The concept design stage of a marine vessel or artefact is different to the other stages in its life due to the fact that at the outset the actual outcomes of the concept design are, at best, only very broadly known or even not known at all. In addition, at the commencement of the stage, the design team may only have been given the briefest of ideas or requirements by the client. This means that it is essential that the design team are given cerebral space to explore the various possible ways of meeting the client's brief, so as to facilitate the emergence of a concept design and appropriate solutions. Therefore, are traditional project management methods, which are now more frequently being applied by many organisations at the concept design stage, appropriate and commensurate with the activities being undertaken? Often it appears that the Project Manager assigned to project manage concept design is merely undertaking a project control function rather than a project management function - which would have traditionally been part of the role of the Design Authority/Naval Architect.
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