1. Whose responsibility is it to staff the office?
In this case, it appears that it is the CEO of AEI. He would be the head of the matrix system at this point.
2. What should be Blen Carty’s role, as well as that of Dr. Runnels?
Blen Carty is the director of project management. Dr. Runnels is the director of engineering. I believe that Ben Carty should be responsible for requesting who he needs to head the project; however Dr. Runnels should have the final say in who he gives up out of his department.
They need to openly communicate and realize the importance of each other’s needs.
3. Should Larry Gilbert be assigned?
I personally do not think Larry Gilbert should be assigned to head the project. Richard Flag has a proven track record of success. I feel that the project manager should be Richard Flag and that Gilbert should work under him, even though he is a higher level engineer.
It is Flag’s responsibility to manage the project, even though he does not have as much engineering expertise.
4. How would you negotiate with the functional managers?
I would explain that Flag would be heading the project, and also relay to them the importance and magnitude of the project. Hopefully if they understood the effect the project would have in the grand scheme of things, they would be more open to giving up some of their staff. Perhaps helping the functional managers see the way this project could benefit the company, and in turn them, they would be easier to sell on giving up some important staff for such a long period of time.