PROJ6005 Sustainability in Project Portfolio and Program Management

Running head: PROJECT PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
Project Portfolio Management
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Executive Summary
Managing a project in a proper way is very essential because the project outcome entirely is
dependent on the way by which it is managed. For an organization like GMR Group, which has
been established as one of the most exponentially growing organization centralized to
infrastructure development, it is essential that each project going through under the organization
follows the proper project management methodology. For handling all the projects at once those
are ongoing simultaneously, it is necessary that the GMR group implement proper
methodologies for handling the projects seamlessly. Currently, there have been many ongoing
projects within the organization and, the analysis will help in understanding how the organization
currently handles its project which would be then analyzed with the opportunities and threats in
the project portfolio management techniques. Therefore, the further scope of improvement can
be analyzed. Lastly, the tools and techniques that have been utilized for this purpose would also
be analyzed. Based on the entire analysis of the organization, the report would thus find the
feasible way to follow a PPM methodology for handling all of the ongoing projects.

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Situational Context and Evaluation.............................................................................................3
Introduction of portfolio management given the size and project needs of the organization..3
How the organization currently manages its projects and is there scope for improvement....4
How the organization incorporates sustainability criteria into its business decision-making
process and its operations........................................................................................................4
Scope of further improvement.................................................................................................5
Opportunities and Threats............................................................................................................5
The likely successes that the organization might experience by introducing a project
portfolio management process.................................................................................................5
The likely challenges the organization might face with the adoption of the project portfolio
management process and overcoming the challenges.............................................................6
Development of the Plan.............................................................................................................6
Key elements of a plan to introduce project portfolio management into the organization and
their impact on the strategic goals...........................................................................................6
Suggested type of project portfolio management model proposed for the organization.........6
Implementing project portfolio management into the organization........................................6
Tools and Techniques..................................................................................................................6

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What tools/techniques are available for managing different types of project portfolios and
which ones would you propose for the organization and why?...............................................6
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................6
References........................................................................................................................................8

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Introduction
The organization of GMR group has been established as one of the most exponentially
growing organization centralized to infrastructure development. The organization handles a lot of
projects. It was established in the year 1978 and over 28 years it has been increasingly making
developments starting from a jute mill to establishing airports and transportation division
amongst other developments as well (Sardana & Zhu, 2017). However, to establish the
organization in a better position within the market it is needed that the organization adapts to
feasible methods for the management of portfolio it handles for different projects.
The proper way to adapt to the project portfolio management techniques would be
suggested to the organization with the help of analysis of the entire organization based on the
situational context and its evaluation. This will help in understanding how the organization
currently handles its project which would be then analyzed with the opportunities and threats in
the project portfolio management techniques. Therefore, the further scope of improvement can
be analyzed. Further development of the plan would then be analyzed, based on which it would
be easier to make sure which would be the most feasible technique of project portfolio
management that can be offered for the organization. Later, the tools and techniques needed for
the feasible and seamless implementation of the PPM plan would be described in the report.
Situational Context and Evaluation
Introduction of portfolio management given the size and project needs of the organization
GMR Group is associated with the implementation of critical projects in major metro
cities like Delhi and Hyderabad that are related to the major developments in the metro cities.
The GMR Group operated various projects in the Delhi and Hyderabad airports and has also

5PROJECT PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
been developing the state of the art project of India’s largest private airport company at Goa’s
Greenfield Airport at Goa (Lin, 2015). Therefore, it is not hard to analyze that the projects that
the organization handles are massive and thus a proper project portfolio management techniques
is necessary to handle all these projects with equal effectiveness and finesse.
How the organization currently manages its projects and is there scope for improvement
There have been many projects that the organization of GMR Group has completed
including transport stations, energy hubs, and airports to name a few. For the way it manages its
projects has resulted in the company being awarded to develop India’s largest private airport
(Chuang & Tai, 2016). At Goa’s Greenfield Airport, the company is focusing on developing the
project by operating and managing the Airport. It has divided several sections of the entire
project to implement the project feasibly within a timeline of September 2020 or earlier (Belu et
al., 2018). These sections would have several facilities for the customers including Integrated
Passenger Terminal Buildings, Runways, Taxiways, Rapid Exit Ways, and many others. These
projects are managed separately by the organization.
Given the current project of the project, it can be said that there is indeed a scope of
improvement for the way which the project is being progressed.
How the organization incorporates sustainability criteria into its business decision-making
process and its operations
The organization has currently been focusing on implementing ways by which the
customers would be benefitted by the airport (Kaiser, El Arbi & Ahlemann, 2015). Therefore, it
needs to implement their CRM techniques or the Customer Relationship management program in
a better way. This is necessary because an airport is all about providing benefits to the customers

6PROJECT PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
while their travel. Sustainability criteria are maintained with the project only when there is better
quality of service provided to the customers.
All the development that is made within the airport should make sure that the customers
receive the best services they have received so far (Guide, 2001). The sustainability criteria of
the airport will only then be feasible and effective. Thus, solid decision has to be made to make
sure that proper CPM or Customer Portfolio Management techniques are followed to make sure
that the development of the airport has the benefit of the customers in mind at all costs.
Scope of further improvement
The benefits that the GMR Group is planning on providing the customers can always
have a scope of improvement where the organization would implement the techniques of
Customer Portfolio Management, which is a technique of developing better customer
relationships (Snyder & Dionisio, 2017). This technique surpasses the previous customer
relationship development techniques because it assesses the possibility of the company’s
probable and existing customers and takes each of their individual needs in consideration
(Kerzner & Kerzner, 2017). The process begins with applying the identification of all the
possible and existing customers and evaluating them as per their needs to implement strategize
the system in which the organization would operate.
Opportunities and Threats
The likely successes that the organization might experience by introducing a project
portfolio management process
The probable successes that the organization of GMR Group would experience with the
implementation of the technique of Customer Portfolio Management are as follows:

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 Better advantages of feasible decision making
 Proper management of risks
 Faster Project turns times
 Increase of success rate of the project delivery
 Streamlined data and increased collaboration
 No tangible investment strategies
The likely challenges the organization might face with the adoption of the project portfolio
management process and overcoming the challenges
The GMR Group, which is headquartered in New Delhi has been helping the government
for the development of different kinds of projects within the high growth areas that includes
transportation, energy, airports and urban infrastructure (Hadjinicolaou, Dumrak & Mostafa,
2017). Based on the consideration of adopting of the handling of larger form of projects, the
organisation would be using the Project Portfolio Management (PPM) process
(Saunders,Kitzinger&Kitzinger, 2015). With the aid of this form of process of management, the
project management offices and project managers within GMR Group would be forecasting the
problems and thus would be able to analyse the implementation of the project within the
portfolio.
Some of the major challenges that would be faced by GMR Group are as follows:
 The management team within the organisation would not be able to expect the
outcomes from the project during the development stages. The failure for
identification of the proper project would make a liability for the PPM.

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 The members of the project team would feel to be unsettled based on constant form of
monitoring. This would be requiredby PPM to have a thorough knowledge about the
progression of the project. This could be seen as a form of micromanagement, which
would hence impact the work culture in a negative manner (Conforto et al., 2014).
 There should be a matured team of project management. A matured team of project
management would help in the simplification of the implementation of PPM.
 The senior management would not be ready for the purpose of absorbing the benefits,
purpose and value that would be extracted from PPM (Thakur & Workman, 2016).
 Risks within the development of projects are not identified during the early stages.
These challenges could be overcome by following the certain processes. The project
managers of the project should adopt the 5-question model based on PPM during the initiation
stages of the project in order to verify that the project would be suitable during PPM (Boyde,
2014).

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Fig 1: 5-Question Model of PPM
 The project manager should understand whether they would be investing within the
right kind of project.
 The project management team within GMR Group should be able to estimate their
level of capabilities. The best practices should be popular and should be able to suit
according to the infrastructure needs and protocols of the organization.
 The organisation should be able to share necessary form of knowledge with their
relevant teams regarding the vales and benefits based on PPM. This would be able to
understand about the returns based on the frequent form of evaluation regarding the
process.
 The senior management team within GMR Group should be encouraged based on
meeting with the protocols.

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 A proper form of documentation based on risks, concern and the various kinds of
solved issues should be prepared based on future form of reference.
The work should be performed in proper phases based on the demands of the customers that
would be incorporated during development.
Development of the Plan
Key elements of a plan to introduce project portfolio management into the organization
and their impact on the strategic goals
The GMR Group is currently on the development process of a project. The Airport
Project would be based on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model that would be based on
designing, building, financing, operating and transferring. Based on the requirement of the
projects undertaken by GMR Group, there are some form of key elements based on the
introduction of PPM is:
 Understanding of Business Requirements–This is one of the most of the vital part
within the development of the undertaken project. There should be a clear form of
business direction and defined objectives that would be able to measure the efforts of
work and costs incurred within the project (Too & Weaver, 2014).
 PPM Tools –There are some tools that would be able to measure and manage the
performance of the different projects that are undertaken by GMR Group.
 Return on Investment (ROI)–The GMR Group should be able to consider ROI,
which is defined as the ratio of the money that would be lost or gained (Beringer,
Jonas &Kock, 2013).

11PROJECT PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
Suggested type of project portfolio management model proposed for the organization
Based on the project undertaken by GMR Group, the PPM model that would be
undertaken is known as Unified Portfolio Management (UPM) Model. This model has been
defined as on the basis of Project Management Institute. This type of model has been chosen due
to the reason that it would be able to cover the portfolio management within the different forms
of operational organisations along with project based organizations (Costantino, Di
Gravio&Nonino, 2015). The model comprises of Portfolio Governance, Directing components,
Portfolio management and Component management. This would also be responsible for
developing of strategies. The main result of strategic planning would be able to define the
strategies of the organization based on building of the new projects that have been undertaken by
them (Jenner & Kilford, 2011). Hence, the different components of the portfolio should be
developed based on accordance of the strategies that have been adopted by the organization.
Implementing project portfolio management into the organization
The different plans should be implemented within the development of the project
undertaken by GMR Group are:
 Identification of the problem and thus be able to define plans.
 The proper form of processes should be evaluated and thus selected (Archer &
Ghasemzadeh, 1999).
 The process of evaluation and selection based on the portfolio should be balanced
within the components.
The process of evaluation and selection should be able to define a new set of components
based on a new portfolio.

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Tools and Techniques
Some of the tools and techniques that would be available for the management of the
different form so project portfolios are – SWOT analysis, Stakeholder Matrix, Cause and effect
diagram, Risk Map and Decision tree (Martinsuo, 2013).
The technique that would be suitable for this organization is Cause and Effect diagram.
This is performed within a fish-bone diagram. This form of diagram would be able to reopresent
the causes of the event and would define the potential form of impacts (Heldman, 2018). This
would be declared within a graphical representation. Hence, this form of tool would be able to
suit within the project definition of GMR Group.
Conclusion
Thus, it can be concluded with the analysis made in the report that the organization can
implement the above project portfolio management techniques to make sure that GMR Group
can seamlessly progress with their projects in future without any kind of hindrance. These PPM
techniques have been suggested to the organization in the proper way with the help of analysis of
the entire organization based on the situational context and its evaluation. This has helped in
understanding how the organization currently handles its project.
This has further helped in analyzing the opportunities and threats in the project portfolio
management techniques associated with the projects handled by GMR Group. Therefore, the
further scope of improvement has been analyzed as a result. Further development of the plan has
then been analyzed, based on which it has been easier to make sure which would be the most
feasible technique of project portfolio management that can be offered for the organization.
Later, the tools and techniques needed for the feasible and seamless implementation of the PPM

13PROJECT PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
plan has been described in the report with the help of which the organization has found it easier
to implement these PPM techniques to further handle their projects in the future.

14PROJECT PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
References
Archer, N. P., & Ghasemzadeh, F. (1999). An integrated framework for project portfolio
selection. International Journal of Project Management, 17(4), 207-216.
Belu, N., Rizea, A. D., Niţu, E. L., & Gavriluţă, A. C. (2018, August). An application of Six
Sigma to PPM reduction in the relationship with the external customer. In IOP
Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering(Vol. 400, No. 6, p. 062006). IOP
Publishing.
Beringer, C., Jonas, D., &Kock, A. (2013). Behavior of internal stakeholders in project portfolio
management and its impact on success. International Journal of Project
Management, 31(6), 830-846.
Boyde, J. (2014). A Down-To-Earth Guide To SDLC Project Management: Getting your
system/software development life cycle project successfully across the line using PMBOK
adaptively. Joshua Boyde.
Chuang, Y. F., & Tai, Y. F. (2016). Research on customer switching behavior in the service
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factors. International Journal of Project Management, 33(8), 1744-1754.

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Guide, A. (2001). Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® GUIDE). In Project
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