project management
Sri Navya Tatikonda
ppmp20009_lecture_week_2.pptx
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Research shows us that the majority of projects fail.
Time / cost
Benefits realisation
Biggest barriers
people factors underestimating complexity
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Many faces of failure
1980s
Ineffective planning
Ineffective scheduling
Ineffective estimating
Ineffective cost control
Project objectives being ‘moving targets’
Many faces of failure
1990s
Poor morale
Poor motivation
Poor human relations
Poor productivity
No employee commitment
No functional commitment
Delays in problem solving
Too many unresolved policy issues
Conflicting priorities between executives, line managers, and project managers
Stage Gate Process
Gates
structured decision points.
Gate Review Checklists
inform the Project manager what needs to be prepared to be able to pass through the gate.
Gate Keepers?
Providing assurance
Decision making
Sta
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Stage gate reviews
Decisions
Proceed based on original objectives
Proceed based on revised objectives
Delay making decision until further information obtained
Cancel Project
A structured process for managing a multitude of projects is most commonly called:
Project management policies
Project management guidelines
Industry-wide templates
A project management methodology
Project Management Methodologies
A repetitive series of processes, activities and tools used on every project
A single methodology
Organisations tailor project management methodology to their culture and context
consider QUT and TMR project management frameworks (week 1 moodle site)
Single methodology doesn’t mean one size fits all: Tiered projects
1
Low cost, risk, complexity, criticality
Lite suite of documentation and assurance
2
Medium cost, risk, complexity, criticality
Standard documentation and assurance
3
High cost, risk, complexity, criticality
Significant documentation and assurance
Enterprise project management methodologies
When products, services or customers have similar requirements can implement a enterprise wide PM methodology.
Implementing methodologies may initially be based on rigid policies and procedures
As project management maturity improves shift to guidelines, templates, checklists
Consider a university.
Would the customers (users) be the same for all projects?
Would a rigid policy based PM methodology be appropriate?
Defn’s of a project
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Enterprise project management methodologies
In what situations would it be difficult to create a single enterprise wide project management methodology?
How could you still maintain some level of consistency if you needed to have multiple methodologies in your organisation?
A situation where it would be difficult to create a single enterprise wide project management methodology would include organisations that span a number of domains.
E.g. A government department that is highly welfare focussed may need two methodologies, one for welfare projects driving the strategic direction and one for ICT projects where they design and implement ICT solutions to support the business.
To maintain some level of consistency, you can have a project management framework that is more flexible, with guidelines on tiering, project lifecycles etc and also separate suites of specialist templates additional to the standard project management templates e.g. network security template for the ICT project suite, and community consultation templates for the welfare projects.
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Methodologies can fail
There are a number of reasons why a methodology may fail including:
Executive level
Have a poor understanding of what it is, think it is a quick fix, a silver bullet
Working levels
It is too abstract and high level
Too detailed and complex
Insufficient explanation of how to use
Lacks integration into the business
Does not fit project type
Comprehensive list Kerzner p91-92
Deciding on what type of methodology
Factors to consider
Overall company strategy
Size of project scope and team
Project priority
Project criticality
Project risk profile
Project complexity
Project cost
How flexible the methodology and its components are.
Where would each of these methodologies work well?
Project management maturity model
Level 1
Common language
Level 2
Common processes
Level 3
Singular Methodology
Level 4
Benchmarking
Level 5
Continuous improvement
Basic knowledge
Process definition
Process control
Process improvement
Kerzner p1071
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Project management maturity model
Level 1
Awareness of process
Level 2
Repeatable processes
Level 3
Defined Processes
Level 4
Managed Processes
Level 5
Optimised Process
P3M3
Process not usually documented, little or no guidance or supporting documentation
There may be areas starting to use standard approaches but no consistency across organisation
Processes are documented, standardised and integrated to some extent into business processes
Defined processes that are quantitatively managed i.e. controlled using metrics
Process continuously optimised for changing business needs
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What Level of
Maturity?
Why?
Where are we now?
What are we working with?
If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.
Cheshire Cat
(Alice in Wonderland)
There are a number of things to consider when deciding what level of maturity to aim for.
Why are you wanting to increase your level of maturity in this space?
-Some might be wanting to do it simply as a continuous improvement strategy.
Some may be having issues with the performance of their program and project delivery or portfolio investment returns
Others may need it to be competitive in a market that looks at the P3M3 levels of organisations in the tendering process
Others may be required to undergo a mandatory audit – as did the Qld Govt in 2012.
One organisation that I have spoken with has noted that their environment has become increasingly fiscally constrained and as such funding is much more competitive. They want to increase certain sections of their maturity, specifically relating to benefits management, business case and blueprint development – so that they can be more competitive in seeking funding for initiatives. So in this case they are not necessarily trying to improve their maturity as a whole, but an aspect of it. In doing this however, it is likely that they will have an increase in maturity in other areas as well.
We need to know where you are now to assist in deciding where you want to go. This is where going through an assessment is essential and I do believe in this being independent. You can self assess but this will always be impacted with bias. You need to baseline.
What are you working with? What is your organisational context? What resources do you have both budget and people? Do you have authentic sponsorship or are your leaders just ticking a mandate off? What’s your organisational culture like, are they open to P3 management or are they likely to see effort to increase maturity as unnecessary overhead?
So when we went through this process we were fortunate to have an authentic sponsor, we had a culture of project and program delivery so the staff understood the value of the practice (and I do say practice rather than methodology – as if you have experienced practitioners, they will argue methodology with you – this is a good thing!). We already had a number of the tools and processes in place it was just a matter of fine tuning in a number of areas. And we had a bit of a mandate as well – so I think the environment was the perfect storm for us. So we could aim high and put in place a rigorous process and procedures that drove our maturity.
So where would this not work. Again in an environment whereby the culture is very different, where there hasn’t been a focus on consistency or comparison across initiatives, where the practice, language and tools of portfolio, program and project management are likely to be seen as unnecessary overhead. And lets be clear these may not be two different organisations but could be two areas within the same organisation. For example perhaps the Information Services branch who are experienced at program and project delivery versus another branch within the organisation for example customer services who do not traditionally utilise program and project management methodologies to deliver their work outcomes. So if you were wanting to raise the maturity across both of these areas you would likely require two different approaches.
This leads to one of the key learnings - you should look at driving P3 Maturity as a Change Management Initiative – because the benefits are largely associated with adoption and usage.
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Portfolio Management August 2010 - self assessment
In August 2010, we decided to really have a look at the Portfolio Maturity and decided to do a self assessment utilising the p3M3 model which now with Axelos. We determined that our current level was between the level 1 and level 2 (Awareness of and repeatable process) – represented by the blue
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Portfolio Management 2012 external assessment
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Project Management Methodology
Consider the different types of project management methodologies and discuss for what projects they would be appropriate.
Dr Kerzner’s 7 Fallacies that delay Project Management Maturity
Our ultimate goal is to implement project management
We need to establish a mandatory number of forms, templates, guidelines and checklists by a certain point in time.
Dr Kerzner’s 7 Fallacies that delay Project Management Maturity
We need to purchase project management software to accelerate the maturity process.
We need to implement project management in small steps with a small breakthrough project that everyone can track
Dr Kerzner’s 7 Fallacies that delay Project Management Maturity
We need to track and broadcast the results of the breakthrough project.
We need executive support
We need a project management course so our workers can become Project Management Professionals (PMPs)
Questions?
Why have you chosen to study project management?
Next week
Have decided which case study you will be using for your assessments
Readings and Resources – get onto MOODLE!!!
