Project Management - Verhaar PDF

Preview

Summary

Project management – a professional approach to eventsChapter 7: the project organisation7 The project organisation and the permanent organisationMany projects are realised within permanent organisations.The figure above shows the ECH-model. This stands for Equilibrium, Coherence and Heterogeneity. ...

Description

Project management – a professional approach to events Chapter 7: the project organisation 7.1 The project organisation and the permanent organisation Many projects are realised within permanent organisations.

The figure above shows the ECH-model. This stands for Equilibrium, Coherence and Heterogeneity. The model proceeds from the assumption that we can look at the permanent or mother organisation in six ways. The model proceeds from the assumption that we can look at the permanent or mother organisation in six ways. Because of the interrelation of these aspects, a change in one of the elements will nearly always exert an influence on the other aspects. 1. Structure: the distribution of the formal and informal tasks, responsibilities and powers within the organisational structure is visualised by means of an organisational chart. 2. Culture: the system of implicit and explicit patterns of thinking, feeling and acting, patterns which are supported by the people who the organisation consists of. 3. Management style: the characteristic patterns of behaviour of the management at all levels within the organisation, which arise from the understanding of one’s job and the view on humankind and society. 4. Personnel: the type of people within the organisation and their abilities and skills, also referred to as human capital. 5. Systems: the information and communication systems and processes within the organisation that accommodate the functioning of the organisation: controlling and adjusting. 6. Strategy: the way in which set objectives are reached.

7.2 The organisational structure To bring the total set of activities of an organisation under control, the activities that more or less cohere internally are clustered together into groups. The structure of an organisation indicated how these organisational units relate to each other.

The embedding of the project organisation within the permanent organisation The traditional structure of the permanent organisation is hierarchical. If there is no clarity with reference to tasks, responsibilities and power, tensions can be a result. The are three managerial influences that can have an effect on an employee. The functional influence (F) refers to the development and application of the technical expertise of the employee. The hierarchal influence (H) focuses on the employee as a subordinate. The operational influence (O) is concerned with the concrete task that the employee is expected to fulfil. The organisational structure of the project itself With respect to the organisation of activities within a project, what is important is that the staffing, tasks and responsibilities are structured. For some projects it is sufficient to summarise what the tasks, responsibilities and powers are in what is called a schedule for the allocation of tasks. This summary needs to be discussed with everyone concerned. Working groups or departments focus on content-related, partial results of the project. The business aspects of the project are executed by the project leader of his assistants. These aspects can also be observed by team members who consider these to be their own specific tasks, or who do this in addition to their content-related task within the project. When there is a case of dual leadership within a project, the division of tasks, responsibilities and powers between both leaders needs to be clearly established. The organisational structure for multiple projects When a number of related projects are developed and executed, they can be accommodated organisationally within what is known as a programme structure. When the basic shape of the organisational structure of the project itself has been determined, often it is still necessary to establish the tasks, responsibilities and power for the individual employees. When assigning tasks it is important to strive for an integral set of job responsibilities. When a task is too specialised, there is a great danger of people withdrawing onto their own island and missing the overall view on the project and the synergy between the components.

7.3 The three main characters The three main characters in every project are the client, the agent and the project manager. The client We have to take into consideration that we might be dealing with both clients from outside and clients from within the organisation. An external client rarely takes a professional view with respect to project management. The role the client has to play, involves more than just being the initiator or the financial backer. One can expect from a client that he is involved with the project during the whole process. A good client should commit himself to the project emotionally and should have the courage to take calculated risks. Whenever possible a single client is preferable. This promotes speed and unity of control. The one who is the most obvious candidate for the position of client is the person who wants a problem to be solved or an opportunity to be exploited. In large organisations the task of client is placed on the shoulders of a delegated client. Within the terms of reference, he will act for the project, as the day-to-day client. This is often seen at large production companies, in which delegated producers carry the day-to-day responsibilities for a project.

Agent There is an agent when there is a commission for a project. Often the top management of the commissioned organisation plays the role of agent. In large organisations project coordinators and account managers can also have this role. The final responsibility for the project, on behalf of the organisation carrying out the work, rests with the agent. With regard to commissioned projects, it is the agent who controls the project leader. Project leader The project leader is responsible for the realisation of the desired and agreedupon project result. The given tasks, responsibilities and powers of the project leader depend largely on the client and agent. The real project leader has an independent responsibility for the realisation of the project result. The preconditions are determined by the management of the permanent organisation, confirmed in periodic reports to that management. He heads the project organisation, which can consist of people from different departments, who are partly deployed for a certain period of time. Sometimes people from outside the mother organisation are included in the project organisation. The project leader receives operational authority over the project collaborators, as far as their work involves the project. The project coordinator is only responsible for the coordination of the employees from the different departments, who contribute to the project. He is dependent on the heads of the departments within the mother organisation for almost everything because they have control over the capabilities. The project manager is the most far-reaching version. He decides on all aspects that affect the project and is integrally responsible. Collaborators are temporarily realised from their own department within the permanent organisation for their contribution to the project. The project manger has the functional and hierarchical authority of the project staff. When the relation between the permanent and the project organisation is structured, the position of the leader of the project must be clearly indicated. The project-leadership role at an event project is fulfilled by an event manager. Central to the professional event manager is the integral development and realisation process of an event-project, from the earliest notion to the concrete event, including the aftercare and evaluation.

7.4 The organisational culture In this section, the extent to which the culture of the permanent organisation can encourage, or hinder, working by means of projects is discussed. How project-friendly is the permanent organisation? Organisational culture can be understood to mean: a system of implicit and explicit patterns of thinking, feeling and acting. These patterns are supported by the people who make up the organisation. While culture is often difficult to measure, because of its implicit character, it is still an important management tool for the daily operation of an organisation. Culture is made manifest through the kind of people that are employed by the organisation, the building and the interior design and the procedures, instructions, forms, manuals, etc. That is why cultural differences can be observed between organisations. Differences can also be found within an organisation. In order to be able to recount more about the affinity of the permanent organisation with the project approach, different organisational cultures have been characterised below.

Four types of organisational culture Within an organisation different cultures can be present at the same time. Cultural differences can easily lead to frictions between the departments. Working with projects also suits some cultures better than others. It is important that a manger who wants to introduce working in projects, knows which cultures are present in his area of responsibilities. This way a manager can make an assessment of the friction he will encounter within the mother organisation and adjust his introduction strategy. Power culture Association: is determined by personal power Appreciation: for personality Decision making: on the basis of power With objective attention: for personal realisation of objective Priority: for the maintenance of power Responds: readily to changes in the environment, provided the powerful join in Danger: of growth of the organisation, the personality of the ‘heir-apparent’. Role culture Association: is determined by following rules, lines of communication and hierarchy, also forms of address are observed Appreciation: for subordination and role performance Decision making: on the basis of procedural steps and formal position With objective attention: to keeping order, clarity and peace Priority: for function, role or position Responds: with difficulty to changed situations Danger: of paper tiger, bureaucracy Personal culture Association: only when necessary, hence few fixed structures, determined by a shared capability source Appreciation: for skill and expertise Decision making: through consensus, no subordination With objective attention: to talent Priority: for skill/professionalism Responds: unpredictably, for they are all individuals Danger: of disintegration Task culture Association: is determined by the task ahead, the relation between time, person or work Appreciation: for skill as doer Decision making: on the basis of ‘what is necessary at this moment for this task’ With objective attention: to combination of skills, getting results, rules are unimportant Priority: for results Responds: readily to changes Danger: of running to extremes A few tips to increase acceptance In a power culture, make sure that you get into contact with the empowered.

In a role culture, make sure that the project approach is recorded in a manual with procedures. In a task culture, make sure that the tasks and the project coincide. In a personal culture, make sure that you make respected friends with those who are connected to the project....