paul chapman

Bringing Projects to Life

Research Findings: Dynamics & Paradoxes of Shaping the Project Delivery Environment

Tracey Camilleri & Paul ChapmanSaïd Business School, University of Oxford

Where is action particularly required?

+ Need for a robust project initiation phase that ensures, (i) the ‘right’ projects receive investment, and (ii) outcomes are clear and understood at launch, not least: corporate intent coupled with customer impact and articulation of benefits, and scoping of delivery implications together with establishment of clear accountabilities. + Specific Project Leadership Capabilities that enable projects to be effectively and successfully delivered: genuine empowerment of teams, skills of the intelligent client of projects, holding the territory of doubt whilst providing direction, providing cover, bringing the outside in and portfolio management.

+ Need to build in better project resilience . Everything does not go to plan, which means projects should be architected for the real world in terms of governance, capabilities and resources, support structures, risk tests and being chunked to minimise fragilities. + Need for an ambidextrous approach to project delivery at a senior level, one that provides methodological robustness and rigour while remaining adaptive and capable of riding the waves of programmatic, shorter-term demands: employing appropriate assurance and performance measures for an adaptive, high flex longer-term context.

ENABLING THE FULL POTENTIAL OF OTHERS

DISCHARGING FIDUCIARY DUTIES

Dynamics & Paradoxes of Shaping the Project Delivery Environment

Clarity of governance

Role: Steward & servant of hierarchy of authority

Achieved through: Top down, strategy led focus -

Managing vertically - Robust conversations –Prioritising portfolios -

Leading team

Role: Steward & servant of team

Achieved through: - Being principles based - Articulating a vision - Building trust - Facilitating transformation - Institutional resilience

Personal accountability

Duties : - Accountable to shareholders

- Personally responsible for the proprietary of expenditure

- Ensure economy, efficiency and effectiveness

Orientating around a meaningful purpose

Duties:- Customer centric approach- Transform society by transforming ourselves- Realisation of benefits

Custodian of the long term

Capabilities: Oversight -

Process adherence - Assurance -

Emphasis on:Normative, rule based decision making

and resource allocation - Technical proficiency -

Robust supervision

Enabler & connector

Capabilities: - Intelligent client- Learning organisation- Innovation

Emphasis on:- Motivating people workingacross boundaries- Supporting incomplete leaders

Dynamics & Paradoxes




Role: Steward & servant of the hierarchy of authority


Managing vertically - Robust conversations –

Prioritising portfolios -

Leading team


Achieved through: - Being principles based - Articulating a vision - Building trust - Facilitating transformation - Institutional resilience “When bad things happen, you’re on your own”

“As a customer of the senior team, I really need to know what my organisation is about”

+ Specific Project Leadership Capabilities that enable projects to be effectively and successfully delivered: genuine empowerment of teams, skills of the intelligent client of projects, holding the territory of doubt whilst providing direction, providing cover, bringing the outside in and portfolio management.

+ Need for a robust project initiation phase that ensures, (i) the ‘right’ projects receive investment, and (ii) outcomes are clear and understood at launch, not least: corporate intent coupled with customer impact and articulation of benefits, and scoping of delivery implications together with establishment of clear accountabilities.

&






Duties:- Customer/citizen centric approach- Transform society by transforming ourselves- Realisation of benefits




“Leaders are being rewarded for keeping things as they are”

+ Specific Project Leadership Capabilities that enable projects to be effectively and successfully delivered: genuine empowerment of teams, skills of the intelligent client of projects, holding the territory of doubt whilst providing direction, providing cover, bringing the outside in and portfolio management.

+ Need for an ambidextrous approach to project delivery at a senior level, one that provides methodological robustness and rigour while remaining adaptive and capable of riding the waves of programmatic, shorter-term demands: employing appropriate assurance and performance measures for an adaptive, high flex longer-term context.


&



Emphasis on:Normative, rule based decision making


Robust supervision

Enabler & connector





“A project that starts poorly never improves”

+ Need for an ambidextrous approach to project delivery at a senior level, one that provides methodological robustness and rigour while remaining adaptive and capable of riding the waves of programmatic, shorter-term demands: employing appropriate assurance and performance measures for an adaptive, high flex longer-term context.

+ Need to build in better project resilience . Everything does not go to plan, which means projects should be architected for the real world in terms of governance, capabilities and resources, support structures, risk tests and being chunked to minimise fragilities.


&

Dynamics & Paradoxes of Shaping the Project Delivery Environment


Role: Steward & servant of hierarchy of authority


Managing relationships - Robust conversations –

Prioritising portfolios -

Leading team


Achieved through: - Being principles based - Articulating a vision - Building trust - Facilitating transformation - Institutional resilience






Duties:- Customer /citizen centric approach- Transform society by transforming ourselves- Realisation of benefits




Emphasis on: Normative, rule based decision making


Robust supervision

Enabler & connector



