Feedback On Questions On Organisation And Governance

Paul – I submitted a few questions for feedback last week, and here are a couple more!!  Any feedcback as to whether I’m on the right lines gratefully received.  Thanks, Sarah

Explain what is meant by the term project government.
Explain four effects there might be on the organisation’s project it project governance is not implemented adequately.

Project governance is the organisational framework within which projects are run. It fills the void between the running of an individual project and an organisation’s overall governance. It applies to multiple projects or programmes within an organisation’s portfolio,.

Four effects there might be of inadequate project governance are as follows:

1. Inadequate governance may mean that the projects included within an organisations portfolio do not align correctly and effectively with the organisation’s strategic vision. As part of project governance different projects will be evaluated against the strategic goals of the organisation and included or excluded as appropriate. Without this time, money and resources could be wasted or a project which is ultimately not the ‘right one’ for the organisation may be implemented.

2. Another effect of inadequate governance could be an increase in risk exposure for the organisation. Project governance encourages open and honest disclosure between the project manager and other members of the organisation, even when things are going wrong with the project. Failure to do this can lead to projects continuing when they shouldn’t, or in the wrong direction, exposing the organisation to risks,

3. Effective project governance encourages an increase in consistency between projects, whereas ineffective project governance will lead to inconsistency. Inconsistency in the way projects are run reduces organisational confidence in projects and therefore may reduce confidence in their results.

4. Ineffective project governance can also lead to incomplete or unrealistic information being used to support a business case. Effective project governance means relevant and realistic information is gathered to support the business case and project making it more likely to success.

 

List and describe five key components of a project management method.

Five key components of a project management method are:

People

Processes

Tools

Templates

Products

People – this aspect of project management methods define the roles and responsibilities of people working in a project. It is important to define this so that there is clarity of purpose and everyone knows what they are doing when.

Processes – these are ways of defining how certain aspects of a project are dealt with. For example, this could include risk management processes, and these will be listed in the Project Management Plan. Defining the key processes is important as it communicates what is required of people and ensures consistency of approach.

Tools are the tools which the project management team can use to fulfil their tasks in a project. This includes things such as planning software and helps encourage consistency of approach.

Templates are documents the project manager and team can follow and use in their projects. These will often have evolved over time and previous projects and so provide the benefits of previous experience.

Products fall in to two categories. The first is those that are produced as part of the project which help the effective running of the project, such as the Project Management Plan. The second are the outputs of the project which are handed over to the users at the end of the project. Defining these clearly at the outset contributes to the potential for success of the project as everyone knows what they are working towards.