Max Wideman's[4] Thoughts for Further Discussion
Ladies and gentle folks, for me this discussion is a marvelous reflection of how far we have come from the old days of simple "on time, on budget". And the distinction between the results of the project and the results of the product and all that this implies. However we do still have another step to go. And that is that there are (at least) three organizational "levels" to consider, each with their own perspectives of success.
Roughly, I see these as:
- (The lowest level) The project manager's responsibility, delivery of the product — on time, within budget, to requirements, etc. (Project level)
- (The next level up) The project sponsor's responsibility, acceptance and deployment of the product — testing, proving, and transfer of care custody and control of the product. (Possibly at a PMO level).
- (The top level) The corporate executive's responsibility, deployment of the product, it's effective and efficient utilization to produce the originally intended benefits — essentially the proper integrated management of the whole operation, as in corporate management or business success. (I would describe this as the "project portfolio" level.)
Each of these three levels will have a different perspective on "project success" as will be evident from the descriptions given. Bottom line, let each party at each level be responsible for their particular share in the game and let's not muddy the waters by trying to hand off responsibilities to those where it does not belong.
4. Max Wideman: Project Management Consultant
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Introduction
