PM Coursework and Critical Review 2022

MMU ID:07999662 Author :Milad.Kiaei
PM COURSEWORK & CRITICAL REVIEW
“Provide a critical analysis of project failure. Focus on the main areas and
identify selected themes, especially considering the human and organisational
aspects and the management of change, in respect of project failure. Give
examples and show how learning derived from these can be used to improve
practice, in future.”
Abstract
The essay critically reviews the concept of projects, project management and the critical success
criteria related to the project success. The essay builds on the literature on projects and project
management which has been exponentially growing from 1970s onwards. Much of the
knowledgecame from the defence and construction industry more recently accompanied with the
IT sector and in most of the cases it is the best practice generated through exceptionally high
rates of project failures. The discipline is de facto a product of the lessons learned.
The essay critically examines the project failure rates in the past decade identifying the main
reasons for the high rate in the areas penetrating project leadership, communication and human
resource management. The paper as well covers a review of the best practice identified in the
literature for overcoming the challenges.
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MMU ID:07999662 Author :Milad.Kiaei
Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Main Reasons of Project Failures....................................................................................................4
People involved in project...........................................................................................................8
Process.........................................................................................................................................8
Product/Result..............................................................................................................................9
Technology..................................................................................................................................9
Best Practice Approach..................................................................................................................10
The Focus on Planning..............................................................................................................10
The Role of the Project Manager and the Project Management Office.....................................10
The Impact of Top Management Support..................................................................................11
The Role of the “Accurate” Specification.................................................................................12
The “good” Risk management approach and Communication..................................................12
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................13
References and Bibliography.........................................................................................................14
Appendix 1 - The emergence of the IT projects...........................................................................16
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MMU ID:07999662 Author :Milad.Kiaei
Introduction
In approaching project management from contemporary perspective, it is very important that one
does not forget that projects and project management are two different things. The quotation
from Dr.Juran provides the shortest definition of what a project is. Seen from that perspective,
projects as a concept have existed since the existence of men, while the proof can be found in the
ancient Egyptian pyramids or in the Great Wall of China. Their remains until today remind us
that to some extent these endeavours accomplished the project objectives. However, projects are
not homogeneous.So projects are diverse and project successfully would estimate by variety of
methods. For successfully approaching their realisations, practitioners make decision to develop
project management's practice. (Gardiner 2005).
Although projects extremely connectedto human kind, the mean of"the contemporary project
management” is new and connected with the improvements in the previous century– Appendix 1.
Within it, projects are specifically defined as “a onetime event, with a beginning and an end,
with quantitative and qualitative outcomes, comprised of many depended activities with a sole
purpose of solving a problem” (Mantel & Meredith J. 2010) although project management is
mainly approached through the agreed definition found in the PMBOK (PMI 2008, p.6) “an
application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet the project
requirements”. Its successful application in the contemporary global world of intense
competition is increasingly recognised as a strategic capability of organisations. However, as
influenceof project management many areas of company’s processes, the hole in efficiencyis
extending (Gardiner 2005), so we will see rising of projects failing. The essay aims at covering
these issues in more depth through analysing the reasons associated with the project failure rates.
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MMU ID:07999662 Author :Milad.Kiaei
Main Reasons of Project Failures
"When a promising project doesn't deliver, chancesare the problem wasn't
the idea, but how it wascarried out"(Matha and Ashkenas(2003, p.109).
Before one may approach the analysis of the project’s failure rate it is important to understand
what constitutes a successful project, what are the criteria which will indicate and measure it,
whether successfully of project is different from project management , and how can the same
help the project meet is objectives. These are difficult questions to be answered in a simple way.
Projects are successful if they meet their objectives, while project management is successful it
the project meets its objectives within the allocated time, resources and set quality (Lock 2007,
Turner 2009, Gardiner 2005). As different projects have different objectives, sometimes
dependent on the impact from the environment, the project management concept provides a
better guidance on the matter, and sets the three key success criteria for the realisation of the
specific project objective expressed in terms of its impact on cost, duration and quality
(Gardiner 2005, Turner 2009, Lock 2007:17). According to Lock (2007) and Gardiner (2005).
Barnes in the 1960s has been the first to approach the issue of the key success criteria by
developing the famous Cost/Quality/Time triangle. In time the triangle took many modifications
as is the one proposed by Barnes of Cost/Performance/Time triangle, where he enlarged the
concept of quality from its predominant field of product towards, the overall performance of the
team and project. The triangle reflects the predominant view on the project success factors today;
it as well symbolises the trade-off relationship between the success factors. After 1970s
expanded the area of project managementand project organisational appear and from this time
we are looking to stakeholders, team building and some more roles. As a result, this triangle was
changed with the inclusion of the People factor at its centre a factor which impact all key success
criteria. The research on the reasons on the project failures in the past couple of decades indicate
that most of the projects fail because of not meeting these four factors.
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