Vanguard Magazine

The incremental nature of the project allowed for optimal use of scarce requirements and project management sta, and also permitted companies to position themselves where they were best suited. T PROCUREMENT P 32 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 www.vanguardcanada.com of Urgent Operational Requirements for Af- ghanistan operations. This resilient response included two generations of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, or drones, which were pro- vided rapidly using service contracts. The project has succeeded in generating a strategic shift to an army that can achieve situational awareness in near real-time. The key success factors in this project were the cost-effective acquisition of an inte- grated sensor suite, the agility to respond to urgent operational needs and the ability to lever and re-use scarce project manage- ment resources. This project also ben- efitted from the continuity and persever- ance of the project manager, Mr. Jacques Hamel, through the past dozen years. Halifax Class Modernization The third potential case study is a naval project, the Halifax Class Modernization (HCM)/Frigate Life Extension (FELEX). FELEX was approved in 2005 and then rolled into combined HCM/FELEX in 2007 that aimed to extend both life and capabilities. The strategic objective was to sustain the 12 ships of the Halifax class for a further 15 years, and to adapt them to the new network-centric nature of naval operations. In 2008, shipbuilding contracts were awarded to Halifax and Victoria Shipyards and Lockheed Martin Canada was chosen as combat system integrator. Collabora- tion across all stakeholders was deliberately put in place early, starting at the top level. This proved to be the vital issue in main- taining the operational schedule and con- trolling cost. Sub-systems were competed and sourced from competent suppliers on a global basis. Refits began in 2010. Im- plementation has been smooth, with few unexpected issues in spite of the program's complexity and global supply chain. The project has both capital (Vote 5) and maintenance (Vote 1) funding. This allows for work periods that maximize ship avail- ability and yield a completely modernized ship ready for sustained operations. The project is within budget and on schedule, and will be complete by 2018. HCM/FELEX has achieved its strate- gic impact. Operationally, the modern- ized ships have potent capabilities. On the industrial side, the effectiveness of the HCM/FELEX approach has led New Zealand to award a contract to Lockheed Martin Canada to refit its two ANZAC- class frigates, with the installation to occur at Seaspan's Victoria Shipyard in 2016. Key success factors in HCM were clarity of purpose, a collaborative mind-set and a practical, focussed approach. The gov- ernment and major contractors ensured that excellent people were selected for key roles, and left long enough to make a dif- ference. Learning from the best Can we derive any best practices from these three complex projects? It is worth not- ing that each of them was inherently con- strained by the nature of the existing plat- form, and in the case of LF ISTAR, by the army force structure and vehicle fleet. Capi- tal budget availability was also a constrain- ing factor, as was staff availability. Yet, in spite of these constraints, success has been achieved, albeit with some imperfections and over a considerable amount of time. In all three cases, the strategic case for the capability was strong. While there was complexity, these refits benefitted from architecture and systems thinking, careful scope management and intelligent trade- offs. IRB offsets were generally achieved. In all three cases there was solid collabo- ration among participants. In two of the three cases, there was exceptional conti- nuity of the project manager throughout implementation, and in the third, low per- sonnel mobility. Finally, in all three cases there was strong operator and industry en- gagement, with issues worked out among the participants rather than in the media or the courts. As we continue to consider case studies worthy of study by future generations of complex project leaders, reader feedback and suggestions are welcome. These three cases illustrate successful outcomes within the Canadian defence procurement juris- diction. We need to deepen our under- standing of how this happened so we can generalize the lessons learned. Halifax-class frigate HMCS Vancouver prepares to depart from Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to participate in RIMPAC, 2006. The success of the Halifax-Class Modernization project stemmed from clarity of purpose, a collaborative mind-set, and a practical, focussed approach. Credit: MC3 Rebecca J. Moat

• Cover