CQUniversity PPMP 20014: Analyzing Strategies for Complex Projects

This report delves into the intricacies of complex project management, highlighting the challenges posed by complexity and exploring effective strategies for mitigating risks. It defines complexity in project management, emphasizing the lack of a clear definition and the focus on managing complex projects. The report identifies key drivers of complexity, including project size, variety, system interdependencies, and context-dependence. It outlines fundamental principles of project management, such as addressing crucial questions at the project's start, sketching out the scope and goals, communicating project roles, and monitoring for obstacles. Furthermore, the report underscores the significant impact of risk management processes, including risk assessment and mitigation, on project complexity. The document concludes by referencing various research studies and scholarly articles to support its arguments and recommendations. Desklib offers a range of solved assignments and past papers to aid students in their studies.

Running head: COMPLEX PROJECT MANAGEMENT 1
Strategic Management: Developing Policies and Strategies
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COMPLEX PROJECT MANAGEMENT 2
What is Complexity?
Complexity is regarded as a vital aspect in project management field. However,
nature, as well as project complexity features have a controversial argument. As a result
“complexity” does not have a clear definition since researchers tend to lean on defining how
to manage a complex project. Thus, a majority of the researchers considers project
performance as being closely connected to project complexity. Consequently, the term
“complexity” is figured in different perspectives which are perceived through several
continuous dissimilar and similar fields. Accordingly, to be in the position to help better
modern project management, project complexity has to be understood and measured
efficiently. In accordance to Bjorvatn, & Wald, (2018) the scholar notes that success of any
project ultimately relies upon its project complexity and project performance. Since the
sources of complexity seem to be pronounced into different uncertain and dynamic, there is
no consensus on complexity. Therefore, to reduce the difficulty in defining complexity, it can
be done through its primary drivers. Thus, the drivers of complexity are hinged on the project
context and surrounding. Therefore, complexity can be defined as the inclusion of dissimilar
project characteristics as “the property of a model that makes it difficult to come up with
overall behaviour in a specific language, even when provided with reasonably comprehensive
information regarding its atomic elements as well their inter-connections.”
How complexity makes Project Management Difficult
Research studies show that factors that are needed for project complexity fall into
different classes such as the project size, project variety, project system interdependencies
and lastly but not least element of content.
Project size: Project size is among the basic aspects that are considered necessary for
the project complexity. According to Haynes, (2015) the theorist notes that the multiplicity in

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a project can be closely related with the emergent properties, which helps in determining the
complexity of the project.
Variety of project: It should be noted that project variety is an essential driver of
project complexity. Qureshi, & Kang, (2015) emphasised that the variety in a project is
closely related with the emergent characteristics which play a part in the determining of
project complexity.
Project system interdependencies: A majority of the research argue that
interdependencies stand a greater chance to be a core contributor to the intricacy of a project
(Loch, & Payne, 2011). The interrelationships amongst dissimilar project’s components are
more intricate unlike the way it is recommended by the old-fashioned work breakdown
structure of a project network. Furthermore, the old-style tools for project management have
the possibility of not being sufficient to the certainty of interdependencies to be achieved.
Nevertheless, this could be questionable in the sense that every component in a project relies
upon as well as influences the others as a result of their interdependence existing in the
dissimilar elements of complexity (Svejvig, & Andersen, 2015).
Context-dependence: in accordance to Janssen, Van Der Voort, & van Veenstra,
(2015) the scholar pinpoints that contextually is a significant aspect of complexity since it is a
denominator of the complex system. Similarly, Bassi, (2015) notes that the context, as well as
activities of a given project, are not directly relevant to any other project with a dissimilar
cultural and influential conformations. As a result, project complexity cannot be managed or
analysed with failure to put into consideration the consequences that come with the context of
the project.

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What can Project Management do in Principle?
Despite the difference in ideologies and views as well as the work styles, project
managers across industries are bonded by the principles behind what they do (Bassi, 2015).
While the finer points are likely to deviate the primary standards of project management
stand to be the same. Certainly, these principles include:
Addressing crucial questions at the project start. The project should be started in the
right manner by taking the time to highlight and address significant questions that the starting
point of a project’s lifecycle. The initiating of the project’s values and missions from the
starting point is a vital project management principle. Ideally, the primary responsibility of
the project manager is to sell the company’s idea. Thus they have to be sure about the value
that the project should bring to become more convincing to customers (Bassi, 2015).
Therefore, this aids in enabling the device the project’s timeline, values and objectives since
they are paramount to its later success. Preparations save the project not to be caught off
guard in the course of the project.
Sketching out the scope and goals of the project. Before getting the project off the ground the
initial stage transitions to planning, which assesses the manner and value in which the project
should be and the problem it is solving (Marcelino-Sádaba, González-Jaen, & Pérez-
Ezcurdia, 2015). Hence this is achieved through sketching a scope and goals of the project,
which aids the project manager to stray on track in an attempt to answer the following
questions:
 That is the goal of the project?
 What deliverables are required to arrive at the gaol?
 Who is the suitable individual to perform each deliverable?
 What risks exist for this project and in which way can it be avoided?

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Sketching of the project scope and goals helps to make the project vision and clearer,
which get all the participants on the same page to make sure that the projection is
realistic. After deciding on the scope, the right template provides a summary of the
budget, timelines and signing off points which foster collaboration and communication.
Communicating the project roles, expectations and objectives for the team. It is a vital
principle of project management (Bassi, 2015). Clear communication with the team from
the start regarding their roles, progress, expectations, as well as modifications to the
project help to ensuring that no objectives are missed or forgotten.
Monitoring and determining obstacles. It is the responsibility of the project manager
to keep an eye on the development of the project to ensure that it is in line with the initial
requirements by the client.
Ensuring all deliverables have been attained and finalise the project. Accordingly,
this is ensured through scheduling of the project tasks.
Key Issues that Significantly Impact on Complexity
The key issues that impact on complexity entail risk management process, which
includes risk assessment, and mitigation (Berssaneti, & Carvalho, 2015). Risk assessment
involves the identifying of the probable risk and evaluation of the likely impact of the risk.
Lastly, risk mitigation is a designed plan whose objective is to minimise or eliminate or
eliminate the effects of the risk events from happening.

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References
Bassi, A. (2015). General Management Principles in the Project Management Context.
In Managing Intellectual Capital and Innovation for Sustainable and Inclusive
Society: Managing Intellectual Capital and Innovation; Proceedings of the
MakeLearn and TIIM Joint International Conference 2015(pp. 581-581).
ToKnowPress.
Berssaneti, F. T., & Carvalho, M. M. (2015). Identification of variables that impact project
success in Brazilian companies. International Journal of Project Management, 33(3),
638-649.
Bjorvatn, T., & Wald, A. (2018). Project complexity and team-level absorptive capacity as
drivers of project management performance. International Journal of Project
Management, 36(6), 876-888.
Haynes, P. (2015). Managing complexity in the public services. Routledge.
Janssen, M., Van Der Voort, H., & van Veenstra, A. F. (2015). Failure of large
transformation projects from the viewpoint of complex adaptive systems:
Management principles for dealing with project dynamics. Information Systems
Frontiers, 17(1), 15-29.
Marcelino-Sádaba, S., González-Jaen, L. F., & Pérez-Ezcurdia, A. (2015). Using project
management as a way to sustainability. From a comprehensive review of a framework
definition. Journal of cleaner production, 99, 1-16.
Qureshi, S. M., & Kang, C. (2015). Analysing the organisational factors of project
complexity using structural equation modelling. International Journal of Project
Management, 33(1), 165-176.

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Svejvig, P., & Andersen, P. (2015). Rethinking project management: A structured literature
review with a critical look at the brave new world. International Journal of Project
Management, 33(2), 278-290.
Loch, C., & Payne, F. (2011). Aspects of Complexity: Managing Projects in a Complex
World [Ebook].

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