Introduction
The Scottish Parliament Building was one of the huge projects in Scotland. The project was considered a high-profile construction, and it was faced with numerous risks. The project was initially estimated to cost the taxpayers 40 million euros, but upon its completion in 2004, it consumed 400 million euros (O’Malley, 2019). This made it one of the most expensive public buildings in the United Kingdom (Uddin, 2023). This paper will examine the risks that the Scottish Parliament’s construction faced and assess whether these risks could have been managed differently for the organization to achieve a better outcome.
Complexity of Design as a Major Risk
One of the notable risks that the Scottish Parliament faced during its construction was the complexity of the building design. The project proposal required that the building be designed to reflect the Scottish culture and history and involve modern construction technologies and state–of–art facilities that equally reflect the history of Scotland (Urazova, Kotelnikov & Martynyuk, 2020). These proposed functionalities led to a complex design that required bringing together multiple stakeholders. Its design involved the contribution of politicians, engineers, and architects, among other stakeholders. The complexity of the design of this building resulted in delays and cost overruns as the project manager grappled with managing the several stakeholders involved in the project to ensure they delivered the final product on time and within the proposed budget.
Political Pressures and Their Impact
The project was also faced with the risk of political tensions and scrutiny. This project was initiated in the late 1990s, marking the political changes in Scotland (Scottish Parliament, n.d.). Therefore, the parliamentary building project was viewed as a symbol of the country’s identity and autonomy. This subjected the project team to intense pressure due to constant scrutiny, which added complexity to the construction project and resulted in delays and cost overruns.
Procurement Process Challenges
In addition to the constant political scrutiny, there were also risks associated with the procurement process that was used during the construction of the building. The project involved a design and build contractual agreement, which meant that the same company involved in the design process was to manage the construction of the building. This approach that the proponent took increased the risk of conflict of interests and resulted in reduced completion due to a lack of the benefits of the competitive bidding processes.
Project Management
Regarding the project management process, the building was faced with numerous challenges. The notable challenges in terms of project management that the building faced include project governance issues. The project team defined no clear roles and responsibilities, leading to cost overrun and project delay (Urazova, Kotelnikov & Martynyuk, 2020). As mentioned, the project team also grappled with managing numerous stakeholders involved and presented competing interests, contributing to the project’s complexity.
Opportunities for Improved Planning
To achieve a better outcome, the project proponent or the organization could have looked at a different approach in the project’s planning and delivery. In the project’s planning stage, the organization could have considered a more collaborative approach to the project design and procurement by involving more stakeholders in the bidding process. This would have brought a sense of completion among the contractors. This approach could have resulted in more cost-effective project delivery.
Conclusion
The organization could have formulated a project governance structure during delivery. That could have involved assigning people different roles and responsibilities, giving the project team more authority to make decisions and manage the risks. The interdisciplinary aspects significant to the project involved the intersection of architecture, engineering, and politics. The design of a project of such magnitude required people with a deep understanding of the Scottish culture and vast technical knowledge in engineering and architecture. The political aspect also added complexity to the delivery of the building as they created priorities and pressures that influenced the decision and project outcomes.
References
O’Malley, J. (2019). Big Project, Big Delay? Engineering & Technology, 14(9), 70-73. Web.
Scottish Parliament. (n.d.). History of the Scottish Parliament. Web.
Uddin, S. (2023). Scottish Parliament Building, Edinburgh: An epitome of materiality by Enric Miralles. Web.
Urazova, N. G., Kotelnikov, N. V., & Martynyuk, A. V. (2020). Infrastructure Project Planning – IOPscience. Web.
