Project Management and the Discovery of the Titanic

How are April 14, 1912 and September 1, 1985 linked? The first is the last time the survivors of the Titanic saw her as she sank beneath the calm Atlantic Ocean on that fateful night and the second is the next time an expedition saw her at the bottom of the Atlantic at a depth of more than 2, 5 miles. led by Dr. Robert Ballard.

Early on the morning of the discovery, Dr. Ballard’s team aboard the research vessel, the Knorr, explored the surrounding seabed known to have been the site of the sinking 73 years earlier. The search was conducted with a sled-like device called the “Argo”, which was loaded with television cameras and towed just above the seabed in search of wreckage. Images sent back to the spacecraft were viewed “live” from a small cabin on the Knorr, watched for hours by ever-alert scientists. The search turned into incessant sweeps from one side of the ocean floor to the other, known as “mowing the grass.”

Early in the morning of September 1, 1985, the bottom of the seabed appeared to be a little different than usual, instead of endless curves and ripples of mud and sand, unusual markings, along with small bits of what were obviously was the man. Handmade debris began to appear before the stunned scientists glued to their screens. Before long, larger items came into view, including the Titanic’s massive boiler. The Titanic, elusive for so long and always considered part of the past, was now part of the present.

How is project management related to the discovery of the Titanic? Without him, the famous ship would never have been discovered. Let’s follow the 12-step project implementation success factor model related to the discovery of the Titanic.

Step 1. Get buy-in from senior management and establish metrics.

Project sponsors who fully supported the venture were the Woods Hole Deep Submergence Laboratory and the French Research Institute for Exploration.

Step 2. Select a competent project manager

Dr. Robert Ballard was selected as the project manager of the Woods Hole Deep Immersion Laboratory and Jean Jarry was selected from the French Institute to directly support Dr. Ballard. Both had extensive experience in previous attempts to locate the doomed ship.

Step 3. Select competent project team members and establish project metrics

The scientists were selected for this search mission with vast experience in this field and a wealth of knowledge in the use of state-of-the-art underwater visual imaging technology that ultimately made the location of the ship possible.

Step 4. Clearly define the scope and objectives of the project

The project manager clearly documented to the project team members the scope of the project, the business objectives and the expectations, that was it: find the Titanic!

Step 5. Ensure sufficient resource allocation

Before the search began at the Knorr, it was confirmed with the sponsors what resources would be required, including money, staff time, and equipment. Since this was going to be potentially very expensive and time consuming, a detailed outline was submitted to the sponsors for their review and approval.

Step 6. Develop a detailed project plan

On a daily basis there were innumerable tasks that needed to be done before doing any searching on the ocean floor. Project team members knew exactly who needed to complete each specific task as outlined by the project manager. And once all the equipment was in place and the ship was in the proper search quadrant, the project team members knew exactly who needed to perform specific tasks to complete that day’s search.

Step 7. Establish adequate communication channels

The project manager was responsible for communicating daily with project stakeholders. This information included the status of the search since that day and what would be the next steps to be completed the next day. The project manager would also speak directly to team members regarding any issues, problems, concerns, and successes.

Step 8. Initiate project control mechanisms

The project manager held daily project status meetings with team members to discuss any issues and successes from the previous day. Conflicts between team members were dealt with on the day of the problem by the project manager.

Step 9. Foster an open communication environment

The project manager created an environment with project stakeholders so that they could review project information and make suggestions to improve any component of the project. This prevented Woods Hole Lab and the French Institute from isolating themselves from the project.

Step 10. Celebrate project successes

Obviously, the discovery of the Titanic was the biggest success. However, in order to achieve this ultimate goal, there were many successes along the way, including, but not limited to, the success of the technology that allowed scientists to find the ship. Dr. Ballard and Mr. Jarry ensured that project team members were recognized for their accomplishments. This was important for team morale as they were in the Atlantic searching for 2 months before the Titanic was found.

Step 11. Carry out project closure

Finding the Titanic closed this part of the project. However, 12 months later, Dr. Ballard and his team returned to the wreck site in a deep-sea submersible to see the Titanic up close and personal.

As you can see, the discovery of the Titanic was due to a detailed and knowledgeable project manager, an experienced and task-oriented project team, and project sponsors who were just as dedicated to the success of the mission as everyone else. These elements are the fuel for the success of any project.