The underlying paper was written with the purpose of understanding the reasons for project failure. Project failure in terms of project delays, cost increases and quality losses. In order to get a better understanding of the general failure reasons, the paper covers a real-time example of project failure. The chosen project is the construction project of the international airport Berlin Brandenburg (BER). The first chapter covers general aspects and characteristics of a project. Afterwards, the initial BER project plan and the current development state of the airport is explained. In the next chapter, the paper shows up a best-practice approach of how to successfully execute a construction project and how to meet arranged deliverables in a certain quality within the defined time and budget guidelines. Based on this knowledge, the following chapter deals with the actions that led to project failure of the BER project and shows up the deviations from the best-practice approach. It was concluded that several factors lead to project failure and that communication plays a significant role for project success.
Table of Contents
1. What is a project what kind of different types and structures exist?
2. Representation of the airport Berlin-Brandenburg
2.1 How was the BER airport project initially planned?
2.2 How does the current project status look like?
3. Best practice approach for construction projects
4. Deviations from the best-practice approach and failures of the BER project
5. Conclusion and Summary
Project Goals and Thematic Focus
This paper aims to investigate the primary causes of project failure by analyzing the construction of the Berlin-Brandenburg Airport (BER). The central research objective is to identify discrepancies between standardized best-practice project management methodologies and the actual execution of the BER project, with a specific focus on communication failures and risk management deficiencies.
- Theoretical foundations of project management and classification.
- Best-practice methodologies for large-scale construction projects.
- Historical development and initial planning phases of the BER airport.
- Analysis of structural, communication, and risk management failures at BER.
- Impact of political involvement and stakeholder complexity on project success.
Excerpt from the Book
Deviations from the best-practice approach and failures of the BER project
After showing up how project management for construction projects should be executed in a best practice manner in order to achieve the agreed targets for cost, quality and time aspects, the following chapter will show what might go possibly wrong within a big construction project like the Berlin-Brandenburg airport project. Due to the lack of publicly accessible information about the detailed project plan of the Berlin-Brandenburg Airport project, only estimated guesses and assumptions can be made on the failure reasons for each project stage of the BER project.
Wrong decisions were already made in the first project stage mainly for the airport location, team structure and scope. In the ranking for the best airport location, Schönefeld was ranked last. This is due to the heavily populated area around the land and the expected rate of return was lower than other possible locations could offer as restrictions for night flights and noise regulations were expected to cause additional costs. However, the project team decided to pick Schönefeld as a potential location because of the geographical proximity to Berlin and the existing airport Schönefeld.
Further, poor decisions were made in terms of the management structure. While at other airports, experienced managers for finance, engineering, aviation and others are monitoring their assigned areas - BER was chosen to be controlled by politicians, civil servants and trade union workers.
Summary of Chapters
1. What is a project what kind of different types and structures exist?: Defines the fundamental characteristics of a project and provides a framework for categorizing project types based on goal clarity and social complexity.
2. Representation of the airport Berlin-Brandenburg: Details the historical background of the BER project, including its initial planning, location decisions, and current status regarding delays and technical challenges.
3. Best practice approach for construction projects: Outlines the theoretical six-stage process recommended for construction projects and emphasizes the critical importance of effective communication and risk management.
4. Deviations from the best-practice approach and failures of the BER project: Analyzes the specific operational and management errors in the BER construction process, highlighting the negative impact of political influence and poor communication.
5. Conclusion and Summary: Synthesizes the findings, concluding that the failure of the BER project resulted from a combination of poor strategic planning, lack of expert leadership, and inadequate communication.
Keywords
Project Management, BER, Berlin-Brandenburg Airport, Project Failure, Construction Projects, Best Practice, Risk Management, Communication, Stakeholder Management, Project Planning, Project Phases, Cost Overrun, Project Delays, Infrastructure, Public Sector Projects
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper examines the reasons behind the failure of large-scale construction projects, using the Berlin-Brandenburg Airport (BER) as a practical case study to illustrate common project management pitfalls.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The study covers project definition and categorization, standard best-practice phases in construction, historical project tracking, and an in-depth analysis of management, communication, and risk handling.
What is the main research objective?
The objective is to explain project failure by identifying deviations from established best-practice methodologies during the lifecycle of the BER airport construction.
Which scientific methods were employed?
The paper utilizes a case study methodology, contrasting standard theoretical project management models with the observed real-world execution of the BER project.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers the conceptualization of project stages, the history and current status of the BER, and a critical analysis of specific failures in the preparation, procurement, and construction phases.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include Project Management, BER, Project Failure, Best Practice, Risk Management, and Communication.
How did political involvement affect the BER project?
The paper concludes that relying on politicians instead of industry experts for project leadership led to prestige-driven decision-making and a lack of accountability, contributing to significant delays and cost increases.
Why is the "PESO" model significant for this research?
The PESO model is used to describe and analyze external communication strategies, highlighting the importance of managing stakeholder perception and responding to negative publicity during a construction crisis.
- Quote paper
- Inna Schelkowski (Author), 2018, Understanding the reasons of project failure based on the example of the Berlin-Brandenburg Airport "Willy Brandt", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/454840
