PROJECT AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT

Every project or program has four basic dimensions:

• Its inherent size, usually measured in terms of value;
• The degree of technical difficulty in creating the output;
• The complexity of the relationships (“small p” politics) with the stakeholders; and
• The degree of uncertainty involved in the work.

The difference between how complicated the work is and its complexity is that managing complicated work (i.e., work with a high level of technical difficulty) is achievable by implementing appropriate systems such as quality management and configuration management. The consequences of technical difficulty are definable, predictable, and manageable with the right people. The essence of complexity, on the other hand, is that the future is inherently unpredictable and the reactions of people to each other within the project or program’s network of relationships are nonlinear. The responses/reactions of stakeholders to the work and the consequences of any interaction or communication are not predictable on a linear scale.