Showing papers on "Project stakeholder published in 1999"

Project Management: The Managerial Process

Abstract: This text provides advice covering all aspects of project management. It includes the strategic role of projects in contemporary organizations, the prioritization of projects, organizational and managerial styles, and preparing for an international project in a foreign culture.

Applied Project Management: Best Practices on Implementation

Abstract: Putting project management to work-best practices for achieving excellence.Harold Kerzner's landmark Project Management has long been the reference of choice for outstanding coverage of the basic principles and concepts of project management. Now this book takes the next step-converting theory into practice to address the application and implementation of project management in the real world. Informed by Harold Kerzner's extensive original research and accessible approach, it is essential reading for today's and tomorrow's professionals involved in project management. Features include: Commentaries from managers at leading corporations who share their decision-making processes-including the successes and mistakes-for project management implementation Twenty-five case studies highlighting crucial project management issues, problems, and solutions Helpful end-of-chapter learning aids, including questions and puzzles

First Things First: Prioritizing Requirements

Abstract: Customers are never thrilled to find out they can’t get all the features they want in release 1.0 of a new software product (at least, not if they want the features to work). However, if the development team cannot deliver every requirement by the scheduled initial delivery date, the project stakeholders must agree on which subset to implement first. Any project with resource limitations has to establish the relative priorities of the requested features, use cases, or functional requirements. Prioritization helps the project manager resolve conflicts, plan for staged deliveries, and make the necessary trade-off decisions.

The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management

Abstract: Preface. Down Loadable Forms. Part 1. Introduction. Chapter 1. Project Management Is The New Critical Leadership Skill. Introduction. Project Management Is the Essential Skill Set for Twenty-first Century Leaders. Project Management as a Strategic Strength. The Art and Science of Project Leadership. The Practical Foundation for Successful Projects: How This Book Will Help You. Project Management Relies on Other Disciplines. End Point. Stellar Performer: Orthospot. Chapter 2. Foundation Principles Of Project Management. Introduction. Projects Require Project Management. The Evolution of a Discipline. The Definition of Success. The Cost-Schedule-Quality Equilibrium. The Ultimate Challenge: No Damage. Project Management Functions. Project Life Cycle. Organizing for Projects. Project Managers Are Leaders. End Point. Stellar Performer: Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center. PMP Exam Prep Questions. Part 2. Defining The Project. Chapter 3. Know Your Key Stakeholders And Win Their Cooperation. Introduction. Stakeholders Are the Heart of a Successful Project. Stakeholder Roles: Project Manager. Stakeholder Roles: Project Team. Stakeholder Roles: Management. Stakeholder Roles: The Customer. Stakeholder Roles: Representatives of External Constraints. Stakeholder Roles: Advocates, Opponents, and Innocent Bystanders. Make Stakeholder Identification a Repeatable Process. Lead the Stakeholders. End Point. PMP Exam Prep Questions. Chapter 4. Write The Rules: Five Key Documents To Manage Expectations And Define Success. Introduction. Project Rules Are the Foundation. Publish a Project Charter. Write a Statement of Work. Statement of Work: Minimum Content. Responsibility Matrix. Creating a Communication Plan. The Project Proposal Launches the Project. End Point. PMP Exam Prep Questions. Part 3. The Planning Process. Chapter 5. Risk Management: Minimize The Threats To Your Project. Introduction. The Risk Management Advantage. All Project Management Is Risk Management. The Risk Management Framework. Step One: Identify the Risks. Step Two: Analyze and Prioritize the Risks. Step Three: Develop Response Plans. Step Four: Establish Contingency and Reserve. Step Five: Continuous Risk Management. End Point. Stellar Performer: The Software Engineering Institute. PMP Exam Prep Questions. Chapter 6. Work Breakdown Structure: Break Your Project Into Manageable Units Of Work. Introduction. Defining the Work Breakdown Structure. Building a Work Breakdown Structure. Criteria for a Successful Work Breakdown Structure. Work Package Size. Planning for Quality. Breaking Down Large Programs. WBS Guidelines Vary. Contractors or Vendors Can Provide a WBS. End Point. PMP Exam Prep Questions. Chapter 7. Realistic Scheduling. Introduction. Planning Overview. Planning Step Two: Identify Task Relationships. Planning Step Three: Estimate Work Packages. Planning Step Four: Calculate an Initial Schedule. Planning Step Five: Assign and Level Resources. End Point. PMP Exam Prep Questions. Chapter 8. The Art And Science Of Accurate Estimating. Introduction. Estimating Fundamentals. Estimating Techniques. Building the Detailed Budget Estimate. Generating the Cash Flow Schedule. End Point. Stellar Performer: Tynet, Inc. Stellar Performer: Adobe Systems. PMP Exam Prep Questions. Chapter 9. Balancing The Trade-Off Among Cast, Schedule, And Quality. Introduction. Three Levels of Balancing a Project. Balancing at the Project Level. Balancing at the Business Case Level. Balancing at the Enterprise Level. End Point. Stellar Performer: SAFECO Field. Stellar Performer: Boeing 767-400ER. PMP Exam Prep Questions. Part 4. Controlling The Project. Chapter 10. Building A High-Performance Project Team. Introduction. A Framework for Building High-Performance Teams. Leadership Responsibilities. Building a Positive Team Environment. Ground Rules. Team Identity. Team Listening Skills. Meeting Management. Summary of Building a Positive Team Environment. Collaborative Problem Solving. Problem Analysis. Decision Modes. Conflict Management. Continuous Learning. Summary of Collaborative Problem Solving. Job Satisfaction. End Point. Stellar Performer: Habitat for Humanity. PMP Exam Prep Questions. Chapter 11. Clear Communication Among Project Stakeholders. Introduction. Project Communication. Communicating within the Project Team. Communicating with Management and Customers. Control Documents. The Change Management Process. Configuration Management. Change Management Guidelines Are Essential for Managing Expectations. Closeout Reporting. End Point. PMP Exam Prep Questions. Chapter 12. Measuring Progress. Introduction. Measuring Schedule Performance. Measuring Cost Performance. Earned Value Reporting. Cost and Schedule Baselines. End Point. PMP Exam Prep Questions. Chapter 13. Solving Common Project Problems. Introduction. Responsibility Beyond Your Authority. Disaster Recovery. Reducing the Time to Market. When the Customer Delays the Project. The Impossible Dream. Fighting Fires. Managing Volunteers. Achieving the Five Point Success Factors. End Point. Part 5. Advancing Your Practice Of Project Management. Chapter 14. Enterprise Project Management: Coordinate All Projects And Project Resources In Your Organization. Introduction. Defining Enterprise Project Management. Three Tiers of Management within EPM. The Four Components of EPM. Establish Consistent EPM Processes. Technology Enables EPM Processes. The People Who Deliver Projects. Support Project Management: The Project Office. End Point. Chapter 15. Project Portfolio Management: Align Project Resources With Business Strategy. Introduction. Project Portfolio Management as a System. Building the Initial Portfolio. The Portfolio Changes with the Enterprise. End Point. Chapter 16. Requirements Engineering: The Key To Building The Right Product. Introduction. Requirements Engineering and Project Management Are Intimately Connected. Requirement Types Illustrate the Evolving Product Vision. Requirements Engineering Scope and Processes. Requirements Development Activities. Requirements Mangement Activities. Requirements Documentation Techniques. Requirements Engineering Demands Discipline. End Point. Chapter 17. Applying Lean Principles To Projects. Introduction. Lean Principles for Product Manager. Lean Techniques Tailored to Project Management. End Point . Chapter 18. Pmp Exam Preparation. Introduction. What Are the Requirements to Earn the PMP? Top 10 Study Tips for the PMP Exam. End Point. Chapter 19. Microsoft Project: Guidelines For Effective Use. Introduction. Project Management Software Supports the Discipline. Looking Under the Hood: The Design of Project. Set Up the Project First. Follow the Planning Model in This Book. Task Types: Fix the Duration, Work, or Resource Level. Assigning Resources to a Project. Resource Leveling Your Schedule. End Point. Appendix. The Detailed Planning Model. Notes. Index.

Project Management Competence: Building Key Skills for Individuals, Teams, and Organizations

Abstract: Preface. The Author. PROJECT MANAGEMENT COMPETENCE FOR THE SUCCESSFULL ORGANIZATION. 1. Developing Project-Competent Organizations. 2. Why Competence Pays. 3. Uncovering Organizational Pathologies. THE COMPETENT PROJECT PROFESSIONAL. 4. The Project Professional's Knowledge Base. 5. Developing the Project Management Knowledge Base. 6. Developing People Management Skills: The Soft Side of Project Management. 7. Developing Business-Related Competence. 8. Assessing Individual Competence. THE COMPETENT PROJECT TEAM. 9. Project Team Competence. 10. Assessing Team Competence. THE PROJECT-COMPETENT ORGANIZATION. 11. Organizational Project Competence. 12. Assessing Team Competence. 13. Conclusion: Arriving at Competence. References. Index.

Tracing the African Project Failure Syndrome: the significance of ‘ubuntu’

Abstract: The lack of ‘ubuntu’ (African group solidarity) between project stakeholders in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) public building sector has been surrounded by controversy and strongly held opinions. The work reported in this paper attempts to indicate some salient issues affecting the relationships between project stakeholders. The Botswana public building sector is used as a main case study and follow‐up studies are carried out involving another eight SADC countries. The paper addresses two propositions. First, that the lack of ‘ubuntu’ between project stakeholders is primarily due to an inappropriate project organizational structure. Second, that a default traditional construction procurement system (TCPS), provides a poor relationship management system. Information is obtained on the research areas through questionnaires to construction firm executives, contract managers, site managers, trade foremen and skilled tradespersons on the dominant procurement system used in Botswana. Furthermore, senior technical officers of Public Works Ministries of another eight SADC countries are interviewed as a follow‐up to the Botswana study. The primary conclusion to be drawn is that the building procurement system purported to be in use in the SADC public building sector differs significantly from that recommended in the theory, resulting in poor relationships between project stakeholders. This is primarily due to the use of inappropriate building procurement systems. In general, the TCPS in the SADC public building sector is used as a ‘default system’. This has led to a situation where project management is a ‘fire fighting’ activity, where group solidarity between project stakeholders is out of reach. Salient steps are proposed with a proviso that the SADC public building sector should establish appropriate methods of selecting building procurement systems as a prerequisite in formulating appropriate project organizational structures which will bring the spirit of real co‐operation between project stakeholders towards project success.

Requirements for an effective project risk management process

Abstract: Requirements, for an effective risk management process carried out by a project participant are associated with the project context and characteristics of the participant. Project context can be characterized by the nature of' the project, the immediate working environment, the identity and actions of other participants, and the progress of the project to date. Characteristics related to a particular project participant include motivation, capability, and perceived responsibilities in undertaking risk management. This paper discuisses how these factors influence the manner in which project risk management processes should be undertaken.

Chernobyl post-accident management: the ETHOS project.

Abstract: ETHOS is a pilot research project supported by the radiation protection research program of the European Commission (DG XII). The project provides an alternative approach to the rehabilitation of living conditions in the contaminated territories of the CIS in the post-accident context of Chernobyl. Initiated at the beginning of 1996, this 3-y project is currently being implemented in the Republic of Belarus. The ETHOS project involves an interdisciplinary team of European researchers from the following institutions: the Centre d'etude sur l'Evaluation de la Protection dans le domaine Nucleaire CEPN (radiological protection, economics), the Institute National d'Agronomie de Paris-Grignon INAPG (agronomy, nature & life management), the Compiegne University of Technology (technological and industrial safety, social trust), and the Mutadis Research Group (sociology, social risk management), which is in charge of the scientific co-ordination of the project. The Belarussian partners in the ETHOS project include the Ministry of Emergencies of Belarus as well as the various local authorities involved with the implementation site. The ETHOS project relies on a strong involvement of the local population in the rehabilitation process. Its main goal is to create conditions for the inhabitants of the contaminated territories to reconstruct their overall quality of life. This reconstruction deals with all the day-to-day aspects that have been affected or threatened by the contamination. The project aims at creating a dynamic process whereby acceptable living conditions can be rebuilt. Radiological security is developed in the ETHOS project as part of a general improvement in the quality of life. The approach does not dissociate the social and the technical dimensions of post-accident management. This is so as to avoid radiological risk assessment and management being reduced purely to a problem for scientific experts, from which local people are excluded, and to take into consideration the problems of acceptability of decisions and the distrust of the population towards experts. These cannot be solved merely by a better communication strategy. This paper presents the main features of the methodological approach of the ETHOS project. It also explains how it is being implemented in the village of Olmany in the district of Stolyn (Brest region) in Belarus since March 1996, as well as its initial achievements.

The Project Manager As Change Agent: Leadership, Influence and Negotiation

Abstract: Part 1 Change in the context of organizations: managing change diagnosing change projects for implementing change organizing for change process management - a versatile approach to quality. Part 2 Leading the team: project teams and individuals on being the manager. Part 3 The project manager as ambassador: internal marketing influencing the organization managing stakeholders the project champion. Part 4 A culture for project-based management: creating the project culture coping with cultural differences ethical project management managing the environment project health checks. Part 5 Case studies: case studies from the insurance service industry Norwegian Defenses London Ambulance Service.

Project Management Theory and the Management of Research Projects

Abstract: The management of a research project is full of uncertainty and complexity. Research has substantial elements of creativity and innovation and predicting the outcome of research in full is therefore very difficult. In addition, the relationship between the research project manager and the project participants is characterised by an asymmetric distribution of knowledge where individual researchers know a lot more about the potential – negative and positive – of their research contributions than the project manager does. Furthermore, researchers in a project may have many competing demands on their time and they may find themselves competing against each other for individual scientific priority or the right to patent a research result. Given these and other inherent difficulties of managing a research project this paper addresses two questions in particular: 1) What kind of guidance may a research project manager get from existing project management literature? 2) What kinds of changes or additions are needed to build a project management model for research? In dealing with these questions the paper gives an outline of some of the basic tools and assumptions of existing project management theory and compares these to conditions in research. Based on this, the paper discusses the task of the research project manager and the interpersonal dynamics of a research team with a view to giving some pointers to what a research project manager can do to create the best possible conditions for a successful research project.

Strategic project management: the new framework

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to suggest a framework for a new research agenda for project management in the coming years. The idea is to focus research on the competitive potential of project management and promote deeper conceptual understanding, integrative practices, and wider-based education. Based on ideas which emerged in our previous studies, the paper deals with some strategic, cultural, organizational, and operational issues which are often neglected in the current practice and education in project management. We believe these components are needed to make project management into a major competitive weapon for industrial organizations. The research framework is built around three major concepts-style, adaptation, and learning: (1) style: style involves the following components: strategy, attitude, organization, processes, and tools; (2) adaptation: since no two projects are the same, organizations need to adapt their style to the specific type of project; and (3) continuous learning: how to develop the learning environment in project management, both for self learning and for organized educational programs.

Project leadership: why project management alone doesn't work.

Abstract: Projects often fall short of achieving their anticipated results, not due to a lack of project management, but rather from a lack of project leadership. Because project success is a direct reflection of the project manager, it is his or her responsibility not just to manage the details and report status of a project, but to go beyond and add value through providing leadership. Project managers can no longer update task lists and issue meeting minutes if they are to succeed. This article focuses on adapting proven leadership strategies to project environments, helping to increase the probability for project success. When properly applied, they will help turn today's project manager into tomorrow's project leader.

Project Management Institute: 1999 and Beyond

Abstract: : These viewgraphs deal with the Project Management Institute, its missions, membership and its organizational structure. The Project Management Institute is the world's leading association for the project management profession for the past 30 years.

Project management: a quality management approach

Abstract: Excellent publications have been available on project management for many years and much discussion has taken place extolling the virtues of this aspect of management and its great influence on the overall successful operation of organizations in all sectors. When being considered in its generic form, project management can also be applied to any set of activities, and in this context it is no less than a universal management tool. This paper examines the feasibility and practicality of applying a quality management approach to project management. The model used for the analysis is the criteria of the Canada Awards for Excellence, the internationally recognized quality award program.

Effective project leadership in complex self-directed team environments

Abstract: Project performance is not determined merely by the type of management tools and processes used, but it also depends largely on the way in which these tools are integrated with the work process and the project team to support the activities toward scope, quality, time and cost objectives. Based on field research of best-in-class practices, the paper discusses leadership style effectiveness, including the criteria for using management tools and techniques effectively in team-centered work environments. The paper concludes that project performance is strongly influenced by leadership style and the integration of the management tools with the team and the project management process.

Project definition – the missing link

Abstract: Too many projects are started without sufficient definition or direction, with project managers hoping that matters will clarify as the project progresses. In many cases, this results in a significant amount of rework, pushing the project beyond time and budget limits. This article provides a framework for assigning, receiving and managing projects. At each stage of project definition, the article highlights the need to establish how the project affects and benefits the whole organization and how it fits in with organizational strategy. It also discusses the human resource management aspects of project planning. A full example is included as a guide.

Project management for building designers and owners

Abstract: List of Exhibits List of Tables Organizing for Project Management The Need for Project Management Project Delivery Organization The Project Manager Who Is a Project Manager? What Does a Project Manager Do? Caring for Your Project Managers Training Project Managers Planning the Project The Firm's Profit Plan Owner/Client Concerns Scope Determination The Project Budget Project Scheduling Managing the Project Project Status Reporting Team/Client Management Contract Management Project Cost Control Quality Management Using the Computer Non-Computerized Production Techniques Time Management Project Closeout Bibliography Appendices Project Delivery Methods Value Engineering ISO 9000 Selected Use of Computer Software Index

Leverage your lessons [project management]

Abstract: In today's fast-moving market, software project teams don't have time to make several attempts to meet a customer's requirements. Teams need to be smart about what they do learning from the experiences of colleagues within their own organization and in the industry. In short, teams need to take the time to do things as "right" as they can because they don't have time to do things over. Why do we often have to do things over? Why do we repeat the mistakes of the past? It's related to this: Insanity is doing things the same way we did them before, but expecting different results. It's hard for a team to get better at what it's doing if it doesn't think about its work and how to improve it. Some project teams do, in fact, think about how and why their projects worked. They gather and document lessons learned. Some teams share that information with others in their organization, and a few teams attempt to review what others have learned as they start a new project or new phase of a project. But many teams do none of this. They're the ones that encounter the same problems over and over again, attributing them to bad luck when, in fact, poor project learning and poor organizational learning are the underlying causes.

Implementation of Project Management in Public Engineering Organization

Abstract: The Bureau of Engineering is a part of the City of Los Angeles' Department of Public Works and is responsible for the planning, design, and construction management of capital improvement projects for the city. In February 1997, the Bureau of Engineering executive staff and the Board of Public Works mandated a dramatic shift to improve project delivery. All of the non-wastewater elements of the Bureau were organized into a program-based matrix organization with a Project Manager as the focus for project delivery with project conception-to-conclusion responsibility. This paper describes the project management method of project delivery being implemented at the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering and explains the implementation elements and their status. The paper reviews the new project management organizational structure and the organizational options considered by the Bureau. The work details the roles and responsibilities for the project delivery team members. The new tools used to manage projects ...

"Improving" Project XL: Helping Adaptive Management to Work within EPA

Abstract: Since 1995, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has struggled to implement an experiment in regulatory reinvention it calls Project XL ("Excellence in Leadership"). In doing so, EPA is experimenting with regulatory reform based on the theory of "adaptive management", a theory that can conflict with EPA's "command and control" enforcement philosophy.(1) Project XL attempts to implement an adaptive management approach by planning "experiments" and monitoring their results for lessons that can be used to guide reform of regulatory systems. Proponents hope to encourage the private sector to collaborate with EPA to plan, run and monitor experiments in environmental compliance, rethink regulation and apply new technologies. To date, this has not occurred to the extent that XL's designers had hoped. In The Risks and Advantages of Agency Discretion: Evidence from EPA's Project XL, we concluded that EPA's history and structure make it a challenging locale in which to attempt adaptive management. Indeed, the advent of XL caused a clash of philosophies (between adaptive management and "command and control" adherents) that generated significant tensions within EPA, and spilled over to project stakeholders outside the Agency. We believe that Project XL can be improved. To that end, this paper offers strategies designed to succeed without statutory reform or other "sea changes" to the existing Project's framework. We propose strategies that: can be implemented quickly and without congressional intervention; focus all stakeholders on jointly defining and achieving XL's mission; encourage EPA to use the discretion it already has to facilitate a flow of more innovative XL proposals; and promote greater efficiency in the review and approval of new XL projects. I. INTRODUCTION Since 1995, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has struggled to implement an experiment in regulatory reinvention it calls Project XL ("Excellence in Leadership").(2) EPA envisions Project XL as a national program designed to test innovative ways of achieving better and more cost-effective ways of ensuring public health and environmental protection. Under Project XL, sponsors (private facilities, industry sectors, federal facilities and communities) are encouraged to implement innovative strategies to produce superior environmental performance by replacing specific regulatory requirements, and promoting greater accountability to stakeholders. EPA seeks to attract project sponsors by proposing to grant regulatory flexibility in exchange for commitments to achieve better environmental results - results superior to those that would otherwise have been attained through full compliance with regulations. Through site-specific agreements with project sponsors, EPA tries to gather data and project experience to help the Agency redesign its current approaches to ensuring public health and environmental protection. Thus, XL projects are meant to be "real world" tests of innovative strategies to achieve cleaner and less expensive results than conventional regulatory techniques. In implementing Project XL, EPA is experimenting with regulatory reform based on the theory of "adaptive management" - a theory that can conflict with EPA's "command and control" enforcement philosophy. Adaptive management theory treats almost all governmental interactions as experiments, from which we can continuously learn what works and what does not.(3) Adaptive management envisions a continuous process of institutional transformation, as entities "evolve" their philosophies and strategies through continuous assessment and improvement. Change is driven by a constant flow of information gathered via purposeful experimentation. Thus, adaptive management experiments should be thought of as continuous research projects through which the "thought processes" of dynamic institutions evolve towards increasing efficiency in meeting the goals of environmental policy. …

Managing Project Risk: Business Risk Management for Project Leaders

Abstract: "A useful guide which brings the experience of financial risk management to project management. Concentrates on realistic scenarios rather than complex mathematics." - Dr. Mamdouh Barakat, Managing Director, MBRM - MB Risk Management "Project managers will be taking a risk by not reading this book. A bright and thought provoking coverage of the subject with a perspective rarely taken, especially in information technology." - Simon Lamoon MBCS, Head of Project Management, IT Development, Aon Group Limited "There are no projects without risks. How to deal with these risks is a pressing question that bothers many project managers. This book offers them invaluable help. Chong and Brown clearly have hands on experience; they not only know what managing project risk requires, but also how to explain it. Managing Project Risk includes interesting case studies that contribute to the reader's insight. Buying the book is a small investment, but reading it can yield high returns." - Professor dr. M. Peter van der Hoek, Erasmus University, Rotterdam and Economics University, Bucharest "A book that by example invites the reader to plan for the mitigation of Project Risks and to minimize in advance their potential to impact upon time, cost and success." - Jim Godwin, Senior Project Manager, Moscow Narodny Bank Ltd "Managing Project Risk is a must for anyone planning to be involved in a large project, especially an international one. From energy and manufacturing ventures in the emerging markets to large scale technology planning, the book discusses estimation and analysis of the full spectrum of risks. As a risk manager, I am often told that scrutiny of risks often results in cancellation of many massive endeavors. To answer that question, the author discusses risk measurement approaches that allow one to seek the appropriate returns on investment in a large scale project. It is the understanding of these risks through numerous case studies and numerical techniques that would help one become a good project manager as well as a successful investor." - Dr. Lev Borodovsky, Executive Director, Global Association of Risk Professionals (GARP) There are business projects that run smoothly and according to plan, but many do not. There is no such thing as a risk-free project. Managing Project Risk shows how skill and good project management, the business odds can stack in your favour. Issues examined include: the essence of project management; defining risk; project budget; leadership; team; task and the individual; benchmarking; risk modelling for the 21st century and project management technology. Risk management should not be an afterthought. Use this book to ensure it exists from the outset.

BPXC's operation in Casanare, Colombia : factoring social concerns into development decisionmaking

Abstract: In 1987 British Petroleum Exploration Colombia (BPXC) began exploring for oil in a remote part of Colombia which only recently was designated the Department of Casanare, in 1991. This evaluation of BPXC's operation aims to answer the following questions: a) What were the prevailing corporate objectives with respect to the social aspects of BPXC's operations throughout the past decade? b) What were the motivations behind corporate commitments to addressing social concerns? c) What were the approaches to addressing social concerns? d) How were obstacles to socially responsible behavior overcome, and what was the nature of these obstacles? e) What level of efforts was involved in managing social concerns, and what were the costs? f) How did stakeholders measure the results achieved against the objectives? g) How did the various stakeholders view the outcomes of the corporation's social interaction and initiatives? The evaluation focused on the project stakeholders, the interplay among them, the chronology of corporate decisionmaking, the extent of stakeholder involvement, and the social political, and corporate cultural context throughout project development. One overall conclusion the evaluation clearly points out is that if the goal is to sustain the benefits from BPXC's social investments and to promote better stewardship of the substantial incomes generated by royalties, effective partnerships need to be developed between government, BPXC, and civil society.

An International Common Project model

Abstract: In this paper, the authors propose a model for an International Common Project that is designed to have students from more than one country working on the same project at the same time They define a project as a substantial piece of (individual) work undertaken by a student under the guidance of a supervisor The benefits to the student arising from such an international project are significant but the difficulties cannot be ignored A model is described which is designed to maximise the international element whilst minimising the consequences of the difficulties The model requires the participating institutions to work closely to define suitable projects and identify students to work on them Initially students work alone or with only minimal contact As each project evolves, the students will increasingly co-operate to manage tasks associated with the project amongst themselves At all times the student's individual contribution will be measured for assessment purposes This paper describes the background to the project and the ways the difficulties which have been identified might be minimised The problems in managing such a project are discussed and a method proposed to unify, the approach taken to the project management and assessment process by the participating institutions The model proposed will be piloted this fall with involvement by universities from France, Germany, the UK and the US Various management tools will be developed to assist with the running of this pilot Further testing and refining of the model will be carried out in the spring when a second set of projects will be run

Project manager's influence tactics and authority: a comparison across project structures

Abstract: Ever since firms started using computers for processing their business data, researchers and practitioners have been preoccupied by the successful implementation of information systems (IS). Over the years, researchers have studied several aspects of IS implementation, be it measuring success or developing and testing models that explain IS project success or failure. However, up to now, few IS implementation studies have focused on the role played by the project leader. This paper presents the results of a study of 139 IS project managers. The study examined both the tactics adopted by these project managers to influence people, and their level of decision authority. It then attempted to determine if these two characteristics varied along with the project's organizational structure. The findings of the study point to the mediating role played by project managers' level of decision authority in linking organization structures to influence tactics. While influence tactics used do not vary across project structures, they do so across various levels of decision authority. In turn, the level of authority of project leaders varies across structures and steadily increases on the functional-project continuum. Three influence profiles emerged from the study, namely, the humanist, the political and the authoritarian project manager, providing further interpretation to influence tactics and behavior in an IS development context.

Best value remedial design

Abstract: Best value remedial design combines traditional design by prescriptive specification with the use of open competition to determine design elements specified by performance requirements. Compelling reasons to use best value remedial design include the potential realization of life cycle cost savings, an inherent flexibility that can accommodate changing public priorities as well as evolving innovative technologies, and the ability to provide a protective remedial action. Best value challenges include technical issues such as the selection of the “best” technology from the proposals received during the open competition aspect of the process. A major administrative challenge is the development of a partnering relationship which fosters trust between project stakeholders. The best value approach is appropriate for most projects where the stakeholders have a genuine desire to pursue environmental restoration in an effective, open, and cost-effective manner. It is conceivable that the state of the practice will evolve in terms of effectiveness and cost savings as a result of the best value approach because environmental professionals will be required to consider critical nontechnical elements during the pre-design and design stages of a project.