Brazil Olympics, a challenging Project?

Dear Thmas Walenta,

From the stand point of the hosting country there are four distinct but interrelated programmes:
(1) Games infrastructure - the stadia, the urban mobility and airport reforms, security etc.
(2) Games delivery - including starting and closing cerimonies.
(3) National competing athletes preparation and competition.
(4) Legacy organization and transition.

Other stakeholders also have their own programmes, for example those in charge of the games transmission, promotion and merchandising. And each participating countries manage their participation as a project or programme depending on the scale and complexity of each case.

Dear Thomas,

Semantics referring to temporary endeavors is a scholar discussion. People not used to the terminology applied by practitioners and scholars tend to call all of them as projects.
I called them "programmes" because each of the 4 mentioned initiatives had (and still has, since the Paraolimpics will happen in the next two weeks) a different set of outcomes (measured in benefits).

(1) Games infrastructure - the stadia, the urban mobility and airport reforms, security etc.

The project outputs related to this programme realized a part of the benefits, that is increasing capacity to realize the games, but their remaining benefits will be realized in decades to come.

(2) Games delivery - including starting and closing cerimonies.

The project outputs related to Olympics were all successfully delivered and the outcome was a success. The benefits are Brazil's reputation in delivering such a games and return to COI/COB in monetary terms. Other stakeholders (hotels, restaurants, taxis, etc) benefited from higher demands for their goods and services.

Paralympic games are yet to be delivered and evaluated. Apparently not all the expected tickets were sold.

(3) National competing athletes preparation and competition.

Brazil broke records for medals, though did not achieve the goal to end up among the top ten.
Paralympic games are yet to be delivered and evaluated.


(4) Legacy organization and transition.

This programme has started and it is too early to evaluate its returns in terms of value-for-money.

Thomas - thanks for your input, but this not not at all the intention of the discussion. Even so, I hope the response has been clear you...

Otamilo - The actual Olympic games Project has already completed, and as far as I see it, we can comment on this result.

The discussion was not intended to be political but, to talk about the possibilities Project Managers had in Brazil as a result of this Project.

I'm sure they are lots of projects related, and other City issues that we are totally not aware of, but that's another story.

So maybe you can re-enter your comments focusing on the Start and Finish of this mass event, which by itself was surely challenging.

Farhad - thanks for your comments...

Mario - Thanks for the input, I also agree that after these two major events something good needs to happen for us project managers community in Rio and Brazil.

Dear Mario,

The Games are technically not over yet. We will have the Paralympics in a few days.

Yes, I agree with you that both World Cup as well as RIO 2016 had positive effects in the Brazilian economy and society, however, both could have been much more effective.