Project Management and the Discovery of the Titanic
Project Management and the Discovery of the Titanic
How are April 14, 1912 and September 1, 1985 linked? The first is the last time survivors of the Titanic saw her as she sank under the calm Atlantic Ocean on that fateful night and the second is the next time an expedition saw her at the bottom of the Atlantic at a depth of more than 2, 5 miles. led by Dr. Robert Ballard.
Early on the morning of the discovery, Dr. Ballard’s team aboard the research vessel, the Knorr, explored the seabed in the vicinity known to be the site of the sinking 73 years earlier. The search was conducted with a sled-like device called the “Argo”, which was loaded with television cameras and towed just above the seabed in search of wreckage. Images sent back to the spacecraft were viewed “live” from a small cabin on Knorr, watched for hours by ever-alert scientists. The search turned into relentless sweeps back and forth across the ocean floor, known as “mowing the lawn.”
Early in the morning of September 1, 1985, the bottom of the seabed appeared to be a little different than usual, instead of the endless curves and ripples of mud and sand, unusual markings, along with small bits of what were obviously it was the man. The handmade debris began to appear before the astonished scientists who were glued to their screens. Before long, larger features came into view, including Titanic’s massive caldera. The Titanic, elusive for so long and always considered part of the past, was now part of the present.
How is project management related to the discovery of the Titanic? Without him, the famous ship would never have been discovered. Let’s follow the 12-step project implementation success factor model in relation to the discovery of the Titanic.
Step 1. Get buy-in from senior management and establish metrics.
Project sponsors who fully supported the venture were the Woods Hole Deep Submersion Laboratory and the French Research Institute for Exploration.
Step 2. Select a competent project manager
Dr. Robert Ballard was selected as project manager for the Woods Hole Deep Submersion Laboratory and Jean Jarry was selected from the French Institute as direct support to Dr. Ballard. Both had extensive experience in previous attempts to locate the doomed ship.
Step 3. Select Competent Project Team Members and Establish Project Metrics
Scientists were selected for this search mission with vast experience in this field and great knowledge in the use of state-of-the-art underwater visual imaging technology that ultimately made locating the spacecraft possible.
Step 4. Clearly define the scope and objectives of the project
The project manager clearly documented to the project team members the scope of the project, business goals and expectations, that was: find the Titanic!
Step 5. Ensure sufficient resource allocation
Before the search began at the Knorr, it was confirmed with the sponsors what resources would be needed, including money, staff time and equipment. Since this was potentially going to be very expensive and time consuming, a detailed outline was submitted to the sponsors for their review and approval.
Step 6. Develop a detailed project plan
On a daily basis there were countless tasks that needed to be done before any search of the ocean floor could be done. Project team members knew exactly who was to complete each specific task as outlined by the project manager. And once the entire team was ready and the ship was in the proper search quadrant, project team members knew exactly who needed to perform specific tasks to complete that day’s search.
Step 7. Establish adequate communication channels
The project manager was responsible for daily communication with project stakeholders. This information included the status of the search since that day and what would be the next steps to be completed the next day. The project manager would also speak directly with team members about any issues, problems, concerns, and successes.
Step 8. Start project control mechanisms
The project manager held daily project status meetings with team members to discuss any issues and successes from the previous day. Conflicts between team members were dealt with on the day of the problem by the project manager.
Step 9. Foster an open communication environment
The project manager created an environment with project stakeholders so that they could review project information and make suggestions to improve any component of the project. This prevented Woods Hole Lab and the French Institute from cutting themselves off from the project.
Step 10. Celebrate project successes
Obviously, the discovery of the Titanic was the biggest success. However, to have reached this ultimate goal there were many successes along the way, including, among others, the success of the technology that allowed scientists to find the ship. Dr. Ballard and Mr. Jarry ensured that project team members were recognized for their accomplishments. This was important for team morale as they were out in the Atlantic searching for 2 months before the Titanic was found.
Step 11. Carry out project closure
Finding the Titanic closed this part of the project. However, 12 months later, Dr. Ballard and his team returned to the wreck site with a deep-sea submersible to see the Titanic firsthand and up close.
As you can see, the discovery of the Titanic was due to a detailed and knowledgeable project manager, an experienced and task-oriented project team, and project sponsors who were just as dedicated to the success of the mission as everyone else. These elements are the fuel for the success of any project.