Project size and effectiveness - Essay Example

Project Size and Effectiveness Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, methods, and experience to achieve the set goals of a given project (Kerzner, 2013). The level of skills required to succeed depends on the scope, availability of resources and goals of the projects. It is a fact that sometimes projects fail and sometimes they succeed. The failure of projects can be attributed to many reasons. The common factors that can lead to project failure are size, resources, skills, methods, and experience.

However, it should be noted that project size is not the only indicator that a project is going to fail. The failure of a project is never affected by a single factor but a blend of factors that cripple the whole project. The statement “the larger the project is, the easier it fails. Nothing can change this trend” contains traces of truth in it. The last part of the statement is very wrong; the pattern can be broken by effective management principles and skilled personnel. It is a fact that bigger projects come with many responsibilities and tasks that should be effectively managed to succeed (Nicholas & Steyn, 2012).

It demands collaboration, planning and control to make sure all team members are working towards the achievement of the project goals. Therefore, if an inexperienced project manager is given a chance to leader a big project the chances of failure increase significantly. Handling smaller projects can be relatively easy because very few people and activities are involved. Therefore, managing people and tasks is relatively easy. Regardless, it is very hard to find a project that cites the only reason for failure as its enormous size.

Projects fail due to poor governance, poor implementation, lack of focus, and environmental changes. Poor governance is characterized by the provision of project sponsor who cannot inspire project members to work hard. The absence of passion and extensive knowledge on the project only serve to discourage other people (Nicholas & Steyn, 2012). The practical implementation of a project provides a positive start for the project, which is likely to lead to a definite finish. The lack of focus breeds complacency, which can certainly lead to project failure.

It is very hard to keep the large teams that come with large projects motivated. A project manager can find it challenging to keep all project team members focused on achieving organizational goals and objectives. It is a fact that a project manager has to delegate duties when dealing with a massive project. As a result, direct contact with workers is eliminated, which affects the ability of the manager to motivate project members. The application of efficient management practices can still lead to success in big projects.

In conclusion, project failure is influenced by a combination of factors. It is true that the size of a project affects the quality of governance, collaboration, control and planning, which might lead to failure if not properly done. However, the same project can succeed if the professionals with right experience and skills are given the position of project managers. Based on the analysis of all the factors, size increases the risk of failure because of increased difficulty in governance, resource allocation, management and motivation.

Size is a major issue because it touches on all aspects of a project. It is imperative to note that the trend can change, and there is no guaranteed failure.ReferencesKerzner, H., 2013. Project Management: A Systems Approach to Planning, Scheduling, and Controlling. 11th ed. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley & Sons.Nicholas, J. M. & Steyn, H., 2012. Project Management for Engineering, Business, and Technology. 4th ed. New York: Routledge.