Project Implementation

Management for Success

Focus of Project Management

· managing for results, · ensuring sustainability, · stakeholder participation, · organisational learning, and · reporting.

From CIDA’s SAITA project documents

What has to be Managed?

• project, or programme scope;• timeframes and scheduling of events;• financial resources, costs, recording, reporting;• human resources, selection, training;• quality of products and performance;• communication systems and contacts;• contracts, contents and conditions;• supplies, requisition, storage, use;• risks: financial, physical, political.

Accountability Structure

Manager must have a clear understanding of his/her accountability to:

• client, and client team;• in some cases, client advisor;• financiers;• operational, or component managers;• experts, and sub-contractors;• other interested & affected parties;• if a consultant, his/her own company.

A typical organisational framework

Financingagency

Client(Gov't)

Consultantteam

Clientteam

DirectBeneficiaries

Other interested &affected parties

A Question of Loyalties

Manager must be able to balance loyalties, without conflict, between:

• Client;• Financier/sponsor;• His/her own employer (if a consultant);• His team membersand in some cases...• His/her own set of ethics.

The heart of the Manager’s Functions: Listen & Communicate!

• Listen to client & stakeholders;• Communicate with financier & client through

regular contact, periodic reports;• Communicate with executing team members;• Use all available & appropriate media, including

the graphic tools mentioned in this presentation;

• Maintain transparency & accountability.

Pitfalls in Execution• manager has responsibility but no authority -

inappropriate implementation agency design;• steering & reporting systems fail, performance

measurement system fails;• co-ordination & co-operation fail;• key participants withdraw;• pre-conditions not met, no mitigation plans in place;• uncontrolled changes in time, budget, operational

plans;• Additional pitfalls….?

Summary list of why projects fail• inexperienced staff in key positions;• irregular schedules;• inexperienced managers;• inconsistent, unclear objectives;• unstructured work assignments;• lack of performance indicators, monitoring

and evaluation;• failure to learn from experience.

Adapted from “Direction Newsletter.” www.smartbiz.com

And why projects succeed

• experienced staff in key posts;• clear and regular schedules;• experienced managers;• stable and clear objectives;• structured, organised work assignments;• clear performance indicators, regular

monitoring;• learning from experience

Adapted from “Direction Newsletter.” www.smartbiz.com

If You Use Consultants & Contractors

View them as:• Partners, not combatants, with operational

opportunities/constraints unlike your own;• Extension of pool of skills;• Extension of pool of machines and

equipment.