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Reporting and Complexity: Are there links between the two?
Dr D. N. Antoniadis
Head of Programme Management Office
UK Power Networks
5th Conference in the Project Management Series: Advanced Project Management for the Utility and Power Generation
IndustryManaging Opportunities and Leading Projects for High Performance
15th – 17th October 2014, Amsterdam, Netherlands
The speaker
5th Conference in the Project Management Series: Advanced Project Management for the Utility and Power Generation Industry
15th – 17th October 2014, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Dimitris N. AntoniadisCurrently working for:
- UK Power Networks as Head of Programme Management Office, and
- Lecturer at the University of West London on Project Management
25 years experience in Programme and Project Management worked for a number of organisations and in various roles:
BAA, Thames Water, Balfour Beatty, Brown & Root, T&T, Carillion
- PhD in Complexity, MSc in Project Management and BEng Mech Eng.
- Fellow of APM – Thames Valley Branch Committee member
- Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute
What I will talk about?
The issues and how do these occur
The Complexity characteristics
Complexity and Reporting
Addressing the issues
Challenges for the future
5th Conference in the Project Management Series: Advanced Project Management for the Utility and Power Generation Industry
15th – 17th October 2014, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Why Reporting?
Einstein said: “The major problem in
communication is the illusion that it has
occurred ”
Einstein also said: “You cannot solve the
problem with the same kind of thinking that
gives rise to the problem”
Why Complexity?
5th Conference in the Project Management Series: Advanced Project Management for the Utility and Power Generation Industry
15th – 17th October 2014, Amsterdam, Netherlands
What are the issues with Reporting?Project teams have to deal with intricate problems that involve
interconnections and interactions of structures, systems and
people
How do these issues occur?Reciprocal interdependencies(regulation of the boundaries, filtering, the medium used and the message it self)
No coordination and inappropriate frequency of bi-directional
flow of information - (n2-n) {where n=number of info nodes}
Contractual and procedural requirements
Restricted self-organisation of units
Systems do not minimise / reduce duplication of effort
5th Conference in the Project Management Series: Advanced Project Management for the Utility and Power Generation Industry
15th – 17th October 2014, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Looking at the definition of Project Management
Since projects and programmes are defined as a
temporary endeavour in a dynamic environment
project management can be defined as:
The management of transient, dynamic and complex
adaptive systems/agents, so as to deliver the
expected change within certain parameters that are
established by seemingly ordered and stable
environments.(Antoniadis, 2009)
5th Conference in the Project Management Series: Advanced Project Management for the Utility and Power Generation Industry
15th – 17th October 2014, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Facts - 1
“Common reasons for project failure, …., Project Managers
were under pressure to hide bad news, questions, and
spend”, (M. Dickson, April 2005 at the Project Challenge).
If the news is not good the output is filtered to such an extent
that is becoming unrecognisable, the interconnection(s)
become frustrated and conflict occurs.
Complexity has prevailed because its characteristics have
not been seriously taken into consideration.
5th Conference in the Project Management Series: Advanced Project Management for the Utility and Power Generation Industry
15th – 17th October 2014, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Facts - 2
� The literature on reporting identifies issues involving:
� organisation and/or project structure and roles,
� structure of data,
� corporate requirements,
� contract law and procedural demands,
� people issues,
� software and technology intricacies, and
� information / communication inadequacies.
5th Conference in the Project Management Series: Advanced Project Management for the Utility and Power Generation Industry
15th – 17th October 2014, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Complexity characteristics
Classification of characteristics by type:
Conditional
Autonomous Agents, Instability, Non-equilibrium,
Non-linear, Attractors
Developmental
Co-evolution, Self-modification, Downward causation,
Mutability, Non-uniform, Emergence, Phase changes
Behavioural
Unpredictability, Non-standard, Undefined values
5th Conference in the Project Management Series: Advanced Project Management for the Utility and Power Generation Industry
15th – 17th October 2014, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Complexity and Reporting - 1
Organisational structure Self-modification, Autonomous agents, Instability
Roles within Organisations and teams
Mutability and Instability
Structure of data Downward causation and Unpredictability
Corporate requirements Phase changes
Procedural and contract law requirements
Unpredictability (sensitivity to initial conditions)
REPORTING ISSUES AFFECTED BY:
Cross referencing reporting issues and complexity characteristics
5th Conference in the Project Management Series: Advanced Project Management for the Utility and Power Generation Industry
15th – 17th October 2014, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Complexity and Reporting - 2Cross referencing reporting issues and complexity characteristics
Information & Communication
Attractors, Phase changes and Instability
Other Project characteristics (e.g. size and frequency of reporting)
Unpredictability, Non-standard, Undefined values, non-equilibrium, non-linearity, co-evolution
People issues Co-evolution, Unpredictability and Non-standard
Software and Technology Non-linearity, Attractors and Self-reproduction
REPORTING ISSUES AFFECTED BY:
5th Conference in the Project Management Series: Advanced Project Management for the Utility and Power Generation Industry
15th – 17th October 2014, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Challenges for the future - 1
Developmental Complexity
characteristics
Conditional Complexity
characteristics
Behavioural Complexity
characteristics
Reporting
Process
5th Conference in the Project Management Series: Advanced Project Management for the Utility and Power Generation Industry
15th – 17th October 2014, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Challenges for the future - 2
“The observer and the observed cannot be independent. The
act of observing disturbs the system’ Nials Bohr.
� The act of reporting is an observation upon the project
� The reporting disturbs the project resulting in:
� 99% syndrome, or ‘prisoner’s dilemma’, or ‘is not me gov’
� We have to review reporting and develop the processes,
technologies, systems, and behaviours, which will enable
us to move away from the above.
� We need more information about information (Prof. C.Davidson)
5th Conference in the Project Management Series: Advanced Project Management for the Utility and Power Generation Industry
15th – 17th October 2014, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Challenges for the future - 3
� Accept the challenge that ‘Reporting includes
unavoidable ‘noise’’ and look (as is Lockhead
trying to do) to answer the question:
‘How can we develop less aggressive means of
‘looking’’
and reporting is a means of ‘looking’.
5th Conference in the Project Management Series: Advanced Project Management for the Utility and Power Generation Industry
15th – 17th October 2014, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Addressing the issues - 1
� Introduce Downward causation, but allow self-modification
� Identify and manage the boundaries
� Introduce dynamic attractors
� Ensure consistency, adjust frequency and density of
communication
� When building standard tools allow for non-uniformity expect
mutability but restrict tool divergence
5th Conference in the Project Management Series: Advanced Project Management for the Utility and Power Generation Industry
15th – 17th October 2014, Amsterdam, Netherlands
� Increase co-evolution, but reduce duplication of
effort
� Beware of the texture of reports
� Provide training to all parties (incl. stakeholder)
Addressing the issues - 2
� Finally, reporting is not just a contractual obligation.
It is about the 5 Ts: ‘Trust, Truth, Tolerance,
Thoughtfulness and not going over the Top’.
5th Conference in the Project Management Series: Advanced Project Management for the Utility and Power Generation Industry
15th – 17th October 2014, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Contact Details: Dimitris N Antoniadis
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.danton-progm.co.uk
Thank you
Closing
“… to understand the actual we must
contemplate the possible”Dawkins R. (‘The extended phenotype’ p.2)
5th Conference in the Project Management Series: Advanced Project Management for the Utility and Power Generation Industry
15th – 17th October 2014, Amsterdam, Netherlands