Good evening. I have started this blog to begin a discussion regarding project management. Specifically project management on the large scale.
Project Management is important not just because every one does it all the time. It is important because when done well it adds a lot of value to people, organizations, society and mankind. Done poorly it provides interesting news headlines.
So what makes Project Management hard? After all every one does it. Just like that other thing every one does. Moms do it. Dads do it too...but only grudgingly. Business people do it. Bosses do it and so do the subordinates. Hospitals do it. Churches do it. Insurance companies do it. Manufacturing companies do it. Hollywood does it. Politicians are masters at it. They get a lot of practice doing it.
However who can remember a large (multi - million, disciplinary, year, system) project that came in on budget and on schedule. How about two in a row?
2 comments:
The principal reason why many projects fail to be completed on time or to deliver their declared objectives is the high input of an ingredient called, euphemistically, "wishful thinking" that goes into them at the very conceptual stage itself. I know one fertilizer factory in India which was established two decades ago and still employs nearly 1300 engineers and technicians on full payroll but has not produced a single kilogram of the fertilizer so far. And, no one has the guts to close down the damned thing!
Any one who is interested in delving into this saga of mis-planned, mis-directed and mis-managed project planning and execution may log on to http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/bline/2002/03/09/stories/2002030901350400.htm and, for more juicy stuff, to http://in.news.yahoo.com/050503/43/5yeo1.html.
You are correct. Too many projects are started with no documented business case. In other cases the business case more closely resembles bad fiction than a conservative realistic well socialized plan.
I would go so far as to say, show me the process that was used to develop a project's business case and I will tell you with high level of accuracy the future of the project.
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