NSW Government Unable to Manage Projects

The list of projects bungled by the NSW Labor Government continues to grow. The list includes projects for/at:

• Royal North Shore Hospital (RNS)
• The Cross City Tunnel Project (disadvantage to public road users/underwriting private project with public money)
• The Lane Cove Tunnel Project (disadvantage to public road users/underwriting private project with public money)
• Orange Hospital Project: indeed health management, in general, seems to lack the investment needed.
• The T-Card (transport) Project, now cancelled

I have written in previous blog postings about the NSW Government T-Card Project and the proposed sale of electricity - a project that will benefit the Treasurer's next career, but not the people of NSW.

What makes a successful project? In my opinion a successful project satisfies the following criteria:

• all stakeholders are consulted, and feed back sought, before and during the project.
• the customer is satisfied.
• the system works as intended.
• the project is finished on time.
• the project is completed satisfactorily on budget.

Good Project Management requires that, at each stage of the project, a review is conducted to determine whether it is worthwhile continuing, and the establishment of an oversight committee.

There appears to have been little or none of the above activities undertaken by Morris Iemma's Labor Government. In the current political climate that has developed over the last 10 years, it is also highly likely that each successive Minister/Premier has has a personal say in what they want, which might be at adds with what the real needs of the people of NSW.

The various Ministers and Premier must be accountable to the NSW Parliament, and in some cases accept responsibility, for failed projects that have wasted NSW taxpayers' money.

John