Assessing the Relevance of Systems Engineering to Project Cases

(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
Systems Engineering is 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, they are relevant to the two catastrophes. This is because these
catastrophes have occurred due to lack of management issues. Using
system engineering and management tools these catastrophes could have
been completely avoided.
 Are there any sources that might claim there is relevance, for example
SEBoK?
SEBoK claims that any catastrophe can be avoided using system
engineering. This is because using detailed and structured thinking can aid
in avoiding any accidents.
 How with systems thinking and systems engineering project managers
might solve problems?
By making informed decisions any number of problems can be solved.
 Does Project, Program and Portfolio management provide any relevance?
Either in conjunction or not with Systems Engineering?
Yes, they provide relevance in relation to System Engineering. This is
because system engineering incorporates all of those ideas under one
structured method.
 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
these solutions?
The proof is the various authors that have explained systems engineering in
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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(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
their books. They have clearly stated that system engineering will definitely
aid in making the right and informed decisions.
 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?
Yes, system engineering would have helped them. Any accident is caused
due to lack of methodical thinking by the management and system
engineering would have helped to make the decisions.
 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?
Yes, they did have a good idea about management. They tried to control
their management decisions on the externa factors of operations while
undermining the risk factors that are related to oil and natural gas
extraction.
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