Project Systems and Methods - Essay Example

ORDER PROJECT SYSTEMS AND METHODS Present a critical review of PRINCE 2 methodology and discuss its application to projects. Compare it with other methodologies such as PMBoK and DSDM. PRINCE or "Projects in Controlled Environments" 2 is an application software product of Central Computers and Telecommunication for managing projects. It was developed about a decade ago. PRINCE 2 is an updated version of the original PRINCE put on the market in the 1980s. Several sources (Wikipedia, 20006 and Office of Government Commerce, 2005) have given accounts of the underlying factors that prompted the development of this software. Notable among them was the fact that computer projects in the public sector at that time suffered a remarkably high failure rates. PRINCE has been able to stem this tide of failure, principally through the introduction of structures and standards that have gained wide acceptance. It has also become one of the icons of best practices in project management in the information technology sector, especially in Europe. The PRINCE 2 methodology has a project cycle made up of five distinct phases. These include (i) project definition and organization (ii) planning (iii) control (iv) risk management and (v) change management. The project definition and organization phase delineates roles required to get the identified problem(s) addressed. It also seeks during this phase to identify requisite personnel that can best fulfill the roles identified. The mechanism and processes for carrying out these roles or functions are also stipulated. Issues pertaining to ownership of outcomes that can possibly affect project completion are also sorted out. A major drawback of this phase and the entire methodology for that matter, is that enough room is not given for problem identification and deliberation. It sets out to identify roles for people before the actual problems and the solutions devised for them are tested on a pilot basis. A major deficiency of this kind often spills unto successive phases of the project. The planning phase designs the project after taking technical considerations into account. What is developed at this stage is carried out on a pilot basis to enable the strengths and weaknesses associated with it to be identified. The feedback received is used in fine-tuning the document and in developing technical and resource plans for the project. It is important to point out here that what may have been considered a problem initially , which necessitated the development of the project, may differ remarkably from what may emerge from the pilot stage. If at this stage roles have already been identified and personnel assigned, it is quite clear that they may not be suitable for the roles assigned them. The control phase considers the procedures and processes for instituting effective control of the project. It defines control and decision points and the means for achieving them. It therefore outlines how and when project team meetings and reporting times should be done. The last two phases, namely risk and change management assess the potential sources of risk and how they could be mitigated. It also looks at what can possibly prevent the project from realizing its goals and maps out measures for addressing them. Pacelli (2004) has identified risk and issue management as an important but often easily overlooked aspect of successful project management. As a technique for managing projects, PRINCE 2 scores high marks for its implementation phase, as its sets out detailed processes and procedures for ensuring project success. Other merits associated with the methodology can be summarized as follows:- * It encourages the use of a common vocabulary, procedures, processes and documentation. This results in standardized projects when the PRINCE 2 software is used. * Its standards have wide acceptance in the information technology industry, especially in Europe. *It encourages the application of Jo Owen ( 2002)'s concept of 'Management by walking away". This approach gives project personnel ample room to operate and create. *It provides templates for producing easy-to understand project reports. *The software can easily be customized to specific needs of a project or an organization. As with any product, PRINCE 2 has its own demerits. Critiques of the software often point to the fact that it provides only structural framework technically for implementing projects and is silent on softer skills needed for project management. Unlike Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBoK) which insists that practitioners acquire certain managerial functional skills in addition to the core project management processes, PRINCE 2 makes no such demands. However, it is known in practice that often the softer skills are what are much needed for project success. This is especially the case in projects which require a great deal of interaction and collaboration with stakeholders. The need for softer skills also grows as one climbs higher the institutional or project ladder. It may suffice for a lowly ranked staff to get by on the strength of only the technical skills acquired from PRIINCE 2. However, the same cannot be said of managerial staff at the higher levels. Another limitation of the software is the greater emphasis it places on document production to facilitate effective control. Whilst, this practice can be useful for project monitoring and evaluation, it can be a rote activity with no particular focus on results. Present trends de-emphasize the use of paper, so if paper versions of these documents are produced, it may not be consistent with present trends in some institutions. If PRINCE 2 is to be useful, then it is imperative that documents produced are also implemented. Otherwise, it may end up with finely produced documents which do not reflect actual outcomes. PRINCE 2 is not easy to use for some people (p2msp, 2006). This is amply shown in the number of softwares that have been developed solely to make the PRINCE 2 user-friendly. Examples of these softwares are principal toolbox and p2msp (Fortes Solution BV, 2006 and p2msp, 2006 ). An application software such as PRINCE 2 should by itself help users to apply it effortlessly in solving their problems. If it needs additional software to achieve this primary purpose, then it has failed in its primary function. Whilst promotional gimmicks cannot be discounted, the vendor of principal toolbox, for example, claims that its software" makes the professional PRINCE 2 project management easier than ever." I t has been stated earlier on that PRINCE 2 lends itself to customization and standardization. While this attribute is beneficial, it can also pose difficulties in some project situations. For example, some of the requirements of project implementation and their attendant workload can not be easily met by small projects with inadequate financial outlays. Under such circumstances, practitioners that are not pragmatic but choose to go by the books may face serious implementation problems. There is also the problem where project practitioners are only PRINCE 2 adherent in name. The may have purchased the software alright or even received the needed training but do not put into practice the requirements of the software. This is often a human problem, not directly linked to the software itself. Like the PRINCE 2, Project Management Body of Knowledge or PMBoK for short is another project management software in use. It was developed by the Project Management Institute (PMI) in the USA about the same period as the PRINCE. PMBoK is to North America what the PRINCE has become to the UK or Europe. However, the former is more popular and has wider usage worldwide. In the words of Fahrenkrog (2004), PMBoK has become the 'defacto global standard for project management '. Like the PRINCE, the original PMBoK has seen major revisions in recent times. PMBoK is a standard reference material for project management practitioners and academicians alike. It offers to its users delineated roles and processes needed to facilitate successful project management. PMBoK uses a four phase project management model compared to PRINCE 2's five phases. These are (i) formulation of objectives (ii) planning (iii) organization and (iv) follow up. As earlier mentioned, it also requires its practitioners to acquire eight managerial functions (Stretton, 1989). This additional requirement should help its adherents develop softer skills in project management. Unlike the PRINCE, PMBoK faces a major limitation for its lack of consistency in terminology usage. PMBOK Guide addresses project management issues from the perspective of a single project (Youker and Stacy, 2004). However, current trends, especially with donor funding in the public sector is towards amalgamation of projects into a programme that addresses multi-sectoral issues. Programme funding is therefore given preference over that of a discrete project. Multi-cultural working is also gaining ascendancy in recent years. These new developments are not addressed by the guide in management terms. PMBoK has also been criticized for it failure to deal adequately with the concept of critical chain in its guidelines (Globerson, 2000 and wikipedia, 2006). The critical chain as a concept was introduced by Eliyahu Goldratt in the 1990s and has since gained grounds in project management circles. This concept in project management purports that among the set of alternatives for accomplishing a set goal at any given period, there is a route which is more cost-effective in terms of resource usage. This route is the determining factor in whether the project proceeds as scheduled. Globerson (2000) has advocated for incorporation of this concept in the PMBoK knowledge area of project time management to address the management of slack time. It would appear from the body of literature gathered that this deficiency is being addressed. Generally, some practitioners find the PMBOK guide in its present form very voluminous and have advocated for further revision (Youker and Stacy, 2004). The Dynamic System Development Method (DSDM) is a framework tool for developing information systems iteratively and incrementally. It has its major application in the software development sector. Like the PRINCE and PMBoK, it has witnessed major revisions since the original product was first launched in 1995. Also, as the PRINCE 2, it emerged from the information technology sector. Whereas, DSDM is solely for the information technology sector, PRINCE 2 can be applied in other sectors as well. PMBOK, on the other hand can be applied in all industries. It however does not provide templates for information system development. DSDM has three major phases. These are (i) the pre-project (ii) project and (iii) post-project phases. The pre-project phase is essentially for project identification, securing of project funding and commitment. It can be likened to PRINCE2's project identification and organization phase. The project phase, on the other hand, has five distinct components. These are (i) the feasibility study component (ii business study component (iii) functional model component (iv) design and build iteration component and (v) the implementation component. This phase is similar to PRINCE 2's planning, control, risk and change management phases. The feasibility study component considers whether the project merits the use of the methodology in the first place and also whether business needs can be best satisfied by in the forma that the project has been designed. This phase often culminates in the organization of a workshop, where issues that have cropped up are deliberated upon. A report that summarizes findings from this endeavour is written. The business study component builds on whatever was achieved during the previous component. The feasibility report is fine-tuned with the help of stakeholders. Active encouragement is given especially to user groups for them to provide inputs. These inputs are prioritized and a plan developed to guide project implementation. User needs previously identified become the building blocks for the functional model component. During this phase of the cycle, models are developed from which prototypes are built for further review by users. The design and iteration component builds on the prototypes reviewed. The last component, which is for implementation, delivers the tested system together with the guidebooks and other training materials to the users. The post -project phase focuses essentially on creating a highly efficient operating system. Based on user feedbacks, the system is perfected through enhancements and deletions. This last phase of DSDM is not covered by PRINCE 2. Like the PRINCE 2, DSDM has a lot of flexibility built into its usage. However, this degree of flexibility is not the same. DSDM, for example, gives its users ample room to select heir own preferred techniques and software helps during the development process. As a development tool, it is more results-oriented. It gives room for imperfect ways to be used in achieving results, if it is more cost-effective. This review has shown that PRINCE 2 is a useful tool for managing projects. The several advantages it offers to users have been presented. Also, outlined are the demerits associated with the use of the software itself and how it is applied. It can be concluded from this review that PRINCE 2 compares favorably with other the tools such as PMBoK and DSDM. REFERENCES 1. Fahrenkrog, S. (2004) : PMBOK Guide : An overview of the changes. Proceedings of the PMI Global Congress, Project Management Institute, Anaheim, USA. 2. Fortes Solutions BV (2006): Managing PRINCE 2 projects has never been so easy, Retrieved March 7, 2006 from http://www.prinicpaltoolbox.com/en/index.html. 3. Globerson, S. (2000) : PMBOK and the critical chain, Project Management Network : 14(5):63-66. 4. Owen, J. (2002) : Management Stripped Bare -What they don't teach you at business school, Kogan Page, UK. 3. Pacelli, L. (2004) : Tried and true methods in managing project risks and issues. Proceedings of the PMI Global Congress -North America, Project Management Institute, Anaheim, USA. 6. P2msp company (2006): PRINCE 2 can be difficult. Retrieved March 7, 2006 from http://www.p2msp.co.uk/index.html. 7. Stretton, A. (1989) : A consolidation of the PMBOK framework and functional components, Project Management 20:4, 5-13. 8. Youker, R. and Stacy, G. (2004). ProjectExperts aricles, 2004 PMBOK Guide 3rd edition. Retrieved March 8, 2006 from http://www.projectexperts.com/articles 9. Wikipedia (2006): PRINCE 2. Retrieved March 7, 2006 from http://www.answers.com/wikipedia/html. Read More