Complexity Theory and Project Management

This assignment delves into the application of complexity theory within project management. It highlights the inherent unpredictability of complex projects and emphasizes the need for a forewarning system to alert stakeholders about potential issues. The system identifies three levels of project outcomes across different timeframes, allowing for continuous evaluation of success and failure based on stakeholder perspectives. Data collection on performance, costs, changes, and stakeholder feedback are crucial for implementing this approach and determining project outcomes effectively.

Running head: COMPLEX PROJECT MANAGEMENT
The value and the challenges of applying complexity theory to project management
Name of the Student:
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1COMPLEX PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Controlling Chaos: “The value and the challenges of applying complexity theory to project
management”
In a complex project, it is impossible to predict the outcomes of the system. The success
of the project is not evaluated from one perspective at one time. Therefore, a forewarning system
is developed to alert the key stakeholders about the facts into the project. The system identifies
the three levels of project outcomes and assesses over differentiate the time frames. Evaluation
of the ongoing success and failure of the project during the project lifecycle is done by the
forewarning system. Evaluation of success criteria of the project is taken into consideration on
perspectives of the stakeholder’s groups (Cooke-Davies 2011). The stakeholders propose
assessment of the success factors of the project and level of complexity is critical to determine
the outcome. The success factors predict the outputs like performance, cost, time and quality.
The stakeholders should link success and failure factors by collecting of project data.
They measure the dimensions of project complexity and measure the project that lead to
performance indicators. In this way feedback is implemented into the project and portfolio
environment. In order to determine the outcomes of the project, the data are collected on
performance against both schedule as well as cost at current milestone (Cicmil et al. 2017). The
stakeholder groups also collect data on change orders so that proper change management plan is
to be done. During the project lifecycle, the project manager’s evaluation of stakeholder approval
is compared with the evaluation of project success as well as failure factors which lead to
performance indicators.

2COMPLEX PROJECT MANAGEMENT
References
Cicmil, S., Cooke-Davies, T., Crawford, L. and Richardson, K., 2017, April. Exploring the
complexity of projects: Implications of complexity theory for project management practice.
Project Management Institute.
Cooke-Davies, T., 2011, August. Aspects of complexity: Managing projects in a complex world.
Project Management Institute.