Project execution and control can, and should be, very procedure-based. Reports are written, information is shared, meetings are held, milestones are met or not met, work schedules and budgets are adjusted, etc. This is fertile ground for the project management consultants, who specialize in making sure all the procedures work as expected.
Procedures tend to go out the window, however, when a crisis strikes. A crisis is, by definition, an existential threat to the project; the whole thing is in danger of failing. The Apollo Project encountered at least two. In the first, three astronauts died on the ground. In the second, three astronauts were in imminent danger of dying in space, as the world watched in horror.
For this Case,
Describe the crises.
Describe how NASA reacted to them.
How did the NASA response either exemplify, or vary from, the various recommendations contained in the background readings? Explain.
Resources for this Case are listed on the Background Information page. These are starting points; feel free to search the Web for additional information, and use whatever you think is useful. Be sure to provide citations and references for everything you use, including materials linked to this course.
Assignment Expectations
Integrate your answers to the above questions into a well-constructed essay. Feel free to use tables and bulleted lists, if appropriate.
Sample Solution
