MONTHLY COLUMN:

ADVANCES IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Managing uncertainty through programmes

By Darren Dalcher, PhD
Middlesex University
London, UK

Editor’s note: The series on Advances in Project Management was launched with a Guest Editorial by Professor Darren Dalcher and first article in the December 2009 edition of PM World Today. Please read that introductory editorial here, where Professor Dalcher explains and sets the stage for articles in this exciting series by leading authors in the field of project management. Please read previous articles in the series by visiting the archives, beginning with the December 2009 edition. Each month’s article is introduced by Professor Darren Dalcher, editor of the Series on Advances in Project Management. Here is Professor Dalcher’s introduction to this month’s article.

Introduction to April Advances Series Article

Managing uncertainty through programmes

How do we manage large scale change efforts?

Uncertainty, ambiguity and risk in the project environment have featured throughout our series of articles. The track record of successfully delivering projects has often been challenged. The earlier articles suggest that there is still more to learn about how to mange risk and uncertainty. Yet, in seeking to implement long term change with wider ranging implications, we inevitably face even higher levels of uncertainty and ambiguity. Indeed, large change initiatives entail engagement at the organisational level. Leading and coordinating such change efforts introduces many new challenges. Focusing on the delivery of an outcome resulting from the vision and the associated benefits in a considerably longer time horizon requires a fundamental shift in how we reason about and prepare for large change initiatives.

Project-based structures are limited in their scope and their ability to deliver strategic benefits. They are also not useful in tackling the more complex and uncertain environments that are often encountered in modern business contexts. Moreover, they are not attuned to the growing need to focus on the business environment and the business itself.

The discipline of programme management can plug the gap as it provides the link between strategic decision making and the operational implementation of projects that deliver the vision of change. Programme management is therefore used to manage uncertainty and ambiguity, which are inherent in change, and to make the vision a reality. It also enables organisations to benefit from the emergent synergy that enables outcomes and benefits to deliver essential change resulting from the vision.

The interest in programme management continues to grow. In the last decade programme management has been documented in different sets of international standards emphasising various approaches, aspects and strengths of the discipline. New qualifications focused on the discipline are now available and there is a myriad of training courses on offer. The work of Michel Thiry has been crucial to the development of programme management as a discipline and practice.

The article was developed from the book Program Management written by Michel and published by Gower in the Advances in Project Management book series. The book attempts to make sense of the different standards and approaches and to synthesise available programme management knowledge into a repeatable and mature process and competence that can be applied effectively in any organisational setting. The book draws together research with practical insights and experiences offering an integrated and well informed approach to programme management.

The uncertainty and ambiguity inherent in turbulent organisational settings will continue to make project decisions more complex. Michel’s approach offers new ways of dealing with uncertainty and ambiguity and delivering the vision of the organisation. The community is indebted to Michel for playing a key part in shaping the discipline over many years and for making sense of it in a concise and clear way. Michel resists the temptation to focus solely on processes. His work identifies the importance of behaviours, competence and culture and offers ways of promoting the culture shift within programme-based organisations. The combination of tools, guidance, insights and a roadmap to success delivers a new co-ordinated programme for tackling change, complexity and uncertainty and becoming more effective in realising sustainable benefits and delivering real value.

Darren Dalcher, PhD
Middlesex University, London
Series Editor