Doug shares experiences and insights from managing PMI's 2017 Project of the Year. You’ll learn how the team overcame dangers of the work environment and the technical, talent, and communications challenges of the project.

 

About our Guest:

Roland (Doug) Greenwell has led highly complex projects at U.S. Department of Energy sites for more than 30 years, bringing expertise in nuclear waste retrieval, safety-conscious work environments and continuous improvement.

 

Doug shares experiences and insights from managing PMI's 2017 Project of the Year. The project was replacing an underground tank that was leaking radioactive waste in Hanford, Washington, USA. Highlights of the award-winning project includes finishing the project ahead of schedule and US$8.7 under budget, and no safety issues were encountered while transferring nuclear waste. Doug’s conversation details dealing with technical and talent challenges, communicating to diverse stakeholders and negative media, risk management, and the rewards of the job.

 

For an easy way to stay up-to-date on Projectified with PMI, follow the podcast at:

iTunes, Stitcher,  Google Play, or Pmi.org/podcast.

 

Key Takeaways:

[2:13] project background and site history

[6:56] project begins with an unexpected leak

[10:50] dangers of the work environment

[13:30] technical challenges, timeline and cost

[16:23] the talent challenge, skillsets and training

[25:10] the stakeholder communication challenge

[28:27] dealing with media and negative coverage

[32:38] the shared attributes of complex projects

[36:20] risk management is indispensable

[39:43] the rewards of the job, the impact on society