Organisational Context

Introduction

The difference between a project or programme could be defined in many ways depends on many elements. By examine and analysis the project or programme, there are many factors impacts the project success and their organisational context.

Project programme typologies

According to Weaver (2010) presented that there are four basic dimensions for every project or programme, they are:

1. The size of the project, basically it is measured by the term of the project;

2. The complexity of the project mostly focuses on the difficulty of the technology in this project. It is measured by the degree of complication.

3. The relationship with the stakeholders. This is one of the key influences on the success of the project.

4. The degree of uncertainty involved in this project.

With this figure above from Eddie Obeng (1995) illustrate the project typologies on these two dimensions ‘what to do’ and ‘how to do it’.

1. What to do. It focuses on how to achieve success. The target of the project.

2. How to do it. It focuses on the method, process, and experience.

Further research of project typologies base on above Weaver (2010)’s, they are listed as following: 1. Strategic programme; 2. Operational programme; 3. Multi-Programme; and 4. Mega-project.

The organisation context and influence

According to Shao (2012) in Measuring program success with these four dimensions: 1. Delivery capability; 2. Organisational capability; 3. Marketing capability; 4. Innovative capability. In addition, compared with these three domains of project organising from Winch (2014):

1. The temporary organising. This is a common project regarding the definition of PMI (2017, p.4) “A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.” For most of the project or programme, they have the start and end lifecycle. There are many challenges comes from the project is supposed to achieve the target within a limited condition such as the budgets, the time to fulfil the requirement, besides considering the control and risk. The Strategic programme, Multi-Programme, and Mega-project could belong to this kind of categories.

2. The permanent organisations of owner and operator. It could belong to the category of operation programme. It offers the goods of delivery or service for customer continuingly. It also involved the others in strategic programme, multi-programme and mega-project because of the business optimal required. Base on the infrastructure of the business, an owner or operator consider the keep best competitor and performance, they set up this programme to fit for the changing marketing.

3. The permanent organisation of the project-based firm. For the project/ programme the system itself required to be updated fluency workflow and keep the best performance. There is some project is set up for operating the optimize the system itself.

Conclusion

All in all, for those all these categories’ project/programme, with the challenge and solution, integrate together, EPMC (2009) presented five questions to help for the successful project portfolio management. Compared to the two types ‘what to do’ and ‘how to do it’. ‘Are we investing in the right things?’ moreover, ‘Are we optimizing our capacity’ are the ‘what’. ‘How well are we executing?’ and ‘Are we realizing the promised benefits?’ are the ‘how’, the question ‘Can we absorb all the changes?’ could be a good measure standard for operation programme.

Reference:

Weaver, P. (2010). Understanding programs and projects—oh, there's a difference! Paper presented at PMI® Global Congress 2010—Asia Pacific, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute.

Shao, J., Müller, R., & Turner, J. R. (2012). Measuring program success. Project Management Journal, 43(1), 37–49.

Obeng, E. (1995). All Change!: Project leader's secret handbook (Financial Times series). London: Prentice Hall.

Project Management Institute, 2017. A guide to the project management book of knowledge (PMBOK® Guide). 6 ed. s.l.:Newton Square,.

Enterprise Protfolio Management Council, 2009. Project portfolio management: a view from the management treches. Hoboken,NJ: John Wiley&Sons.

Winch, G. M., 2014. Three domains of project organising. International Journal of Project Management, 32(5), pp. 721-731.