I just posted Blog #4: Teddy Roosevelt and the Panama Fragnet at the TotalProjectControl.com [1] website. Just click on the Blog button to see all the blogs.
The Comments function is now working on the website. So if you have a comment on any of the blogs, the exercises or the site in general, I would be delighted if you would share it. And if you had comments about the three previous blogs, please feel free to write them now. (Of course, I will also be delighted to respond to Comments in this thread!)
Today’s blog emphasizes through a historical example that no discretionary dependency should ever be applied without analysis of the impact. This is especially true when it includes an optional fragnet. For the Panama Canal project in the early 20th century, that meant considering measures to suppress yellow fever. Was it worth it?
For more information about the Panama Canal project, I also recommend Damon Smith’s very informative site on project management history [2].
Blog #4 will be the first of two historical examples where the drag of the optional fragnet will have a drag cost that must be included in the cost/benefit analysis. If the value/cost of time (and fragnet drag) is not quantified, an incorrect decision may be made. This will be discussed in Blog #5: Project Management in History: Adolf Hitler and the Balkans Fragnet to be published on Monday, November 17th.
Fraternally in project management,
Steve the Bajan