Project Management Report: NBN Project Failure Analysis and Solutions

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the National Broadband Network (NBN) project in Australia, focusing on the reasons behind its failure to meet initial goals and stay within budget and schedule. It employs project management tools such as the Goal Tree, Current Reality Tree (CRT), and Evaporating Clouds to dissect the project's objectives, identify root causes of undesirable effects (UDEs), and explore potential solutions to conflicts. The analysis reveals issues such as lack of accountability, ineffective strategies, and political influences as key factors contributing to the project's challenges, ultimately hindering its progress and necessitating a re-evaluation of its objectives and management approach. The report concludes that while some aspects of the project, such as budget overruns, are irreversible, focusing on schedule recovery through intensified task management and conflict resolution is crucial for eventual project completion. Desklib offers a platform to explore similar project management assignments and resources for students.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Contents
PROJECT MANAGEMENT.........................................................................................5
TASK 1...........................................................................................................................5
NBN Project...........................................................................................................................5
Project Goal............................................................................................................................5
Is the project purpose clear?...................................................................................5
What are the necessary conditions to achieve the goal?........................................6
Are they defined at a minimum mandatory level?.................................................6
GOAL TREE..........................................................................................................................6
TASK 2...........................................................................................................................8
Causes of Undesirable Effects of Project...............................................................................8
Issues......................................................................................................................8
Issues to Causes......................................................................................................8
Ultimate Root Cause..............................................................................................8
CURRENT REALITY TREE................................................................................................8
TASK 3.........................................................................................................................11
Core Difficult Issue..............................................................................................................11
Assumptions of Conflicts.....................................................................................................11
EVAPORATING CLOUDS................................................................................................11
CONCLUSION............................................................................................................14
REFERENCES.............................................................................................................15

PROJECT MANAGEMENT
TASK 1
NBN Project
The broadband access network of NBN establishes the broadband
connection with the service providers of telephone and domestic transmission
networks and international networks.
Project Goal
National Broadband Network has initiated the project with the intention
of providing faster and wider geographically covered area within Australia
(NBN CO, 2016). Technically, the goal of NBN is to provide broadband access
with 50 Mbps peak wholesale download, at minimum, to 90% of subscribers of
Fixed Line Network and minimum of 25 Mbps of peak wholesale download
speed to all premises.
Is the project purpose clear?
The purpose of the NBN project is clear in terms of technical aspects,
however, the in practical implementation, there are many obstacles and
diversities that have not been considered to the extent needed. The term
universal connectivity that has been used, is subjective term, with no
boundaries. The objective of the project has gone subjective, which cannot be
measured against validating its success. And making the digital distinction
between young & old and city and & country are also unclear and the terms

have many limitations, in the definitions of them, apart from making digital
distinction between Australia and rest of the world.
What are the necessary conditions to achieve the goal?
The entire Australia, which has diversified weathers, people, cultures,
land geography etc., must be considered and the following conditions are to be
considered.
1. The complex infrastructure must be designed for varied geographical
conditions.
2. Effective Project Management
3. The forecast design must be realistic.
4. The forecast budget must be realistic.
5. The forecast schedule must be realistic.
6. The forecast plan must be realistic.
7. Geographical and cultural limitations are to viable.
8. The budget of the project and its worth must be matching.
Are they defined at a minimum mandatory level?
There are a very few mandatory levels that are set.
1. Download speed for each domain
2. Budget estimation, which has gone far beyond
3. Schedule estimation, which also has gone far beyond
GOAL TREE
Goal tree is an intermediate objectives map represented as a graphical
form. The tree consists of NC (Necessary Conditions) followed by the CSF
(Critical Success Factors), arranged in an order of logical hierarchy. The tree

enables the users to establish the system’s basis for successful completion of
analysis.
GOAL TREE
NBN Project Goal -To
provide potential
broadband connection
Effective design for
infrastructure
Appropriate design
methods and tools
Viable design
according to the
geographical area and
cultures
Detailed and viable
blueprint
Realistic project plan
Viable to meet the
objective
Logically structured
Effective project
management
Accountability of
Project Manager
Effective PM
Leadership skills
Proper coordination of
and communicaiton
with stakeholders
Realistic monitoring
and control
Realistic design
According to the
requirement
According to the
viability
Realistic Budget
Proper estimation of
resources and expenses
Balance between
budget delivery and
schedule
According to
possibility of budget
Realistic Schedule
According to
Availability of
resources
According to budget
delivery
Viable plans for varied
expansive geographical
areas and cultures
Varied plans to diverse
geographical areas
Varied plans according
to cultures
Project to be worth
budget
Proper feasibility study
Proper estimation of
complexities and
obstacles
Project
Resource
Project
Quali
Scop
Accou

Figure: Goal Tree of NBN Project
TASK 2
Causes of Undesirable Effects of Project
Issues
The strategic review of the NBN project for internet broadband
connection in Australia reveals that the project and its progress is seriously
hindered with over-budget and behind-schedule issues primarily.
Issues to Causes
The causes for these issues are basically, from the changing of
governments and so handing over of the accountability. When the project
sponsor, who announced the project is replaced by some other X project
sponsor, it becomes a burden, rather than motive to fulfil the promise and get
the reputation (DoC&A, 2016).
Ultimate Root Cause
The ultimate root causes for the issues stated above are basically, ‘lack of
accountability by project sponsor and lack of effective strategy’.
CURRENT REALITY TREE
The NBN project has exceeded the budget, much beyond the budget set,
at the time of commencement of the project and yet the project is not possible or
estimated to be completed by even by end of year, 2020. The tool, current

reality tree helps to find the project’s current reality, especially, which are in
unfavourable conditions. The tool helps to identify the complex problem’s root
cause, through analysis of the Undesirable Effects or UDE. Cause and effects
can be explored through these UDEs. The philosophy of ‘cause and effect’ is
believed by the people that every effect is stemmed from a cause. So, when the
root cause is identified, it saves the efforts and time to a great extent, like time
and effort spent to working out on the symptoms, rather than working on the
root cause. Hence, UDE in the project can help finding the CRT

Project Issues
Delay
Mis-focus
Ineffective
Project
Management
Inadequate
proejct
experience
Inappropriate
project strategy
Lack of
Committment
Ineffective
Project
Management
Less seriousness
Missing
Accountability
Varied Interests
Focus on
multiple interests
Missing
Accountability
Over-budget
Unrealistic
estimation
Ineffective
project
management and
plan
Inadequate
experience
Lack of viable
and propero
strategy
Changing plans
Unrealistic
design
Unrealistic
strategy
Ineffective
project
management
Strategy Issues
Changing
resources
Unrealistic
requiremnet
estimation
Inadequate
experience of
PM

PM
Figure: Current Reality Tree of NBN Project
TASK 3
Core Difficult Issue
Though there are two basic issues found because of the ineffective progress
of the project, over-budget and behind-schedule, the major issue that can be dealt
further to complete the project is only recovery of the schedule, though the over-
budget cannot be decreased, since the expenditure is irreversible. The only difficult
issue to work out is the behind schedule, by intensify and multiplex the tasks, to
decrease the overall delay of the project. Though accountability and ineffective
strategy are the two primary root causes of the project, the conflict that resulted the
accountability issue has to be investigated.
Assumptions of Conflicts
The primary conflicts are political influences, as it is evident from the fact
there cannot be issues of technology or issues of workforce available in a
developed country, like Australia. The political conflict has to be resolved with the
intervene of the higher authorities, like Prime Minister or Judicial Head to set
realistic deadline to ensure that the project is completed within that deadline set.
EVAPORATING CLOUDS
No matter it is a project or an organizational system, any conflicts, no matter
are invisible or clear and visible. Once the conflict is identified and discovered, the

PM
first attempt must be done to resolve the conflict, otherwise, if the conflict is
remained to be unresolved the progress of the project would be seriously hindered.
The components of the conflict can be identified easily through Evaporating Cloud
(ED) and is done through logical assumptions examination and converting the
assumptions to the solution. Usually, any conflict can be resolved with one of the
three results, win-win, win-lose or compromise.
The objective of the NBN internet broadband project is intended to provide
the faster internet access, covering the entire Australia, penetrating, even in the
deep rural areas. The objective is so vast and wider the project estimation has been
done, without thinking big. Apart from that the total project is well influenced and
has been changed in multiple hands, with political dynamics. Hence, the conflicts
have caused the hinder of the project seriously. w
D: Ensure no
political intervene for
natural course of the
B: For natural
course of project
with no negative
A: Project
Completion within a
new set deadline D1: Ensure
serious political
intervention to set
deadline with
C: Entire
project in control of the
political power and

PM
Figure: Evaporating Clouds
The objective of project to be fulfilled and completed, Project Completion
within a new set deadline, it needs For natural course of project to complete with
no negative political effects and to get that done, it must Ensure no political
invention for natural course of the project. However, for Project Completion within
a new set deadline, it needs, Entire project in control of the political power and
ensure to complete in time and it must ensure serious political intervention to set
deadline with accountability. However, it cannot be both Ensure no political
intervention for natural course of the project or Ensure serious political
intervention to set deadline with accountability.
REL
ATION
ASSUMPTION INJECTION
B-D 1. The progress of the project
will take natural course, as
budget allocation, fund
rising will not be a
problem
2. There is also possibility
that the task may take
much more of
complications, as the
project may lose its
importance.
When political
intervention is avoided, it
means that the project progress
will follow the natural course.
It means that politicians do
influence the progression of
the project.
D –
D1
1. Political intervention,
though difficult, need a
strong project
No political intervention
makes the entire project to be
independent of the political

PM
management and project
sponsorship.
2. No political intervention
also makes the process of
fund rising and budget
allocation to be doubtful
or inadequate to be done
timely.
3. No political intervention
also passion and motive to
perform the individual
tasks.
dynamics in the nation, and the
delay may continue, as a result
of no accountability
C-D1 1. Higher authority will take
a call, to ensure the
progress of the project
time to time.
2. Also possible that the
opposition creates
hindrances, to stop the
project then.
3. It is most likely to
complete much before the
targeted schedule, when it
is taken as a prestigious
project.
Serious political
intervention, usually with
regular follow up and criticism
by the opposition and public
stakeholders
Table: Evaporating Clouds
CONCLUSION
The tools, Goal Tree, Current Reality Tree and Evaporating Clouds are the
important and potential tools to help to assess the goals and progress of the project,
exploring the root causes of hindering issues and the relative conditions, as well as
exploring the solutions to resolve the conflicts. These tools are applied and
explored for the NBN project that has been one of the biggest concerned mega

PM
projects with more 50 billions of the budget so far and yet the project is far to
complete the tasks.
REFERENCES
DoC&A. (2013). NBN Co Strategic Review Released. Department of
Communication and Arts. Australian Government. Retrieved April 26,
2018, from https://www.communications.gov.au/departmental-news/nbn-
co-strategic-review-released
NBN CO. (2016). NBN Purpose. NBN Co. Retrieved April 26, 2018, from
https://www.nbnco.com.au/corporate-information/about-nbn-co/our-
purpose.html