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Volume XI - Issue I - January 2009

Viewpoints

PM World Today™ Viewpoints articles reflect the personal opinions of the authors and not that of PM Forum™ and PM World Today™. Publication does not constitute endorsement by either PM Forum™ or PM World Today™. We strive only to provide a non-biased platform for the exchange of constructive and diverse ideas, opinions, perspectives, and thought-provoking articles about matters affecting the world of project management. PM World Today™ also does not endorse nor allow abusive, inaccurate or unprofessional content. PM Forum and PM World Today™ encourage and support high standards of ethical and professional conduct at all times. Contact information for each author is normally included with each article (when provided) so that if you have a differing opinion or a shared interest you may dialogue directly with the author.

 

New Number One Reason Projects Fail – Lack of Discipline?

By Michael O’Brochta, PMP

Introduction

I have been an avid reader and believer of the long string of studies about why projects fail. Be it Gartner, or Forrester Research, or The Chaos Studies by The Standish Group, or others. The top reasons for project failure has remained fairly constant for a decade or two:  requirements, user involvement, executive support, and a few others. Either the requirements were not fully understood, or documented, or agreed to by enough stakeholders, or they changed, or they didn’t change; whatever. Likewise for user involvement and executive support; not enough, too much, wrong kind… I have even taken up the call myself to spread the word about project failure due to these most often cited reasons.

Read complete paper in English

 

About the Author:

Michael O’Brochta, PMP
Author

Michael (Mike) O'Brochta, who has managed hundreds of projects during the past thirty years, is also an experienced line manager, author, lecturer, trainer and consultant. He holds a master's degree in project management, a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, and is certified as a PMP®. As Zozer Inc. President, he is helping organizations raise their level of project management performance. As senior project manager at the CIA, he led the project management and systems engineering training and certification program to mature practices agency-wide. Mr. O'Brochta's other current work includes the development of standards and courseware for the new Federal Acquisition Certification for Program and Project Managers, project management office formation and management, the development of project management life cycle methodologies, project management maturity assessments, project management occupation development, and the creation and delivery of successful project management classes and workshops for participants at various knowledge levels. He serves at the PMI corporate level on the Community Development Management Advisory Group and at the chapter level where he built and led the international PMIWDC Chapter-to-Chapter program. Mr. O’Brochta has written and presented papers at every PMI North American Global Congress during the past decade as well as at many international, and regional conferences. His recent presentations at PMI conferences in Denver and Sao Paulo drew the largest audiences at those conferences. Topics that he is currently passionate about include how to get executives to act for project success and great project managers. Since his recent climb of another of the world’s seven summits, he has been exploring the relationship between project management and mountain climbing. Mike can be reached at mobrochta@zozerinc.com

 

Top of Page

Scope for Improvement Too

By Patrick Weaver

If a project’s client cannot ask for what it wants, the project team is highly unlikely to deliver what’s needed!

Research by Blake Dawson Lawyers, supported by the Australian Constructors Association and Infrastructure Partnerships Australia, reports on deficiencies in the scoping of numerous major construction projects in over the past three years. The report, Scope for Improvement 2008 is based on feedback from the managers responsible for some of Australia’s largest infrastructure projects.

Read complete paper in English

 

About the Author:

Patrick Weaver

Patrick Weaver

Author

 

Patrick Weaver, PMP, PMI-SP, FAICD, FCIOB, is the Managing Director of Mosaic Project Services Pty Ltd, an Australian project management consultancy specialising in project control systems and a PMI Registered Education Provider.  Patrick is also the business manager of Stakeholder Management Pty Ltd. He is a Fellow and IPP of the Chartered Institute of Building, Australasia (FCIOB) and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD). He is a member of the PMI College of Scheduling, College of Performance Management and the PMI Melbourne Chapter (Australia), as well a full member of AIPM and the APM (UK).  Patrick has over 35 years experience in Project Management.  His career was initially focused on the planning and managing of construction, engineering and infrastructure projects in the UK and Australia. The last 25 years has seen his businesses and experience expand to include the successful delivery of project scheduling services and PMOs in a range of government, ICT and business environments; with a strong focus on project management training.  His consultancy work encompasses: developing and advising on project schedules, developing and presenting PM training courses, managing the development of internal project control systems for client organisations, and assisting with dispute resolution and claims management.  He is a qualified Arbitrator and Mediator.  In the last few years, Patrick has sought to ‘give back’ to the industry he has participated in since leaving college through contributions to the development of the project management profession.  In addition to his committee roles he has presented papers at a wide range of project management conferences in the USA, Europe, Asia and Australia, has been part of the organising committee for two PMI Congresses in the Asia-Pacific region, and has an on-going role with the PMOZ conference in Australia and World Project Management Week.  Patrick can be contacted at patw@mosaicprojects.com.au or at www.mosaicprojects.com.au.



The inspired Project Manager

By Ammar Mango

I would like to make an appeal, as follows: My dear fellow project managers, please consider, once in a while, the need to stop thinking.

This is not an attention grabber.  I do mean what I said literally. 

Project Managers might take exception to such a statement.  We are in a profession that values thinking.  We are actually taught to think about what we are going to do before we do it.  This is common sense wisdom. 

In planning, we are taught to think the project through…in a way, simulate the whole project, in our minds, on paper, and in project management and other simulation software.  Best practices show us how to do the calculations for the schedule development, cost estimates, and control.  Also, we need to “think” about how we will deal with the project risk, the different stakeholders, the hurdles we are facing.  It sure looks like it is always “think - think – think” for a project manager.”

Read complete paper in English

 

About the Author:

Ammar Mango

Ammar Mango
IAuthor

 

Ammar W. Mango, PMP, CSSBB, is principal consultant for Method Corporation, a project management consulting, product and services company based in Amman, Jordan.  He is also an International Correspondent for PMForum in Jordan.  With over seventeen years of global experience in Project Management & Leadership consulting and training, he is considered an international expert on the subjects and enjoys a superb reputation as an inspirational trainer and consultant.  He holds a bachelor’s degree from Jordan University and a Master's Degree in Construction Engineering and Management from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.  He has been certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP) by the Project Management Institute (PMI) since 1991, and as a Six Sigma Black Belt by the American Society for Quality. He served as Vice President, Education, PMI Great Lakes Chapter in 1993, and is the founder and currently an active member of the PMI Jordanian Chapter. Additional information can be found at http://www.pmforum.org/pm%20forum%20team/index.htm#5.  Ammar can be contacted at amango@methodcorp.com.

 

 

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