Purpose And Scope


Technical Purpose

The technical purposes are to define a workable project management structure and to select qualified project leaders. The two words that should catch your eye are “workable” and “qualified.” The project leaders have to be qualified in terms of the project. This does not mean that they are technical or engineering geniuses. That can just get in the way. The project leaders will have to be able to cope with both local and regional or global issues and situations.

Business Purpose

The business purpose is to determine a project management approach that will handle issues and be flexible to deal with situations that arise during the work in the international project. If you create a bureaucratic structure or, at the other extreme, if you ignore setting this up and go by “the seat of your pants,” you will run into trouble. You will have to start inventing rules and structure as you go in a reactive mode.

Another business purpose is to obtain project leaders who can handle situations on their own without constant interference and support. Even with modern communications, it is valuable to have project leaders who can think on their feet and resolve problems.

Political Purpose

The political purpose of this chapter is significant. Here are some specific goals:

  • Managers have to buy into and accept as well as understand the project management structure. In this way, they will be less likely to undermine it later. This also means that they will have to have a role in its definition.

  • The individuals selected to lead the project have to be respected by not only headquarters, but also the people at the locations. Otherwise, the authority of the project leaders will be undermined.

Note that for all of these purposes, there is nothing said about getting the “best” project leaders. After a combined total of over 40 years in project management, we have yet to be able to define the term “best.” You can, however, define “ acceptable” and “good.”




International Project Management
International Project Management: Leadership in Complex Environments
ISBN: 0470578823
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 154

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