Foreword

Situational Project Management (SitPM) is a new concept recently introduced into the project management body of knowledge. Little has been written about SitPM, but what has been is fragmented, and a clear definition is yet to be put forth. Some have aligned SitPM to the Situational Leadership Model of Ken Blanchard, probably because of similar terminology; while others, such as myself, believe that it goes much deeper into process than it does into behavioral relationships. Its name is suggestive of project management approaches that are somehow adjusted to or accommodated to align with the nuances and changes in project situations. I have been advocating and writing about such adaptive approaches for nearly 20 years and offer a holistic definition of SitPM from the perspective of my own client experiences. I have felt like one crying in the wilderness until Oliver’s book came to my attention.

This definition provides a broadly based statement of what constitutes the SitPM Framework and a foundation on which to further develop the processes and practices of SitPM. There is much to be done, but we have a good start on that journey with this book.

The SitPM Framework can be envisioned using a graphic such as the one suggested in Figure a.

On a factor scale, 5 represents a highly complex and uncertain level of that factor. So, for this example, Enterprise and Team factor scores are high and require special attention as the specific SitPM Framework “recipe” for this project is crafted. Project, Enterprise, and Market are discussed in the ECPM Framework book cited at the end of this Foreword. Adding Team and its interaction with Project, Enterprise, and Market completes the SitPM Framework.

It would be a mistake to think that the SitPM Framework presents a Do-It-Yourself management approach. That would be courting chaos. Rather, to be effective, a SitPM recipe must be constrained within a portfolio of tools, templates, and processes. These must be vetted and designed for use specific to the culture and practices of each enterprise. Guidelines may be issued for their appropriate use. Deviations from those guidelines can often require validation by the project manager. Such a project management culture offers a controlled flexibility on the part of the project team and preserves the creativity needed by the project team to succeed in complex project management.

The situation with SitPM is complex and ever changing and does not follow predefined recipes. To be successful, project managers must be thinking project managers. This is not a casual statement. It points out a distinct change in what an effective project manager must be prepared to deliver. I use a cook/chef metaphor. There was a time when project managers were expected to follow a defined recipe—they must be a cook and use recipes developed by others and approved by their management. Those days are gone. Today’s complex and uncertain project landscape requires a project manager to be creative and craft the best fit approach to the management of a project—they must be a chef and able to create their own recipes on a project-by-project basis. Flexibility and creativity are essential to deliver project success.

The portfolio mentioned above defines the “pantry” from which the project team creates the “recipe” it will use to manage its project. But as the definition states, that recipe can change due to the dynamic nature of the project and its internal and external environments. The SitPM Framework looks more like art than science, and that is as it should be in order to succeed in the complex project landscape.

To effectively integrate the SitPM Framework into the complex project landscape presents several pre-conditions for the enterprise. I have my own thoughts on this, as will anyone else you might ask. Here are mine, and then I will share how Oliver’s version aligns with them.

• Establishing a Supportive Infrastructure. This must be primarily supportive but also include compliance and review functions.

• Defining the Project Manager Position Family. Project managers must manage projects incorporating meaningful client involvement.

• Designing the Training of Project Managers. The focus should be decision making and problem solving rather than rigid processes.

• Creating the Certification of Project Managers. Competency-based certification is required at more senior project manager levels.

• Designing the Change Management Process. A lean change process is central to efficient and effective solution discovery.

• Implementing Strategic Portfolio Management. The complex landscape needs maximum flexibility for effective resource management.

All six of these challenges bring new processes and practices to the complex project management environment. Many challenges will involve journeys into the unknown and require their own Agile project in order to converge on effective solutions that deliver expected business value.

1. Establishing a Supportive Infrastructure. The Project Management Office (PMO) has been the mainstay, but it tends to be more standards and compliance based. It struggles to be a meaningful partner. The PMO will not be effective as a support infrastructure for a SitPM Framework. Instead, a Project Support Office (PSO) should be established. Although it still has a role similar to the PMO, its major focus is support and flexibility, not standards and compliance.

2. Defining the Project Manager Position Family. The project manager’s role and responsibility extends to both the process that creates the product or service and the product or service delivered. To that extent, the project manager is a multidisciplinary position that should include the five disciplines shown in Figure b.

3. Designing the Training of Project Managers. Having the skills necessary to detect, analyze, and solve challenging problems is essential. The vetted portfolio should be rich with tools, templates, and processes to assist the project team with these activities. This is a long-term effort, as is the training to support it. The training support should be mostly short-term courses of one day or less. Both instructor-led and online versions should be available.

4. Creating the Certification of Project Managers. One who is certified as a SitPM project manager must possess not only the process knowledge but also the competency to perform the processes. Knowledge-based certification programs are appropriate only at the lower skill levels. The IPMA Levels D, C, B, and A are the certification programs closest to what the SitPM Framework will need. It has both knowledge-based and competency-based components.

   

   Figure b SitPM Project Manager Position Family

5. Designing the Change Management Process. An open change process must be an integral part of the SitPM Framework because change is the lifeblood of every complex project’s search for an acceptable business solution. The major issue is to make solid business decisions regarding the integration of changes into solution development. The changes must not be instituted casually but rather as the result of due diligence and the overall view of the solution direction. The ECPM Framework bundled change management process is shown in Figure c.

6. Implementing Strategic Portfolio Management. The SitPM Framework has a definite role to play in the execution of the strategic plan of the enterprise. We think of that role as an enabler role, but it will go beyond that into a strategy formulation role as well. This is new and yet to be developed.