Management

roject Management: The Managerial Process, 7th Edition, Larson and Gray, Chapters 1, 2 and 3
2. Information Technology Project Management, 9th Edition, Schwalbe, Chapters 3 and 4

Project Management Structures and Project Integration Management are one of the most important project management knowledge area, since it integrates all other areas of project management.

Assignment 2: Project Management Structures and Project Integration Management – reflective analysis

Due: 5/30/2021

Please review and answer to all questions in one to two page (1.5 line spaced) per questions:
1.There are several ways to define the success of a project. The chapters also outlined a few popular criteria for measuring the success of a project. Search popular PM publications to find credible statistics on how many projects succeed and fail in general (the statistics could be industry specific). In a report, provide at least eight reasons that cause projects to fail. Offer a brief summary on how to avoid some of the pitfalls you have described in your report.

2.Having read first three-four chapters from the texts, you know that the project management process is very detailed and involving. All the different responsibilities and required outputs can certainly overwhelm any project manager and/or project management team. What do you see as some of the issues project managers may run into while trying to adhere to the requirements of project management processes in complex organizational structures that have stakeholders with varying demands? What advice would you give project managers who find themselves in challenging positions when managing complex projects while at the same time trying to satisfy the requirements and demands of various stakeholders?

There are a total of 30 points for Written Assignment 2.
Grading rubrics for this assignment:

Criterion
Points
Quality, Creativity and Depth of Analysis and Proposed Solution. 24

Quality of Presentation
Completeness
Organization
Clear and concise writing
Proper referencing (internal and external)*
Grammatical/typographical errors
Appropriate length
Effective presentation of information
Timeliness of submission
6
* You have to use chapter references and it is highly recommended to explore and site minimum two external references to support your analysis.

ANSWER

Reasons for Project Failure and How to Avoid Them

Many projects fail to live up to their expectations, while others fail before they even commence. A project is termed as having failed when it does not meet its goals, vision, and mission. All projects are prone to fail; therefore, before commencing on one, a project manager and his team must consider the possible risks resulting in its failure. Consequently, how the manager and his team handle the possible risks determines whether the project will succeed or fail. This article analyzes the reasons that cause projects to fail and how one can avoid or deal with them. Additionally, the article evaluates challenges that project managers run into while trying to meet the requirements of complex project management processes.

Some of the reasons for project failure can easily be avoided and dealt with, while others are unavoidable. Poor leadership is a vital cause for many projects. When challenges arise, leaders opt to step in and provide a way forward, failure to which minor hitches could lead to huge losses. Poor leadership can be solved by having competent, responsible, and experienced personnel in leadership positions (Schwalbe, 2019). Leadership positions such as the managerial post should be occupied by individuals who can work with all persons and provide solutions even when under pressure.

Additionally, poor planning or lack of it is a challenge that most projects fail. It is important to have a clear plan of how the project will be run and clarify who will be in charge of what. Poor planning can be avoided if, before the project commences, the project manager provides a guideline on the project’s activities and the personnel involved (Schwalbe, 2019). Moreover, ineffective engagement withs stakeholders could result to project failure. Therefore, all stakeholders should take part in crucial decision-making to ensure the project’s activities run easily. Further, misallocation of resources from human resources to finances is a great obstacle to the success of many projects. Some project managers overestimate the cost of resources leading to wastage, while others underestimate making it difficult to complete a project. Project managers opt to do a proper analysis of all resources required and consider monitoring and evaluating once in a while to check on the progress.

Communication from the manager to his employees and vice versa is vital. Miscommunication is a reason for the failure of many projects as it leads to shattered objectives and unmet goals. Leadership is often crucial in communication; hence project managers should open communication links to make it easy for workers to express themselves (Larson & Gray, 2020) freely. In addition, failure to uphold teamwork has cost many projects. Individuals working on a project opt to join their effort towards achieving the project’s success; this can only happen if each member feels appreciated. Project managers should ensure that employees work as a team and feel motivated to achieve the project’s vision.

Another reason for project failure has staff members that are inexperienced and lack the required skills for a specific project. Unskilled employees will not know how to solve challenges should they arise. Employers should look out for individuals that have matching professional experience and education to the type of work to avoid disappointment (Schwalbe, 2019). Moreover, poor time management has led to projects failing. A project has a specific timeline within which it should be completed; poor timing could mean that the project takes longer than expected, resulting in more costs. Proper and adequate planning should solve the time management challenge and have a workforce that is working effectively to meet their deadlines.

As project complexity increases, managers face immense challenges trying to adhere to requirements in the project management processes. Among the issues they face are meeting each stakeholder’s requirements (Larson & Gray, 2020). Projects often have different persons involved, all of whom require their needs to be met within a specific time frame. Stakeholder needs often overwhelm and pressure project managers (Montequín et al., 2018). Additionally, project managers require well-skilled team members to achieve complex project goals. Having poor skilled staff results in delays in delivering the set goals and expectations.

The best way for project managers to solve their challenges when facing problems managing complex projects is to have adequate and effective communication with all stakeholders. Communicating effectively with all persons of interest will aid in managing expectations, and each person will know about the project’s progress at every step. Also, managers opt to select their team members with caution, taking into account their experience, skills, and competence. Having a strong, focused team and ensuring everyone fulfills their duty results in the projects’ success.

References

Larson, E. W., & Gray, C. F. (2020). Project Management: The Managerial Process. McGraw    Hill Education.

https://b-ok.africa/book/5770880/c3a600

Montequín, , V. R., Balsera, J. V., Fernández, S. C., & Fernández, , F. O. (2018). Exploring          Project Complexity through Project Failure Factors: Analysis of Cluster Patterns Using     Self-Organizing Maps. Complexity.

https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/9496731

Schwalbe, K. (2019). Information Technology Project Management. Cengage

https://b-ok.africa/book/5828465/3d28dd