Project Management in a new era: Where are we now?

Project management in a new era:?Where are we now?

If project management were a juggler, post-Covid project management would be juggling five extra balls on top of a speeding car dodging potholes. Blindfolded.

Today, projects are executed in a volatile environment and demand extraordinary adaptability from organisations. Over the next few weeks, MAC will be offering a series of articles on the challenges faced by project managers now, with advice on how to get things done as effectively, efficiently and profitably as possible.

The uncertainty over the last 24 months has seriously impacted the world of project management. One of the biggest changes has been in projects conceptualised before lockdowns and online working changed everything. Organisations have had to adapt significantly during this process, and two years later we are seeing businesses setting up new projects with the understanding that they are going to be quite different from the past. How so?

• Organisations have had to reprioritise projects; what seemed important before Covid might not be as important now.
• There is a focus on doing things in a more virtual, less tactile way while still delivering value for stakeholders. ?
• As a result of the above, timelines have had to be adjusted.
• The current project management approach has had to change radically.
• Current projects are being examined in light of changes in consumer behaviour, which may have shifted project objectives.
• We no longer have the luxury of a static annual strategy and annual plan from which projects are born. Organisations have to have an adaptive strategy and adaptive planning.

Clearly, adaptability is key. Many have come to the realisation that the unexpected – like Covid – can and will happen again; when sudden change occurs, a culture and mindset of embracing change, and reinventing and adapting to the new playing field, will stand organisations in good stead. That adaptability needs to be nurtured now.

Why projects fail

Although most of the traditional reasons why projects fail remain the same – unclear scope, inadequate sponsorship, poor execution, lack of the right stakeholders – they have all been amplified in the virtual world. Those invaluable ‘coffee pot’ conversations are less frequent, so our focus on communication has to be conscious and deliberate.

Resourcing, another reason why projects fail, has been elevated significantly. Resources have become much more mobile, and thus more difficult to attract and retain. The resourcing supply chain is shifting – with the digital transformation underway, organisations can now employ someone on the other side of the world with great ease. Sudden or frequent changes in project resourcing impact negatively on efficient delivery.

Another factor is the number of projects a project manager (or engineer, for that matter) can handle. Research has shown that, especially in South Africa with its shortage of skilled resources, we are operating at a sub-optimal level; project managers and engineers are expected to deliver more projects per time period than they should. Naturally, there is too much on their plates and, like the juggler on the moving car, failure is inevitable.

Over the coming weeks, MAC Consulting will be examining project management in the current climate in more detail. Look out for Getting the Basics right; The Role of the Programme Management Office (PMO)/Transformation Management Office (TMO); Benefits Tracking; and An Agile Way of Doing Things, as we assist organisations to adapt, thrive and conquer in a volatile environment. We encourage clients to remain grounded in the intended benefits and value that they want to achieve. Based on our years of experience with adapting to change, we are here to help you on the interesting journey ahead!