How do you convince management to subscribe to a coherent project management methodology?
Antonio Magallanes Villamor, Jr.Head, Internal Audit Unit| International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry AreasCairo, Cairo, Egypt
My question stems from the fact that there is no apparent project management methodology adopted by my organization (e.g., whether it is an investment project, organizational project, or product development). As an internal auditor, this area is something that I would raise as an audit recommendation in my current internal audit engagement. However, I would like to solicit inputs of how can management be convinced that articulating its project management methodology is a valued proposition. Any input is highly valued. Thanks, Saving Changes...
A methodology won't address audit concerns but having project teams who clearly understand control objectives and tailor their way of working to meet those control objectives will.
Otherwise, PMs can fall into a "checklist" mode where they satisfy the needs of the methodology but lose sight of what's important in delivering their projects.
If a methodology is needed, it needs to have sufficient flexibility and scalability to meet control objectives while still fitting the context of a given project.
As Kiron suggested, a project methodology won't necessarily assist with audit issues, unless of course you are tasked with quality audits in projects at your organisation. Don't implement a project methodology just for the sake of ticking some audit boxes. There has to be a need for the methodology or framework to manage projects, before it is implemented, and long before it is audited. Saving Changes...
Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Dear Kiron and Sante
We agree.
If there is no project management methodology in the organization, an audit is not required.
In your opinion does it make sense to have a project management methodology in companies and organizations?
On the other hand, should project management processes be audited?
How does the company know if the processes are well designed and whether or not they need to be changed? Saving Changes...
Antonio Magallanes Villamor, Jr.Head, Internal Audit Unit| International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry AreasCairo, Cairo, Egypt
Hi! Thanks for all the responses. Recognizing that the term project management methodology may not be the appropriate word, so let me take a step back to articulate the issue.
As we all know, management always performs projects. Regardless whether an organization has a dedicated project management office/unit, they do undertake projects of some sort. Those projects may range from improving a business process to constructing a new facility. In organizations that do not have a separate project management unit, any assigned staff who undertake any projects approach its management with their cognitive bias or experience developed over time of how to manage a project. Not necessarily exact or systematic (and sometimes not even effective). In cases wherein the organization is growing and too many projects that they are undertaking, what best then is the recommendation that should be given to the management so they can approach managing their projects in a systematic, cohesive, and practical fashion?
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1 reply by Kiron Bondale
Nov 17, 2019 3:54 PM
Kiron Bondale
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Antonio -
I would ensure that there are some lean, minimally sufficient policies and standards and then invest effort in training team members to learn what are the control objectives expected for all projects and to guide their choices in meeting these based on the nature of a project.
One example of a control objective is the ability to trace requirements upstream and downstream through the delivery processes. A requirements traceability matrix is one way to meet the objective but not the only choice...
Hi! Thanks for all the responses. Recognizing that the term project management methodology may not be the appropriate word, so let me take a step back to articulate the issue.
As we all know, management always performs projects. Regardless whether an organization has a dedicated project management office/unit, they do undertake projects of some sort. Those projects may range from improving a business process to constructing a new facility. In organizations that do not have a separate project management unit, any assigned staff who undertake any projects approach its management with their cognitive bias or experience developed over time of how to manage a project. Not necessarily exact or systematic (and sometimes not even effective). In cases wherein the organization is growing and too many projects that they are undertaking, what best then is the recommendation that should be given to the management so they can approach managing their projects in a systematic, cohesive, and practical fashion?
Antonio -
I would ensure that there are some lean, minimally sufficient policies and standards and then invest effort in training team members to learn what are the control objectives expected for all projects and to guide their choices in meeting these based on the nature of a project.
One example of a control objective is the ability to trace requirements upstream and downstream through the delivery processes. A requirements traceability matrix is one way to meet the objective but not the only choice...
Kiron Saving Changes...
Drew CraigSr. Agile & Product Coach| VanguardPhiladelphia, Pa, United States
I usually answer these types of questions in the same way. There is no convincing anyone. The moment the intent or assumption is that you can convince, prescribe, or force someone; failure is inevitable.
What we should be striving toward, is showing or helping them to understand the benefit or value of doing XYZ. What is in it for them. WIIFT. Help them to see it from their perspective of why should we, as an organization, do this? Saving Changes...
Anton OosthuizenSenior Business Analyst / Project Manager| Self EmployedPretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
Agree with Andrew, if you want management support for anything, whether it is to implement a specific PM approach or installing a new coffee machine you need to communicate the benefits it brings to different stakeholder groups, so the What's In It For Me. And don't just cut and paste suggested improvements but really understand the value it will bring. If I may use Agile as an example - people think that if you are not implementing Agile then you are doing it wrong and to prove it they quote the standard rehashed list of benefits it could bring. Those are only POSSIBLE benefits and stats. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
First of all, always there is a method in place (methodology is a wrong word commonly used). The method is explicit or implicit but always there is a method. You can call it "a way to do something". Second, if you will propose to make the method explicit, to formalize the method then remember it is not the method itself. There is a pyramid where method is the last step (in fact, a tool is the last step). Below the method, supporting it, you have the approach, the process model based on the approach, the process life cycle based on the model and then the method that support all these stuff. Third, select a method must be because there is something to solve. And here comes the answer to your question: if people do not perceive it as a solution then forget about to convince them. "No pain, no gain". Person in charge "to sell" the utilization of a method must work on detecting the pain, make it visible to the key stakeholders and then make the stakeholder themself say "yes, please, put a method in place". Four, from the point of view of audit there is something more to define: the governance model. It is a layer above the method. Saving Changes...
