QHO531 Project Management: Reflective Case Study of 2012 Olympics

This report analyzes the 2012 Olympics infrastructure project, focusing on the role of projects in delivering organizational strategy, the processes for initiating, planning, and managing projects, and evaluating stakeholder management, risk analysis, benefits, and decision-making. Task 1 discusses the role of projects in achieving organizational goals and the importance of aligning project objectives with the overall strategy. It emphasizes the need for clear objectives, skilled employees, and regular performance measurement. Task 2 delves into the specifics of the 2012 Olympics infrastructure, highlighting the construction of structures, bridges, and highways to facilitate access to the games, along with the development of an Energy Centre and Pumping Station. It also addresses stakeholder management, governance, monitoring progress, and the benefits of the Olympics, including job creation and economic stimulus. The report concludes with recommendations for future projects, emphasizing sustainability, stakeholder engagement, and risk mitigation.

The 2012 Olympics
Infrastructure

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Task 1...............................................................................................................................................3
The role of projects in delivering organisational strategy......................................................3
The process for initiating, planning and managing projects...................................................4
Task 2...............................................................................................................................................6
The 2012 Olympics Infrastructure..........................................................................................6
Recommendations..................................................................................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10
Books and Journals...............................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Project management is the process that helps the team members to attain goals and
objectives. The information is present in the form of documents that support the development
process (Ika and et.al., 2020). In this report, there is discussion related to “The 2012 Olympics
Infrastructure”. The role of projects in achieving the organisation goals are part of this report.
Along with that, the overall process of initiating, planning and managing projects is discussed in
the report. To check the effectiveness of the project there is evaluation of the stakeholder
management, risk analysis, benefits and decision making in the project.
MAIN BODY
Task 1
The role of projects in delivering organisational strategy
The project must be commenced by with the clear view of deliverables. The objective must
be clearly defined and by focusing on the project success can be attained. The decisions of the
project must be based on maximising the profits of the organisation. The project must be
prioritized by selecting right goals and setting portfolio (Picciotto, 2020). The delivery of the
project can be done successfully with the help of skilled employees. The result must also be
measured on regular basis so that cot, scope and time is adhered.
Projects that are undertaken by the organisation must met with their strategy. The end result
of the project must be related to the overall strategy of the organisation. It is seen that the
organisation selects group of people who will work together to attain success of the business.
There is need to conduct proper research and know about the needs and wants of the business
organisation. By working effectively, the organisational strategy can be accomplished. The
management of project must be done in such a manner that systematic goals and objectives can
be attained. The delivery of each and every stage of the project must be done in proper manner
so that the success of project is attained. The group of people must work together and not only
focus on the individual goals but on the organisational goals. There is key role of the employees
that are working in the project. So, they must be provided with proper training so that all of them
are able to work carefully.
There is key role of project in delivering the organisational strategy. The scope of project
must be designed in such a manner that the organisation is able to attain strategy. The objectives

of the organisation must be clearly mentioned so that the project goals can be aligned with the
same. It is necessary to motivate the team members so that they are dedicated and work with full
potential and attain success (Tereso and et.al., 2019). The managers of the company must initiate
the project with setting and defining clear goals. There is need of proper planning and better
understanding of goals and objectives so that success can be achieved.
All the resources must be used wisely so that the profitability position of the organisation
can also be achieved. It is seen that budget must also be approved by the organisational team in
the starting of the project. It will necessarily help them to stick on the same and align the success
with the strategy of the organisation. The time must also be decided and the deadlines must be
adhered. All this helps the company to carry on the work properly and will full enthusiasm that
makes the work to be completed successfully. All the opportunities must be grabbed properly
and actions must be taken so that the success of the project is attained.
The process for initiating, planning and managing projects
To carry on a project there are certain stages that must be followed. It is important to follow
all the stage as they result in successful completion of the project. It is necessary to work
effectively in each and every stage so that there is no problem. It not easy to manage the projects
and handle them (Müller, Drouin and Sankaran, 2019). By following all the stages
systematically, the success of project can be attained. The five phases of project are mentioned
below:
Project initiation: It is the very first stage in the project that deals in setting abstract of the
project. A business case is being developed in this stage so that the needs of the project can be
analysed. Project charter is being formulated in the first stage of the project that includes goals,
budget and timeline of the project. The discussion related to stakeholders of the project are being
evaluated and the way of communicating with the is also mentioned. It is one of the important
step in the project management.
Project Planning: In the project planning stage there is requirement of creating a roadmap
for the project. The use of all the resources is done and the smart objectives are formulated. It is
necessary to set clear objectives and communicate the same with all the people included in the
project (Bjorvatn and Wald, 2018). The scope of the project is also defined in this step and the
project managers divide the work in small task. Work breakdown structure is being created that
visualise the entire project and the scenario in front of team members. All of them work together

to carry on the project and set the time lines. Along with that in this stage the project
communication plan with schedule of communication with the relevant stakeholders is also
analysed. This equation is another important aspect of this stage (Aanbari and Kwak, 2018). By
exploring past events the potential risk is identified and a strategy is developed to minimise the
risk. Change management plan is also designed so that it can be used in in case of requirement.
The use of agile methodology is important part of this stage.
Project execution: In this stage, the team members execute and implement the actual
work. There is need of efficient workers that are managed by project managers so that work is
undertaken properly. The progress of the team must be measured on regular basis. The project
stakeholders must be consistently interacted so that they are aware about all the actions that are
being taken by them. All the issues that are being faced are solved so that the project runs
smoothly. The overall work must be done with the help of proper project collaboration tools that
are available. This enhances the efficiency of the team and objectives are achieved effectively.
Project monitoring and control: This is stage goes hand in hand with the project
execution. It is important to monitor and control the steps taken by project members at each and
every stage so that the success can be measured. To achieve the objectives and project
deliverables it is necessary to keep on controlling all the steps that are being taken. The project
manager needs to set critical success factors as well as key performance indicators and keep
track on them. It is the responsibility of manager to tackle the efforts and cost being used at the
time of project (Copola Azenha, Aparecida Reis and Leme Fleury, 2021). By checking the
budget requirements and completion of activities within right time the success of the project can
be checked. It is important to learn from the project and use the same in future projects as well.
Project Closing: It is the final stage in project management. This stage indicates closure
of the project and its final delivery. All the work is successfully completed and meeting takes
place to discuss the success of the project.
By carrying on all the stages properly the success of project is undertaken properly. There
is need to follow all the stages in systematic manner and with full focus so that the objectives set
can be attained. Each and every stage is necessary and there is need of project management to
attain success of the project.

Task 2
The 2012 Olympics Infrastructure
Project context: The biggest task here was to build structures, bridges, and highways so
that access to the 2012 games. It is important to take care of all the areas that will facilitate to
enhance the overall growth of the infrastructure. There is need to develop the infrastructure of
the place and allow transportation around numerous waterways and railways during the
construction process. The ODA built more than 30 new bridges in order to support the
infrastructural development (Borkovskaya, 2018). The notable new structure was to build 250-
m-long and 40-m-wide pedestrian bridge that provides main access Olympic park at the time of
games. It not only provides foot traffic to enter the park but also serves as the roof structure of
Zaha Hadid's Aquatics Centre training pool.
It is seen that, to meet the energy centre that is proper power, Colling and needs at the
time of 2012 ODA oversaw the development of an Energy Centre. The work was to utilize the
renewable energy and energy-efficient technology. It was located in west section of Olympic
Park and the plant is powered by natural gas. Another building that was build there was Pumping
station. Which conveys, collects, and removes waste water from the main venues in the Park and
from nearby residential developments. It also featured lantern at the top of its tower that was
used as a landmark for the nearby areas.
The development of physical infrastructure was important but at the same time the focus
was on developing technology. The expenses on IT was also made so that the complexities can
be removed. The IT systems were enhanced and new security networks were developed. This
helped to ensure accurate time for games and time results can be taken out. There was
development of score boards, and public announcement systems and utilizing new media
technologies to provide worldwide access to the Games.
Stakeholder management: The key stakeholders in 2012 Olympics Infrastructure were local
police, authorities, and emergency services, together with venue owners, sponsors, committees.
Managing all the stakeholders is important. They worked to involve them in decision making. It
is necessary to carry on the proper communication so that all the stakeholders can be managed.
All the vision and key responsibilities are being disclosed to them so that they are able to know
about each and every action can be undertaken effectively. They are interested in the information
of the infrastructure development. The delivery of all the essentials is done and the schedule is

also communicated to them. The success of the project can be achieved by managing all the
stakeholders properly and meeting their needs properly. It will help them to carry on the work
properly and help in decision making.
Governance & Monitoring progress: All the principles of governance were followed. No harm
was being caused to environment and the resources were used in optimum manner for the
success of the project. All the actions related to sustainability were followed by the team. It is
necessary to monitor the progress on regular basis so that all the problems can be analysed.
There is need to carry on proper research and monitoring on regular basis (Armenia and et.al.,
2019). The use of KPI is done and it helps to check the progress at the time of executing the
strategies and carrying on all the processes.
Outputs, outcomes and benefits; reporting and achievement: Below is discussion related to
the benefits of the Olympics:
 It helped to enhance the job opportunities as well as economic condition of the nation. It
was important at the time of reception as the private construction sector got a big boom
and the government spending was also enhanced. It provided job to various people at that
time.
 Olympics also boost the prestige of the country. The development in the infrastructure
was for the betterment of the nation and was an opportunity that was showcased to the
world. The image was enhanced and is a good example of non monetary benefits.
 It also boosts travel and tourism in the nation at that time. Not only at that time but also in
future period as well.
 All the infrastructural development was for the benefit of the nation. The developed
various technology as well as energy consumption was also enhanced. The parks and
stadiums were also beneficial for the nation. It also enhance the public transportation
system of that place (Costs and Benefits London Olympics 2012, 2017).
 It also encourages the sportsmanship in the nation and people started being conscious
about their health. It gave a boon to healthcare sector is well that results in fit and healthy
people of the nation.
Problem solving and decision making: It is seen that problems can arise at any time. There is
need of understanding the problems and taking right decision at that time. It is seen that the
project manager keeps on conducting research and analysing all the problems that arise. The

conflicts arise in between the progress of the project. By working according to all the solutions
the problems can be solved. It is necessary to know about the issue and then identify the root
cause so that right decisions can be made (Hair and Sarstedt, 2021). It is seen that by dealing
properly with the working people the tasks can be attained properly. There is need of solving the
problems and taking wise decisions for success of the project. There is certain risk that are also
part of the project and they must also be analysed so that proper actions can be taken. It is need
to work as per all the measures and bringing the project to success.
Recommendations
There is need of considering some points and factors that will lead to success of the project.
It is necessary to assure that the project is successful and overall goals and objectives can be
achieved. The points are discussed below:
 All the planning must be done in effective manner so that there is no problem in. All the
five phases of the project management plan must be followed in systematic manner as it
helps to achieve success.
 The time and budget of the project must also be analysed in the starting. All the resources
must be used in wise manner. it has to carry on the project within the available resources
and the profitability is also achieved.
 The employees must be given proper training so that they are able to work with full
potential. At the same time, they must be motivated as it enhances their efficiency and
timely completion of work is done.
 There are certain problems that encounter at the time of project. That must be timely
resolved so that there are no conflicts that arise among the members and they can work
back with full dedication and success can be achieved.

CONCLUSION
From the above report, it is concluded that project management must be done in such a
manner that organisational goals can be attained. Along with that all the phases in the project
management plan must be followed and are evaluated in the report. The discussion related to
2012 Olympics Infrastructure is done. The stakeholder analysis, proper management of the
project and benefits of project are mentioned in the report.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Aanbari, F.T. and Kwak, Y.H., 2018, June. Impact on project management of allied disciplines.
Project Management Institute.
Armenia and et.al., 2019. Sustainable project management: A conceptualization-oriented review
and a framework proposal for future studies. Sustainability, 11(9), p.2664.
Bjorvatn, T. and Wald, A., 2018. Project complexity and team-level absorptive capacity as
drivers of project management performance. International Journal of Project
Management, 36(6), pp.876-888.
Borkovskaya, V., 2018. Project management risks in the sphere of housing and communal
services. In MATEC Web of Conferences (Vol. 251, p. 06025). EDP Sciences.
Chofreh and et.al., The imperative and research directions of sustainable project
management. Journal of Cleaner Production, 238, p.117810.
Copola Azenha, F., Aparecida Reis, D. and Leme Fleury, A., 2021. The role and characteristics
of hybrid approaches to project management in the development of technology-based
products and services. Project Management Journal, 52(1), pp.90-110.
Hair, J.F. and Sarstedt, M., 2021. Explanation Plus Prediction—The Logical Focus of Project
Management Research. Project Management Journal, p.8756972821999945.
Ika and et.al., 2020. Cross-learning between project management and international development:
Analysis and research agenda. International Journal of Project Management, 38(8),
pp.548-558.
Müller, R., Drouin, N. and Sankaran, S., 2019. Modeling organizational project management.
Project Management Journal, 50(4), pp.499-513.
Picciotto, R., 2020. Towards a ‘New Project Management’movement? An international
development perspective. International Journal of Project Management, 38(8), pp.474-
485.
Tereso and et.al., 2019. Project management practices in private organizations. Project
Management Journal, 50(1), pp.6-22.
Online
Costs and Benefits London Olympics 2012, 2017. [Online] Available through:
<https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/1390/economics/costs-and-benefits-london-olympics-
2012/>