The week of 29 July through 2 August 2007 saw some 500+ leading thinkers from around the world descending on Boston, Massachusetts, USA to attend the 50th Anniversary of the Systems Dynamic Society Annual Symposium, hosted by MIT and held at the Boston Seaport Hotel complex.

The keynote speaker was Jay W. Forrester, an MIT educated Electrical Engineer, credited with being the “father” of Random Access Memory (RAM) and the first computer graphics.  However, his most notable contributions have not been in the field of computers, but in the field of Systems Dynamics, or the counter-intuitive behavior of complex social systems.

Professor Forrester was amongst the first to create a model which helped to predict many of the global problems we are experiencing today- global warming, climate changes, inability to make peace with our fellow men and women. In his book “World Dynamics” he modeled the complex interactions of economics, population growth and ecology. While originally met with skepticism, some 30+ years on, his model has proven to be disturbingly accurate. (See Limits to Growth- A 30 Year Update: http://www.mnforsustain.org/meadows_limits_to_growth_30_year_update_2004.htm

So what does all this have to do with project or program management?  Based on numerous studies, as well as a scan of your daily newspaper, we can see that project management as we are currently approaching it, is not working. Boston’s Big Dig, the IRS attempts to computerize their operations, Ford Motor’s attempts to create a Customer Relations Program stand as but a few examples of how well intentioned projects turn into disasters. And the larger and more complex the project, the more likely it will become a disaster. 

Read complete paper in English

About the Author: Paul B. Giammalvo, PhD Contributing Author Paul D. Giammalvo, CDT, PMP, CCE, MScPM, is Senior Technical Advisor to PT Mitratata Citragraha www.getpmcertified.com and Adjunct Professor of Project/Program Management, Lille Graduate School of Management, Paris, FRANCE. www.esc-lille.com. For over 14 years, he has been providing Project Management training and consulting throughout SE Asia, Middle East and Europe. He is active in the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering International, (AACE), www.aacei.org and the Construction Management Association of America, (CMAA), www.cmaanet.org. More recently, he has been elected to the Board of Directors, Global Alliance for Project Performance Standards, (GAPPS) www.global-mstandards.org. Paul can be reached at pauldg@indo.net.id.

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