I have been asked to audit the project management quality on one in-house software project in a company. Initially it was supposed to be 5 months (with approximately 20 people onboard). At the moment I'm talking about (September 2016) it was allready 14 months, still no working product (a huge ammount of code but no features accepted yet). After the audit IT director offered me to become a new PM on that project. I helped the project team reestimate all requirements and created new schedule. It showed that we need additional 18 months to finish all tasks. The IT director told me to create a schedule that will finish in 3.5 months(!) and ask for additional resourses. I refused (I knew that there are not enough needed speciatists avaliable and the communications will be too complex, so additional developers will slower the team). After tha they found other PM, who agreed to sign off that 3.5 months schedule.
That new PM did not succeeded (actually that project still in progress, and now they are trying co finist it till July 2017). But I know that there are several big IT projects scheduled in the same way (crasy schedule with "virtual" staff, project being late and rescheduled, and again and again).
So I'm thinking if I was right? I followed PMI code of ethics (one should not sign for a project that he believes to be unfeasible). But maybe I got the ethics wrong?
What would you do (or suddest to do) in my situation (and why)? Saving Changes...
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Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
You avoided taking on a project that was doomed to fail; that's not a matter of ethics, but of common sense and self-preservation. Ethics come into play concerning what you'll do about the other big IT projects you know are badly scheduled. According to PMI you should tell someone in your organization that these projects are doomed to fail, and explain why. Of course, you need to prepare for repercussions before you do, which might come from the IT Director or others who participated in the creation or submission of the bad schedules.
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2 replies by Deepesh Rammoorthy and Sergey Makarkin
Apr 20, 2017 4:11 PM
Sergey Makarkin
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I tryed to talk with a customer (it was CFO), but he said that he understand the situation, but is not going to do anything. There was an option to go to VP, but CFO assured me that VP will send me to IT Director to handle this.
So I'm not working for that company anymore. :)
I was sure that I'm doing a roght things, but now I was looking at how projects are managed and started to think that maybe I nissed someting. So i decided to ask for some advice.
Thanks for your reply!
Apr 21, 2017 3:07 AM
Deepesh Rammoorthy
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agree with Eric . I don't see any Ethics here , just plain self preservation from doing a project that was destined to run into more problems
You avoided taking on a project that was doomed to fail; that's not a matter of ethics, but of common sense and self-preservation. Ethics come into play concerning what you'll do about the other big IT projects you know are badly scheduled. According to PMI you should tell someone in your organization that these projects are doomed to fail, and explain why. Of course, you need to prepare for repercussions before you do, which might come from the IT Director or others who participated in the creation or submission of the bad schedules.
I tryed to talk with a customer (it was CFO), but he said that he understand the situation, but is not going to do anything. There was an option to go to VP, but CFO assured me that VP will send me to IT Director to handle this.
So I'm not working for that company anymore. :)
I was sure that I'm doing a roght things, but now I was looking at how projects are managed and started to think that maybe I nissed someting. So i decided to ask for some advice.
Thanks for your reply! Saving Changes...
In regard to the situation, I think you made the right choice, and it is align with the PMI code of ethic has I understand it. Saving Changes...
Tom BjörkholmConsultant| Knowit ConnectivityLinköping, Sweden
I too think that you did the only correct thing. Though it is a decision that requires some courage.
Too many project managers think about the money (salary if they are employed by the customer, or revenue if the customer is another company) and play along with projects that they know have no chance of succeeding. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
Sergey, some people will hate me, but take into account that PMI`s Code of Ethics is a "formality" one organization has to fullfil in order to get the certification they provide as a basement to consider the practice as a profession. In the project management field we can say that it is a pseudo-profession because nobody can legaly act when a project manager perform the role and make a bad practice (as you can do with medicine). So, the important thing to consider if a behaivor is or not ethic (between other things mainly personal ones) is the code of ethic that is available inside your organization. That is what matters. That is about you have to responce with your organization just in case you do not follow it. Saving Changes...
Deepesh RammoorthyICT Project Manager ( PMP®AgilePM®Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®))| Australian Red Cross Blood ServiceTarneit, Vic, Australia
Apr 20, 2017 4:02 PM
Replying to Eric Simms
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You avoided taking on a project that was doomed to fail; that's not a matter of ethics, but of common sense and self-preservation. Ethics come into play concerning what you'll do about the other big IT projects you know are badly scheduled. According to PMI you should tell someone in your organization that these projects are doomed to fail, and explain why. Of course, you need to prepare for repercussions before you do, which might come from the IT Director or others who participated in the creation or submission of the bad schedules.
agree with Eric . I don't see any Ethics here , just plain self preservation from doing a project that was destined to run into more problems
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1 reply by Tom Björkholm
Apr 21, 2017 3:28 AM
Tom Björkholm
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I do disagree. I think that this is to take a too limited view on the project.
The person asking us to do the impossible project may know that it is impossible and be willing to have it fail. (Towards that person it is not unethical to play along.) However, this is probably part of deceiving some other part of the organisation paying for the project. There will be persons in the organisation paying for the project that are deceived into believing in the impossible project.
Another aspect to keep in mind is what the impossible project does to the project team. Will the stress levels on the impossible project cause health problems among the project team members?
Saving Changes...
Tom BjörkholmConsultant| Knowit ConnectivityLinköping, Sweden
Apr 21, 2017 3:07 AM
Replying to Deepesh Rammoorthy
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agree with Eric . I don't see any Ethics here , just plain self preservation from doing a project that was destined to run into more problems
I do disagree. I think that this is to take a too limited view on the project.
The person asking us to do the impossible project may know that it is impossible and be willing to have it fail. (Towards that person it is not unethical to play along.) However, this is probably part of deceiving some other part of the organisation paying for the project. There will be persons in the organisation paying for the project that are deceived into believing in the impossible project.
Another aspect to keep in mind is what the impossible project does to the project team. Will the stress levels on the impossible project cause health problems among the project team members?
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1 reply by Deepesh Rammoorthy
Apr 21, 2017 3:31 AM
Deepesh Rammoorthy
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Purely talking about a choice made by one person.... Not looking at the big picture and how it would affect morale of the team.
Saving Changes...
Deepesh RammoorthyICT Project Manager ( PMP®AgilePM®Certified ScrumMaster® (CSM®))| Australian Red Cross Blood ServiceTarneit, Vic, Australia
Apr 21, 2017 3:28 AM
Replying to Tom Björkholm
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I do disagree. I think that this is to take a too limited view on the project.
The person asking us to do the impossible project may know that it is impossible and be willing to have it fail. (Towards that person it is not unethical to play along.) However, this is probably part of deceiving some other part of the organisation paying for the project. There will be persons in the organisation paying for the project that are deceived into believing in the impossible project.
Another aspect to keep in mind is what the impossible project does to the project team. Will the stress levels on the impossible project cause health problems among the project team members?
Purely talking about a choice made by one person.... Not looking at the big picture and how it would affect morale of the team.
