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Working Group B: What principles are important in dealing with complexity?

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  • Ian Mack
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      @ian-mack
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      Thanks Rob, more content to bend my mind around.

      In the first paper, I saw little to endear it to us, although I found the shared risk and contingencies strategy novel in a few ways, as demonstrated in one of the paper’s diagrams. And any conference where we can spread the word on the important aspects of executing complex projects to the infrastructure practitioners would be “one more step for mankind”.

      As for the second paper suggesting issues implied by PMI Thought Leadership for further research and development, the author does admit that complex projects remains a useful body of knowledge for PMI to pursue, so they ‘get it’ as you say. Though, this would require much more than just a focus on ESG in infrastructure mega-projects as the author seems to imply. It is sad that the author never mentions ICCPM, leaving one to assume they have no knowledge of the Centre. And following my last comment, the infrastructure business in Canada remains generally ignorant of ICCPM and the need to tackle complex construction projects differently.

      Beyond that, the second paper triggered three other perspectives for me:

      – In terms of the suggestion of placing more emphasis  on “how the company’s risk appetite aligns with its strategic vision, so that project managers can weave the right risk mindset into the fabric of their team’s way of working”, (1) it misses the point that in governments there often is no choice but to pursue a high risk complex project , these not typically embraced in democracies, though admittedly it makes a degree of sense for other organisations; and  (2) if better implemented, it could reduce the number of complex projects initiated by organisations ignorant of complex project requirements, which could reduce the number of complex project failures.

      – In terms of suggesting that experienced project managers apply their skills outside of projects as change managers and integration experts (also described as “coordinators”), I am not (immediately?) a fan for a number of reasons; (1) PMI does not yet embrace the issues of complex project leadership/execution, and organisations continue to fail – surely embracing complexity is a higher priority than change management and innovation as areas of focus; (2) nor do we have that many experienced complex project leaders to have them go off and be organizational coordinators – this, while there is a growing “projectification” of organisations; and (3) watering down the core business of complex project leadership in this way seems to be all wrong to me, with (4) my Machiavellian brain daring to wonder if this as a potential marketing strategy to gain more members  by inviting change managers and integration experts to join PMI – my bad …

      – Regarding the proposal that project managers employ more partnerships with specialist firms (meaning collaboration, though not stated), it is equally important that the owner/client parent organisation have their own people that have adequate sector-relevant domain knowledge and the experience of navigating and oversight of complex projects, so they can select and then engage partners effectively – that oversight best exercised with an integrated joint execution model. Without these enablers, we see so many municipal projects fail spectacularly in producing the desired outcomes of effective delivery (beyond the efficiency measures of cost and schedule).

      Thus I see no new subjects herein for the Working Group. Change management and integration are already well covered general disciplines that I view as already generally applicable to complex project execution. Of course the members of our working group (and of ICCPM more broadly) know all of this already, but I could be missing (or misunderstood) other  important thoughts in the papers.     Ian

      Robert McMartin
      SIG Chair
        @rmcmartin
        Post count: 41
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        Morning Everyone,

        Two new papers, for perusal and edification:

        1 Strategic project management is well written, but adds nothing new, but it is nice to see others on the same path as us,  (I’m starting to think there is a conference in the difference between Complex Projects/Megaprojects)

        2 Alan Stretton is always worth reading.  Although he does prove the PMI is still not getting it.

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        Ian Mack
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          @ian-mack
          Post count: 118
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          Thanks to Collin and to Davin for forwarding this. I look forward to others chiming in, but my initial response is one I have voiced before. Most of these subjects are well covered on their own right and applicable to most organisations and activities such that the uniqueness of these topics in a complex project environment is not immediately obvious to me. However, it would be essential to define the differences to add any value to ICCPM? I also think that the linkages of some of these to the other words in some strings could benefit from a few more words of explanation (e.g. project and organisational strategies). Just my two cents, I look forward to further discussing at our next session, along with what Davin offered in the previous post in terms of behavioural challenges such as worldviews – Ian

          Davin Shellshear
          SIG Chair
            @davin-shellshear
            Post count: 161
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            Hi Group B

            Colin Smith has offered some thoughts about the work of Group B and possible future topics:

            The group has really added value to ICCPM and its stakeholder community and I sincerely appreciate the work that has been done and hope that you will continue.

            If you are looking for a topic we may be able to point you in a direction.    I am on a Program Advisory Panel for Sydney University’s John Grill Institute for Project Leadership and I attended a meeting this morning in which they ran a poll to rank the importance of various areas of interest in PM.

            See the list of topics attached.  Perhaps something in this list might attract the interest of the SIG working group?

            Regards

            Collin Smith

            Managing Director and CEO

            ICCPM has also completed the second report – Considerations for Achieving Complex Project Delivery 2022 – which will now be released to ICCPM members

            Cheers

            Davin

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            Ian Mack
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              @ian-mack
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              Hi Davin and thanks for these. I can see this entire and structured behavioural analysis as a facet that I have omitted from my thinking and practice in the past. It can be applicable to all stakeholders with interest and influence, perhaps with a particular focus on the three tiers of governance. It is clearly an enabler to alignment which begets collaboration. I am left wondering whether it should be a separate element in the definition of complex project success factors, or is it a sub-element of what we already have in the last paper.

              I also think I noted a contradiction between the two papers. The Management Drives paper I believe suggests that there is little one can do to mitigate behavioural conflicts within teams based on worldviews, whereas the Collaborative Management Institute suggests that such issues can be mitigated away or to some extent. Interesting, and I guess “it depends”. But I guess  the key is having access to someone trained to do the analysis such as yourself and others – and getting the way-too-busy-or-cranky seniors to submit to being so assessed.

              Perhaps we can explore this further in the next Working Group session further – Ian

              Davin Shellshear
              SIG Chair
                @davin-shellshear
                Post count: 161
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                Hi Group B

                I have forwarded our latest paper to Colin for processing by ICCPM.

                In our last meeting, we ranged across matters to do with people, complexity and projects, so I said I would lob a couple of papers on the forum related to the work I do in this space. My apologies if they sound somewhat like marketing blurb – I guess they are.

                Anyway, for you interest or not, see attached.

                Cheers

                Davin Shellshear

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                Ian Mack
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                  @ian-mack
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                  Hi Rob and thanks for this one. One could almost say that this project is worse in its execution than the City of Ottawa’s Phase One LRT project, but then it is done by two different authors . (As an update to the Ottawa LRT, a recent quote from the City: “Over the next 25 years, Ottawa city staff say the city can expect $3.7 billion less in local transportation system fares, with post-pandemic hybrid work and the challenged LTR (Phase One unreliability and Phase Two now 20% over budget, one year late and yet to be completed) — or $100 million per year in net present value. As a result, building the final planned extension to Ottawa’s troubled light-rail transit system is no longer an affordable option, at least for the next 25 years [had been targeted for commissioning in 2031].” This is a rather sobering indictment, but what can happen as the Business Case changes while the project is in train and well advanced.

                  One notes all the usual culprits in the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry report, but I thought that the recommendations left a lot to be desired from a complexity perspective (then again, I am not a Scot).

                  I have included my ‘take’ on the lessons that arose from my personal data mining and reflection, for you and for anyone interested. Comments  are welcome.

                  Rob – I have yet to tackle the 50-page book you have suggested, but I may get to it in time.   Ian

                   

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                  Robert McMartin
                  SIG Chair
                    @rmcmartin
                    Post count: 41
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                    Another document for the reading list.
                    <h1 id=”RANDTitleHeadingId”>Analytic Architecture for Capabilities-Based Planning, Mission-System Analysis, and Transformation</h1>

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                    Robert McMartin
                    SIG Chair
                      @rmcmartin
                      Post count: 41
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                      Tried to post this a few times, so I will just post the link.

                      The Inquiry Report – The Edinburgh Tram Inquiry

                      Another day, another rail report.

                      Davin Shellshear
                      SIG Chair
                        @davin-shellshear
                        Post count: 161
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                        Hi All

                        I am, very much in agreement with Ian in this.

                        There is a wide scale in entrepreneurship, at one end someone who has good ideas and sets strategy and goals to make it happen. These people can be really great at introducing practical change and improvement in aspects of the work of  project (or an organisation). At the other end, it can morph into narcissistic people who verge on sociopathic behaviour and are the last people you want near a project. The difference is chalk and cheese.

                        I believe when we talk about entrepreneurs and projects, we need to be very clear about the context and what we are hoping to achieve through entrepreneurial behaviours. Horses for courses. No one size fits all.

                        I hold very similar views to Ian about dear Mr Musk and would run for dear life before being involved in any undertaking that included him. That’s just my bias.

                        The topic of entrepreneurial behaviours or any other types of behaviour, and their relevance to the success or otherwise of a project is the area I have been playing in for the last 15 years. It links through to understanding behavioural risk in projects emanating from the leadership and management teams.

                        A facinating area to play in.

                        Cheers

                        Davin

                        Ian Mack
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                          @ian-mack
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                          Thanks for the reference Rob. Without doubt, I can support the presence of a valued entrepreneur as a member of the project execution team, as I am sure most can. Just as with the presence of a project team’s challenge/dissenting master, an entrepreneur can be invaluable – in many ways, their logic has common ground. However, my sense is that many entrepreneurs need a degree of structure and support to deliver start-ups successfully.

                          That said, as a case study supporting entrepreneurship as a desirable attribute for governance and/or execution of complex (and thus high risk) endeavours, I do not find Elon Musk to be the best poster-child. It is his money or financial liability at risk; as a result of these finances, he seems better able to ignore governance and rule sets, and to generally have little regard for dissenting stakeholders; he certainly does not seem to be a fan of servant leadership (rather, he appears to be a highly infectious severe stress carrier); I have trouble seeing him as a team player; and while his personality likely does not accept personal failure, he IS able to weather failures if/as they occur. This is very much like autocratic and authoritarian dictatorship to me, as written.  And as one seriously biased by my decade within Canada’s government advancing weapon system platform projects, I doubt most democratic governments or western corporate governance would embrace the arguments put forward.

                          For me, the question then becomes how large and traditional western organisations can embrace a degree of entrepreneurial talent – how to attract and keep such talent, how to harness their insights, what guard rails and constraints need to be included and where in project enterprises would they be best positioned to maximise their positive benefits (e.g. in large organisations as the CPO, in complex project ecosystems, as project sponsors, in project execution teams).

                          Perhaps you have delivered a subject worth exploring in the working group at a meeting or two, if not as a new area for full exploration. I think most organisations could easily accept an entrepreneurial element in complex project enterprises, IF they can be convinced that there is some set of guard rails that can be put in place in a manner that safeguards the project outcomes while delivering a return on the investment ,and without stifling the potential benefits or driving  entrepreneurs to bail.       Ian

                          Robert McMartin
                          SIG Chair
                            @rmcmartin
                            Post count: 41
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                            Please find attached an interesting read with regards the use entrepreneurship within projectification of society.

                            In reading the way that Musk approached the delivery of the project is very much in line with Ian Mack’s rules on Governance of a Compex Project.

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                            Ian Mack
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                              @ian-mack
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                              Thanks Davin and Rob. I would offer three points: based on what I can see, we have lost the red print so people can no longer see the most recent major additions; Rob, I have no idea where you introduced changes, but that’s okay (all graciously accepted); and I will assume that going forward, we base any further work on the paper on Rob’s updated copy. The corollary for all those attending the next meeting is to read Rob’s version and be prepared to comment on it. Hope to see you all on 7 September (AEST).

                              Ian

                              Robert McMartin
                              SIG Chair
                                @rmcmartin
                                Post count: 41
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                                Thank you Davin and Ian,

                                Please find attached my update.  Mostly formatting and clarification on a few points

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                                Davin Shellshear
                                SIG Chair
                                  @davin-shellshear
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                                  Thank you Ian for you work to update the paper.

                                  I have done a draft formatting, hoping it helps. I suspect some of the headings I have chosen (at random) could be improved, and the formatting in general may need some tweaks. Nevertheless, process started.

                                  Cheers

                                  Davin

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