Reinventing Project Management

• Project management is not about being on-time, on-budget, within requirements but rather about serving customer needs and creating business results
• Project management is not a linear, predictable process
• Project planning should involve early identification of needs
• Project management is not a universal activity with one set of rules and processes for all projects
• The right management style for each project needs to be selected to help identify risks and benefits appropriately
• Novelty represents uncertainty of the goal and uncertainty in the market
  Technology represents task uncertainty
• Complexity is based on the complexity of the product and the project being undertaken
  Pace represents the urgency of the project
• Project portfolios should be selected based on business goals
• Innovation should be managed according to its type
• Applying an adaptive approach to a project need not be difficult
• Projects with high uncertainty may require pilot projects to help reduce uncertainty
• Projects should be planned at three levels: milestones (in quarters or years); mid level goals (in months); and detailed plans (updated for the next month)
• Rolling wave planning (use of option theory and delayed commitment) is the correct approach for the more detailed levels of planning

Seguidamente apresento páginas do livro "Reinventing Project Management" (imagem 1, 2 e 3) com exemplo de falha verificada no caso da construção do Denver International Airport.

A falha é explicada com base num modelo de gestão suportado não apenas nas usuais triple constraint (budget, time, performance) mas em 5 dimensões (project efficiency, impact on the costumer, impact on the team, business results, preparation for the future) que permitem uma visão mais alargada do projecto e permitem distinguir claramente a diferença entre gestão de operações e gestão de projectos. "Operations involve repetitive, ongoing activities, such as manufacturing, service, and production, whereas projects involve unique, on-time initiatives, such as launching new products, new organizations, or new ventures, improving existing products, and investing in the company's infraestructure."

A complexidade dos projectos actuais está a distanciar cada vez mais a gestão comum, normalmente focada na gestão de operações (repetitiva, previsivel, curto prazo), da gestão de projectos moderna, com graus de inovação e incerteza elevados, onde é importante reconhecer, de forma alargada, as condicionantes em causa (não apenas operacionais). Tal como se verifica na figura 5-1 das imagens seguintes, aconselha-se que a estratégia de gestão seja suportada por 4 eixos ( Technology, Novelty, Pace, Complexity), o que possibilita a identificação das estratégias de gestão adequadas a cada caso.

Os autores do livro designam esta nova metodologia por adaptive project management approach segundo a qual, "projects are not just a coleection of activities that need to be completed on time (...) are business related processes that must deliver business results".

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