MANAGEMENT

Project Management



Project Management

Definition of a project

Before critically analyzing the Edinburgh Trams it is important to know what Project management is and what it constitutes. Project Management is said to be a discipline that entails planning of a project, organization of resources such as human resources and raw materials, securing it, managing people and activities, leading people and activities along with controlling people and activities in order to achieve goals, be they long term or short term (Badiru, 2009, pp.23). A project is said to have a defined beginning and an end which is characterized with time constraints. Elimination or completion of a project leads to a productive change or an added value. Project management is said to be an application of competency (knowledge, skills and abilities) as well as tools and techniques in order to meet the goals and objectives in an effective and efficient manner. Accomplishments of goals lead to matching up of company standards as well as the satisfaction in relation to the stakeholders (Kousholt, 2007, pp. 23).

The three key elements which plays a crucial part in the success of Project management and which lacks here are time effectiveness, Team work and Absence of roadmap.

Brief History

The tram system of Edinburgh also known as Edinburgh Corporation Tramways was initiated in the year of 1871 and it was said to be decommissioned in the year of 1956. The transport system entails services such as the buses as well as the rail lines. Later, 2 bills were then submitted to the parliament of Scotland and it was mail to have a reintroduction of the network of Tram in Edinburgh. The bills were said to be passed in the year of 2006 and were then received in May. There were a lot of problems that had arise which led to the abandoning of the project (www.edinburghtramfacts.com).

Critical scrutiny

The projects future was at stake in the year of 2007 when the SNP which is the Scottish National party had published the manifesto for the election and the premise was to cancel the scheme which entails the airport rail link of Edinburgh so that 1.1 billion pounds could be saved. There were politicians who defended the Edinburgh project but it was Wendy Alexander who said that the costs in relation to the infrastructure as well as the change in climate were out of control (James & Bowles, 2008, pp. 42).

A vote was done and a decision was made that public money will not be supplied if the project overran. A commission was developed to identify the costs but it turned out that the costs were sound. The cost in the beginning was £498 million and it was further funded with £375 million which was done by the government of Scotland and later £45 million was funded by council of Edinburgh. In 2007, approval was given and TIE contract was being signed by the CAF when it comes to supplying the vehicles as well as the BBS when it comes to the design, the ...