Have I forgotten something? -Project Management ,a Critical Thinking Approach"

Submitted by Martin Hudson MCMI on Mon, 14/02/2011 - 20:55

The next Merseyside branch event on Wednesday evening at Liverpool Hope University is trying to explore the "missing component" in both project management theory and practice. Is what we do in a project management role the adaption of theory or purely the implementation of a well known process?

If you can't make it please join the discussion

You are not watching this post, click to start watching

Submitted by Martin Hudson MCMI on Mon, 14/02/2011 - 21:01

Sorry forgot to mention that the event is being led by David Moulton, who lectures at Liverpool Hope and is also BBC Radio Merseyside Business correspondent. E-mail me if you can attend at chair@cmimerseyside.org.uk

Submitted by Peter Elliott CMgr MCMI on Mon, 14/02/2011 - 21:29 Profile image

As with many management 'techniques' project management can often be considered to be the application of plain common sense.

To set goals and budget and decide on a satisfactorily acceptable level of quality make sense. To monitor that progress against the targets well, again; pure common sense isn't it?

However, there are more subtle project management techniques that maybe aren't as immediately apparent such as 'earned value analysis'. It's often easy to see that you're two thirds of the way through the programme and think that all is hunky dory because you're two thirds spent - but has two thirds of the work actually been completed?

I don’t think it’s an ‘either/or’ answer - I believe that there is a huge element of common sense in management/project management that is topped-up by a generous helping of management theory that can be put into practice to help to ensure a more successful outcome.

Submitted by Adrian Gaskell MCMI on Tue, 15/02/2011 - 10:04 Profile image

Sounds like an interesting event ahead Martin. Here is David's profile if anyone wanted a bit more info.

http://www.hope.ac.uk/staff-index/moultod.html

Submitted by Martin Hudson MCMI on Tue, 15/02/2011 - 21:32

Thanks Adi!! It should be we have members attending from both public/private secotor orgaisation and from social enterprises. Therefore we will have some good discussions as well.

Submitted by on Wed, 16/02/2011 - 06:09

There was a discussion on another branch forum (might have been yours Peter) about new research into why our project projections are always so badly optimistic. That would seem the biggest issue with project management given the sheer number of projects that go over budget and beyond deadline.

Submitted by Martin Hudson MCMI on Wed, 16/02/2011 - 12:18

Couldn't agree more. However I was facilitating a discussion with a group on the CMI level 7 programme that felt we shouldn't just measure finanacial aspects of a project but the long term impact on the end users lives. They where from an education background. But there is always a bottom line.

Submitted by Thomas Hughes MCMI on Wed, 16/02/2011 - 14:36 Profile image

Project Management is a technique and a tool. The best project manager using effective techniques will not necessarily bring in a project on time, to budget or deliver the expected value. If it were done in a vacuum then all and good but every project manager needs to be aware of how an organisation operates it’s cultures and ways of doing business. In effect “The way we do things around here” this goes for in house and external project managers.

If your expected to work to tight deadlines but the organisation has a “slippage” culture or a relaxed management style meaning that the people needed to make decisions don’t always turn up at meetings. Or even worse you have to please a wide range of stakeholders which is probably going to be impossible given the time lines. Then unfortunately non of your techniques, tools or enthusiasm are likely to deliver what’s required by the due date.

Organisations need to be more realistic at the outset about what can be achieved within a timescale given the budget and resources. Couple this with what may come along to disrupt the project and an assessment of the organisational culture and it’s effect and you may be nearer the true time and cost of a project. Actually that sounds like common sense so why don’t we do it?

Submitted by Matt Chapman on Thu, 17/02/2011 - 12:06

That's a very good point Thomas. Tools are secondary to culture in most instances I think, but it's much easier to change the tool than it is to change the culture.

Submitted by Martin Hudson MCMI on Thu, 17/02/2011 - 16:09

To help in this discussion we will soon be puting up the powerpoint from the event and a report /summary of the discussion

Submitted by Adrian Gaskell MCMI on Thu, 17/02/2011 - 16:32 Profile image

Slides here.

Project management by David Moulton

View more presentations from CMI .

Submitted by Ian Senior on Sun, 27/03/2011 - 09:39

Hi Peter

I was intersted in your comments on other project management approaches. In particular 'earned value analysis'. Could you sign post me to any relevent literature on this model please?

Regards

Ian

Submitted by Martin Hudson MCMI on Sun, 27/03/2011 - 16:56

Hi Ian

Just noticed your question and as it's a Sunday, Peter might not see your question until Monday. In the mean time here is a link to a paper on "earned value analysis" from the Project management Journal:

http://home.gwu.edu/~anbarif/pdf/selected/Anbari_Research_EVM_Anbari_PMJ...

Can I also suggest you use the "ask a reseacher facility" on the website because they usually respond to any questions within 24hours.

Best

Martin

Submitted by Ian Senior on Thu, 31/03/2011 - 20:34

Hi Martin

Thanks for guidance that was really useful.

Kind Regards

Ian

Submitted by Peter Elliott CMgr MCMI on Tue, 05/04/2011 - 21:28 Profile image

Ian

Sorry, was offline for a while - do you have the info you require?