DEFINING PROJECT SUCCESS

Presented By:
Ar.Adolph Vincent E. Vigor,PGDip.PM,REA,REB,UAP,RIBA
PROJECT SUCCESS
Project success is an elusive term sought out by everyone
involved in the unique undertaking called project
management. In contemporary society and human history
project failures are more common than success itself
(Wysocki,2007). Attempts have been made to establish
uniform project management practices and tools across a
variety of industries by multinational organizations
(Kerzner,2006).Perception of the defined notion of project
success is different among the stakeholders because each
have their own interests on the project.The worth of
project success lies in the satisfaction of the stakeholders
and the achievement of project objectives (PMI,2004;and
Kerzenr,2006).
PROJECT SUCCESS
During times when projects have conundrums like delays,
cost overshoots, changes in scope or quality, the project
stakeholders and the organization as a whole would suffer
losses in profit and opportunities (Kanter and
Walsh,2004).Apart from these specified drawbacks, the
organization might also have its image tarnished.

PMI(2004) stipulated that the knowledge areas involved in

project management are the following: integration
management, scope management, time management, cost
management , quality management , human resource
management , communications management, risk
management and procurement management.
PROJECT SUCCESS
According to Morris and Pinto (2004) there are ten critical
factors of success for projects namely: project mission, top
management support, project schedule/plans ,client
consultation, personnel, technical tasks, client acceptance,
monitoring and feedback, lastly monitoring and
troubleshooting.

There are also four factors which positively contribute to

project success which is appropriate technology,
communication channels, appropriate method and tool
support and sufficient authority of the project manager on
the project (Morris and Pinto,2004).
.
PROJECT SUCCESS
Project managers share a vital role in the management
process however the lack of authority in a project does not
absolve them of their accountabilities (Montague,2000).

Therefore the project manager’s leadership initiatives and

personality traits are vital in achieving the objectives that
is set. With reference to the person-organization fit theory
(Caplan,1987;Kristof,1996),it is said that the personality
traits of an individual must match the requirements of a
particular job.

For project managers it could only mean that they do

better in projects which match their key personality traits.
PROJECT SUCCESS
But several studies conducted in the real world by Shenhar and Dvir
(Shenhar, 1998; Shenhar,2001; Shenhar&Dvir, 1996) proved the
existence of another dimension called novelty. Novelty describes how
the products benefits its end users. The additional dimension provides
a more accurate view in differentiating /distinguishing the project at
hand. The new model called NTCP serves as a better guide in selecting
the proper management style in project initiation, recruiting and tool
selection. The template for project success has four dimensions
(Sadeh,Dvir and Shenhar,2000).The first dimension is meeting the
design goals that was agreed with the client, the second dimension
refers to the end user benefits of the projects and the third dimension
is related to the benefit gained by the organization which could refer to
the things learned during project execution and the camaraderie and
teamwork developed by the stakeholders. It could also refer to the
future business benefits of the project as a whole.
PROJECT SUCCESS
According to Shenhar and his colleagues (Shenhar, 2001;
Shenhar&Bonen, 1997; Dviret al., 1998) there are at least three
dimensions that form a context free framework in selecting the
proper management style. These form the UCP model and
stands for uncertainty, complexity and pace. Uncertainty refers
to the different levels of technological uncertainty which could
be present in a project. It determines the level of detail,
accuracy and contingency level of resources. Complexity refers
to the project scope, elements and interconnectivity of events.
It will determine the organizational process and formalization
of management. Pace which is the third possible dimension
refers to criticality and urgency of time goals and elements.
Together these three elements constitute the basic UCP model
PROJECT SUCCESS
But several studies conducted in the real world by Shenhar and Dvir
(Shenhar, 1998; Shenhar,2001; Shenhar&Dvir, 1996) proved the
existence of another dimension called novelty. Novelty describes how
the products benefits its end users. The additional dimension provides
a more accurate view in differentiating /distinguishing the project at
hand. The new model called NTCP serves as a better guide in selecting
the proper management style in project initiation, recruiting and tool
selection. The template for project success has four dimensions
(Sadeh,Dvir and Shenhar,2000).The first dimension is meeting the
design goals that was agreed with the client, the second dimension
refers to the end user benefits of the projects and the third dimension
is related to the benefit gained by the organization which could refer to
the things learned during project execution and the camaraderie and
teamwork developed by the stakeholders. It could also refer to the
future business benefits of the project as a whole.
REFERENCES
Kerzner H (2006),Project Management, A Systems Approach to Planning,
Scheduling,and Controlling, John-Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ.

Wysocki R K (2007),Effective Project Management, Wiley Publishing, Indianapolis,

IN.

Kanter J and Walsh J J (2004), “Toward More Successful Project Management”,

Information Systems Management, Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 16-21.

Project Management Institute (2004),A Guide to the Project Management Body of

Knowledge (PMBOK Guide), Newton Square, PA.

Morris P W G and Pinto J K (2004),The Wiley Guide to Managing Projects, John

Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, New Jersey.

Montague J (2000), “Frequent, Face-to-face Conversation Key to Proactive Project

Management”, Control Engineering, Vol. 47, No. 6, p. 16, June.

Shenhar, A. J., &Dvir, D. (2004).How projects differ and what to do about it. In J. Pinto & P. Morris (Eds.),Handbook of managing

Caplan, R. D. (1987). Person-environment fit theory and organizations:Commensurate dimensions, time perspectives,and mechanisms.
Journal ofVocational Behavior, 31, 248–267.

Sadeh, A., Dvir, D., &Shenhar, A. (2000).The role of contract type in the success of R&D defense projects under increasing
uncertainty.ProjectManagement Journal, 31(3), 14–22.
LEADING TEAMS & MANAGING RELATIONSHIPS
Never Compromise on People
“One should never compromise on people but one always does.
Why? Because one rarely gets a perfect fit: it’s difficult to assess how
people will really perform in a new situation; people have careers
and plans of their own and many resent being pinned down. People,
unlike all other factors of production, are animate – they have egos,
are passionate, willful, emotional, and make mistakes. And,
amazingly, many people don’t actually have their competency
assessed in terms of the specific job they are being asked to
perform… The prediction of staff numbers and competencies needed
to manage the pipeline of upcoming projects and programs becomes
a matter of considerable importance.”
Morris (2013, p. 12). .
LEADING TEAMS & MANAGING RELATIONSHIPS
There are many advantages of empowerment (Meredith & Mantel,2012).One is that it
harnesses the ability of team members to manipulate tasks so that project objectives
are met. The second one is that it since professionals doesn’t like to be micromanaged,
it allows for creativity of methodology for key members to do their tasks.
The third is that it gives team members a sense of responsibility, accountability and
importance in the project. The fourth is that it creates a synergistic environment for
the project. The fifth advantage is that team members get more timely feedback in
their performance which allows plenty of room for self-improvement and finally it is a
tool for the PM to evaluate the team’s performance more closely. Overall senior
management must take in a lot of effort to delineate the project’s goals,
responsibilities and authority to reap the full advantages of having a project team
(Ford et. al. ,1992,pg.316 ;Nelson,1998,pg.43).It is always important to note that what
we encounter in the project management are technical problems with a human
dimension. Though the PM has little influence over the economic rewards and
promotions for the individuals or teams working in the project, it does not mean the
PM cant motivate them to work which is the most essential when managing teams or
people in a project.
PROJECT PLANNING
PROJECT PLANNING
 PROJECT PLANNING: WBS
An essential step in the project planning process is to establish the
tasks and activities that need to be performed to deliver a project’s
objectives. This requires that the project requirements be collected
from the project stakeholders. Collecting requirements is the process
of determining, documenting, and managing stakeholder needs and
requirements to meet the project objectives. Essentially, it is about
agreeing to the activities and tasks that must be completed and
identifying the resources required to deliver these tasks.

Requirements also include conditions or capabilities that must be

met by the project’s objectives. An important consideration to
remember is that some requirements may be from external parties
or suppliers. A key benefit of the requirements collection process is
that it provides the basis for defining and managing the project
scope.
 PROJECT PLANNING: WBS
A requirement is a feature that the project output must have,
defined by project stakeholders. A project’s success is directly
influenced by the level of stakeholder involvement in the discovery
and decomposition of needs into requirements.

It is important, therefore, that care is taken in determining,

documenting, and managing the requirements of the product,
service, or result of the project. Project requirements need to be
identified, agreed to, analysed, and recorded in enough detail to be
measured after project execution begins. Requirements become the
foundation of the work breakdown structure (WBS).
 PROJECT PLANNING: WBS
Project managers can collect requirements from stakeholders by a number of
methods, including interviews and surveys. Requirements’ planning provides
answers to some key questions including:
What tasks must be done to deliver the project aims?
Who will do each task?
How long will each task take?
What resources, including people, materials, supplies, and equipment, are
required?
How much will each task cost?

What is important at this stage is that the process is not concerned with the order
in which each of the tasks will be delivered. The WBS does not consider
scheduling. This will covered in the next planning phase of scheduling.
PROJECT PLANNING: WBS
 PROJECT PLANNING: WBS
A key role of the WBS is to ensure a systematic approach to
identifying the scope of the tasks and work packages that must be
completed to deliver the project. One of the major causes of project
failure and overruns is unforeseen tasks, which can have negative
impacts on costs and time. The WBS can help to ensure that all the
significant tasks and sub-tasks are identified in the early stages of
the planning phase. The WBS is the foundation for scope because it
helps to pull the project together and provides a baseline for the
projects scope and resources required. The WBS provides a graphical
representation of the project scope, and the visualisation enables
project stakeholders to see and agree to the project scope more
easily.
 PROJECT PLANNING: WBS
A critical learning point to remember is that what isn't in the WBS is
outside of the project scope. If there are budget and/or time
constraints, seeing the project scope defined on a WBS allows an
evaluation of the project scope to ensure it is delivered within these
constraints. It is also an essential tool to clarify stakeholders’
understanding about the scope and outcomes, and it can help to
reach a common expectation of the project outcomes. Clarification
of scope can minimise the risk of stakeholders having different
perceptions about the same project outcomes. For example, the
client may ask for a construction company to build a house. They
may have visions of a palatial mansion with luxury fixtures and
fittings while the project manager may envisage a basic structure
and the minimum quality products and materials. Using a WBS can
ensure key tasks and activities are identified, understood, and
agreed to.
 PROJECT PLANNING: WBS
Projects are decomposed into smaller parts to facilitate planning for cost, time,
and quality. It is essentially a ‘divide and conquer’ approach to project scope and
delivery. Creation of the WBS is a process of dividing project deliverables into
smaller and more manageable units. The PMBOK® (2013, p.310) defines a
deliverable as ‘any unique and verifiable product, result, or capability to perform a
service that must be produced to complete the process, faith, or project’.

Once tasks and activities are identified, resources can be allocated to them.
Resources are wide-ranging and can include people, facilities, and tools. Resource
needs should be determined with the project team and key stakeholders when
developing the WBS and documented in a resource management plan. The
resource management plan provides specific detail of the resource needed. For
example, if people are identified as a resource, the resource management plan
should detail the role description, prerequisites skills, skill levels, and experience
needed.
 PROJECT PLANNING: WBS
The WBS organises the scope of the project in a deliverable-oriented hierarchical
structure. The hierarchical levels of the WBS mean you can see the work from a
very high level: the big picture down to the lowest level of detail providing clear
understanding of the project scope. The WBS can be used throughout the life of
the project as a baseline for project reporting.

In practice, scope changes are one of the most common reasons for project
failure. Despite the importance of the WBS, unfortunately many project managers
still do not use these, or they fail to use them properly. For example, it is common
practice for project managers to define projects from a schedule instead of from a
well-defined scope and WBS. Similarly, project managers sometimes focus on
when certain things will be done, or how reliable costs are, even though the
project’s scope and deliverables are not clear. The project’s control stems from the
WBS.
 PROJECT PLANNING: WBS

The WBS is not just a list of activities or tasks you have to do. Rather, the WBS is a
fundamental tool to organise, manage, and control the deliverables and scope. It
presents the end vision, not the means to accomplish it. In practical terms, the
WBS is what you will deliver—not how or when you will deliver it.