Technology projects have gained some notoriety in the corporate world for not being completed on time or on budget. Some projects do not deliver any value at all, becoming an expensive white elephant at best, or worse, a hindrance to business. As IT increasingly becomes an indispensable component of corporate success - and since such projects generally involve large investments - it is necessary for companies to ensure that when they do engage with suppliers, the end result is congruent with initial specifications.
According to Marthinus Wissing, group executive: professional services at Business Connexion, this fact - along with a burgeoning demand for technology solutions in the favourable economic climate - demands the rigorous application of accepted best practice in terms of project management to ensure delivery.
"The secret of success for project management is quite simple - it`s about managing projects on time, within budget and to the expected quality - the so called `triple constraint`," he says.
Despite the relative simplicity of the stated purpose of project management, Wissing notes that experts report that the majority of global corporate technology projects fail. Research firm The Standish Group confirms that just 28% of IT projects are completed successfully.
Failure is attributed to many reasons, says Wissing, chief among which are a lack of executive management support of the project, poor commitment of required resources, failure to adhere to project management standardised processes or methodologies, and the absence of a business case with a return on investment analysis for the project. Change management in respect of implementation of the solution is also often neglected. "The end-user is also often largely ignored, with the result that even if the solution is delivered, the end-user resists adopting the new resources," he adds.
Wissing therefore says that the simplicity of the stated aim of project management belies its difficulty. Indeed, while cognisant of the triple constraint, the project manager must orchestrate the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to the project activities to meet set requirements.
The implication is that training in the discipline of project management itself, while necessary, is not sufficient to ensure the reliable delivery of successful technology solution projects. Experience is perhaps as important as classical training - and the issue is further compounded by a real shortage of appropriately qualified individuals.
"The local project management arena faces a massive skills scarcity, due perhaps to this country lagging behind [the US and Europe] in innovation and technology as well as the growing demand for specialists with more business-oriented profiles," says Wissing - adding that enterprises often do not have the time or the budget to train project managers or to provide them with industry-specific skills. "Rather, they tend to look to contract or employ project managers who already possess the required skills and experience. This poses a challenge to the project management industry, as these skills are not always readily available," he says.
In itself, this situation can contribute to The Standish Group`s alarming findings. By assigning complex and challenging projects to underqualified managers, the risk of failure is surely higher. Wissing notes that complexity is often a hallmark of the enterprise technology project, and as such, appropriate resources are critical for successful execution.
He provides an example of what he believes is appropriate qualification: "The aspirant project manager should undergo rigorous internal NQF 4 [National Qualifications Framework]-based project management certification, produce a portfolio of evidence, pass a summative exam and convince an evaluation panel, consisting of internal and external project management peers, of his or her competence," he says.
Currency of skills is also necessary - particularly in the fast-paced technology environment. Wissing says this is ensured with a two-yearly re-certification programme based on successful project delivery, continuous development and ongoing contribution to the project management profession.
He adds that there has been a growing need for project managers to adopt world-class standards like the PMP accreditations (Project Management Body of Knowledge) and worldwide best practices such as the Prince2 methodology (Projects in a Controlled Environment). The application of such standards ensure sound project governance, scalability and flexibility to satisfy individual project needs.
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