The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is working with a diverse set of partners and stakeholders as it replaces and reconfigures the aging Seattle Multimodal Ferry Terminal at Colman Dock, all while the terminal remains operational. This multimodal ferry terminal is the largest in the system, providing two service routes to over 8.5 million people annually. The facility also serves two passenger-only routes operated by King County. Pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as several types of vehicles use the terminal, including cars, high occupancy vehicles, and transit.
To facilitate effective project planning and execution, WSDOT is using a product developed through the second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2), called Project Management Strategies for Complex Projects (R10). The product provides a systematic and collaborative approach that goes beyond traditional project management methods. It accelerates decision making, addresses complex issues, and expedites project delivery. The product has helped WSDOT assess the project and address complex issues such as public safety, environmental protection, and stakeholder impacts and concerns, from the planning stages through delivery.
Figure 1
Project Snapshot: The Seattle Multimodal Ferry Terminal at
Colman Dock Project
The SHRP2 Solution: Project Management Strategies for Complex Projects
Project Management Strategies for Complex Projects was the tenth research project in the SHRP2 Renewal Focus Area and is also known as Renewal 10 (R10). The R10 product guides project teams through five dimensions of project management (5DPM): cost, schedule, technical requirements, finance, and context, expanding on the traditional three-dimensional process (cost, schedule, technical requirements). Using R10's planning methods and execution tools, WSDOT (1) quantified the level of complexity in each of the five dimensions of the Seattle Multimodal Ferry Terminal project, (2) applied the planning methods to the most complex areas, and (3) developed action plans and identified potential execution tools to address complexities.
A key benefit of this product is that project managers can apply it to highway projects of varying sizes and types. This characteristic allows project managers to proactively and effectively identify project complexities and develop action plans to determine rational resource allocations and guide project planning and implementation. Furthermore, the 5DPM process may be repeated periodically throughout the project lifecycle to continually monitor complexity and re-allocate resources as necessary.
To learn more, visit : www.fhwa.dot.gov/GoSHRP2/Solutions/Renewal/R10 or contact Carlos F. Figueroa, P.E. at carlos.figueroa@dot.gov.
WSDOT's Colman Dock project team applied Project Management Strategies for Complex Projects during a demonstration workshop. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) hosted the workshop in order to:
Through the R10 workshop, the WSDOT team learned to effectively identify and address issues earlier in the project's development, and determined to conduct a second project risk assessment including an evaluation of the context issues that could impact the project. The workshop also helped WSDOT better understand the complex stakeholder landscape by bringing to the table at an early stage representatives from FHWA, Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Washington State Ferries (WSF), and the design consultant.
The Ferry Terminal at Colman Dock is a multimodal hub that serves and affects a variety of stakeholders. This is one of the factors that influences the success of this complex project. Using the R10 process, the WSDOT team identified other success factors within each of the five dimensions of project management (5DPM): cost, schedule, technical, finance, and context. Then they quantified the level of complexity for each dimension on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 representing the greatest possible complexity and 50 representing an average level. The team plotted each dimension's relative level of complexity on a pentagon-shaped graph that provided an overall complexity area rating of 11,674. This graph, shown in Figure 2, is a tool to visualize the 5DPM complexity as determined by the project team. A maximum possible rating area is 24,000 (if all five dimensions are rated 100) and an average rating area is 6,000 (if all five dimensions are rated 50). The team identified the following dimensions as significantly more complex:
The 5DPM method illustrated in this case study can be applied as a benchmark starting before a project's implementation, and periodically throughout the project's development stages. By identifying the greatest complexity at various points in time, project managers are empowered to allocate resources to the most complex dimension at that particular time.
Figure 2
2015 Complexity Map Colman Dock
Area = 11,674
To learn more, visit http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/GoSHRP2/Solutions/Renewal/R10 or contact:
"The product and workshop emphasize more than the scope, schedule, and budget. Context isn't always given consideration, but it's very important... The product gets people on board and thinking about these areas, including project finance."
- Stephen Levengood, Washington State Ferries
The workshop program provides a collaborative environment to promote team communication and decision making. Successful workshops involve representatives from each of the project areas, such as environmental, geotechnical, and construction engineers, to ensure the team addresses all levels of project complexity.
Once the WSDOT team identified the project complexities and developed the complexity map, it applied the five R10 methods to better manage the project.
| Method | Examples of Team Insights |
|---|---|
| Define critical project success factors |
|
| Assemble project team |
|
| Select project arrangements |
|
| Prepare early cost model and finance plan | The team mapped the project's cash inflow and outflow and
identified secured and unsecured funding sources. After the
exercise, the team:
|
| Develop project action plans |
|
Next, the WSDOT team developed action plans to manage the identified
areas of complexity. They considered each of the 13 R10 project
execution tools listed below and selected (
) 9, which they used
to create 7 action plans.
1. Incentivize Critical Project Outcomes
2. Develop Dispute Resolution Plan
3. Perform Comprehensive Risk Analysis
4. Identify Critical Permit Issues
5. Evaluate Applications of Off-Site Fabrication
6. Determine Required Level of Involvement in ROW/Utilities
7. Determine Work Package/Sequence
8. Design to Budget
9. Co-Locate Team
10. Establish Flexible Design Criteria
11. Evaluate Flexible Financing
12. Develop Finance Expenditure Model
13. Establish Public Involvement Plan
Figure 3 outlines the 5DPM process for developing action plans.
Figure 3
The Development of a 5DPM Action Plan for WSDOT
Figure 3 illustrates the development of one of WSDOT's 7 action plans.
 |
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 5DPM Complexity Dimension | Critical Success Factor | Selected Project Execution Tools | Action Plan |
| Technical | Ensure constructability |
|
Review contractor's means and methods to:
|
FHWA will provide the following support:
WSDOT will continue to use R10 leading up to the construction phase, scheduled to begin in 2017. However, the project team has already benefitted from the product by:
The second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2) is a national
partnership of the Federal Highway Administration, the American Association
of State Highway and Transportation Officials, and the Transportation
Research Board. Together, these partners conducted research and are
deploying resulting products to help the transportation community enhance
the productivity, boost the efficiency, increase the safety, and improve
the reliability of the Nation's highway system.
The Washington State Department of Transportation applied Project Management Strategies for Complex Projects (R10) on the Seattle Multimodal Ferry Terminal at Colman Dock project as part of the SHRP2 Implementation Assistance Program.
