The Hoover Dam project was launched over 80 years ago during the Great Depression. It was completed 3 years prior to the deadline and under the budget and is an interesting case study for project management professionals. The main goal of the project was to construct a dam that would produce electricity, and provide irrigation water for the California Metropolitan Water District. The identification of key milestones, professional project management, and the use of global economic conditions resulted in project success.

The Critical Path Identification

One of the key success factors in the project was identifying the project’s critical path by Frank Crowe. He was the project manager of the project who knew that no construction was possible without a tunnel under the construction site. So, he put in maximum effort to complete the tunnels on time, otherwise, the company could have suffered a fine of $3,000 for each additional day. To finish the tunnel on schedule. The Gantt chart provided timely identification of the critical path that impacted the project timeline allowing the project manager for timely delivery of the project.

Using the global economic situation

An analysis of the impact of the Hoover Dam project indicates that the project created a demand for orders and new jobs for a lot of companies in America. The lesson for project managers is that they should take the economic environment into consideration and manage the team accordingly.

Well-established organizational structure

The project team hierarchy was clear and transparent, most of the team members knew who they would report to. The project sponsor was the Bureau of Reclamation, the main contractor was the Six Companies Inc., and Frank Crowe was the project manager who coordinated work and was obligated to deliver the dam in seven years. The main project engineer was Walker Young.

Mr. Young was responsible for engineering and for the board of consulting engineers. Project managers who consider organizational structure as an important factor are expected to establish strong communication channels and teams for the project. In many cases, many issues that arise from reporting and communication are related to project organization. Therefore, it is recommended to get information about organizational structure with responsibility.

The key to success was good relationship with the government

In the project, Six Companies Inc. did not have any conflicts with authorities as it was a government-authorized project. Government officials were managed properly as project stakeholders, regardless of their direct or indirect involvement in the project. The dam construction was not a goal itself, the project goal had to deliver the dam that will generate and provide power, a flood control system, and water.

Lessons learned from the Hoover Dam Project

The Hoover Dam was delivered under budget and ahead of schedule. This is a rare achievement, so project managers should take a close look to understand the reason behind its success. Also, the project critical path which was identified on time. Lastly, a strong business case was used to assess the project’s benefits. The benefits of the Dam are flood control and cheap electricity that has highly improved the lives of the people. To conclude, project managers should identify, manage, and track key project variables to deliver the project on time.