Common Challenges in Project Management

Despite the growing trend of organizational project management implementation within organizations, there are criticisms and a lack of understanding of the tangible and intangible?benefits by senior executives within organizations. Kerzner (2002, p. 22-23) says that since the 1990s, the organizations have decided to implement project management, mostly not by choice, but by necessity. So, that project management is best suited to organization structures called "matrix" and "projectized." The concept is already well established and can be seen from studies of Galbraith (1971), Larson and Gobeli (1987),?Kerzner (2001),Archibald and Prado (2007, p. 100) and PMI (2008, p.28). There is simply no way for senior management to accomplish a strategic transformation without getting deeply engaged in project management.?Unfortunately, most executives and strategic thinkers have?not yet learned the language of project management (Morgan, Levitt, and Malek, 2007).However,?Noordzij (2014, p 62) states that executives focus on business goals, results and outcomes from the project. Project managers and consultants focus on tools and techniques. This misalignment is related to the cognitive gap what sellers promote and buyers need to hear.

According to a review of CEO qualifications and experience in Fortune 500 companies revealed that very few if any hold Project Management certifications. This is unusual given the current turbulent business environment. One would assume that organizations would value senior management who have the ability to successfully deliver the projects required for their organizations to?adapt and grow?(Williams, 2011).

Similarly Rodriguez (2016) summarize in his research for a Ph.D. in “Strategy Implementation “they most read books and articles by executives in the year 2015, based on Google analytics data were the following:

1. Finance (4,750)

2. Accounting and Strategy (4,200)

3. Marketing (3,900)

However books and articles related to organizational project management were outside the top 100 books.

113. Strategy Execution (500)

114. Project Management (299)

115. Risk Management (181)

However, (Baccarini, 1999 and Cooke-Davies, 2002) have adopted the Logical Framework Methodology and observed the need to differentiate two different concepts of success for?project:

1. Project management success is concerned with the traditional time, cost, and quality aspects at the completion of the project. The concept is process oriented and involves the satisfaction of the users and key stakeholders at the project completion.
2. Project success is?measured against the achievement of the project owner’s strategic organizational objectives and goals, as well as the satisfaction of the users and key stakeholders’ needs where they relate to the project’s final product (Baccarini, 1999)

According to Thomas and Mullaly (2008, p.1) that project management simply joins a longline of other initiatives that also engage to prove their value to their organizations if the value and impacts on the organization are not clear and widely defined. Dinsmore and Cooke-Davies (2006, p.2) defines that to deliver the value embedded in its strategy. OPM does not replace the management systems necessary to effectively lead and manage the business; rather, it ensures their effective integration to maximize their engagement and contribution to the delivery of its strategy. The Project Management Institute has developed a framework linking project, program and portfolio management to organizational business strategy and objectives (Muller,2009). The challenge for organizations is therefore, to reconcile the internal management of projects with the governance structure so that the management of the projects is aligned with organizational strategic objectives

References

Friel, P.G. (2017) Project Manager Perceptions of the Value?of Organizational Project Management. MBA Dissertation National College of Ireland

Project Management Institute. (2013b). Organizational Project Management. Third Edition. Newtown, PA, USA.

Turner, J.R.?(2009) Handbook of?Project-Based-Management: Leading?Strategic Change in Organizations. McGraw-Hill, London. ISBN: 0-07-707741-5

Turner, J.R . (2016) Gower Handbook of Project Management. Fifth edition, Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, New York

Baccarini, D. (1999). The Logical Framework Method for Defining Project Success. Project Management Journal, 30(4), pp. 25

Cooke-Davies, T. J. (2004). Project management maturity models. In P. W. G. Morris & J. K.Pinto (Eds.), The Wiley guide to managing projects (pp. 12341264). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley

Cleland, D. I., and Gareis, R. (2006). Global Project Management Handbook: Planning, Organizing and Controlling International Projects (2nd ed.). USA: The McGraw Hill

Kerzner, H. (2003). Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling and Controlling. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Kerzner, H. (2010) Recovery Project Management: Techniques and Tactics for Reversing Falling Projects. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons

Noordzij, G (2014) Project Management?of Hotel Opening Process: Exploring better ways to manage new hotel openings. Create Space Independent Publishing, North Charleston, South Carolina

Pinto, J. K. and Slevin, D. P. (1988). Critical success factors across the project lifecycle. Project management journal, 19 (3), pp. 67

Thomas, J. L., and Mullaly, M. E. (Eds.). (2008). Researching the value of project management. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute

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