Introduction
This is a practical case study in the Department of Defense in the United States about a failed project. The project in question was the DOS LAMP-H project, whose main mission was to establish amphibian aircraft capable of moving over land and water. The project aimed to establish aircraft that could be used to offer logistic requirements to various areas of interest in different parts of the world. Watt (2014) defines stakeholders as individuals or groups of people who are directly or indirectly impacted by a given project. The case study shows a scenario where a project fails due to various influences from different stakeholders and changes in management. This paper will discuss the various stakeholders involved in the DOD LAMP-H project, analyze the stakeholders involved, and discuss changes in the stakeholders’ map in the project.
Project stakeholders before the implementation
The DOD LAMP-H project had a number of stakeholders involved before the implementation of the Program Executive officer. Indeed, Editorial Team (2022) defines stakeholder theory as the management method of an organization that addresses the ethics, goals, vision, and mission of the firm. Stakeholders who were in the project before the implementation of PEO were senior financial executives, the Army, and the functional managers. To be specific, the stakeholders in the program were the Troop support command, the Army material command, and the Department of Army staff.
Analysis of the stakeholders’ influence
The DOD LAMP-H project had a number of players from both internal and external environments. According to Teamwork (n.d), internal stakeholders are groups of individuals within an organization with a direct interest and influence on a project. On the other hand, external stakeholders are people outside an organization who are indirectly affected by the project. Watt (2014) defines a project team as a group comprising both internal and borrowed personnel in a given project. The following is a list of stakeholders in the project, the potential of their cooperation, and the strategies adopted;
Senior financial executives– These were the top management officials in the project who were constantly seeking to reallocate funds justified by the project manager. These groups of individuals had a worrying opinion about the project and were a threat to the development of the project and its initial stages. This issue can be fixed through having a clear vision and mission of a project and ensuring that all stakeholders are on the same page.
Functional managers– These groups of individuals in the project were specifically concerned with protecting their interest in the project. To be specific, they were concerned about the full compliance of all the regulatory requirements before executing the project. A potential threat of full compliance implies that the project may take too long to be executed, hence consuming a lot of time and resources. This issue could be resolved through managerial conflict management to ensure that the top officials sail on the same boat.
Army material command– command-This particular group in the project ensured that all the funds allocated for watercraft project managers were fully utilized. This is a positive to the project since it reduces the embezzlement of the allocated funds.
T-School-This particular stakeholder was an external stakeholder concerned with supporting the analysis of the outcome of the project. To be specific, T-School assisted in the timely completion of the required operational capability (ROC) document.
Watercraft R&D Center of the external stakeholders tasked with the duty of offering technical specification development in the project.
Changes in the stakeholders’ map
Upon implementation of the Program Executive Officer, two major significant changes occurred in the project. The implementation of a project manager in the project helps to resolve various conflicts that may arise from different parties involved (Watt, 2014). The two specific changes that occurred in the project were filling the PEO position by a senior Department of Army staff member who needed to gain experience. In addition to this, several positions within the Army department were established to provide executive sponsorship for the project. Secondly, a major change occurred in the leadership structure where all PECs were placed to be in charge of all projects. These changes affected the project negatively since the appointed PEOs needed to gain experience in project management.
Conclusion
In summary, the case study shows a practical scenario of stakeholder management failure. Stakeholders in any given project play a vital role in the success of a project. However, their influence can only bear fruits if they are properly managed and instructed. In the project, various stakeholders had differences in opinion and viewpoint. Some stakeholders were given various posts in which they needed to gain experience. This implies that stakeholder management is a critical consideration that project managers should consider before executing a project.
Reference
Indeed Editorial Team (2022). What Is Stakeholder Theory? (With Benefits and an Example). Indeed. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/stakeholder-theory
Teamwork (n.d). Project stakeholders: Who are they, and why are they important? https://www.teamwork.com/project-management-guide/project-stakeholders/
Watt, A. (2014, August 14). Project management. BCcampus. http://opentextbc.ca/projectmanagement/. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
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