On November 12, 2012 the PMI Atlanta Dunwoody Dinner meeting extended its practice of offering an engaging, lively networking event - followed by a stimulating presentation of a complex, multi-faceted project - to the local project management community.  The meeting kicked off with new member introductions followed by a quiet moment of thanks and remembrance to veterans who have provided valiant service to our country.  After receiving a brief review of Atlanta chapter business, dinner attendees were treated to an absorbing keynote presentation provided by Mr. Rick Hirsekorn.

Rick Hirsekorn, currently Manager of the CH2M HILL New York City office, served as Director of Site Operations and Security for the joint venture delivering the 2012 London Olympic Park Programme on behalf of the Olympic Delivery Authority.  CH2M HILL is a global leader in consulting, design, design-build, operations, and program management, and during his career with CH2M HILL, Mr. Hirsekorn has managed and directed major infrastructure projects for public and private clients, led public-private partnerships for outsourcing of general governmental services, and has served as the Environmental Advisor to several Olympic Organizing Committees (note: CH2M HILL has supported Olympic Games in Sydney, Salt Lake City, Beijing, Vancouver, and London).

 

Observed and enjoyed by millions of people around the world, the Summer Olympic Games are leading global sporting events and cultural demonstrations.  The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games presented multiple delivery challenges in terms of accomplishing the program objectives according to the required timeframe and budget, while providing a positive legacy for the host communities.  Mr. Hirsekorn provided the audience with insightful and discerning commentary regarding his experience, exposing the many challenges and opportunities, as well as discussing how these challenges were met.  In addition, he infused his presentation with perceptive knowledge and spoke to the new standards of excellence for health and safety performance, and quality.

Given the magnitude of this project, many critical elements needed to exist to support the successful management of the program.  Many of the problems encountered pertained to scheduling, budget, and spatial limitations, factors found to be similarly constrained – yet perhaps somewhat flexible – in projects.  However, the nature of the Olympics did not lend any ability for variation to these constraints.  For instance, the deadline was absolute and unmovable.  It’s the Olympics … the global community probably would not accept a delay in delivery!  Furthermore, the budget was subject to strict oversight of government spending combined with difficulty experienced in raising funds in a tough economic environment.  Also, security concerns were extremely high.

While the aforementioned challenges related to the overall program, many obstacles existed specific to the general project itself.  For instance, the project did not entail a single purpose event, but an event for which some structures were to be put in place with the intention of remaining in place, resulting in multi-use purpose, legacy systems.  Therefore, the goal was to construct certain configurations which would meet immediate purpose needs, but could be adapted to facilitate new growth beyond the original intended use.  The project entailed a three-year construction program, including – but not limited to – 3,000 residential units (the largest in the U.K. since World War II), 32 new bridges, and 10 major sporting venues.  Another project specific challenge included the development of sufficient transportation systems to support approximately 12,000 workers around the site.

Of vital import, Mr. Hirsekorn noted the diversity of stakeholders whose interests needed to be considered.  These stakeholders included public versus private enterprises, local communities, various Olympic committees, and significant media interests.  Although managing these various concerns was challenging, effective program management techniques mitigated these concerns and resulted in this remarkable project being completed ahead of schedule and under budget!

To overcome the multi-faceted obstacles, Mr. Hirsekorn highlighted the various program controls and risk management core principles imposed by the joint venture to ensure success.  First, priority themes were identified in association with the overall program, followed by concentration on equality and inclusion of various viewpoints.  Listening to people when they have ideas and concerns is an important consideration for project managers overseeing small or large projects.  We must seek to engage differing perspectives to ensure we give thought to concerns that could prove distracting or destructive.  Second, extensive time and effort was put into team building, to encourage a high performance team culture.

Third, Mr. Hirsekorn noted that key performance indicators were built into each delivery requirement in order to better measure success.  The 100% focus on key deliverables was emphasized throughout the team.  Fourth, the organizational structure was very detailed, with a focus on specific governance requirements and a clean contractual framework outlining responsibilities and clearly defined results.  The team communicated extensively, via weekly, monthly, and quarterly meetings.  This attention to detail drove desired performance.  Finally, the broad access to resources and skills according to expertise proved beneficial, as the team could readily identify critical parties who could fulfill essential outstanding needs.

In addition to the project completing within schedule and under budget, another measure of success pertained to the project’s stellar health and safety component.  Due to the high commitment to environment, health & safety, the program presented an unmatched safety record.  Despite 80 million hours of workforce production, the project experienced no fatalities!  This feature proved to be a major accomplishment for the program and set the bar for future Olympics.

Mr. Hirsekorn presented an exciting and awe-inspiring keynote presentation from which project managers can take away many favorable insights.  The variety of best practices and lessons learned in response to the project complexities can aid project management professionals and team members in establishing a solid foundation for execution and delivery.