Is a Project really a Project if it does not Deliver any Beneifts?

Organizations start a project for a variety of reasons, sometimes without any real clear understanding of the outcomes to be achieved. It could be the whim of a senior manager, in response to a ministerial announcement or a belief that implementing a solution will solve a difficult problem.

Project’s managers often go through a prescribed project planning process (perhaps following PRINCE2 ™); they produce sufficient documentation to satisfy audit requirements and then just head off in their own direction. While they always know what it is they have to DO (the project scope), it’s often not until the end of the project they examine what it is they were supposed to ACHIEVE, by which time it is too late.

Of course this is not the case in every project but it has been reported in studies like the Gershon review (2008) that this happens in 95% of projects. The unsettling statistic is that a massive 45% indicated that the project benefits were not measurable. This is extraordinary. It is difficult to imagine how this could possibly be the case.

What does this mean in practice?
Gershon suggests centralizing the co-ordination of projects to establish expected benefits at the outset and identifying ways to measure these benefits.
What it essentially means is that the Government has recognized that an enormous amount of money and effort is put into projects but there is not necessarily much to show taxpayers in terms of benefits delivered for this use of valuable resources.

Read this interesting article by Michael L. Young at:
Is-a-project-really-a-project-if-it-doesnt-deliver-benefits

Using Expert Stakeholders Wisely

A good article by Linda Bourne:

One group of stakeholders whose input is critical to most projects are experts -- subject matter experts, risk experts, quality experts. Project managers must know how to make effective use of these experts' knowledge.

Instead, project managers need to be more engaged and understand the basis of the expert's opinion. What makes sense to the expert may not make sense to you or may not be the optimum solution to your problem.

One technique you can use to make sure the expertise is useful and applied effectively is asking the expert to explain his or her ideas in simple language. Then dig into the assumptions, evidence and methodology used to reach his or her opinion.

Read full article at:
Using-expert-stakeholders-wisely.html

Why every Project Manager should know about Project Governance

Apparently in the world of governance, ignorance on the part of the project manager isn't surprising.

Project governance helps make sure that a project is executed according to the standards of the organization performing the project. Governance keeps all project activities above board and ethical, and also creates accountability.

A project governance structure will also help define a project reporting system. It outlines specific roles and responsibilities for everyone involved in the project. Project managers can leverage a governance structure in their projects to help with setting project priorities.

By understanding how governance fits into the larger organization, a project manager can choose which objectives to pursue. Or, he or she can gain support to change objectives that don't align with the overall organizational goal. By monitoring governance, the project manager helps ensure his or her project will stay in tune with organizational expectations and remains a good investment as it continues in its life-cycle. 

A project manager can also use the steering committees that are part of most governance structures to resolve conflicts. Because steering committee members don't work on the project on a daily basis, the can serve as fresh eyes to see what's causing the conflict and offer an outside voice of reason. They can also offer solutions on how to resolve the conflict and adhere to the standards -- while still sticking to the overall goals of the organization.

Great article by Taralyn R. Frasqueri-Molina for Voices on Project Management:
Project Governance