adv pm conf amsterdam_oct14_dnantoniadis_reporting_complexity

Reporting and Complexity: Are there links between the two?

Dr D. N. Antoniadis

Head of Programme Management Office

UK Power Networks

5th Conference in the Project Management Series: Advanced Project Management for the Utility and Power Generation

IndustryManaging Opportunities and Leading Projects for High Performance

15th – 17th October 2014, Amsterdam, Netherlands

The speaker

5th Conference in the Project Management Series: Advanced Project Management for the Utility and Power Generation Industry


Dimitris N. AntoniadisCurrently working for:

- UK Power Networks as Head of Programme Management Office, and

- Lecturer at the University of West London on Project Management

25 years experience in Programme and Project Management worked for a number of organisations and in various roles:

BAA, Thames Water, Balfour Beatty, Brown & Root, T&T, Carillion

- PhD in Complexity, MSc in Project Management and BEng Mech Eng.

- Fellow of APM – Thames Valley Branch Committee member

- Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute

What I will talk about?

The issues and how do these occur

The Complexity characteristics

Complexity and Reporting

Addressing the issues

Challenges for the future



Why Reporting?

Einstein said: “The major problem in

communication is the illusion that it has

occurred ”

Einstein also said: “You cannot solve the

problem with the same kind of thinking that

gives rise to the problem”

Why Complexity?



What are the issues with Reporting?Project teams have to deal with intricate problems that involve

interconnections and interactions of structures, systems and

people

How do these issues occur?Reciprocal interdependencies(regulation of the boundaries, filtering, the medium used and the message it self)

No coordination and inappropriate frequency of bi-directional

flow of information - (n2-n) {where n=number of info nodes}

Contractual and procedural requirements

Restricted self-organisation of units

Systems do not minimise / reduce duplication of effort



Looking at the definition of Project Management

Since projects and programmes are defined as a

temporary endeavour in a dynamic environment

project management can be defined as:

The management of transient, dynamic and complex

adaptive systems/agents, so as to deliver the

expected change within certain parameters that are

established by seemingly ordered and stable

environments.(Antoniadis, 2009)



Facts - 1

“Common reasons for project failure, …., Project Managers

were under pressure to hide bad news, questions, and

spend”, (M. Dickson, April 2005 at the Project Challenge).

If the news is not good the output is filtered to such an extent

that is becoming unrecognisable, the interconnection(s)

become frustrated and conflict occurs.

Complexity has prevailed because its characteristics have

not been seriously taken into consideration.



Facts - 2

� The literature on reporting identifies issues involving:

� organisation and/or project structure and roles,

� structure of data,

� corporate requirements,

� contract law and procedural demands,

� people issues,

� software and technology intricacies, and

� information / communication inadequacies.



Complexity characteristics

Classification of characteristics by type:

Conditional

Autonomous Agents, Instability, Non-equilibrium,

Non-linear, Attractors

Developmental

Co-evolution, Self-modification, Downward causation,

Mutability, Non-uniform, Emergence, Phase changes

Behavioural

Unpredictability, Non-standard, Undefined values



Complexity and Reporting - 1

Organisational structure Self-modification, Autonomous agents, Instability

Roles within Organisations and teams

Mutability and Instability

Structure of data Downward causation and Unpredictability

Corporate requirements Phase changes

Procedural and contract law requirements

Unpredictability (sensitivity to initial conditions)

REPORTING ISSUES AFFECTED BY:

Cross referencing reporting issues and complexity characteristics



Complexity and Reporting - 2Cross referencing reporting issues and complexity characteristics

Information & Communication

Attractors, Phase changes and Instability

Other Project characteristics (e.g. size and frequency of reporting)

Unpredictability, Non-standard, Undefined values, non-equilibrium, non-linearity, co-evolution

People issues Co-evolution, Unpredictability and Non-standard

Software and Technology Non-linearity, Attractors and Self-reproduction

REPORTING ISSUES AFFECTED BY:



Challenges for the future - 1

Developmental Complexity

characteristics

Conditional Complexity

characteristics

Behavioural Complexity

characteristics

Reporting

Process




“The observer and the observed cannot be independent. The

act of observing disturbs the system’ Nials Bohr.

� The act of reporting is an observation upon the project

� The reporting disturbs the project resulting in:

� 99% syndrome, or ‘prisoner’s dilemma’, or ‘is not me gov’

� We have to review reporting and develop the processes,

technologies, systems, and behaviours, which will enable

us to move away from the above.

� We need more information about information (Prof. C.Davidson)




� Accept the challenge that ‘Reporting includes

unavoidable ‘noise’’ and look (as is Lockhead

trying to do) to answer the question:

‘How can we develop less aggressive means of

‘looking’’

and reporting is a means of ‘looking’.



Addressing the issues - 1

� Introduce Downward causation, but allow self-modification

� Identify and manage the boundaries

� Introduce dynamic attractors

� Ensure consistency, adjust frequency and density of

communication

� When building standard tools allow for non-uniformity expect

mutability but restrict tool divergence



� Increase co-evolution, but reduce duplication of

effort

� Beware of the texture of reports

� Provide training to all parties (incl. stakeholder)

Addressing the issues - 2

� Finally, reporting is not just a contractual obligation.

It is about the 5 Ts: ‘Trust, Truth, Tolerance,

Thoughtfulness and not going over the Top’.



Contact Details: Dimitris N Antoniadis

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.danton-progm.co.uk

Thank you

Closing

“… to understand the actual we must

contemplate the possible”Dawkins R. (‘The extended phenotype’ p.2)



adv pm conf amsterdam_oct14_dnantoniadis_reporting_complexity

Documents

project management series

advanced project management

management of transient

project failure

project managers

project teams

chartered management

power generation industry