In this assignment, you are to play the role of an expert on managing major programs. Assume the following lengthy article that appeared in the Boston Globe comprises a report you have received about the Big Dig project in Boston, one of the costliest and most politically charged major programs in history. You should read the report with a measure of skepticism – the writer is neither an expert in managing major programs, nor a disinterested third party observer of events. Still, the “report” is filled with interesting facts that certainly indicate that we are dealing here with a trouble-filled program.
When you have done reading the report, please address the following questions:
1. In summary, what does the report’s author blame for the problems encountered on the Big Dig project?
2. As an expert, to what extent do you think the author has got things right? Based on your knowledge of what it takes to manage major programs, how would you summarize what went wrong with this project?
3. To what extent do you feel that if the Big Dig had followed the US Department of Defense approach to managing major programs it would have been more successful? What problems might arise in trying to employ the US Do D approach?
4. What lessons can be derived from the Big Dig experience that can be shared with individuals and organizations that are about to begin work on a major program?
