

This case study report delivers an investigation and assessment into the Federation Square project, providing answers for senior executives. The Federation Square, situated in the heart of Melbourne was one of the most complex and ambitious construction projects in Australia’s history, becoming an icon for years to come. This case study will report on four significant project management areas contained in PMBOK (Project Management Body of Knowledge), which include: Scope, Time, Cost and Quality.

In the current business environment, the demand for project managers is ever growing. In short, project management is a provisional project constrained by time, cost and scope (A guide to the project management body of knowledge, 2013). Between the immense organization, optimization, and communication assets skilled project management brings to a project, it is easy to see why project management is a booming field of study. Furthermore, project management can be both financially and personally rewarding when long term milestones and goals come to fruition.

The world has been evolving as quickly as the population has grown. As the years progressed, the habitual lifestyle has transformed from spread out house and land living to city and suburban occupation. Along with the living style, cities have progressed from just roads and buildings to multifunctional spaces with copious possibilities. Federation Square in the ‘heart of the city’ is an example of how a space in the city vastly contributes to the visual culture of Melbourne. Times Square in New York also displays how what was previously an intersection of roads, has been transformed into a visual landmark. Melbourne city had always lacked a functional public space ever since its birth.

Projects are used today as a way of achieving a variety of outcomes in local or international locations for new constructions, new product development, product improvement, process design, process improvement, utility installation, theory and technology development, and many more. Bringing a project to a successful conclusion requires the integration of numerous management functions like controlling, directing, team building, communication and others. It also requires cost and schedule management, technical and risk management, conflict and stakeholder 's management, and life cycle management.

While carefully reading through this reading, one idea in particular stood out to me over everything else. That idea is Adam Gopnik’s view of the “Old Times Square, New York” being superior to the newer, more modern Times Square. Gopnik tends to speak in past tense throughout the reading referring to the mostly to the older Times Square and comparing it to the current day Times Square.

With these practices, I could handle Assignment 2 better. I realised that I could write the report more concisely and critically. I could also identify the problem that the city my group has chosen is facing, analyse the causes of the problem and propose possible solutions, especially after engaging in group discussions where we shared what we have learnt. Although we were confused with the problem indicators and causes initially, we managed to identify and substantiate them properly after receiving feedback from the other groups and learning from them. Moreover, by learning how to establish links from causes to problems to solutions to criteria for evaluation, we managed to come up with a coherent

In a little neighborhood, we all know and love called Union Square has a history that would be unknown to the naked eye. The park has undergone redevelopment multiple times in hopes of bettering the neighborhood. Within the little area, there is shopping, varieties of food, all kinds of entertainment, and of course, places to rest. Even though there is not the same overwhelming amount of stimulation as Times Square, Union Square has still become a big tourist attraction Rather, all along the outskirts of it are different neighborhoods we’re all familiar with, such as the Flatiron District and Greenwich Village. As Union Square underwent re-design and gentrification, so did the outer neighborhoods, hiking the rent and making it harder for

The purpose of this paper is to show provide a case study of the Enlarged Cotter Dam project in Canberra, Australia. This paper will use the 5 dimensions of project management as the guide and layout.

The shortcomings of megaprojects highlight the failures of projects living up to their initial proposals. Nine out of ten megaprojects go over budget with many of them overrunning costs that fall on public resources and taxpayers. One extreme example of this is the construction of the Sydney Opera House which overran costs by nearly 1400 percent which forced the government to cut public funding in other sectors. Beyond cost overruns, it is common to see time overruns as a problem in megaprojects which create further costs and inconvenience to the community. An example of this is New York’s $3.9 billion megaproject that looked at rebuilding and revamping the Tappan Zee Bridge. It took well over ten years just to begin the project, and contractors have already requested extensions to the project. Not only is this creating direct costs for the construction of the project, but it is also creating unintended costs such as the increased cost to maintain the bridge and creating alternate routes. Other unintended consequences that often occur with megaprojects, but are often ignored, is the pushing out of low-income families which commonly results in increased numbers of homeless individuals. This creates more cost for the community and society. Additionally, megaprojects do not always equate to increased level of income per capita. Sports stadiums are common megaprojects happening throughout the country and are highly desired in attracting more people to migrate and adding to the economy. However, research has shown that building sports stadiums on average actually have a negative correlation with income per capita. A relatively recent example of this is the construction of the Marlin Park Stadium in Miami, Florida, where projected ticket sales from the initial proposals fell significantly short which has created less revenue to

As we look at Mason City today we still see a city that has problems. We see the everyday problems that cities still face today such as funding, crime rate, and unemployment. The difference in Mason City is that they have proven before that they can get through any problem that they set their mind today. Before writing this paper, my optimism of Mason City was definitely very different from where it is now. I now see a city that has triumphed through difficulty, and progressed toward the sunset. Today I look back at my hometown and can say I am truthfully proud. I was born in this city, and I am proud of that. I have worked in this city, and I am proud of that. I call this place home, and I could not be more proud of this. In conclusion, the

sidewalks are a place where people have the opportunity to get to know one another on a casual social basis, generating respectful acquaintanceships that enable civility while protecting private lives. However, after conducting my field research for the ‘Entrance to the Union Square subway’ station, I observed that although the subway station is a public area almost like any other sidewalk, yet not many people socialise or have conversations with one another especially at the entrance. Most interactions that would take place

Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities in order to meet project requirements (PMBOK Guide, 2008). Using this definition, it is made evident that the parties involved in the Denver International Airport (DIA) Baggage System project in the 1990’s failed at applying basic organizational practices towards managing the triple constraint of scope, time, and cost goals. The combination of inherent risks, uncertainties, and dysfunctional decision making geared the project towards disappointment while simultaneously designating it as a text book example of what not do when taking on a complex project. By looking at the key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats we can

The stage of constructing Federation Square had seen some major challenges during the developments lifecycle; the project had seen a change in government in 2001 which inflicted changes to the proposed design of the complex to please heritage critics. As a result the projects final construction cost exceeded well above its estimated budget, the final total was approximately $467 million (AUS) which was over four times the original estimated budget.

Turner, R. (2007) Gower Handbook of Project Management. 4th Edition. Aldershot, England: Gowe Publishing Ltd.