PPMP20011 Portfolio: Deep Dive into Commercial Planning and Projects

This portfolio assignment delves into commercial planning and commercial projects, using the Channel Tunnel as a case study. It explores diverse contractual arrangements, project negotiation strategies, and stakeholder engagement methods. The assignment examines the impact of cultural dimensions and contract types on collaborative negotiation, and evaluates the consequences of project delays, disruptions, and changes to planned activities. Furthermore, it analyzes methods for claims variations, liquidated damages, and conflict resolution through negotiated solutions. The student reflects on the relevance of these topics to learning outcomes, referencing academic papers and real-world examples to illustrate key concepts in project management, emphasizing the importance of effective planning, negotiation, and stakeholder management for project success, while also highlighting the critical nature of risk management and conflict resolution in mitigating potential project issues.

Weekly Portfolio Learning Table
Description of
topics including
reading samples
Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your experience, this and prior unit
reading, assignments
Supporting
documentation
including your
prior learning
Week 1 Topic:
Commercial Planning
and Commercial
Projects.
Wikipedia article
Channel Tunnel;
Peña-Mora F., and
Tamaki T. 2001.
"Effect of Delivery
Systems on
Collaborative
Negotiations for
Large -Scale
Infrastructure
Projects”;
21 Apr 2016 Channel
Tunnel's unique
status confirmed;
29 June 2016 Brexit
negotiations: Four
ways to get a good
deal;
YouTube:
1.Describe the
operation of diverse
and complex
government and non-
government project
contractual
arrangements
relevant to a range of
managed services,
ICT, and build
agreements.
The objective of this week’s topic is to make sure you have abroad
understanding of commercial planning and commercial projects.
Try to ask yourself the questions that were posed in the 1st week’s lecture :-
1. What is a Commercial Planning?
2. What is a Commercial Project?
3. What role does Commercial Planning and Commercial Project
Management have in the project, program, and a portfolio hierarchy?
4. Are there any essential keys for success between the participants of
large scale projects?
In the Wikipedia article and the other readings for the Channel Tunnel
(Chunnel); Project try to explain:-
5. How much negotiation would have occurred during the project?
6. Who would the negotiation have been between?
7. Would successful negotiation have mitigated any of the subsequent
outcomes?
8. What would have been required to undertake successful negotiation
between the parties?
Then in the Peña-Mora F., and Tamaki T. paper about the Effect of Delivery
Systems on Collaborative Negotiations for Large-Scale Infrastructure Projects,
try to explain:
9. Do cultural dimensions of the participants impact on the Collaborative
Negotiation Methodology?
10. Does the type of Contract impact on the subsequent Negotiation?
11. What is your overall conclusion of the paper?
PPMP20011Unit Profile
PPMP20011 Moodle
Web site
Have you any insights
you can add from other
units you have studies or
readings you’ve made?
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Description of
topics including
reading samples
Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your experience, this and prior unit
reading, assignments
Supporting
documentation
including your
prior learning
The Chunnel -
World's Longest
Underwater Tunnel -
History Channel.
Are any of the
activities above
relevant to your
reflections for the
learning outcomes
on the right?
3. Differentiate
methods of project
negotiation, conflict
management, and
stakeholder
engagement across
projects consisting of
differing technology
standards and asset
lifecycles.
Yes, the questions of negotiations and the stakeholder engagement were
relevant. It clearly explains that there was negotiation in terms of
constructing the channel. Moreover, conflict management plan was not
incorporated properly. However, the stakeholders were not happy with
the return of the investment (Siebenmann, Yu & Bachus, 2015). They
lacked resource planning as well as proper cost estimation.
Furthermore, the funding activity was done by the banks.
Siebenmann, R., Yu, H. T.,
& Bachus, R. (2015).
UCIMS: Advances in
geotechnical
construction and
performance
monitoring. Journal of
Rock Mechanics and
Geotechnical
Engineering, 7(2), 207-
212.
Are any of the
activities above
relevant to your
reflections for the
learning outcomes
on the right
4. Explain and apply
methods of
identifying and
reconciling
inconsistent and
conflicting objectives
and drivers that
develop, maintain
mange relationships
and communication
Yes, the questions are relevant as it helps identify the conflicting
objectives and provides way to solve them. The project manager should
identify the prime objective and provide a high priority. Moreover, the
project manager should refocus the attention of the stakeholders into
the main goal. Furthermore, having a respectful and candid conversation
also aids in managing relationships.
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Description of
topics including
reading samples
Learning
outcomes of the
unit
Learnings from your experience, this and prior unit
reading, assignments
Supporting
documentation
including your
prior learning
with key
stakeholders.
Are any of the
activities above
relevant to your
reflections for the
learning outcomes
on the right
5. Explain the
consequences of
project delays,
disruptions, and
changes to planned
activities and the
methods for claims
variations, liquidated
damages, contract
entitlements, and
arbitration.
The consequences of delay were tremendous leading to huge cost
overrun as well as time overrun (Boateng, Chen & Ogunlana, 2015). The
cost estimated was US$5.5 billion but had an overrun of US$3 billion.
Furthermore, the project was 19 months delayed. The changes to
planned activities such as incorporation of air conditioners also
incremented the cost about US$200 million and above. Moreover, the
initial planning was not proper.
Boateng, P., Chen, Z., &
Ogunlana, S. O. (2015).
An Analytical Network
Process model for risks
prioritisation in
megaprojects. Internatio
nal Journal of Project
Management, 33(8),
1795-1811.
Are any of the
activities above
relevant to your
reflections for the
learning outcomes
on the right
6. Evaluate project
management tools
that help avoid or
provide conflict
resolution via
negotiated solutions.
The initial planning as a tool helps to identify the risk factors and also
provides mitigations against such risks. Moreover, the selection of a
project manager would also help in managing the conflicts among the
stakeholders with the help of negotiated solution such as flooding of the
channel if any suspected activity would be noted. Meetings should be
conducted to identify the success of the project.
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References
Boateng, P., Chen, Z., & Ogunlana, S. O. (2015). An Analytical Network Process model for risks prioritisation in megaprojects. International Journal of Project
Management, 33(8), 1795-1811.
Siebenmann, R., Yu, H. T., & Bachus, R. (2015). UCIMS: Advances in geotechnical construction and performance monitoring. Journal of Rock Mechanics and
Geotechnical Engineering, 7(2), 207-212.
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