Commonalities & Differences In Project Management Around the World

A Survey of Project Categories and Life Cycles

Russell D. Archibald & Vladimir Voropaev

"Organisational Learning & Knowledge Management in "projectised" environments: what is at stake"

Purpose of This Survey

To encourage global agreement on:
Definition of basic project categories & subcategories in common use for essentially all types of projects Identification & definition of life cycles in use for each project category

To identify differences in these areas so that these can be understood and minimized
"Organisational Learning & Knowledge Management in "projectised" environments: what is at stake"

Presentation Outline
1. A Global Vision: PM Practices 2. Systematic Model of Project Management 3. Proposed Project Categories/SubCategories 4. Life Cycles for Various Categories 5. Survey Questionnaire and Conduct 6. Next Steps
"Organisational Learning & Knowledge Management in "projectised" environments: what is at stake"

1. A Vision of Global Project Management Practices

Widely used set of concepts, methods, systems and tools High degree of uniformity and understanding across economic, cultural & political boundaries Enabling broad collaboration with minimum conflict Interchangeable managers & specialists
"Organisational Learning & Knowledge Management in "projectised" environments: what is at stake"

2. Systematic Model of Project Management

The following figure is from Voropaev et al, Systematic Model of Project Management, presented at the 17th IPMA World Congress 2003 in Moscow
"Organisational Learning & Knowledge Management in "projectised" environments: what is at stake"

This Survey Focuses On:

Managed Objects: Projects and Programs
Life cycle phases of projects

"Organisational Learning & Knowledge Management in "projectised" environments: what is at stake"

Projects:
Are the common denominator for all aspects of project management Exist in many sizes & types Produce many different products & results

"Organisational Learning & Knowledge Management in "projectised" environments: what is at stake"

Required Analytical Framework

Systematic grouping into defined categories and sub-categories Many possible classification schemes Most practical scheme reflects the products of the projects at the first levels of classification

"Organisational Learning & Knowledge Management in "projectised" environments: what is at stake"

3. Proposed Major Categories of Projects

1. Aerospace/Defense 2. Business & Organizational Change Projects 3. Communication Systems Projects 4. Event Projects 5. Facilities Projects 6. Information Systems 7. International Development 8. Media & Entertainment 9. Product/Service Development 10. Research & Dev.

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Other Major Categories May Be Required

See Table 1 in the paper Survey will determine how practical and complete these recommended categories are Further breakdown is obviously required A few examples follow

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3. Communication Systems Projects 3.1 Network communications systems 3.2 Switching communications systems

Microwave communications network. 3rd generation wireless communication system.

4. Event Projects 4.1 International events 4.2 National events

2004 Summer Olympics; 2006 World Cup Match. 2005 U. S. Super Bowl; 2004 Political Conventions.

5. Facilities Projects 5.1 Facility decommissioning 5.2 Facility demolition 5.3 Facility maintenance and modification 5.4 Facility design/procurement/construction Civil Energy Environmental High rise Industrial Commercial Residential Ships

Closure of nuclear power station. Demolition of high rise building. Process plant maintenance turnaround. Conversion of plant for new products/markets. Flood control dam; highway interchange. New gas-fired power generation plant; pipeline. Chemical waste cleanup. 40 story office building. New manufacturing plant. New shopping center; office building. New housing sub-division. New tanker, container, or passenger ship

6. Information Systems (Software) Projects

New project management information system. (Information system hardware is considered to be in the product development category.)

7. International Development Projects 7.1 Agriculture/rural development 7.2 Education 7.3 Health 7.4 Nutrition 7.5 Population 7.6 Small-scale enterprise 7.7 Infrastructure: energy (oil, gas, coal, power generation and distribution), industrial, telecommunications, transportation, urbanization, water supply and sewage, irrigation)

People and process intensive projects in developing countries funded by The World Bank, regional development banks, US AID, UNIDO, other UN, and government agencies; and
Capital/civil works intensive projects often somewhat different from 5. Facility Projects as they may include, as part of the project, creating an organizational entity to operate and maintain the facility, and lending agencies impose their project life cycle and reporting requirements.

8. Media & Entertainment Projects 8.1 Motion picture 8.2 TV segment 8.2 Live play or music event

New motion picture (film or digital). New TV episode. New opera premiere.

Sub-Categories Are Required

One example: 2. Business & Organization Change Projects:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Acquisition/merger Management process improvement New business venture Organization re-structuring Legal proceeding Other: ?
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Example: Category 5. Facilities Projects

Subcategories: Facility decommissioning Facility demolition Facility maintenance & modification Facility design/procure/construct
1.Civil 2.Energy 3.Environmental 4.Industrial 5.Commercial 6.Residential 7.Ships 8.Other:

Other: ?
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Categories Are Not Mutually Exclusive

Programs and large projects usually involve more than one category or subcategory These projects are placed in their predominate category Must Mega projects be treated separately? Probably: yes
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Classifying Within Categories & Sub-Categories

Project size Project complexity External or internal customer Degree of customer involvement Levels of risk Other:
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Classifying Within Categories (Contd)

Major & minor projects Mega projects: not categorizable Stand-alone versus create supporting infrastructure Standard versus transitional Other: ?

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Commonalities & Differences: A Framework for Analysis

Define appropriate project categories and sub-categories Identify life cycles within each of these Identify PM practices & tools in use by life cycle phase within various regions or countries

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4. Life Cycles: Searching for Common Processes

Life cycle definition enables:
All involved persons to understand the processes to be used Capture of best experience Assignment of responsibilities Repetition of success

Important starting point in our search for common processes

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Generic Life Cycle Phases

General agreement on four generic life cycle phases:
1. 2. 3. 4. Concept Definition Execution Closeout

However these are too broad for our purposes

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Designing Life Cycles: Phases and Decision Points

Three basic design parameters:
Number and definitions of phases/sub-phases Whether sequential or overlapping, oncethrough or re-cycling, predictive or adaptive Number and placement of decision points (approvals, go/kill, go/hold, go back)

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Basic Life Cycle Model Types

Predictive
Most common Generic, waterfall, other

Adaptive/heuristic
Incremental build Short-term cycles Evolutionary
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Life Cycle Models Differ by Category

Different project categories (and subcategories) often require very different life cycle designs Incomplete literature search produced list shown in Table 2 of our paper

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Examples of Predictive Life Cycles

Generic/Standard:
Concept, definition, execution, closeout

Waterfall:
Generic with overlapping, more detailed phases

Cyclical (when number is known) Spiral

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Examples of Adaptive Life Cycle Models

Adaptive Software Development/ASD:
Component based, iterative time-boxed cycles, riskdriven, change tolerant

Extreme Programming/XP:
Programming in pairs, teams include managers & users, each team codes & tests, fluid cost & schedule

SCRUM:
Iterative 30 day sprints, short daily meetings (scrums), several small teams
Source: Desaulniers & Anderson 2002
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Extreme Programming/XP
A cooperative style of software development promises to deliver better applications on time and on budget.
PC Magazine, Feb. 25, 2003 p. 68

For helpful links, see Extreme Programming Resources at www.pcmag.com/onlineextras/

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NASA Process Based Mission Assurance Program Life Cycle

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Program Management Concept Development Acquisition Hardware Design Software Design Manufacturing Pre-Operations Integration & Test Operations
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Information Systems Life Cycle Examples

Desaulniers & Anderson 2002:
Predictive (waterfall, prototyping, rapid application development/RAD, incremental build) Adaptive (ASD, XP, SCRUM)

Whitten 1995:
Code and fix, waterfall, incremental, interative
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Product & Service Development Life Cycle Examples

Cooper & Kleinschmidt 1993:
Stage-Gate Process Model

Thamhain 2000:
Phase-Gate Model

Murphy 1989:
Pharmaceutical Model

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Stage-Gate Model

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5. Global Survey: Project Categories & Sub-Categories

Purpose: To determine:
If such a concept is used & if so how common it is around the world Whether the recommended categories are used or useful What additions or changes are needed What are the common practices in further classification within sub-categories
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Global Survey: Project Life Cycles Within Categories

Purpose: To determine for each category/sub-category within each country:
Which of the listed life cycles are in use Whether other life cycles are used, & if so their names and references How the life cycle models are used and the benefits they produce
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Conducting the Survey

The questionnaire is available on-line at http://ipmaglobalsurvey.com Completed questionnaires are to be completed on-line prior to November 1st, 2003

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Project Categories Survey

Enter These Codes for Each Item in Table 1:

U Universally accepted and used W Widely accepted and used A Accepted and used by some R Rarely accepted and used N Never accepted or used ALT Alternative term used as noted
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Project Categories Survey (Contd)

Questions: Useful to have an agreed list of project categories? Why? What other classification systems are in use? What subordinate classifications are used?
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Project Life Cycle Survey Codes Each Category

SEQ Sequential WF Waterfall Model PAR Parallel CYC Cyclical Spir Spiral INCR - Incremental ITER Iterative ADAP Adaptive GATE Stage-Gate CFIX Code and fix Spec Special (describe)

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Project Life Cycle Survey Other Information

Number of life cycle phases Number of decision points Additional comments .for each project category listed in Table 2 plus any that have been added by the respondent
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Project Life Cycle Survey

Questions: Useful to have an agreed list of project life cycle types? Why? List any other life cycle models or type that you know are in use, with descriptions or references. Any other comments or suggestions
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Promoting the Survey

ISGI Workshop participants are invited to respond and encourage their colleagues to do the same The survey is being publicized through appropriate PM associations around the world primarily using the Internet and Web
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Inducements To Complete the Survey

Respondents will receive a complete copy of the survey report Their names will be listed in the report (if desired) They will have the satisfaction of having contributed to the advancement of the project management profession
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6. Next Steps
Survey conduct: June October Compilation of results and preparation of the survey report: Sept. December Release of final report: December 31, 2003 Presentation of results at the 18th IPMA World Congress in Budapest June 2004
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Download this paper & complete the on-line survey questionnaire at:

http://ipmaglobalsurvey.com
The site, paper & questionnaire are available in English & Spanish
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Volunteers Welcome!
We would like to have a survey leader within each country to promote the widest possible participation Please contact us:
Russ Archibald: www.russarchibald.com archie@unisono.net.mx Vladimir Voropaev: voropaev@sovnet.ru
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Your Feedback Is Requested!

Thank you for listening Please complete the on-line survey questionnaire prior to November 1st Please give us your comments or suggestions on the survey Is this worth all the effort?

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