Executive's Guide to Project Management: Organizational Processes and Practices for Supporting Complex Projects

Complex Project Team and Complex Projects

Complex project management is nothing more than organized common sense. If your project management process requires the CPM to do something that doesn't make sense to them given the project situation, then they should have the authority to not do it. They should simply offer their rationale for their decision to skip or adjust the task and move on. Few organizations allow the CPM that much latitude. One of my client organizations does allow the CPM that latitude. All the CPM has to do is state their reasons for not using or for modifying a process step. Management gives them the benefit of the doubt. If the project appears to have been compromised or failed because of that decision, the CPM may be asked to defend their action. For my client organization vesting the CPM with that responsibility and the authority has empowered the CPM and has most assuredly improved team morale.

Discipline Relationships across the PMLC

Table 4.2 is the RASCI Matrix for the responsibilities of each professional over the life of the project. RASCI is an acronym that stands for Responsible, Approves, Consults, Informs, and Supports. The combined skill profiles of the four disciplines must be sufficient to meet all project responsibilities. In this book those skills might be shared between professionals or those skills might be possessed by a single professional who has all of the skills needed to effectively execute the project.

Table 4.2 PM, BA, BPP, and ITP ...