UTS

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UTS
A systemic approach to managing complex change
projects in the public sector
Dr. David Paul Dr. Kaye Remington
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Todays session

• Types of project complexity
• How this affects project success
• Findings from our research
• Examples of new ways of thinking about change
  projects to help you manage more effectively

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Complex change projects

• are too complex to be managed using
  conventional project management approaches

• we must think
• of complex projects
• as systems

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Why is do we need to think differently?

• Too many large projects are failing
• Public sector projects are always under the
  public spotlight
• Governments cannot afford for this record to
  continue

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How are projects like complex systems?

• Phase transition
• the edges of phases are very important edge of
  chaos shifting state
• Non-linearity
• the whole is more than the sum of the parts e.g.
  positive feedback loops
• Adaptiveness
• system is capable of self-organisation e.g.
  teamwork
• Sensitive dependence on initial conditions
• a small change might have a big effect
• Emergence
• new unexpected pathways result from the other
  conditions

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What is special about the systemic nature of
organisational change projects?

• They cut across functional areas
• The whole deliverable is often much more than the
  sum of the deliverables of the component parts
• There are emergent patterns and pathways
  unexpected results, risks and opportunities
• Traditional hard systems project management
  thinking does not always work
• Multiple methodological paradigms need to be
  employed to deliver the many component parts

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Recognising project complexity

• Structural complexity
• Size of elements
• Number of elements
• Interdependent elements
• Uncertainty
• Goals
• Methods
• (Terry Williams, University of Southampton, UK)

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Recognising types of project complexity

• Integrative complexity
• How does it all fit together?
• Technical complexity
• How do we design it or make it?
• Strategic complexity
• How do we work out, share and get agreement over
  what we have to do to achieve our objectives?

• (Remington and Pollack, UTS)

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Recognising complexity

• Any large project will exhibit one or more of
  these three
• Integrative complexity
• Technical complexity
• Strategic complexity
• The bigger the project the more likely it is to
  exhibit all three types of complexity
• However even relatively small budget projects can
  exhibit a great degree of complexity

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What implications for the project come from type
of project complexity?

• Critical project phases and transitions
• Contract and procurement methods
• Management capability
• Team structure
• Executive support
• Emergent issues and risks
• Budgets and cost prediction
• Stakeholder management

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Findings from our research

• To date 30 senior project managers, project
  directors and sponsors, who have managed complex
  internal change projects (Australia, New Zealand
  and the UK), have participated in in-depth
  interviews
• Projects were
• highly successful
• high complexity and
• high risk to the organisation
• Findings strongly indicate that we need to
• Recognise the type(s) of complexity which we are
  facing
• Develop targeted management strategies in
  response to each type of project complexity

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Identify the type(s) of project complexity
Systemic model for complex change projects
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Three steps in the model in more detail

• 1. Identify the type(s) of complexity expected
• 2. Treat a change initiative is a systemic
  program of individual projects
• 3. Adjust the resource capability and
  project/program organisational structure(s) to
  suit

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1. Recognise the type of complexity
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Recognising a complex project

• Integrative complexity
• How does it all fit together?
• Multiple, interrelated parts
• Technical complexity
• How do we design it or make it?
• Strategic complexity
• How do we work out, share and get agreement over
  what we have to do to achieve our objectives?
• (Remington and Pollack, UTS)

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2. A change initiative is a systemic program of
individual projects

• A working definition of a program
• In the project management literature the term
  program management is often used to refer to
  any group of interrelated and coupled projects,
  all or most of which need to be achieved to
  deliver the strategic goal(s).

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V
i
Projects with clear objectives that can be
handed to individual managers to deliver
s
i
Program
o
n

S
t
r
Program
Shared meanings/ dialogue
a
t
e
g
y
Program
Environmental or project feedback
Vital for tracking and responding to changes in
strategic direction
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3. Adjust project organisational structure and
resource capability to suit type of complexity

• For example a project which exhibits a great deal
  of strategic complexity (unclear goals or
  goal-paths)
• The project organisational structure must support
  roles which require high level skills in
• Problem solving
• Adaptablity
• Flexibility
• Recognising and communicating patterns in
  complexity

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Executive sponsor (organisation-wide and
inter-organisational influence)
Spheres of focus and influence
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Executive sponsor role

• This role (person or group) is ultimately
  responsible for delivery of organisational goals
• Often this role is purely associated with
• Research now indicates that this role is critical
  requiring
• Management of organisational politics
• fall out from stakeholders due to lack of
  clarity of deliverables
• Courage
• to protect the project teams from pressure of
  premature delivery
• Creativity, non-linear thinking
• Readiness to participate in dialogues which are
  open-ended
• Negotiating on behalf of program and project
  teams for resources etc.
• Giving ad hoc BUT TIMELY support to project
  teams
• Willingness to make timely decisions
• Ability to motivate project teams to help them
  through difficult times
• Participative approach to problem solving
• Support the project goals

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Program director role

• Ability to move rapidly between alternate
  perspectives.
• Flexibly adapt program and schedule to emergent
  situations
• Very high level communication skills
• Courage to protect the project manager and team
  from pressure to deliver prematurely
• Negotiate politics with executive sponsor
• Listen to problems and participate in problem
  solving
• Provide support to project managers
• Facilitate communication between project
  managers, project team members, organisation
  interfaces
• Liaise with executive sponsor
• Schedule and tracks master program
• Coaching role with project managers

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Project manager roles

• Very high level communication skills
• Ability to manage organisational politics
• Creative thinking
• Understanding of the importance of the project
  definition phase above all phases
• Sound team leadership skills
• Ability to foster ve relationships with other
  project managers and project director
• Ability to keep an ear to the ground
• Manage relationships
• Ranked as more important than discipline specific
  knowledge or traditional project management
  skills

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Filling the key roles

• One size does not fit all projects!
• Not every manager is comfortable with every type
  of complexity
• Consider management as a team at all levels
• Assist with rapid escalation when managers tend
  to prevaricate
• Capabilities needed for the role are present in
  aggregate
• If the strategic objectives are important choose
  the right people for the roles and support them
• If you must cut costs this is not the place to do
  it!
• If managers are also occupying functional roles
  do not expect them to do both jobs effectively
• The project organisational structure must support
  the roles

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One example of an organisational structure to
support
Executive sponsorship group
Some redundancy and shared responsibility needed
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In summary?

• Consider the type of complexity in relation to
  our projects and manage accordingly
• Complex change projects are more effectively
  managed as programs of interrelated projects
• Strategies to manage should reflect the type(s)
  of complexity within the project or program
• Project organisational structure and resources
  should be chosen carefully to suit the type of
  complexity

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Questions?
Contact kaye.remington_at_uts.edu.au complexchange
_at_gmail.com
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• Our research and consulting with organisations
  continues .
• Join us on our adventure!

Escher
Email kaye.remington_at_uts.edu.au complexchange_at_g
mail.com