Evening Friends Well, today we are looking at the use of methodology in project management. Topic: Maturing Project Management with the Use of a Methodology Projects are initiatives spread over a specific time period and chartered to deliver a specific product or service, generally conceived as a change in each case. The singularity of the product or service outcome of a project is what makes every project different from others. Usually, the successes of such business, technological, operational, or organizational changes are considered to be the keys to an organization’s sustenance and growth; therefore, such changes need to be undertaken strategically, planned meticulously, executed controllably, and delivered with a clear articulation of value to the stakeholders. Businesses, governments, academicians, and even not-for-profit organizations have come a long way in their understanding and adoption of the essentials of the processes required to manage such changes. Given the criticality of these changes in aligning an organization’s actions and operations to its own strategy and objectives, the organization would need to follow “known” and, to an extent, proven ways of doing things (i.e., a set of processes that is tested to be clear and effective in an organization’s context for any such change to be delivered successfully, although the requirements of any single change are different from those of others.) Projects are the vehicles of delivering changes and project management is the established discipline for governing projects, so these processes should be integrated in the overall project management approach of the organization. 1. What is a Methodology? In simple terms, a methodology can be defined as “a body of principles, practices, procedures, and rules used in a discipline,” based on the classic definition by Merriam-Webster, or it can be simply stated as “a set of descriptions of interrelated methods” (... wherein a method is a systematic and orderly procedure or process for attaining an objective). Accordingly, a project management methodology is a suite of related project governance structures, procedures, rules, role definitions, and task relationships set about to manage various project aspects throughout the project’s life cycle for successful project delivery. Practically, a project management methodology sets the direction for a project manager at every stage of a project and facilitates with the relevant information for decision making. It describes all the known essential tasks (not activities as specific to a particular project), processes, and deliverables as they apply across various phases of a project’s life cycle (irrespective of the objectives and delivery requirements of a particular project) in an organization’s own context. It helps a project manager ask the right questions in terms of WHAT (objective, deliverables, or activities), WHY (driver, rationale, etc.), WHEN (order of activities, sequence, or a milestone), WHO (roles, authorities, and responsibilities), and HOW (techniques, procedures) for any identified project task. Although it may borrow ideas, processes, and knowledge from certain project management standards, schools of thought, or a body of knowledge, it should not be confused with any of these. Project management standards as manifested in A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) (Project Management Institute), PRINCE2 (Office of Government Commerce), or others are the frameworks detailing the project definition and its life cycle, theories of organizations and structures, processes that would apply across discipline or knowledge areas and techniques in general and not project management methodologies that can be blatantly adopted by an organization to deliver projects. A project management methodology is a purpose-built mechanism internal, specific to an organization, which delivers changes (internal or external) through projects and subscribes to the ideas or processes from different frameworks or philosophies. I hope you are enjoying these project management articles, drop me an email or sms for feedback, I would love to hear from you. Till next time Regards, Godfrey Mathebula (PMP)
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 17:42:27 +0000
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