Relevance of Systems Engineering to Project Cases

This portfolio assesses the relevance of systems engineering to project cases, using readings and learning outcomes from a PPMP20012 unit. It examines how system thinking and project management can solve problems and provide insights into risk assessment and mitigation. The assignment reflects on the BP catastrophes and discusses the importance of good planning in covering all grounds, including expected and unexpected scenarios.

(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20012 Unit Portfolio for Week 3
Week 3: Assess the Relevance of Systems Engineering to Project Cases.
Reading samples Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and
prior unit readings and assignments
Supporting
documentation
including any
prior learning
Mandatory Readings
 SEBoK Part 2:
Foundations of
Systems
Engineering –
 'Knowledge
Area: Systems
Fundamentals';
 'Knowledge
Area: Systems
Science';
 'Knowledge
Area: Systems
Thinking';
 'Knowledge
Area:
Representing
Systems with
Models';
 Part 6: Related
Disciplines –
 'Knowledge
Area: Systems
Engineering
and Industrial
Engineering';
 'Knowledge
Area: Systems
Engineering
1. Explain the
relevance of
systems thinking to
the project,
program and
portfolio manager.
The objective of this week’s topic is to ask questions about how valuable is
Systems Engineering to Project Management and the project cases we are
considering. The big case we have been looking at has been BP and Texas City
then Deepwater Horizon. We now have a basic understanding of Systems
Engineering, Project, Program, and Portfolio Management, so we can ask
ourselves:
 Does Systems Engineering have any relevance to the two BP catastrophes?
Yes, system engineering could have been used to prevent the two
catastrophes related to BP.
 Are there any sources that might claim there is relevance, for example
SEBoK?
Author Marvin Fingas in his book ‘Oil Spill Science and Technology’
demonstrates the importance of risk assessment and planning for
countermeasures in the event of an unfortunate oil spill. This is therefore
the relevance with the careful system engineering that could have been
implemented to avoid both the catastrophes.
 How with systems thinking and systems engineering project managers
might solve problems?
The project managers can apply system engineering by utilizing system
thinking to carefully assess the problems and develop the best possible
solution.
 Does Project, Program and Portfolio management provide any relevance?
Either in conjunction or not with Systems Engineering?
Yes, the above-mentioned management demonstrate relevance to system
engineering as they use the system tools to create the project plans as well
as various contingency plans that aid in their management capabilities.
 How do we know these things? What proof do we have? How strong is it?
Would the strength of the proof encourage the board of BP to invest in
Fingas, M. (2016). Oil
spill science and
technology. Gulf
professional
publishing.
Kerzner, H., & Kerzner,
H. R. (2017). Project
management: a
systems approach to
planning, scheduling,
and controlling. John
Wiley & Sons.
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(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20012 Unit Portfolio for Week 3
Reading samples Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and
prior unit readings and assignments
Supporting
documentation
including any
prior learning
and Specialty
Engineering';
 Part 7: Systems
Engineering
Implementation
Examples:
 How Lack of
Information
Sharing
Jeopardized the
NASA/ESA
Cassini/Huygen
s Mission to
Saturn;
 Project
Management
Case Study;
 Kerzner (2013)
Chapters 17.12-
17.17;
 AS/NZS
15288:2015
Chapter 5;
Optional Readings
 AS ISO
21504:2016
Project,
programme and
portfolio
management—
Guidance on
portfolio
these solutions?
It is evident from the failure of the mission to Saturn by NASA clearly shoes
that system engineering is required to systematically plan every step of the
project. Sharing information is a critical factor of success for any
organization.
 Think of the problems that BP have faced with The Deepwater Horizon and
Texas City disasters. Did Project, Program and Portfolio Management as
well as systems engineering help them? If not then why not? After all BP
has more money than we can imagine and surely, they did not allow these
catastrophes to occur out of ignorance and because they wanted to pay
billions in compensation, as well as kill people and ruin the environment?
BP had invested in safety measures for reducing slipping and falling of the
crew. However, they did not tend to the safety of the process like avoiding a
fire explosion.
 How about the Chief Counsel’s Report? Does it show that BP had a good
idea about Project, Program and Portfolio Management as well as systems
engineering?
BP had put the safety of its workers above all however, they did not plan
well when it comes to risk assessment.
In this portfolio please reflect on the readings (1st column) and the learning
outcome (2nd column). Ask yourself in what way does the readings provide
insights into the learning outcome? Maybe they don’t! What are your
thoughts?
Are there other insights that you can make from other units that you have
studied? Or your work and life experience?
I have learnt a great deal from studying various literature and through my
experience that the purpose of a good plan is to cover all grounds, that includes
the expected and the unexpected scenario. The unexpected scenario include risk
assessment and mitigation, which is vital for any plan.
Harrison, F., & Lock, D.
(2017). Advanced
project management:
a structured approach.
Routledge.
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(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20012 Unit Portfolio for Week 3
Reading samples Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your weekly study, experience, this and
prior unit readings and assignments
Supporting
documentation
including any
prior learning
management;
Movies and Web sites
 YouTube:
 "Systems
Engineering"
(by
ThinkTVPBS)
 Modeling the
Management of
Systems
Engineering
Projects (by
VitechCorp)
 Web Sites:
 International
Council on
Systems
Engineering
(INCOSE)
 Systems
Engineering
Society of
Australia
 The Guide to
Lean Enablers
for Managing
Engineering
Programs - MIT
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(Insert Student Name) / (Insert Student Number) - PPMP20012 Unit Portfolio for Week 3
References
Fingas, M. (2016). Oil spill science and technology. Gulf professional publishing.
Harrison, F., & Lock, D. (2017). Advanced project management: a structured approach. Routledge.
Kerzner, H., & Kerzner, H. R. (2017). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley & Sons.
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