project management training

Organizing Projects & Organizational Structure.
Project management training is more important than ever. Even after the de-layering initiatives of recent years, most organizations are still structured in an essentially hierarchical way. This usually consists of a board of directors underpinned by various layers of management and supervisory staff. These hierarchical structures tend to encourage divisions between the various levels, as individuals are more likely to communicate with their peers rather than with different levels within the organization. Individual departments may behave in isolation, resenting requests for information and resources from other departments. This tendency is likely to increase as departmental managers are given increasingly aggressive financial targets. The combination of hierarchical division between management levels and departmental segregation means that nearly all organizations show some degree of fragmentation. This fragmentation may result in a number of seemingly separate entities, each behaving to some extent as an autonomous unit.

Managing Project Team Members.
Effective project management facilitates the smooth running of horizontally oriented work in organizations that are traditionally vertically oriented. This approach does not remove the vertical, bureaucratic flow of work but requires that line managers talk to one another ‘horizontally’ so that work will be accomplished more smoothly and efficiently. Projects require the co-operation of line managers both across the departments involved and throughout the various levels of seniority. In large-scale projects, an almost entirely self-contained project team can be created, either by assigning line staff to the project on a full-time basis or by hiring in external resources. Often a combination of both is used but in either case, because the project staff is full-time, the conflicts between line and project managers are minimized.

In these situations the project team member has only one boss, the project manager. Even in these large self-contained projects, it is inevitable that there will be a
requirement for some resources that are subject to external control. In these situations, the very fact that the project is used to operating in isolation may accentuate any communication problems that then arise. However, it is more common for projects to use staff and other resources that remain under the control of a departmental or line manager. This type of project environment raises both the opportunities and potential hazards of integrating line and project management. The challenge is to create an environment that fosters cooperation and not one that breeds competition and resentment.

Managing in the Matrix.
It is challenging enough to build an effective team within a hierarchical structure with dedicated full-time staff. Add to this the transitory nature of the project team and the challenge of managing projects effectively, becomes increasingly complex. Success is not achieved simply by using the right tools and techniques. Projects normally require key resources that are not under the direct control of the project manager. The project manager will therefore need to negotiate with the relevant line manager to borrow and control these resources as and when they are required. The cooperation of line managers is essential for the success of the project and staff should work hard at developing a good working relationship with them.

A project team is usually assembled from a matrix that intersects with the organizations hierarchical structure. In the early stages of a project everyone is getting used to working with an unfamiliar group of people. This can lead to increased levels of conflict, which is why the interpersonal skills of the project manager are so important from the outset. The project manager needs good communication skills and the ability to negotiate and influence others in order to keep everyone's focus on the project objectives.

Introducing Project Life-Cycles.
All projects will have an identifiable life-cycle which will vary according to the size and complexity of the project. There is often little agreement between industries, or even between organizations within the same industry, about the life-cycle phases of a project. This is understandable because of the often complicated nature and diversity of projects. A five phase project life cycle model is illustrated on this screen. This model can be applied to a variety of project scenarios although the cost and duration of each phase will vary according to the particular project.
The conceptual phase would normally include the preliminary evaluation of an idea, including a risk assessment.
In the definition phase the resources required by the project should be defined along with time, cost and performance estimates.
Once a project has received the funding and backing of senior management it can proceed to the production phase.
The operation phase involves the integration of the end-product or service into the organizational environment.
The divestment phase includes a post implementation evaluation of the delivered end-product and the reallocation of the resources - that are no longer required by the project.
This model can be applied to a variety of project scenarios although the cost and duration of each phase will vary. This model can be simplified into either a three or four phase model, to suit the needs of each project.

The Growth of Project Management.
Managing work as projects is a relatively new approach; twenty five years ago it was confined to large scale military initiatives and construction companies. It is
characterized by new methods of restructuring management and adopting special management techniques, with the purpose of utilizing existing resources in a more effective and efficient way. Today, the management of work as projects is being applied in industrial and commercial sectors ranging from steel making and shipbuilding through pharmaceuticals, banking and advertising to hospitals, automotive and government. In fact, it is hard to think of any part of the economy where managing work as projects is not being used to deliver substantial business benefits.

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