Adapting a new approach
Implementing a customized project management approach rooted in PRINCE2 entails making sure that everyone within the organization grasps and applies it accurately. Achieving this involves more than just announcing a new tailored project management method. It necessitates consistent implementation, effective initiation, and practical utilization.
Change programme
Facilitating broad and efficient adoption of the newly tailored method throughout the organization necessitates a shift in how individuals employ the project management approach. Typically, this kind of transformation cannot be accomplished through a single project. Managing the development and introduction of a project management method is better carried out as a change programme.
Change management stands as a specialized endeavour, encompassing strategies to guide individuals, teams, and organizations from their existing ways of working to new ones. The objective is for the organization to realize advantages by overhauling its operational processes.
Strategies for change management
Contemporary change management strategies blend principles from psychology and engineering to craft reliable change techniques. These approaches encompass a wide array of tools and methods. The incorporation of diverse change methodologies shapes how organizations and their leaders view, manage, and measure the success of their change initiatives. A pivotal element in most change models is securing the cooperation of those who must modify their ways of working.
Steps to successful organizational change
For successful change within an organization, five crucial steps are needed.
- Assess and understand the current state.
- Identify what changes are necessary in the future state.
- Analyse those affected by the change to understand their resilience and resistance levels.
- Develop the necessary capabilities required by the new state such as roles, procedures, systems, cultures, and behaviours.
- Engage with, and gain support from those impacted by the change.
Gaining stakeholder support
To secure stakeholder support, change management strategies require more than training those affected by the change. Coaching and mentoring, active engagement with stakeholders, effective marketing, and communication efforts all play vital roles in instilling a genuine understanding of the necessity for change and its advantages. Change management entails not just the management of information but also the management of people’s expectations and their perceptions.
Designing future ways of working
The customized PRINCE2 method should be evident in the design of the future state. This design should consider the PRINCE2 roles and responsibilities, processes, management products, tools, and behaviours linked to the application of PRINCE2 within the organization, as well as the operational business units. Projects should seamlessly integrate within the organization, ensuring that any processes, roles, or approaches align with the existing ones.
Project management serves as a form of governance and therefore must align with the governing principles of the organization. This may include aspects like resource allocation, authorization for funds, procurement, audit protocols, accounting practices, and considerations related to human resources.
Auditing
To provide comprehensive support for project management, the future state design should encompass more than just the customization of PRINCE2. It might become imperative for the organization to establish a dedicated audit team responsible for evaluating adherence to the method, especially if it is made mandatory. Non-compliant project managers may consequently face sanctions. Auditors will need specialized training, checklists, expertise, and defined processes to effectively carry out their responsibilities.
Coaching and mentoring
Organizations might opt to offer coaches and mentors to assist practitioners in effectively applying the method. These mentors and coaches must possess a solid understanding of the PRINCE2 method, its associated supporting techniques, and how to tailor them as needed.
Support with tools
To support projects, and project managers, organizations must provide tools and systems to streamline the project management work. These tools assist in tasks such as planning, tracking, change control, risk management, issue tracking, and capturing lessons learned.
Deployment
To deploy the new project management method across the entire organization, the widespread adoption of the method must be encouraged.
Effective communication about the new method should be consistent, encompassing training materials that reflect the core concepts and terminology. Additional activities may involve assurance processes, audits, as well as mentoring and coaching.
The deployment strategy warrants careful consideration, as it may necessitate the creation of numerous specialized products. Two viable options are the ‘big bang’ approach, where all changes are implemented at once, and the incremental approach, which involves phased and gradual implementation.
‘Big bang’ approach
The ‘big bang’ approach involves the simultaneous activation of the project management method and its supporting elements on a single designated day. Although this approach might be well-suited to small or newly established organizations, it has limitations.
There may be challenges upon launch without comprehensive trials beforehand. To help guarantee success, these trials must consider practicality and scalability concerns. However, because the ‘big bang’ approach centres around a single go-live date, it can be effectively managed as a project itself.
Incremental approach
To achieve a flexible and practical implementation of the new method, an incremental rollout approach is often the most advantageous. This approach enables the realization of early benefits and mitigates the burden of handling extensive changes all at once. Additionally, it permits a step-by-step introduction by location, preventing resources being overloaded. Critical launch features need to be identified, and additional features can be introduced as they become ready. Intermediate stages may be required to solidify capabilities before proceeding with further expansion.
Managing this rollout as a programme with tranches can more accurately represent the intermediate operational states, as it necessitates the coordination of multiple projects and change initiatives.
Monitoring progress
Monitoring the progress of change during deployment and the initial stages of operation is vital. Neglecting to uphold the use of a project management method after deployment can lead to wasted resources and increased costs. Continuous and proactive management of the method is imperative to sustain ongoing benefits for the organization and drive enhancements in organizational performance.
Improving organizational performance
A project management method such as PRINCE2 should never be viewed as an end in itself; instead, it should be regarded as a means to enhance organizational performance. The effective utilization of such a method hinge on having skilled and competent individuals involved. Consistency in approach contributes substantial value. The method should also stay pertinent and actively engage stakeholders through feedback mechanisms and their participation in communities of practice and user groups.
Quality assurance, project assurance, and audits serve as means to furnish evidence of the practices being implemented. Maturity models can further illustrate the progression of organizational capability.
User communities
In larger organizations, the establishment of user communities serves as a valuable means to facilitate knowledge sharing and enhance performance. These communities of practice have the potential to cultivate subject matter experts who can assume leadership roles and take ownership of relevant aspects of the method.
Individual competence
An organization’s maturity is closely tied to its overall capability, while individual competence plays a crucial role. Encouraging the development of individual skills is of paramount importance. One effective approach is to mandate that individuals attain a specific competence level, often through certification, before they assume project management responsibilities.
Moreover, additional project management training and development programs can be implemented to address any competency gaps. It is essential that these skills and competencies are closely aligned and traceable to the different elements within the method for better integration.
To ensure the relevance of training and development efforts, they should encompass both competencies and method-specific knowledge, particularly at the foundational levels. Experienced practitioners can benefit from mentors or coaches who guide them, ensuring the adoption of proper behaviours and utilization of the method without becoming overly rigid or mechanistic.
