Project management and discovery of the Titanic
How are April 14, 1912, and September 1, 1985 related? The first is the last time Titanic survivors saw her sink under the calm Atlantic Ocean on that fateful night and the second is the next time an expedition saw her on the bottom of the Atlantic at a depth of more than 2.5 miles. Directed by Dr. Robert Ballard.

Early on the morning of the discovery, Dr. Ballard’s team aboard the research ship, the Knorr, scanned the seafloor in the vicinity that is 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 debris from the wreck. The images sent to the spacecraft were viewed “live” from a small cockpit on the Knorr, watched for hours on end by ever-alert scientists. The search focused on incessant back-and-forth sweeps of the ocean floor, known as “mowing the lawn.”

In the early morning of September 1, 1985, the bottom of the seabed looked a little different than usual, instead of the endless curves and ripples of mud and sand, unusual markings, along with small chunks of what was obviously mens. The handcrafted debris began to appear before the astonished scientists who were glued to their screens. Before long, larger items appeared, including the massive Titanic’s caldera. The Titanic, elusive for so long and always considered part of the past, is 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 model of the 12-step project implementation success factor as it pertains to the discovery of the Titanic.

Step 1. Get support from top management and establish metrics.

The project sponsors who fully supported the company were Woods Hole Deep Submergence Lab and the French Institute Francais de Recherche pour l’Explotation.

Step 2. Select a competent project manager

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

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

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

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

The project manager clearly documented to the project team members the project scope, business goals and expectations, they found the Titanic !!!

Step 5. Ensure sufficient resource allocation

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

Step 6. Develop a detailed project plan

On a daily basis there were countless tasks that had to be performed before conducting any search on the ocean floor. The project team members knew exactly who had to complete each specific task as described by the project manager. And once the entire team was ready and the ship 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 with project stakeholders on a daily basis. This information included the status of the search for that day and the next steps that would be completed the next day. The project manager would also speak directly to team members about any issues, problems, concerns, and successes.

Step 8. Start the project control mechanisms

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

Step 9. Foster an open communications environment

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

Step 10. Celebrate the successes of the project

Obviously, the discovery of the Titanic was the greatest success. However, in reaching 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 milestones and achievements. This was important for the morale of the team, as they were in the Atlantic searching for 2 months before the Titanic was found.

Step 11. Close the project

Finding the Titanic closed this part of the project. However, 12 months later, Dr. Ballard and his crew returned to the wreck site with 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 as dedicated to mission success as everyone else. These elements are the fuel for the success of any project.