Fail-safe management : five rules to avoid project failure (original) (raw)
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The media commonly reports waste and failure in aid projects. Cases in point include the thousands of homeless in Haiti after several years and billions of dollars spent, or the $250,000,000 spent to build 550 kilometers of sewage collectors in Paraguay, the project, which was abandoned in 2004 and never completed (IEG 2010). Similar cases occur every year across the developing world. Yet trends indicate that aid spending is increasing (de Haan 2009). Despite the many failures there is widespread, international public and governmental support for aid. Several former US presidents and pop icons such as Madonna and Sean Penn have aid organizations. UN organizations and governments in the developed world are active proponents of aid. Nonetheless aid projects intended to alleviate poverty, human suffering or some basic need commonly fail. If aid money spending continues to increase every year, should the success rates of aid projects demonstrate commensurate levels of increase? Evidence indicates the contrary. Over the past decade projects costing hundreds of millions of dollars have failed and others are currently in serious distress (Sammon, D., Adam, F., 2012) (Wall Street Journal, February 9, 2011). I propose that through the application of project management concepts, failure and distress rates in aid projects can be decreased, millions of dollars can be saved, and the intended beneficiaries can better served. This includes focusing
Critical success factors for World... - artigo - 2012
This paper analyzes the results of a survey that aims to explore World Bank project success factors and specifically the relationship between critical success factors (CSFs) and project success as perceived by World Bank Task Team Leaders (project supervisors). The exploratory factor analysis highlights a specific set of five CSFs: monitoring, coordination, design, training, and institutional environment. The regression analysis shows that there is a statistically significant and positive relationship between each of the five CSFs and project success. Consistent with theory and practice, the most prominent CSFs for project supervisors are design and monitoring. The findings contribute to the project CSF literature by conceptualizing project supervision as a multidimensional construct and by confirming supervision as a generic CSF for World Bank projects. The World Bank project supervisors and managers should strengthen project design and monitoring and thus improve project implementation as well as the chances for project success.
A CASE STUDY OF PROJECT AND STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT FAILURES: LESSONS LEARNED
Stakeholder theory is a useful framework for analyzing the behavioral aspects of the project management process, particularly the complicated process of project management within the Department of Defense (DOD). Projects can be beset by the agenda of various stakeholders within the organizational structure. When this occurs, the implementation of a strong project stakeholder management strategy is necessary to increase the likelihood of success. This is a case study of a failed DOD project, even though it was fully justified and badly needed. Stakeholder theory serves as the theoretical underpinning of this case analysis, which identifies the potential causes of the project failure. Project management lessons learned from the failure and a project stakeholder management strategy framework are presented to facilitate better decision making on the part of project managers to increase the likelihood of successful project management outcomes.
Biography: Paul Steinfort is a Fellow of the AIPM, past Chapter President of the Victorian Chapter, is Principle of the PM Group PSA Project Management practice in all range of projects an programmes in Australia and Internationally. Paul has 40 years experience in project management, over a vast range of projects including AIPM awarded ones, and will be presenting on the findings of his PhD thesis research on the "understanding the antecedents of project management best practice-lessons to be learned from aid / relief projects". Abstract Page 1 Project Management, in the AIPM traditional frames and the International Project Monitoring and Evaluation (PM&E), has developed in parallel but different ways. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. PM&E is typically better at resolving key objectives, outcomes and project value delivery at the 'front end " with engagement with key stakeholders being core. PMBOK is typically better in the delivery of firm scope to project delivery. The PMI/AIPM groups have responded by developing further standards in programme and portfolio management. This paper will address the best combination of these worldviews and methodologies and how that can enable practical methods that are globally workable and understandable. It also enabled key findings on the value delivery of project management and the necessary antecedents to that. It is also a story of 40 years of practice in project management and the lessons learned from that for project management best practice, here and internationally.
Public Health and Project Management: Do Projects Deliver?
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) has remained an ever-concerning area for hospital management and researchers throughout the world. Nevertheless, in the literature, less attention is paid to developing countries. The current study identifies the problems faced by maternal newborn and child health projects at each phase. We obtained data on MNCH projects via interviews from district project managers and extracted various themes for each phase of the MNCH project. The results indicated the most significant problems faced by the MNCH project emanate from the inefficient bureaucratic structure, lack of realistic planning, weak working environment, political interference, and inefficient knowledge acquisition. The current study found that project managers experience various problems from the initiation stage of the project to its closure. Additionally, they find themselves to be poorly equipped to manage such problems. We proposed various strategies such as implementing a botto...