Write a short report illustrating an example of a project undertaken by a company, municipality, or non-profit organization

Assignment 1 D. Bowie

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Assignment 1: Developing a Cislunar Space Economy

Boston University

MET AD 642 Project Management

D. Bowie

(2018 Summer Term 1)

Assignment 1 D. Bowie

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Abstract

On October 19th, 2018 , United Launch Alliance referred to as “ULA”, announced

their partnership with Bigelow Aerospace to launch B330, a space habitat that will

reside in the lower orbit. This paper will explain the details of the project and ULA’s

involvement. We will evaluate how the company’s overarching core values align

with the mission of this project, while simultaneously assessing the Cislunar

economy business development opportunity. The results of my research will deem

this project a good fit for the company and my recommendation will be to continue

to pursue it. However, this paper will also point out the shortcomings of human

spaceflight in history, noting key lessons learned the company must be mindful of in

order to be successful in their future endeavor.

Contents Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2 B330 Project: Scope, Schedule, and Cost…………….………………………………………………………. 3 Mission, Vision, and Values: ULA v. B330…………………………………………………………………… 3 Cislunar Economy’s Impact and Justification………………………………………………………………. 5 Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 5 References:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 6

Assignment 1 D. Bowie

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B330 Project: Scope, Schedule, and Cost

As recently announced, ULA has joined forces with Bigelow Aerospace to develop a

commercial cislunar habitat that will operate as a depot in lower lunar orbit. The

project includes developing a payload with the following scope:

– Two docking systems ( aft and forward)

– Power generating capabilities

– EVA port for astronaut activity outside the spacecraft

– Deployable soft goods

The projected dimensions of the payload will be 6.7M (width) by 16.8M (length)

weighing 50,000 pounds with the ability to host 6 occupants. ULA will be

responsible for manufacturing the rocket in which B330 will be deployed on, the

services of successfully getting B330 to orbit, and ensuring the crew makes it to the

final destination safely. The project has been kicked off and the scheduled

completion date is projected to be in 2022, (Staff Writers, 2017).Because both

companies are privately held, no cost/ budget for this project was released. This

initiative will allow humans to explore space like never before, discovering the

benefits of human spaceflight, space resources, and space-based power

(Utrilla,2017).

Mission, Vision, and Values: ULA v. B330

Assignment 1 D. Bowie

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United Launch Alliance’s mission statement states, ” Save lives. Explore the universe.

Connect the world” (ULA, 2018). Whether it’s a GPS satellite providing direction to

our armed forces actively protecting us, or a weather satellite informing

meteorologists of the next natural disaster — the world benefits from ULA’s

products and services. As a former ULA employee, I can attest to the company’s

dedication to innovation and this mission. They are visionary, aiming to “harness

the potential of space for humanity “(ULA, 2018). Although often in the shadows of

their competitor, SpaceX, ULA has numerous projects in progress that are

revolutionizing the industry. ULA Cislunar 1000, is a separate initiative to support

1000 people living and working in space is among one of the examples (Utrilla,

2017). They are also in the critical design phase for their Vulcan rocket, part of their

“ Next Generation Launch System” that will be used to launch the B330 project.

George Sowers, the former Chief Scientist and VP of Advance Programs at ULA, was

deemed the industry expert on the CisLunar economy. He envisioned a propulsion

system based on materials in which can be derived from ice mined at the polar

regions of the Moon for sustainability. Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage (ACES)

and the XEUS lander, are the deliverables of that initiative (Sowers, 2016). As you

can see, ULA has been aligning their projects to support establishing a CisLunar

economy for quite some time now. B330 is one project in a series of projects in the

program designed to develop and sustain life in space. Due to this synergy, this

project is a good project for ULA to take on. In addition, with years of 100% mission

success, ULA provides the reliability a project of this magnitude needs.

Assignment 1 D. Bowie

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Cislunar Economy’s Impact and Justification

Although the benefits of a CisLunar economy are full of uncertainty, researchers

have reason to believe resources of interest in space are water for propellant and

consumables, metals, and platinum-group metals ( Utrilla,2017). The economy

growth is projected to be mainly through metal mining and on-orbit manufacturing.

Commercial tourism will also arise creating a whole new demand for space travel.

Furthermore, the increased interest in the CisLunar economy will increase demand

for rocket launches. In turn, the increased demand, allows ULA the opportunity to

increase their economies of scale to reduce the launch price. ULA has looked into

ride sharing that allows various stakeholders buy into a single launch, minimizing

the customer’s cost.

Conclusion

The research above concludes that the objective of this project strategically aligns

with United Launch Alliance’s mantra. After carefully evaluating the scope and

deliverables of the project I have concluded it is in ULA’s best interest to pursue this

project. It is crucial, however, to learn from mistakes of the past when it comes to

space travel. In 1986, NASA’s Challenger shuttle exploded within minutes of takeoff

due to a poor seal design, killing all seven crewmembers on board. Later in 2003,

the NASA’s Columbia shuttle exploded, resulting in another seven American

casualties. Both events were design flaws that the programs were aware of well

before each catastrophe (Mahler, 2010). The failure to learn led the teams to

Assignment 1 D. Bowie

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continue to operate a launch under unresolved engineering issues. It is important

the project managers and program managers at both ULA and Bigelow Aerospace

consider the quadruple constraint that poses this project, and weigh quality above

all else.

References

Mahler, J. (2010). Organizational Learning at NASA: The Challenger and Columbia

Accidents.Georgetown University Press,41(1), 119-121.

doi:10.1177/13505076100410010806

Staff Writers (2017). Bigelow and ULA team up to propose a B330 Habitat in Low Lunar

Orbit. UPI Space Daily

Sowers, G. F. (2016). A cislunar transportation system fueled by lunar resources.Space

Policy,37, 103-109. doi:10.1016/j.spacepol.2016.07.004

Utrilla, C. M. (2017). Establishing a framework for studying the emerging cislunar

economy.Acta Astronautica,141, 209-218. doi:10.1016/j.actaastro.2017.10.005

ASSIGNMENT 1 Davidsen

Boston University

MET AD 642 Project Management

(Year and Term)

Assignment 1

Rationale for Little Rock, Arkansas’ new Dog Park

Leif Davidsen

ASSIGNMENT 1 Davidsen

Executive Summary

The Executive Summary is a brief paragraph to summarize the report. Imagine you’re

your reader is a busy executive who wants the ‘elevator speech’ the main idea in short form. The

idea is not to tease them into reading the paper by saying what you will provide. That’s an

abstract. We do NOT want an abstract. Think of your audience. She or he wants the bottom

line exposed right here, not a promise, that “in this paper, I will describe….” NO! They want to

know (in this specific case) a little about the project you have selected and the connection of that

project to the mission/vision/values of the organization. The length should be about the same as

this paragraph.

Contents Executive Summary ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2

Description of the Little Rock XYZ Dog Park Project …………………………………………………………. 3

City of Little Rock – Mission, Vision, Values, and its connection to the Dog Park …………………. 4

Financial and Other Justification ………………………………………………………………………………………. 5

Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6

References: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6

ASSIGNMENT 1 Davidsen Description of the Little Rock XYZ Dog Park Project

You would use this area to describe the project you have selected. How big was it, how

much money, time, are involved, what is the scope of the project, who are the key stakeholders

(people who CARE about the project while it is under ‘construction’ and when it’s done and

providing its benefits). This will likely be about one page of text. Below is some filler text, in a

weird form of Latin, I suppose, just to show that length. Don’t forget to use references to show

where you found the information.

Justo erant quidam ei ius, nostrud dissentiunt accommodare no duo, pri prima deserunt consequat

ex. Ex vim reque graeci delenit, cum te paulo aliquam interpretaris. Cu ius hinc simul eligendi,

eu vim tale falli nostro. His quod eirmod in. Eum meis docendi et. Mea ut ridens electram, mea

accusata consectetuer ei.

Sale atqui intellegam sea eu. Nec cu essent apeirian, summo persius offendit ex est, nec sonet

exerci epicuri id. Torquatos percipitur ex eum. Duo iusto zril cetero in. Augue postea pertinax te

mel, ei sea ponderum maiestatis.

Nominati dissentiunt in cum. Cu tale simul antiopam pro, hinc nihil duo at, copiosae euripidis

vituperata eam ex. Qui alii molestiae elaboraret ex, iudico doctus elaboraret est eu, singulis

conceptam ad pri. Dolor accusam ne eum, illud essent audire id mea. Errem choro

comprehensam vim ex. Ea nonumy intellegam eam, magna illud discere sea eu.

ASSIGNMENT 1 Davidsen Ea eam suas diam disputando, dicant quodsi id mea. Commune imperdiet quo cu, pro ei graeco

habemus alienum. Nec no quaeque mandamus similique, nam essent urbanitas temporibus ut, et

usu justo malorum adipiscing. In vis facete facilisi assueverit. Esse justo ex has.

Duo illum similique id. Eu epicurei luptatum pro. Ei velit eirmod debitis has, ut vitae mentitum

vim. Te suscipit abhorreant has, omnis praesent intellegat ut quo. Purto voluptaria id qui, sit iusto

tractatos definitiones no.

City of Little Rock – Mission, Vision, Values, and its connection to the Dog Park

Little Rock city mission

It is our mission to ensure our City is a safe, secure, and prospering place for all to live,

work, and play. (Little Rock City website).

You may elaborate a bit more here, perhaps adding one or two more paragraphs expanding on

the mission, and/or adding values and vision statements. Again, phony Latin text illustrates the

approximate length.

Sale atqui intellegam sea eu. Nec cu essent apeirian, summo persius offendit ex est, nec sonet

exerci epicuri id. Torquatos percipitur ex eum. Duo iusto zril cetero in. Augue postea pertinax te

mel, ei sea ponderum maiestatis. Sale atqui intellegam sea eu. Nec cu essent apeirian, summo

persius offendit ex est, nec sonet exerci epicuri id. Torquatos percipitur ex eum. Duo iusto zril

cetero in. Augue postea pertinax te mel, ei sea ponderum maiestatis.

ASSIGNMENT 1 Davidsen

The connection to this project

This section IS IMPORTANT. Here you would show how the project FITS INTO the mission,

vision, and values of the organization. If the organization is focused on saving lives of dogs in

kill shelters, a space-shuttle launch would not be a very-well-connected project. A project,

however, to build a website for that dog-saving effort, would be a good fit. Similarly, the

development of a new type of rocket fuel by NASA may fit well into a space-shuttle launch, but

a new website for a dog-saving organization would not. This can be short but it should be very

powerful in terms of making that connection crystal clear. Some more phony text below

illustrates an expected length for this section.

In the case of the Little Rock Dog Park, you could explain that the establishment of the dog

park would fit neatly into the “play” part of “a safe, secure, and prospering place for all to live,

work, and play”.

The length

Duo illum similique id. Eu epicurei luptatum pro. Ei velit eirmod debitis has, ut vitae mentitum

vim. Te suscipit abhorreant has, omnis praesent intellegat ut quo. Purto voluptaria id qui, sit iusto

tractatos definitiones no. (Petropoulos 2016).

Nec no quaeque mandamus similique, nam essent urbanitas temporibus ut, et usu justo malorum

adipiscing. In vis facete facilisi assueverit. Esse justo ex has.

(Moon 2017).

Financial and Other Justification

ASSIGNMENT 1 Davidsen We learn about Net Present Value and Return on Investment and other financial means to justify

(to provide a rationale for) a project. It is in this section that – if you can find it – you would put

a summary of that rationale. You don’t need to include all of the math (the calculations), but if

you find, for example, that the project was determined to have a NPV of $140,300, you can place

that info here. Include, if available, some of the basic figures and calculations. If you have lots

of tables and figures (don’t overdo it, just a few, if you want), include them in an Appendix. The

teaching team understands that not all projects have financial measures, so if you don’t have it,

just expand a bit on the meaningfulness/importance of this project to the mission/vision/values of

the organization.

Conclusion

Use this section to briefly wrap things up and tie together your thoughts. Just one

paragraph is sufficient.

NOTE TO STUDENTS: We do not expect you to have 30+ references as you see below,

only a few are required. However, this happens to be a reasonable list of potential sources

for the actual Assignment and also shows the scholarly nature of the sources that we prefer.

References:

1. Baker NR: R&D project selection models: an assessment. R&D Manag 2012,5(1):105– 111.

2. Brenner M: Practical R&D project prioritization. Res Technol Manag 1994,37(5):38– 42.

3. Bstieler L: The moderating effects of environmental uncertainty on new product development and time efficiency. J Prod Innov Manag 2005,23(3):267–284.

ASSIGNMENT 1 Davidsen

4. Cicmil S, Williams T, Thomas J, Hodgson D: Rethinking project management: researching the actuality of projects. Int J Proj Manag 2006,24(8):675–686.

10.1016/j.ijproman.2006.08.006

5. Cook WD, Green RH: Project prioritization: a resource-constrained data envelopment analysis approach. Socioecon Plann Sci 2000,34(2):85–99.

10.1016/S0038-0121(99)00020-8

6. Danneels E, Kleinschmidt EJ: Product innovativeness from the firm’s perspective. J Prod Innov Manag 2001,18(6):357–374. 10.1016/S0737-6782(01)00109-6

Appendix A: Tables and Figures

NPV of Dog Park, including intangibles quantified using formula XYZ

Project: Year 0 Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9 Year 10 Totals

Education

Required rate of return 0.15

Outflows -50,000.00 -6,966.48 -6,966.48 -6,966.48 -6,966.48 -6,966.48 -6,966.48 -6,966.48 -6,966.48 -6,966.48 -6,389.31 -69,087.63

Inflows 72,000.00 82,800.00 86,940.00 91,287.00 95,851.35 100,643.92 105,676.11 110,959.92 116,507.91 122,333.31 128,449.98 1,041,449.50

Net inflows 72,000.00 82,800.00 86,940.00 91,287.00 95,851.35 100,643.92 105,676.11 110,959.92 116,507.91 122,333.31 128,449.98 1,041,449.50

NPV 145,854.28 972,361.87

Boston University

MET AD642 A1 Project Management

Spring 2019

Assignment 1

Rationale for Boston University’s Data Science Center

Chevy Chance

ASSIGNMENT 1 Chance

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Executive Summary

Boston University plans to construct a 17 story Data Science Center that will encompass

mathematics, statistics and computer sciences under one roof. This project aligns with the

university’s mission of “generating new knowledge”, “educating students to be reflective,

resourceful individuals”, and by promoting “research conducted in the service of the wider

community”. The overall goal is to increase awareness and align the university as a leading

interdisciplinary research institution for the country. This organization has a positive operating

budget suggesting it is a healthy university that can construct a new building while also

maintaining its day to day operational activities.

Contents

Executive Summary…………………………………………………………………………..….. 2

Description of the BU Data Science Center Project……………………………………………… 3

Boston University’s Mission and its Connection to the Data Science Center…………………… 4

Financial and Other Justification………………………………………………………………… 5

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………….. 6

References………………………………………………………………………………………… 7

Appendix…………………………………………………………………………………………. 8

ASSIGNMENT 1 Chance

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Description of the BU Data Science Center Project

As seen in the BU Today article, “BU Proposes to Build Data Sciences Center, Aiming to

Become Leader in Booming Field”, Boston University has decided to build a 17 floor story Data

Science building to unite the mathematics, statistics and computer science departments under one

roof. The goal of combining these departments is to become the one of the “country’s leading

urban interdisciplinary research institutions.” (Most, D) As data scientist is the most attractive

occupation in the United States, Boston University wants to remain competitive in the data

research space. Almost all fields are reliant on data today and it is important to link BU’s

successful math, stats and computer science areas of study together in one building to produce

more reliant data and research.

This project will take between 24 to 28 months says the KPMB Architects who are

working on the development. One of the founding partners, Marian McKenna said the university

was looking for something “iconic” (Most, D) Boston President Robert Brown told BU Today,

“We wanted architecture that would signal to everyone that this was a special place, that this was

a special place, the center of campus…We wanted a building that in 2100 would stand up and

mark the dynamic change in the University and talk about the century we’re in.” Of the 17

floors, 1-2 will be for administrative offices, 3-5 will be home to the mathematics and statistics

department, 6-10 will be filled with the computer sciences department and the interdisciplinary

Hariri Institute will be in the top six floors.

The design focus will be on collaboration between the different disciplines of study

intended for small-group interactions in the entire building. For example, the fifth floor will

house small study rooms for students, faculty and staff as well as whiteboard walls on the entire

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ASSIGNMENT 1 Chance wall to encourage scribbling. These whiteboard walls will turn hallway conversations into fully formed ideas.

Boston University’s Mission and its Connection to the Data Science Center

Boston University’s Mission

Boston University is an international, comprehensive, private research university,

committed to educating students to be reflective, resourceful individuals ready to live, adapt, and

lead in an interconnected world. This institution is committed to generating new knowledge to

benefit society. (Boston University’s Website)

The university remains dedicated to their founding principles:

1. Higher education should be accessible to all

2. Research, Scholarship, Artistic Creation, and Professional Practice should be

conducted in the service of the wider community – local & international.

Connection to the Data Science Center

In the case of creating a 17 floor data science building fits well into Boston University’s

mission by “generating new knowledge”, “educating students to be reflective, resourceful

individuals”, and by promoting “research conducted in the service of the wider community”.

By providing a space that incorporates 3 disciplines; mathematics, statistics and computer

science under one roof Boston University will be able to create new knowledge. This allows for

the disciplines to interact with one another and develop courses that incorporate all the

disciplines under one roof. For example, a College of Engineering professor of electrical and

computer engineering has won a 3-year $900,000 grant from the National Science Foundation

that connect the university and Boston Medical Center. The grant was awarded to the professor

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ASSIGNMENT 1

Chance

to develop a machine that will learn algorithms and identify high risk patients of heart disease

or diabetes. (Most, D.)

Provost and chief academic officer, Jean Morrison has reported that computer science has

saw a 266% increase within at the university. (Most, D.) Also, this can be seen from non-majors

that want to include computer science on their resume as they can see the importance of

understanding the basics of computer science due to employability. The mission of Boston

University is to educate students to be “reflective, resourceful individuals to ready to live, adapt

and lead in an interconnected world” By providing courses that are interconnected under one

building in a discipline such as data analytics creates employable students. This project is

believed to be an essential driver of a changing workforce. Educating students to be a part of this

ever changing workforce is a key example of their mission.

Lastly, this project will provide research that helps the wider community. In the past two

years’ students have seen an increase in larger companies visiting the university like Facebook

and Google. (Most, D.) By creating this new building if will have larger exposer in the data

science space ensuring the university strives to uphold its mission by cultivating a data science

center creating new research that will help a larger community.

Financial and Other Justification

Boston University has seen a very large increase in Fiscal Year 2018. For example, as

seen from their 2018 financial statements they had over a $140 million net operating gain, $487

million in research awards, and the endowment came in over $2 billion which was the first time

in the university’s history. (Howard, M. J.) From Appendix A you can see their total operating

revenues came in at $2 billion whereas total operating expenses were $1.9 billion. This

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ASSIGNMENT 1 Chance organization has a positive $100,000 in their total operating budget suggesting they are a healthy

organization that will have the ability to construct a 17 story building while maintaining their

daily operations. This project will not have a negative impact on the organization’s ability to

continue to providing a successful education to students. This project will have several positives

to the university such as leading research in the data science space, increased awareness in the

country as a leader of data science and the ability to cultivate a collaborative space for students,

faculty and staff.

Conclusion

Creating the data sciences center is a positive strategic move for Boston University.

Allowing students to gain experience in 3 distinct fields under one roof aligns with the

organizations mission of educating resourceful individuals. The students are going to be highly

employable students at many high level companies such as Wayfair, General Electric, Amazon,

Fidelity and others. (Most. D) Lastly, a strong plus for Boston University is the exposure they

will gain from adding a large 17 story building that will soon become the center of the university.

ASSIGNMENT 1 Chance

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References

1. Most, D. (2018, October 1). BU to Build Data Sciences Center. Retrieved February 9,

2019, from http://www.bu.edu/today/2018/data-sciences-center/

2. Mission Statement » News and Information. (n.d.). Retrieved February 9, 2019, from

http://www.bu.edu/info/about/mission-statement/

3. Howard, M. J. (n.d.). Boston University Consolidated Financial Statements. Retrieved

February 9, 2019, from http://www.bu.edu/ar/2018/img/financial-statement.pdf

ASSIGNMENT 1 Chance

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Appendix

Appendix A