Project Planning Techniques Book (with CD)

6 External Projects

For strategic reasons, organizations sometimes choose to acquire outside resources for a project. This process is called “outsourcing” or “contracting.” The decision to outsource is primarily dependent on the organization’s strategic objectives and is based on factors such as competencies of the prospective internal team and the infrastructure characteristics of the division sponsoring the project. Other contributing factors include market conditions and the organization’s competitive aspirations.

Some organizations opt for external projects to gain immediate access to specialized skills or equipment. Others even use external projects as subtle mechanisms for transforming the culture of the organization. Finally, some organizations ...