Project Risk Management by Job Description
Scenario:
You work for a major defense contractor. Your company prepared and submitted a bid for a recent Department of Defense RFP, entitled Automated Mobile Defense System (AMDS). You have been assigned to lead Project X, which will design, develop, test, demonstrate and deploy 10 AMDS units to a location to be determined by the DoD assuming a successful demonstration. This project is expected to take at least 5 years to complete at a cost of $1.5 billion. If you are successful and deliver a quality product on time and within budget, the DoD will order 150 more AMDS units at a price of $10 million per unit. The goal of Project X is to develop a defense system to protect major and strategic cities within the US in the event of a missile attack from a hostile nation. It is to be a redundant system; the last in a series of defensive weapons to be used only in the event that all other defensive systems have failed; when enemy ABMs are approaching the US and only AMDS is left to take them down.
The conceptual design for the AMDS that your company submitted in response to the RFP consists of a mobile housing unit (MHU) containing 20 anti-ballistic missiles (ABMs) based on a radically new design; an anti-missile control computer (AMCC) used to automatically target and deploy the ABMs; and a retrofitted detection device (code name: SKYEYE) built on proven, patented radar technology which your company owns. All of these devices: the ABMs, the AMCC and SKYEYE will be completely housed in the MHU, which is planned to be an enhanced18-wheel tractor-trailer. A self-contained power source (for the ABMs) and solar charged batteries for the AMCC and SKYEYE make the entire AMDS portable and completely automatic (no personnel are required to operate any of the systems). However, military personnel on a regular basis will perform routine system monitoring and maintenance, preferably from a remote site. On-site maintenance should only be needed on rare occasions expected to arise from unforeseen events such as earthquake, tornados, ice storms, etc. Should it become necessary, military personnel will move the AMDS to a location known only to them. While it was not included in the design accepted by the DoD, your company would like to be able to provide additional capability with the system: they would like the AMDS to be able to operate while it is being moved.
You are the project manager and oversee the efforts of over a dozen nuclear scientists, engineers, and technology professionals. Many of them are acquainted with the rudiments of project management, but very few know much about project risk management. You'll need to do some education along with managing schedule, budget and scope.
Project area needing assistance/guidance
Even though you are the project manager and the one ultimately responsible for planning and implementing the project plan, you believe that risk management is "everybody's business." Your team understands what risk management is; you want to take them a step further and have them integrate risk management into their roles and responsibilities. Draft a memo outlining your ideas how the following team members could integrate risk management into their jobs:
Nuclear scientist
Engineer
Technologist/programmer
Research associate
Facilities supervisor
The project that our organization is soon to be embarking is a multi-million dollar project which has the ability to affect a large magnitude of individuals within the nation. As it is a Homeland Mobile Defense System which is to protect the citizens of our country in the event of destruction/war. However, it can also boost the economy through increased revenue, jobs and other aspects. But these areas and the project does not come with risks. I am just unclear as to how to "integrate" risk into the roles of the above individuals to formulate a proper 2 page memo with the proper attention that it deserve. As risk management is essential to every project and should be part of all members roles to assist in the successful outcome of the project. It will assist in this scenario in decreasing the chance for loss of life, decreased reputation, loss of jobs, and loss of revenue. But any assistance or guidance would be greatly appreciated!