Do anyone discuss about the decision making by top management prior to approve any project?

One thing sure : the real buy in of top management will impact the success rate of your project. It's all about change : if your top management does not fully endorse the change created by your project, you will observe organizational reluctance, inertia, ... in fact negative factors that will bring your projwect out of success.

Thank you Mr. Podesta. Really appreciate your reply.

I am curious to know, if decision making in project approval could be influence by EQ and also IQ. If it does, from your personal experiences,how it affect the project success? For example, in some countries where top management has a lot conflict of interest, corruptions, emotional and unqualified managers, and lack of experiences as decision maker especially in approving the mega projects that cost billion of dollar. Do you think that all the above elements will affect the project success?

Thank you Mr. Chandra.

Do project risk management should cover the whole process started from Project Initiation till project closing? Based on the study, project risk management only executed during the implementation phase where Earned Value Management (EVM) executed prior to project approval. Some top management merely refer to EVM to make decision. If we look at water filter analogy where big particles (top management level) are filtered before it reach pumps station and processing plant (middle management level) and then deliver to public (Line management level) for drinking water. At entrant to our home, we installed a small filter (closing stage) to make sure the water are treated from hazardous biological and the public will return a feedback. Do you think that using the same analogy in project risk management will helps to reduce the cost overruns and project delays?

Yes,the Project Risk management should cover and manage all the project associated risks.Water filter analogy,in my opinion, can not be rightfully applied.We may relate the project selection process to the well planned and well laid rail track(top management decision) which takes the train(Stake holders) ,driven by the engine(Project Manager),to the predetermined destination provided the engine is capable and resourceful(fuel)to reach the destination in scheduled time.The train invariably gets late (cost over-run)in reaching the destination.Hope this helps !

Of course, yes, Khairul.

When the top management is not in agreement with the middle management (if I may introduce that into our discussion), that is a precursor for project failure and will be a dent to the confidence of all stakeholders. It is for this reason that if a mid level PM is managing or initiating a project, they should first try to get a buy in from a senior person in the organization and ensure they have empirical evidence of why a project must be taken up along with risks involved and how to handle them. In any organizations' dynamics informal processes play a major role.

In this context, I agree with the comment by Jean-Eric Ancel. I hope that helps.

Thank you !

Thank you Mr. Chandra. Really appreciate your reply.

During the project selection and project approval process, is there any possibility that decision making could be influence by Emotional Quotient (EQ) a.k.a. Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and also Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of the decision maker. If it does, from your personal experiences,how it affect the project success? For example, in some countries where top management has a lot conflict of interest, corruptions, emotional and unqualified managers, and lack of experiences as decision maker especially in approving the mega projects that cost billion of dollar. Do you think that all the above elements will affect the project success?