How well are projects managed? Not very well, says The Standish Group.  A report released in April of 2009 entitled "CHAOS Summary 2009" shows  “a marked decrease in project success rates." Findings showed that just under half of projects failed to meet deadlines, budgets and expectations. These statistics are a direct reflection of organizational performance and have a negative impact on both internal and external customer satisfaction.

Tegan Jones writes in Talent Management Magazine about a Novations survey that showed “more than half of the businesses surveyed reported project mismanagement.” The causes are identified as “inadequate time and resources and a lack of any project management discipline, reported by 68 percent and 48 percent of respondents, respectively.” Thus, experts recommend not only establishing clear deadlines, expectations and responsibilities but also training employees in the principles of effective project management.

In many cases, a project manager volunteers for the role or is asked to take it on, adding to existing responsibilities. Commonly these candidates do not have any training or experience in project management and in some cases they may receive little support. Author Clinton M. Padgett  writes, “They (projects) have special types of problems, and managing them effectively requires a special set of skills.”

Project management starts with a  thorough exploration of the parameters and requirements of the project along with setting up communication and clarifying expectations. Just like performance management, individuals must understand the desired outcome and how they will be expected to contribute to this outcome. Individual or group goals that follow the SMART format provide employees with measureable outcomes, timelines and specific expectations. However, the need to work cohesively with a group of individuals representing a number of departments or disciplines complicates communication and strengthens the need for clarity. As a result, training in project management may help individuals who are stepping into this role to achieve success.

References:

Jones, Tegan. “Preventing Program Mismanagement.” Talent Management Magazine [www.talentmgt.com]. June 2007.

Padgett, Clinton M. “The Project Success Method.” New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons, Inc. 2009.

Rayner, Paul, on behalf of ProgM, the Programme Management Specific Interest Group of the APM. “APM Introduction to Programme Management.” Association for Project Management [www.apm.org.uk]. Obtained October 29, 2009.

The Standish Group. “New Standish Group report shows more project failing and less successful projects.” Press release [www.standishgroup.com]. April 23, 2009.