I'm currently writing up my Msc dissertation in Project Management, focussing specifically on website project management and the use or not of current methodologies.
As part of my introduction i typed.... "It is highly unlikely you would let loose a project manager renowned for their success on building bridges on a project building a spacecraft, unless they had some prior knowledge of space engineering."
My tutor challenged me - that specialist thinking and knowledge is not necessarilly relevant. Certainly the software team i work with have confidence in my ability because of my prior experience in programming... but is this always the case?
I'd be interested to hear other peoples opinions on the subject.
This topic of PM technical experience has been one that has been discussed a lot on the NewGrange discussion list. The most recent, vocal, thread on the topic can be found at the threaded NewGrange archive at YahooGroups. Look for the thread entitled Re: The PM Market Place. Saving Changes...
Bill BiglerProject Scheduler| Booz Allen HamiltonCentreville, Va, United States
I think Joan Knutson described it best recently in her Dear PM Guru column in the ISSIG Review. To paraphrase her (because I cannot put my hand on the article), the more technical a project, success is more likely if the project manager has technical experience.
However, the real key is: Can the project manager ask questions with sufficient skill to make sure the subject matter experts are on the right track?
Right now, I am supporting 3 Integrated Product Teams that are doing IT technical work. I understand little of their database work. However, I do know what the database users should be able to do, so I can ask questions from the end users point of use. I also try to make sure that, when the databases interact or should interact, I have agreement from both sides of the interaction with regard to the question.
Having a database person, support these IPTs would be preferable but much more costly and most people with these skills do not want to be doing the paperwork that I do as the project coordinator.
