Seven fallacies that delay project management maturity

All too often, companies embark upon a journey to implement project management only to discover that the path they thought was clear and straightforward is actually filled with obstacles and fallacies. Without sufficient understanding of the looming roadblocks and how to overcome them, an organisation may never reach a high level of project management maturity. Its competitors, on the other hand, may require only a few years to implement an organisation-wide strategy that predictably and consistently delivers successful projects.

The evolution of project managers on building projects

Increasingly, project managers are being appointed in the role of “principal agent” on building projects – particularly on multi-million, complex and fast-track building projects – which has traditionally been fulfilled by the architect.

An infrastructure development fit for a king

Residents of KwaZulu-Natal have been observing the transformation of the landscape at the site of the King Shaka International Airport for some time now. As the raw energy of construction starts to gives way to the beauty of the design, the country is getting a glimpse of what this impressive transport hub will look like on completion.

Project management is a strategic delivery capability that impacts directly on the bottom line

Business leaders who are serious about achieving tangible results from their strategic projects should actively be growing their organisation into a mature project environment.

But despite massive expenditure on projects across industries, not all leaders recognise project management as a strategic delivery capability that contributes directly to the company's bottom line.

What is mature project management?

A mature project environment begins with the organisational environment, in that there is top-down support for project management practices and investment in project management.

In rolling out projects, mature organisations focus on doing things the correct way, rather than simply doing what it takes to complete the project as quickly and as cheaply as possible.

Emphasis is placed on ensuring that the right people are available to do the work, that they have the required skills, abilities and qualifications to be a valuable resource on a project team.

Project management is approached on an enterprise level and not on an individual project level, thereby implying an investment in the necessary support through structures such as a project management office, best-practice methodologies, training and so on.