Prairie Waters Project Essay Example
Prairie Waters Project Essay Example

Prairie Waters Project Essay Example

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  • Pages: 3 (707 words)
  • Published: January 8, 2017
  • Type: Case Study
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The Prairie Water project, led by CH2M HILL, was awarded the PMI(R) Project of the Year Award in 2011 for its innovative approach and impressive achievement of finishing ahead of schedule and under budget (para. 1). This project, which received public funding, aimed to responsibly collect water from the South Platte River to address Aurora city's water shortage issue. With only a 10-month reserve of water left, this project became an urgent priority.

The project aimed to increase water supply by 20% through the implementation of a natural river bank filtration process and an advanced purification system. The construction of this system would occur near the Aurora Reservoir. Mark A. Langley, President and CEO of PMI, emphasized that the Prairie Waters Project in Aurora demonstrates how applying effective project management standards and practices can result in a groundbreaking solution for a

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community. From start to finish, the project followed project management principles, with the team committed to completing it within budget, time constraints, and scope limitations.

PMBOK states that the project management best practice aims to achieve a balance between scope, time, cost, quality, resources, and risk in order to deliver the specified product, service, or result. The project management team consistently followed PMI's defined process throughout the entire project and successfully decreased the budget by $100 million at the beginning stages. Additionally, during construction, project leaders used value engineering techniques which resulted in an extra $100 million in cost savings.

The Management team implemented an innovative strategy to effectively manage costs and provide incentives for contractors, ensuring both the quality and safety of the project. In order to encourag

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cost-saving measures that would benefit the project, contractors were offered incentives. The resulting savings were then divided equally between the contractors and the city. Throughout the project, a strong collaborative relationship was fostered between CH2Mhill and the City, which significantly contributed to achieving their goals. The Project members prioritized doing what is right over determining who is right, as stated on the "YouTube" (2011) website. This philosophy was evident in the successful collaboration among all team members involved in the Aurora Water project including construction managers, designers, program managers, and contractors.

With excellent cross-team collaboration, the constraints of Cost and time were successfully overcome without sacrificing the scope. The Aurora Water project was initially a complex endeavor, with a stringent budget and involvement of numerous stakeholders due to the construction of a 40-mile pipeline and compliance with environmental agencies. Completing all requirements quickly was also a challenge as the city had only 9 months of reserve water remaining. However, the project team members consistently fulfilled their responsibilities and achieved project milestones.

According to the article "Prairie Waters Project Receives Project Management Institute’s Prestigious 2011 PMI Project Of The Year Award" (2011), the project took six years to complete and involved obtaining eight significant stakeholder agreements, acquiring 145 land parcels, and obtaining 44 permits. The management of these stakeholders and keeping them updated throughout the project was a monumental task. Additionally, the project had to fulfill the requirements of 44 permits, each of which had the potential to impact the project schedule or cause delays. These factors illustrate the three key constraints in project management: Cost, Time, and Scope.

A proper balance

of these three constraints is necessary for successful project completion. Regardless of size or complexity, every project must deal with these constraints. The Aurora Water project was initially estimated to cost $854 million dollars. Through effective use of Earned Value Management (EVM), CH2M HILL managed to reduce the project cost by $200 million dollars. By fast tracking the project, they completed it 2 months ahead of schedule, saving almost 25% compared to the initial projection. Without innovative ideas to utilize the savings or expedite the timeline, the project could have exceeded the budget or achieved fewer savings than it did.

The Aurora Water project was successfully completed without compromising quality or reducing scope thanks to innovative engineering ideas. The team prioritized responsibility by showing respect for regional communities, stakeholders, and environment authorities, ensuring adherence to local and regional development codes. Their commitment and compliance demonstrated ethical behavior without affecting the project schedule. Mark A. Langley, President and CEO of PMI, commended the project for its agility and effective stakeholder engagement as a best practice example.

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