×

Measuring the project management complexity: the case of information technology projects. (English) Zbl 1390.93008

Summary: Complex projects require specific Project Management (PM) competences development. However, while no complex projects have standards that are recognized to guide their management, complex projects do not have guides to deal with their complexity. To lead complex projects to success, this complexity must be measured quantitatively and, in our opinion, project management complexity assessment should be based on existing PM standards. In this work, the main project complexity assessment approaches based on PM standards are analyzed, observing that International Project Management Association (IPMA) approach is the closest to a tool that can be used as a complexity quantitative measurement system. On the other hand, several authors have shown that the inherent complexity of specific kind of projects must be measured in a particular way. The main objective of this research is to propose a project management complexity assessment tool for IT projects, providing a Complexity Index that measures the impact that complexity factors inherent to IT projects have under a specific complexity scenario. The tool combines the use of complexity factors defined by IPMA approach and the use of complexity factors found in the literature to manage inherent complexity of IT projects. All these factors were validated by expert survey and the tool was applied to a study case.

MSC:

93A10 General systems
90B50 Management decision making, including multiple objectives
PDFBibTeX XMLCite
Full Text: DOI

References:

[1] Whitty, S. J.; Maylor, H., And then came complex project management (revised), International Journal of Project Management, 27, 3, 304-310, (2009) · doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2008.03.004
[2] Bosch-Rekveldt, C.; Mooi, M.; Verbraeck, H.; Sjoer, A.; Wolsing, E.; Gulden, B., Mapping project managers competences to project complexity, in IPMA 23rd WorldCongress, Research Track Human Side of Projects in Modern Business, (2009)
[3] Williams, T., Assessing and moving on from the dominant project management discourse in the light of project overruns, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 52, 4, 497-508, (2005) · doi:10.1109/TEM.2005.856572
[4] Bennett, J., International Construction Project Management: General Theory and Practice, (1991), Oxford
[5] Shenhar, A. J., One size does not fit all projects: exploring classical contingency domains, Management Science, 47, 3, 394-414, (2001) · doi:10.1287/mnsc.47.3.394.9772
[6] Bakhshi, A.; Ireland, J.; Gorod, V., Clarifying the project complexity construct: Past, present and future, International Journal of Project Management, 34, 7, 1199-1213, (2016)
[7] Geraldi, J.; Maylor, H.; Williams, T., Now, let’s make it really complex (complicated): A systematic review of the complexities of projects, International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 31, 9, 966-990, (2011) · doi:10.1108/01443571111165848
[8] Bosch-Rekveld, A.; Jongkind, M.; Mooi, Y.; Bakker, H.; Verbraeck, H., Grasping project complexity in large engineering projects: The TOE (Technical, Organizational and Environmental) framework, International Journal of Project Management, 29, 6, 728-739, (2011)
[9] Chapman, R. J., A framework for examining the dimensions and characteristics of complexity inherent within rail megaprojects, International Journal of Project Management, 34, 6, 937-956, (2016) · doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2016.05.001
[10] Vidal, L.; Marle, F., Understanding project complexity: implications on project management, Kybernetes, 37, 8, 1094-1110, (2008) · doi:10.1108/03684920810884928
[11] Ireland, V.; Rapaport, B.; Omarova, A., Addressing wicked problems in a range of project types, Procedia Comput. Sci, 12, 49-55, (2012)
[12] Owens, D.; Ahn, J.; Shane, J.; Strong, J.; Gransberg, K. C., Defining Complex Project Management of Large U.S, Transportation Projects, 17, 2, 170-188, (2012)
[13] Xia, B.; Chan, A. P. C., Measuring complexity for building projects: A Delphi study, Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, 19, 1, 7-24, (2012) · doi:10.1108/09699981211192544
[14] Sinha, S.; Kumar, B.; Thomson, A., Complexity measurement of a project activity, International Journal of Industrial and Systems Engineering, 8, 4, 432-448, (2011) · doi:10.1504/IJISE.2011.041804
[15] AEIPRO, I.
[16] Charette, R. N., Software Engineering Risk Analysis and Management, (1989), New York, NY, USA: Intertext Publications, New York, NY, USA
[17] Sakthivel, S., Managing risk in offshore systems development, Communications of the ACM, 50, 4, 69-75, (2007) · doi:10.1145/1232743.1232750
[18] Schmidt, R.; Lyytinen, K.; Keil, M.; Cule, P., Identifying software project risks: An international Delphi study, Journal of Management Information Systems, 17, 4, 5-36, (2001) · doi:10.1080/07421222.2001.11045662
[19] Tafti, M. H. A., Risks factors associated with offshore IT outsourcing, Industrial Management & Data Systems, 105, 5, 549-560, (2013) · doi:10.1108/02635570510599940
[20] Standish Group; Dennis, M. A., The Chaos Report, (2015), Standish Group International, Inc.
[21] Murray, J. P., Reducing IT project complexity, Information Strategy: The Executive’s Journal, 16, 3, 30-38, (2000)
[22] Lyytinen, K.; Hirschheim, R.; Hirschheim Paper, R., Lyytinen K and Hirschheim R Paper 1987.pdf, Oxford Surveys in Information Technology, 4, 257-309, (1987)
[23] Ewusi-Mensah, K.
[24] Nakatsu, R. T.; Iacovou, C. L., A comparative study of important risk factors involved in offshore and domestic outsourcing of software development projects: A two-panel Delphi study, Information and Management, 46, 1, 57-68, (2009) · doi:10.1016/j.im.2008.11.005
[25] Jarvenpaa, S. L.; Ives, B., Executive Involvement and Participation in The Management of Information Technology, 15, (1991), Management Information Systems Research Center · doi:10.2307/249382
[26] Wallace, L.; Keil, M.; Rai, A., Understanding software project risk: A cluster analysis, Information and Management, 42, 1, 115-125, (2004) · doi:10.1016/j.im.2003.12.007
[27] Bahli, B.; Rivard, S., The information technology outsourcing risk: a transaction cost and agency theory-based perspective, Journal of Information Technology, 18, 3, 211-221, (2003) · doi:10.1080/0268396032000130214
[28] Taylor, H., Critical risks in outsourced it projects: The intractable and the unforeseen, Communications of the ACM, 49, 11, 75-79, (2006) · doi:10.1145/1167838.1167840
[29] Brooks, F. P., Essence and accidents of software engineering, Computer (Long. Beach. Calif), 20, 4, 10-19, (1987)
[30] Whitney, K. M.; Daniels, C. B., The root cause of failure in complex it projects: complexity itself, Procedia Computer Science, 20, 325-330, (2013)
[31] Earl, M. J., The Risk of Outsourcing IT, MIT Sloan Management Review, 37, 3, 26-32, (1996)
[32] Kemerer, C. F.; Sosa, G. L., Systems development risks in strategic information systems, Information and Software Technology, 33, 3, 212-223, (1991) · doi:10.1016/0950-5849(91)90136-Y
[33] Boehm, B. W., Software risk management: principles and practices, IEEE, 8, 1, 32-41, (1991) · doi:10.1109/52.62930
[34] Brown, C. A., The opt-in/opt-out feature in a multi-stage delphi method study, International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 10, 2, 135-144, (2007) · doi:10.1080/13645570701334084
[35] Kliem, R., Managing the risks of offshore It development projects, Information Systems Management, 21, 3, 22-27, (2004) · doi:10.1201/1078/44432.21.3.20040601/82473.4
[36] Baccarini, D., The concept of project complexity a review, International Journal of Project Management, 14, 4, 201-204, (1996)
[37] Turner, J. R.; Cochrane, R. A., Goals-and-methods matrix: coping with projects with ill defined goals and/or methods of achieving them, International Journal of Project Management, 11, 2, 93-102, (1993) · doi:10.1016/0263-7863(93)90017-H
[38] Wood, H. L.; Ashton, P., The factors of project complexity, Proceedings of the CIB World Building Congress
[39] Williams, T. M., The need for new paradigms for complex projects, International Journal of Project Management, 17, 5, 269-273, (1999) · doi:10.1016/S0263-7863(98)00047-7
[40] Dunović, K. A.; Radujković, I. B.; Škreb, M., Towards a new model of complexitythe case, Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 119, 730-738, (2014)
[41] Austin, P.; Newton, S.; Steele, A.; Waskett, J., Modelling and managing project complexity, International Journal of Project Management, 20, 3, 191-198, (2002) · doi:10.1016/S0263-7863(01)00068-0
[42] Tatikonda, M. V.; Rosenthal, S. R., Technology novelty, project complexity, and product development project execution success: A deeper look at task uncertainty in product innovation, Heating, Piping, and Air Conditioning, 72, 2, 74-87, (2000)
[43] Little, T., Context-adaptive agility: Managing complexity and uncertainty, IEEE Software, 22, 3, 28-35, (2005) · doi:10.1109/MS.2005.60
[44] Project Management Institute, Navigating Complexity: A Practice Guide
[45] Aitken, A.; Crawford, L., A study of project categorisation based on project management complexity, Proceedings of the International Research Network for Organizing by Projects Conference (IRNOP VIII)
[46] Seeman, S., River Protection Project (RPP) Project Management Plan, Association for Project Management Registered Project Professional – RPP Candidate Guidance RPP – the standard for extraordinary project professionals from the Association for Project Management 2 APM Registered Project Professional – RPP Candidate Guidan, (2015) · doi:10.2172/802970
[47] Australian Government, Complex Project Manager Competency Standards, 1, (2012)
[48] Lessard, D.; Sakhrani, V.; Miller, R., House of Project Complexity—understanding complexity in large infrastructure projects, Engineering Project Organization Journal, 4, 4, 170-192, (2014) · doi:10.1080/21573727.2014.907151
[49] Lebcir, R. M.; Choudrie, J., A Dynamic Model of the Effects of Project Complexity on Time to Complete Construction Projects, International Journal of Innovation, Management and Technology, 2, 6, 477, (2011)
[50] Shafiei-Monfared, K.; Jenab, S., A novel approach for complexity measure analysis in design projects, Journal of Engineering Design, 23, 3, 185-194, (2012)
[51] Lehtinen, T. O. A.; Mäntylä, M. V.; Vanhanen, J.; Itkonen, J.; Lassenius, C., Perceived causes of software project failures - An analysis of their relationships, Information and Software Technology, 56, 6, 623-643, (2014) · doi:10.1016/j.infsof.2014.01.015
[52] Alba, J.; Cron, D.; El Ouarti, M.; Pugliese, G.; Schmehr, W.; Simonelli, L., IPMA International Certification and Regulations for the Assessment of Individuals in Project, Programme and Portfolio Management, Proceedings of the International Project Management Association
This reference list is based on information provided by the publisher or from digital mathematics libraries. Its items are heuristically matched to zbMATH identifiers and may contain data conversion errors. In some cases that data have been complemented/enhanced by data from zbMATH Open. This attempts to reflect the references listed in the original paper as accurately as possible without claiming completeness or a perfect matching.