Effective Internal Project Management Strategies
Projects fail for many internal reasons, some of them technical, some of them
managerial. However, even the technical failures can often be traced back to
a failure on the part of the project's executive management to recognize and
deal with these inherent managerial risks. On the other hand, probably the majority
of apparently successful projects do not reflect their optimum potential either.
As a matter of project experience, a number of prerequisites have been identified
with the successful project. While these prerequisites do not necessarily guarantee
success of future projects, their absence may well lead to sub-optimal success,
if not outright failure. The Project's Executive has a vital role to play in
achieving project success and should therefore insist on the following:
Executive Support - The Executive must clearly demonstrate support for
the project management concept by active sponsorship and control.
External Authority - The project manager must be seen as the authoritative
agent in dealing with all parties, and be the responsible and single formal contact
with them.
Internal Authority - The project manager must have the necessary managerial
authority within his organization to ensure response to his requirements.
Commitment Authority - The project manager must have the responsibility
and authority to control the commitment of resources, including funds, within
prescribed limits. The results of these decisions must be both accountable and
visible.
Project Manager Involved in All Major Decisions - No major technical,
cost, schedule, or performance decisions should be made without the project manager's
participation.
Competence - The project manager and his team members must be competent.
Other functional personnel assigned to the project must also be competent.
Project Team - The project manager should have a say in the assembly
of his project team, which will help him to obtain their personal commitment,
support and required quality of service.
Management Information Systems - Effective project management information
and control systems must be in place.
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Influencing
The Project's Cultural Environment
