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…  two  sorts  of  truth:  trivialities,  where  opposites  are  obviously  absurd,  and  profound  truths,  recognized  by  the  fact  that  the  opposite  is  also  a  profound  truth.  –  Niels  Bohr  (1885–1962)  

Why  is  Project  Management  So  Hard?  

The  real  question  is  why  is  managing  projects  so  hard?  The  Project   Management   processes   are   well   defined,   well  documented,   mature,   and   available   to   anyone   anywhere.  But  we  still   seem  to   think,  or  at   least  make  the  claim  that  “managing   projects”   requires   some   type   of   special   skill,  requiring   processes   not   found   in   these   standard  approaches.    

If  we   look   for   the   profound   truths   of   project  management  what  would  we   find?  Can   these   truths   be  successfully  discovered  and  applied  to  projects  by  a  person  called  a  “Project  Manager?”  As  well,  what  are   the   elements   of   Irreducible   Complexity   (IC)   for   managing   projects   that   can   be   found   in   these  processes?  That  is,  what  are  the  minimum  set  “things”  that  must  be  done  to  “manage”  a  project?  

Irreducible   Complexity   says   that   a   complex   system   is  made   up   of  multiple   components   that   perform  functions  within  the  context  of  a  larger  system.  The  process  areas  of  project  management  being  used  to  manage   a   project   are   an   example.   If   a   project   management   process   is   removed,   then   is   the  “management  of  projects”  somehow  inhibited?  If  a  project  management  process  is  removed,  does  the  system  made  up  of  the  project  management  processes  become  useless?  This  is  clear  to  see  in  physical  systems  –  say  a   radio  or  a  piece  of  DNA   in  a  biology  system.  Remove  a  part  and   it   stops  working  –   in  most  cases    –  but  can  it  also  be  equally  of  processes  used  to  manage  projects?.    

Several   processes   can   be   linked   together   and   have   value   only   as   an   integrated   set   –   each   individual  process   is   as   an  enabler   and   can  also  have   inherent   value  by   itself.   In   assessing   the   value  of  multiple  process  or  technology  changes  that  are  interrelated,  they  should  be  valued  as  an  integrated  set.    

First,  a  Look  at  the  Core  Problem  

The  next  step  is  the  obligatory  presentation  of  how  bad  the  industry  is  in  managing  projects.  

KPMG’s  Global  IT  Project  Management  survey  found:  ! Corporate  benchmarking  study  identified  serious  deficiencies  in  senior  executive  management  skills  

with  IT  projects.  Lack  of  PM  skills  cut  benefits  of  IT  projects  by  25%.  ! “Project  governance  practices   today   focus  on  making  commitments,  not  keeping  them.  Executives  

are  involved  in  selecting  and  approving  projects,  but  rarely  delivering  them.”  49%  experienced  one  project  failure  in  past  12  months.  

This  is  certainly  not  new  information  for  anyone  working  in  the  IT  business  or  any  business  related  to  IT.  But  how  can  these  types  of  issues  be  addressed.  It’s  easy  to  point  out  the  problems.  It’s  much  harder  to  identify  solutions  that  provide  measureable  benefit  –  not  just  a  restatement  of  the  obvious.  

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This  operation  is  being  planned  as  a  success;  we  cannot  afford  to  fail  –  Eisenhower  referring  to  Operation  Overlord  

What  is  it  about  Project  Management  that  We  Don’t  “Get?”  

The  problems  abound  in  the  market  place;  the  solutions  –  or  at  least  the  supposed  solutions  –  flood  the  book   stores,   academic   halls,   web   pages,   and   conference   proceedings.   Professional   certificates,  commercial  and  government  standards,  whole  departments  are  dedicated   in   large  corporations  to  the  “management  of  projects.”  

Some   speak   of   the   minimum   set   of   processes,   or   the   lightest   weight   processes,   or   the   most   agile  processes.  What  actually  does  this  mean?  What  are  these  processes?  How  can  it  be  shown  that  they  are  in  fact  the  minimal  processes?  And  if  they  are  the  minimal  processes,  how  can  it  be  shown  they  are  the  right  minimal  set?  

“Dieu  a  choisi  celuy  qui  est...  le  plus  simple  en  hypotheses  et  le  plus  riche  en  phenomenes”  «God  has  chosen  that  which  is  the  most  simple  in  hypotheses  and  the  most  rich  in  phenomena»  —  Leibniz,  in  Discours  de  métaphysique,  VI.  1686  

The   primary   question   for   Project  Management   is   –   “what   is   the  minimal   set   of   processes   needed   to  successfully  delivery  the  project?”  “What  is  the  Irreducible  Complexity  of  Project  Management?”  

Start  at  the  Beginning  

The  Eisenhower  quote  begs  the  question  –  “what  do  I  have  to  do  as  a  project  manager  to  not  fail?”  “What  actions  do  I  need  to  take  every  day?”  “What  processes  do  I  have  to  put  into   place   and   use?”   “What   staff   skills   do   I   need   to   be  successful?”  “How  should  I  engage  the  stakeholders  in  order  to  discover  what  their  needs  are?”  

These  are  questions  every  project  manager  should  be  asking.  The  answers  need  to  be  supportive  of  the  project   in   terms   that   are  measurable   and  meaningful   to   the   customer   and   the   project  management  team.  

Here’s  three  simple  examples  of  the  processes  used  to  “manage  a  project.”  

Project  Management  Institute   Heavy  Construction   Aerospace  and  Defense  Scope  Management   Charter  the  Team   Program  Authorization    Time  Management   Plan  the  Project   Prime  and  subcontractor  organization  Cost  Management   Endorse  the  Project   Program  Planning  Integration  Management   Manage  Change   Authorize  Work    Quality  Management   Close  Project   Define  and  Control  Budget  Human  Resources  Management     Control  Account  Management  Communications  Management     Control  Change    Risk  Management     Analyze  Performance    Procurement  Management     Management  Risk  and  Opportunity      

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Let’s   address   the   typical   “red   herring”   of   the   counter–“project   manager”   crowd.   Those   who   are  convinced   that   the   role  of  professional  project  management  and   the  processes  used  by   these  project  managers   should   be   replaced.  Of   course   replaced   by   their   own   processes.  When   you   see   a   term   like  “control,”  “manage,”  or  “plan”  these  terms  are  verbs  applied  to  nouns.  The  nouns  are  “objects”  to  be  controlled,   managed,   or   planned.   These   nouns   are   always   random   variables.   Variables   like   cost,  schedule,  and  technical  performance.    

So   this  brings  us   to   the   first  of   the   core  or   irreducible   complexities  of  managing  a  project.   The   things  trying   to   be  managed   are   not  manageable   in   a   definitized   way.   The   things   that   are   being  managed,  controlled,   or   planned   have   natural   and   unnatural   variances.   Trying   to   manage,   control,   or   plan  variances  of  the  nouns  below  their  bounds  of  natural  variance  is  a  waste  of  time  and  money.  This  is  the  level  below  which  the  process  should  not  be  taken.  

Back  to  the  Question  –  Why  is  Project  Management  So  Hard?  

When  the  processes  from  above  are  applied  to  a  project,  why  does  the  project  still  get  in  trouble?  There  has  to  be  more  to  it  than  just  not  applying  the  processes  correctly.  Or  not  applying  the  right  processes  to  the  right  problem.  Or  even  not  applying  the  processes  all  together.  The  concept  of  a  competency  based  skill   set   required   to   manage   a   project   is   well   understood   in   other   business   domains.   Petrochemical  plants,  pulp  and  paper,  electric  utilities,  aerospace  and  defense,  heavy  construction.  All  these  domains  have   Project  Management   processes   that   are   successful   (in   most   cases).   But   they   also   have   domain  competency    

“as   encompassing   knowledge,   skills,   attitudes,   and  behaviors   that   are   causally   related   to   superior  job  performance,”  (Boyatzis  1982)  

So  why  is  this  concept  so  hard  to  get  across  in  the  softer  project  world  –  like  IT?    

I  would  suggest  project  management  is  hard  because  when  we  fail  to  start  with  principles,  the  project  manager   doesn’t   know  what   he   doesn’t   know   and   proceeds   to  manage   the   project   on   “gut   instinct”  alone.  Worse,  manage  the  project  with  an  inappropriate  set  of  principles.  

The  principles  of   project  management   and   the   application  of   these  principles   to  managing  projects   is  rarely  something  that  comes  about  on  their  own.  These  principles  have  been  developed  over  time  and  tested  in  a  variety  of  business  domains.  

What  are  the  Irreducible  Principles  of  Project  Management?  

So  now,  we  get  to  the  end.  I  had  intended  to  speak  to  my  version  of  the  Irreducible  Principles  of  Project  Management.   In   a   very   timely  manner,   an   article   in   the   Jan/Feb   2008   issue   of  Defense   AT&L,   “Good  Project  Management  Top  20,”  http://www.dau.mil/pubs/dam/2008_01_02/tur_jf08.pdf  arrived.  Wayne  Turk  makes  the  case  for  a  set  of  project  management  processes.  I  will  not  list  the  details  here,  but  his  list  is  all  you  need  to  get  started:  

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1. Requirements   are   the   underpinnings   of   project   success   –   if   you   don’t   know   what   the   project   is  supposed  to  do,  then  it’s  be  hard  delivering  the  solution.  

2. Planning  is  the  project’s  roadmap  and  is  ongoing  –  a  plan  is  a  strategy  for  successfully  delivering  the  project.  

3. Communication—up,   down,   and   sideways—is   a   must   –   plans   change,   requirements   change,  everything  changes.  Change  is  natural.  Communication  makes  the  change  visible.  

4. User  /  customer  involvements  can  prevent  misunderstandings  –  the  project  must  provide  value  for  the  customer.  Progress  must  be  measured  in  units  meaningful  to  the  customer.    

5. The  three  primary  dimensions—cost,  schedule,  and  technical  performance  —must  be  top  concerns.    6. Leadership  and  management  go  together  –  both  are  needed.  One  cannot  be  successful  without  the  

other.  7. Responsibility  with   the  appropriate  authority   is  necessary   for   the  Project  Manager,   the  task   leads,  

and   the  customer  –  defining   the   responsibilities  and   the  authorities   in  a  clear,   concise,  and  public  manner  is  a  critical  success  factor.  

8. Set  priorities;  then  re-­‐examine  them  periodically  –  priorities  drive  decisions.  9. Gather  the  right  metrics  for  the  right  reasons  –  measure  progress  through  increasing  maturity  and  

physical  percent  complete.  Never  through  the  consumption  of  resources  and  the  passage  of  time.  10. Having  good  people  makes  being  a  successful  Project  Manager  much  easier  –  this  is  a  universal  law  

of  nature.  Good  means  experienced,  trained,  capable,  motivated,  and  willing  to  work  on  the  team  for  the  better  good  of  the  project.  

11. Give  people  the  right  tools  so  that  they  can  do  their  jobs  –  tools  amplify  skills.  12. Selling   the  project   can  garner   support   from  above  –   “keeping   the  project   sold”   is   critical   to  being  

able  to  successfully  deliver.  13. Manage  risk—but  take  risks  when  you  have  to  –  “Risk  Management  is  how  Adults  Manage  Projects.”  14. Use  good  people  skills,  and  people  will  respond  with  good  work  –  this  requires  both  leadership  and  

management  skills.  15. Adequate,   thorough,   and   timely   testing  with   good   test   plans  makes   for   good  products   –   “Testing  

retires  risk.”  16. Transmitting   the   appropriate   urgency   is   the   right   kind   of   motivation   –   deciding   what   activities  

produce  what  value  is  the  starting  point  of  “urgency  based”  motivation.  17. Monitor,  but  do  not  micromanage  –  measure  physical  progress  to  plan.  Determine  how  to  move  the  

project’s  maturity  forward  at  the  “value  delivery”   level.  Let  those  tasked  with  delivering  this  value  determine  the  details.  

18. Using  “outsiders”  correctly  is  a  team  multiplier  –  focus  on  core  competencies,  outsource  the  rest.  19. Focus   on   the   important   areas,   but   do   not   ignore   the   rest   –   define   “important”   in   terms   of   value  

delivery  to  the  customer.  20. Expectations  should  be  high  for  yourself  and  your  people,  and  realistic  for  the  stakeholders  –  push  

beyond  the  limit  of  cost  and  schedule  performance.  It  puts  money  and  time  in  the  bank.  21. Do  not  lose  your  sense  of  humor  –  laugh  at  yourself  first.    Conclusion  The  principles  above  are  not  project  management  process  areas.  Project  Management  process  can  be  derived   from   these  principles.  These  principles   can  be   supported  by  all   the  process  areas   in   the   table  above.  There  possibly  are  other  processes  and  process  areas  that  can  be  derived  from  these  principles.  

But   the  principles  are   likely  candidates   for   the   Irreducible  set.  Failing  to  employ  one  or  more  of   these  principles  will  lead  to  disappointment.