Manhattan Project Case Study

Introduction The Manhattan Project was one of the greatest examples of project management success. It was a research and development project that resulted in the first nuclear weapons during World War II. One of the most unique aspects of this project was the decision to simultaneously research and develop multiple technological techniques that, at the time, had very little information available. The decision to pursue this large scale project, with its numerous risks, was made based on a number of factors.

Origination and Initiation According to the NY Management Guide to Project Success (2002), origination and initiation are the first two stages in the project life cycle. Origination presents the initial idea that is designed to solve a

The National WWII Museum (2016) estimates that over 100 million people, military and civilian, worldwide were killed during the war. The ferocity that was exhibited by German leader, Adolph Hitler, was legendary as was his alliances that made up the Axis powers. As the war loomed on, it became increasingly more evident that the US would have to enter into the war as well. This major concern was further compounded by a letter received by President Roosevelt from Einstein. The letter focused on recent research that could potentially produce powerful bombs and Einstein’s belief that the German government was actively pursuing the research (AJ, 2015). This letter both expressed the seriousness of the problem presented as well as a possible solution. As it pertains to project origination, the problem that needed to be addressed was how to end the war while sacrificing as few lives as possible. This would become a moral dilemma for the American government. After the information was received that a powerful bomb was plausible, the decision was made to produce a nuclear weapon before the German government could and use it to end the

The external factors that contributed to the decision to pursue the project were unique. It presented a problem that would give the American government a moral dilemma and elicit fear at the possibility of the Axis powers obtaining the weaponry first. The fact that this type of project had not been attempted before also brought its own unique set of issues. It created a project with a high risk probability. And though the risk was great, the risks that were associated with the external factor of World War II were greater.

References

AJ (2015). The Manhattan Project: Making the atomic bomb. Retrieved 22 November 2016 from http://www.atomicarchive.com/History/mp/index.shtml

Hillison, D. & Hulett, D. (2004). Assessing risk probability: Alternative approaches. Retrieved 22 November 2016 from http://www.projectrisk.com/white_papers/Assessing_Risk_Probability-_Alternative_Approaches.pdf

National WWII Museum. (2016). By The Numbers: World-Wide Deaths. Retrieved 22 November 2016 from http://www.nationalww2museum.org/learn/education/for-students/ww2-history/ww2-by-the-numbers/world-wide-deaths.html?referrer=https://www.bing.com/

NY Guide (2002a). Management 's Guide to Project Success. Retrieved 22 November 2016 from the New York State Chief Information Officer/Office for Technology 's Enterprise Program Management