Project Models and Schedules Relationship

One of the most useful and commonly abused tools in managing a project is the project schedule. Project sponsors and stakeholders who are not familiar with the planning process required to prepare a robust and appropriate schedule, often wrongly confuse the project schedule with project management!

One of the first steps in preparing a project schedule is gaining a full understanding of the scope of work. For example, a project preparing for governance gates will often spend significant resources in trying to develop a complete schedule to show how the project objectives will be accomplished. While developing a complete schedule will be possible for a transactional project, it will however not be for the case a complex adaptive project.

The characteristics of a transactional project model are as follows:

·      there are a few variables, and they are largely independent.

·      a reductionist approach to system modelling can be utilised to define the scope.

·      system is predictable, controllable, and displays a linear and deterministic causality.

·      static hierarchical organisational structure exists with authoritative leadership.

·      issue resolution response mechanism is through process driven planning, monitoring and control.

·      decision making is directorial and is based on data and facts.

·      the measures of value are efficiency and reliability.

In contrast, the characteristics of a complex adaptive project model are as follows:

·      there are many variables, and they are highly interdependent.

·      holistic approach to system modelling is needed to define an evolving scope.

·      system is unpredictable, emergent, and displays a non-linear and non-deterministic causality.

·      actual and effective organisational structure is a dynamic network of relationships with facilitative leadership.

·      response mechanism is through empowerment, self-organisation, evolutionary, and transformational.

·      decision making is collaborative and is based on patterns of behaviour.

·      measures of value are adaptability and responsiveness.

For a complex adaptive project, the full scope and work breakdown is not known. Therefore, it is not possible to create a predefined schedule. Instead, the scope for each iteration is controlled, and the effort required to deliver a given outcome in that iteration timeframe is measured. The schedule is refined after each iteration and the scope and effort needed to complete the entire project is ascertained.

Enforcing a simplified model into a project that exhibits the characteristics of a complex adaptive model, will result in an inability to deliver that project within cost, quality, and schedule. The primary cause for not accepting this reality can be traced to unrealistic project sponsor expectations. In these situations, it is common to find that the project team is disempowered and a poor working relationship exists with the project sponsor. Notably, a project schedule prepared merely for gate approvals reflect this lack of holistic understanding and sets the project from the outset for delays, loss of energy and momentum, and ultimately failure in project management.

Therefore, to assure successful project management initially it is necessary to identify whether a project is either transactional or complex adaptive before establishing its lifecycle and schedule.

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