Download Project Logic and Management

APPLIED
SUSTAINABILITY
CLASS 9: PROJECT LOGIC &
STRATEGY
P. Brian Fisher
POLS 319
Spr 2013
STRATEGIC PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
Part II
STRATEGIC PROJECT MANAGEMENT GOALS
 Convert any problem, idea, opportunity into clear objectives and
action plans
 Sharpen the logic of your strategy to align project with larger
organizational goals
 Communicate strategy effectively and concisely to build a “shared
understanding”
 Uncover (and deal in advance) any potential pitfalls
 Organize teams that can serve cross -functionally
 Improve collaboration: working relationships, reduce conflict, to
facilitate overcoming obstacles
 Increase performance, productivity (and profits)
 FISHER: goal is effectiveness and productivity (profits should be an
OUTCOME, not a goal of this process)
STRATEGIC IN MANAGEMENT
 70% of all strategies FAIL (For tune Magazine)
 NASA Rule #15 : “A review of most failed project problems indicates
that the disasters were well -planned to happen from the star t. The
seeds of problems are laid down early. Initial planning is the most vital
par t of a project.”
 Remer’s Rule of 10: Costs ~10 times more to FIX the problem at each
later stage of a project.
 E.g. costs $10k to fix a problem in planning stage, it will be $100k at the design
stage, and $1m at the implementation stage
 So, strategy is essential to good project mgmt, of which planning is the
most impor tant par t.
 Fast-moving environments (hyperconnected) require 21 st Century
approaches  Must be “strategic” in addition to trad’l project
mgmt
 Strategic PM is building life -long skills
 Strategic Planning is essential, as seeds of success are planted
early (and so is failure)
 Turning strategic intent into well -designed, actionable projects is
a potent competitive advantage
STRONG PROJECT BACKBONE
 “All great solutions begin by asking the right Qs”
 Critical Strategic Questions (to focus on solutions tied to big
picture)
 Based on IF-Then logic (cause-effect) to form strategic hypothesis
 Hypothesis from IF-Then logic forces systematic thought and builds a
shared understanding
 4 Stages
 Inputs  Outcomes  Purpose  Goal (see examples pp. 32-36)
 In more complex environments, use “Objective Trees” to clarify
logical relationships
LOGIC
Part III
LOGICAL FRAMEWORK
 “Strategy is all about managing webs of relationships”
 So, need to know the objective, but also relationships/connecti ons that
suppor t that objective
 E.g. improve child mortality in Africa  focus on nutritional education  but also
requires access to clean water & sanitation
 Systems Thinking  ever y project is par t of a larger system  we must
under stand how that larger system af fects our ef for t
 Strategic Planning  begin with end objectives, scan/assess the
environment, and systematically work backward to develop strategy
 Management by Objectives  objs exist at multiple levels  all need clear
measures of success for meaning  e.g. success measures for goal, purpose,
and outcomes
KEY POINTS
1.
Think about the problem you are tr ying to solve  think about the
ROOT problems as well as more super ficial problems
2.
Create clear, concise objectives from that problem(s)
3.
For each objective, establish Outcomes, purpose and goal
4.
Establish valid measures for all objectives  purpose are most
impor tant that’s the bullseye (use QQT: quality, quantity, and time)
5.
Establish your necessar y inputs  examine time, people, and assets
 make a responsibility char t with “action” flowchar t
LogFrame Approach to Projects
Objectives
Goal: Big Picture objective to
which project purpose
contributes 
Purpose
 Change expected from
producing outcomes
 Motivation for project
Outcomes
 Specific results expected
from team
 what good managers can
make happen
Inputs: activities and
responsibilities needed to
produce outcomes
Success
Measures
Measures of goal
achievement (time,
quantity, quality)
Success conditions
expected at end of project
(time, quantity, quality)
Verification
Data sources to monitor and
verify goal
Data sources to monitor and
verify purpose
Description of completed
outcomes (time, quantity,
quality)
Data sources to monitor and
verify outcomes
Resource budget and
Schedule
Data sources to monitor and
verify inputs
Assumptions
External conditions needed
to reach goal and beyond
External conditions needed
to achieve purpose
External conditions needed
to achieve outcomes
External conditions needed
to obtain and manage inputs
LogFrame Approach to Projects
Objectives
Goal: Big Picture objective
to which project purpose
contributes  “Creating a culture
of sustainability at CofC”
Purpose
 Change expected from
producing outcomes
 Motivation for project
Outcomes
 Specific results expected
from team
 what good managers can
make happen
Inputs: activities and
responsibilities needed to
produce outcomes
Success
Measures
Measures of goal
achievement (time,
quantity, quality)
Success conditions
expected at end of
project (time, quantity,
quality)
Verification
Data sources to monitor
and verify goal
Data sources to monitor
and verify purpose
Description of
completed outcomes
(time, quantity, quality)
Data sources to monitor
and verify outcomes
Resource budget and
Schedule
Data sources to monitor
and verify inputs
Assumptions
External conditions needed
to reach goal and beyond
External conditions needed
to achieve purpose
External conditions needed
to achieve outcomes
External conditions needed
to obtain and manage
inputs
CONTRIBUTING TO SHARED VISION
 GOAL: Big picture context  overarching, strategic
objective/vision/mission that projects contribute
 PURPOSE: Impact (or ef fects) from the project or expected
change in system behavior
 NOTE: to differentiate Purpose from Goal, apply If -Then test
 OUTCOMES: commitments to achieve purpose  describe the
specific end results or deliverables
OUTCOMES: How have these
Evaluation
elements Δ (i.e. what was achieved)
Group Learning: you & your
group
Community Learning: your
intended audience
Evaluate: skills,
knowledge, thinking, and
attitudes
Project Results: Direct
results of the project
Evaluate: tangible
measures of project
achievement
Collaboration: partners in
generating project
Evaluate: level of
collaboration
Success
Measures
Verification
Goal
Objective(s)
Purpose
Shared
Outcomes:
- Group Learning
- Community Learning
- Project Results
- Collaboration
Inputs
Vision
Objectives Tree Linking Projects to Vision
Project A1
Purpose A
Project B1
Project B2
Goal 1
Purpose B
Shared
Vision
Project B3
Project C1
Purpose C
Project C2
Goal 2
SAMPLE: 8 CORE STRATEGIES
 Conduct of Ops
 Team Networking
 Continuous Process Involvement (improving team processes
and services)
 Marketing
 Feedback
 Education (of constituency)
 Data Accuracy
 Employee Development