Project Success & Failure(2 sides of the same coin?)

Stephen Carver FAPM

68%Project Failure Rate

APM 2020 Vision

A World in whichall

Projects Succeed

“I think it is an immutable law in business that words are words, explanations are explanations,

promises are promises - but only performance is reality.”

Harold Geneenformer chief executive

ITT

Objective Setting

S Specific

M Measurable

A Achievable

R Realistic

T Time-based

A Alibi

R Reasons

S Scapegoat

E Exit

The Impossible Triangle

Success or Failure?

Sir John Armitt

PM?

On Time?On Budget?

Jan 2012

The true cost of staging the 2012 Olympics is five times the figure given when London won the bid in 2005.

A Sky investigation has revealed the final cost for the Games will be more than £12bn.However, associated costs could make the bill as high as £24bn - a staggering 10 times the original estimate.

18th Oct Daily Telegraph

Sports Minister announces that 2012 Olympics will be under budget by £0.5B

Olympics chiefs to hold inquest on 2012 logo shamblesMailonline, 7 June 2007

“The successful company of the future will also need to demonstrate much greater openness and greater commitment to the involvement of key stakeholders.

Brent Spar and Nigeria were key turning points in the way in which Shell and other companies take important project decisions.”

Jeroen van der Veer Group Managing Director Royal Dutch/Shell Group

“Anyone who can spoil my day”

Definition of a Project Stakeholder ?

Where Do You Want Them?

•Championing•Support•Approval •Co-operation•Compliance•Neutrality•Inertia•Obstruction •Antagonism •Opposition•Rejection: “no”•Mutiny•Sabotage

level o

f su

pp

ort

PPM – Maturity Levels

1

2

3

4

5

Ad Hoc Disorganised, accidental success

Minimal Some process, inconsistent success

Compliant Standardised, more predictable

Competitive Controlled and measured processes, results more in line with plans

World Class Continuous process improvement , success is normal

1

2

3

4

5

Competitive: provides source of competitive advantage, focused, metrics determine areas for improvement, supports business strategy.

Compliant: follows industry-accepted norms, improvements sporadic, process-focused, cost of failure significant, little strategic contribution

Minimal: tasked with ‘not messing up’, some use of standards, reactive, high cost of failure, negative strategic contribution.

Ad hoc: unreliable delivery, very high cost of failure, strongly negative strategic contribution

World-class: redefines delivery in the industry, automatically improving, very hard to imitate by competitors, drives business strategy.

Limit of process based approach

PPM – Strategic Advantage Strategic Contribution

What is Project Complexity?

• ‘Complicated’

e.g. a Swiss watch. Linear & predictable

• ‘Complex’: from the Latin ‘complexus’ (braided together). Nonlinear & unpredictable.

• Like quality – it is hard to quantify

• is something that is experienced.

Complexities

• Structural Complexity:– Number, size, financial scale, interdependencies, variety,

pace, technology, breadth of scope, number of specialities, multiple locations/time-zones. IQ

Complexities

• Emergent Complexity:– Technological and commercial maturity, novelty and change,

clarity of vision / goals, clear success criteria / benefits, previous experience, availability of information, unidentified stakeholders, “missing” plan, unforeseen, unknowable.

• Socio-political Complexity:– People, politics, stakeholder / sponsor commitment,

resistance, shared understanding, fit, hidden agendas, conflicting priorities, personalities, transparency, culture, EQ

Socio Political Complexity

              

“Eagles may soar high

but…….

rats don’t get sucked into jet engines”

Socio Political Complexity

The 3 Complexities

“In your work, which of the 3 complexities is the most difficult

to manage?”

“In your own formal training and development, which of the

3 complexities has received the most attention?”

We asked a group of 246 PMs these questions

StructuralSocio-polit-icalEmergent

StructuralSocio-polit-icalEmergent

Project Success & Failure(2 sides of the same coin?)

Stephen Carver FAPM