Project Organisation

How Important is Project Organisation?

Organisation is the way we deliver projects! Effective organisation is crucial to the successful delivery of projects on time, to budget and specification. However:

• How much time and attention do we really pay to Project Organisation when initiating new projects?

• How much time and effort do we spend on improving the organisation, initiation and mobilisation of strategic projects?

• How serious are Organisational issues and their consequences?

•  What is the cost to the business of not addressing organisation effectively?

What's involved in Effective Project Organisation?

Effective Project Organisation involves, for example:

• Defining all key roles and in particular, responsibilities, across the wider project (i.e. not just your own element)

• Defining crystal clear terms of reference and accountabilities for all key roles and bodies; e.g. project manager; steering committees etc

• Defining clear supplier/ partner / customer interfaces, at all levels, and their responsibilities

• Defining ‘ways of working’ for your team, describing how you will work with key partners, supplier and the customer(s)

Organisation can also involve areas such as:

• Effective mobilisation of new projects

• Developing team charters

• Defining a Governance structure for your Project

• Developing all key controls, specific measures of performance and metrics that will be used by the entire team.

Project Management Competency Models

Many businesses are now defining competency models to help with the selection of individuals for key projects roles, and as an input to Personal Development programmes for project management staff.

Some organisations are extending this further to include the personal competencies (qualities) that are ideally required for senior project management positions. PMIS believes this will become a very important area of project management in future years.

Current Trends in Project Organisation?

Many industries are starting to realise the benefit of closer working relationships and more integrated working environments. Approaches like co-location have existed for some time, but many organisations resisted, often on grounds of cost, to adopt such methods.

Project management is starting to mature, and businesses are understanding not just the benefit, but the fundamental need to adopt such practices if they are going to deliver projects ‘faster, better, cheaper’. Such aims are attainable, but only if previous organisational practices are replaced by more concurrent and integrated project organisations during all phases of projects.

In some cases, this involves businesses working together much earlier in the project cycle, which can challenge traditional methods. Many industries are now seeing that the benefits far outweigh the risks, and are embracing new ‘ways of working’.

Where this is the aim, cultural resistance can often arise. If so, you need a change programme. PMIS is ideally placed to support all aspects of cultural change in project-based businesses.

Executive Presentation: Effective Project Organisation

PMIS has an Executive Overview of: Effective Project Organisation and would be happy to work with you to deliver this to your organisation.

Email today to find out more on Project Organisation or Project Management.

Links and References

For more information on Project Organisation and related topics:

Project Management Training Courses from PMIS

BSI6079:2002 A guide to Project management

UK APM web site

US PMI Web site

OGC

About PMIS:

PMIS is a leading specialist provider of project management training, Prince2 training, APMP training course, project risk management training, benefits realisation training. Whether you are looking for public or tailored project management training, PMIS provides first-class earned value training, project management courses, IT project management training, and project manager certification.