Case study: Stakeholder Analysis_Nicol Building

Subject: Project Management

Program: Master of Engineering Management

The Nicol Building, completed by Carleton University in 2021, is a 115,000-square- foot facility located at the heart of the campus. It serves as an inspiring and collaborative facility for the Sprott School of Business where various stakeholders can engage with and exchange bold ideas and create solutions to contemporary challenges in the global market and society. Its construction and final design were the result of many years of work and collaboration between key stakeholders who saw a pressing need for a business school building with new and innovative learning spaces.Carleton University Carleton University is located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. In 1942, it was founded as a private college funded largely by student tuition and generous support from members of the Ottawa community. Although it was recognized in 1952 as an institution for higher education, the college's name was not changed from Carleton College to Carleton University until 1957.' The university campus spans over more than 100acres and is surrounded by three large transportation routes: "one built by human ingenuity (the Rideau Canal), one created as an urban link (Bronson Avenue), and one a historic waterway (The Rideau River). " The routes form a triangle, which is a symbol of strength.3 Over the years, Carleton University has established itself as an institution that is recognized for anticipating and leading changes in teaching, research, and community engagement. The campus had three academic buildings in 1961. By 2021,* the university campus had more than 45 buildings, 27,000 undergraduate students, and 4,200 graduate students enrolled in a range of academic and professional programs. In addition, Carleton University had 969 full-time faculty members, 835 contract instructors, 1,372 staff members, and over 168,000 alumni worldwide. The university is organized into six faculties: (1) the Faculty of Engineering and Design, (2) the Faculty of Public Affairs, (3) the Faculty of Sciences, (4) the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, (5) the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs, and (6) the Sprott School of Business.Sprott School of Business The Sprott School of Business is Carleton University's sixth faculty. Its full status was granted in 2006 after a long journey and intensive work by various distinguished people, including the school's management board members. In 2001, the School of Business was named "the "Sprott School of Business" in recognition of Eric Sprott's large $10M endowment. The Bachelor of Commerce was first introduced at Carleton College in 1946, but only in 1966 did Carleton University establish the School of Commerce, which later became the School of Business. Since then, the school has evolved from an accounting-centered program to a broader industry-recognized program, andCarleton University has transitioned from "a university with a business program to a university with a School of Business." Over the past two decades, the Sprott School of Business has flourished as part of Carleton University. The school has increased its offerings considerably to include undergraduate degrees, master's and doctoral programs, minors, programs abroad, and a suite of professional programs. Undergraduate and graduate enrolments have grown by more than 100%. The number of students, faculty, and services provided by the Sprott School of Business has also experienced unprecedented growth. In 2021, there were over 2,100 undergraduate and graduate students at the Sprott School of Business (versus 1000 in early 2000), 64 full-time faculty members (versus 37 in early 2000), and 37 staff members (versus 11 in early 2000).' The school received accreditation in 2013 from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), and in 2009, from the Network of International Business Schools (NIBS). Despite its extraordinary growth, the school continued to operate in shared, aging, and dispersed facilities that compromised its ability to compete in the business education marketplace. This lack of competitiveness for future growth prompted the school's management board to come forward in 2004 with a proposal for a new building dedicated to the school. A revised proposal submitted to Carleton University in 2014 resulted in the Nicol Building Project.Nicol Building Project The Nicol Building Project was an initiative to construct a dedicated building to house the Sprott School of Business and its innovative programs. The project aimed to provide the Sprott School of Business with a facility that would strengthen the school's identity, growth, and success in teaching, research, and services tothe community. The building was envisioned as a dedicated building that would bring various stakeholders under one roof to work together in a welcoming and attractive environment that will foster collaboration and serve as a bridge between local, national, or international communities. In 2014, the Sprott School of Business Building was renamed the "Nicol Building" to honor Wesley and Mary Nicol, who kicked off funding for the new building with a generous donation of $10 million. The new building project extended over a 17-year period consisting of three main phases that defined the project's life cycle. Each phase comprised many sub-phases and milestones. Identification and Conception Phase: This phase began on October 25, 2004, with the submission of the initial proposal for a new and dedicated building to house the Sprott School of Business. It continued in 2014 with the submission of an updated proposal. During the approximately 10-year period, the school underwent tremendous change and growth. It became the sixth faculty within Carleton University, received accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), and gained reputation nationally and internationally for the quality of its programs, students, faculty, and support services. The core project requirements were identified during this phase. It culminated with the official approval decision in October 2017 from the Carleton University Board of Governors.Development or Design Phase: This two-year phase started in 2016 and involved a design competition. It continued with the translation of the design configurations and furnishing propositions into the actual working specifications. This phase was concluded with the approval of the final design for the interior spaces and the groundbreaking for the building on June 19, 2018. Implementation or Execution: This phase began in 2017 and involved the construction of the building and the equipping of its interior spaces. The phase ended when the doors of the new home of the Sprott School of Business opened in September 2021. A timeline of the various events that occurred and impacted the Nicol Building Project is shown in Exhibit 1.Exhibit 1: Timeline of the various events that occurred and impacted the Nicol Building Project Carleton University's Board of Oct Governors approved the full Apr The Spratt School of Business Apr 2004 faculty status of the Sprott 2008 successfully received the AACSE 2014 School of Business accreditation. New Dean Start First Proposal Board of Governors Dr. Jerry Tomberlin AACSB accreditation Updated Proposal Approval Official submission of a proposal Carleton University announced Official submission of an for a building dedicated to the Dec the appointment of Dr. Jerry Jun updated proposal for a building Sprott School of Business. 2005 Tomberlin as the new Dean of 2013 dedicated to the Sprott School Sproct School of Business. of Business. Or, Jerry Tomberlin appointed Official approval of Hariri Oct Interim Provost and Vice- Jun Fontarind Architects as the Sep 2017 President (Academic), Carleton 2017 design team for the Sprott 2014 University. School of Business building. Nicol Building Approval Interim Provost and VP Interim Dean Hariri Pontarini Architects Wesley and Mary Nicol's Dr. Jerry Tomberlin Dr. Linda Schweitzer $10-million Donation Official approval of the Nicol Dr. Linda Schweitzer appointed Nicol family's $10-million Building granted by Carleton Jul Interim Dean Spratt School of Jun donation for the Sprott School of University's Board of Governors. 2017 Business. 2016 Business building project. - The Spratt School of Business building Is renamed the Nicol Building. Or. Jerry Tomberlin appointed Jun Provost and Vice President Jul Sep 2018 (Academic], Carleton University. 2019 The World Heath Organization 2021 declared COVID-19 as pandemic Grounbreaking of The Provost and VP ( Academic) Now Dean Nicol Building Opened Its Finish Nicol Building Dr. Jerry Tomberlin Dr. Dana Brown COVID-19 Pandemic Doors The university officially began Dr. Dana Brown appointed new The Nicol Building Opened Its the construction on the Nicol Feb Dean of the Sprott School of Mar doors to the public. Building. 2019 Business. 2020The Challenge Interactions with stakeholders began in 2004 when members of the school's management board identified the need for a dedicated building as one of the main contributors to respond to the market competition. Establishing and maintaining working relationships with key individuals, groups, or organizations were critical to increasing the likelihood of the project being approved and implemented. Several challenges needed to be overcome. One involved identifying all relevant individuals, groups, or organizations that could either impact or be affected by the new construction project. The other challenge was to develop strategies to engage effectively with the identified stakeholders at different stages in the project life cycle. For instance, the project needed to be approved by senior management at Carleton University. Managing stakeholders' expectations was another challenge during the conception phase of the project and the design and implementation phases. Within an academic setting, many different people are involved in the design and construction of a building, and each person has different desires, needs, and levels of responsibility. The evolving priorities of these individuals and their competing interests needed to be addressed. There were also multiple potential users of the building, but they had conflicting interests, and the overall budget of the building was limited. For instance, the Sprott School of Business was looking for a building that would allow teaching in flexible classrooms and more research opportunities, while the central scheduling department at Carleton University was looking for a building that would provide students with more classroom spaces. The Nicol building project was a long-term project. Over the 17 years of the project, the stakeholders involved throughout the project lifecycle and those tasked with influencing them changed. Another challenge was re-engaging with new players following an organizational restructuring when signs of progress already existed and it was no longer possible to capitalize on the support of previous stakeholders. For instance, there were changes to the leadership at Carleton University, the Board of Governors at Carleton University, the Dean's Office at Sprott School of Business, and other departments at Carleton University