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The POO is characterized by specific business processes. A process model of the POO can be visualized in a spider web (Figure 3). The axes represent the specific processes of the POO. These processes are briefly described.
Figure 3: Specific Processes of the POO
Each process of the POO model is described in a POO questionnaire. In Table 1 an example of a question for the project management process is shown.
B 4.1) Which project organization documents result from the project start process? | |
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Always = 1, Often = 2, Sometimes = 3, Seldom = 4, or Never = 5 | |
Project Assignment | |
Project Organization Chart | |
Project Role Descriptions | |
Project Responsibility Matrix | |
Project Communication Structures | |
Project-Related Incentive Systems | |
Others (Please State: ……………………) |
The questionnaire of the POO process model can be applied for assessing the maturity of the POO and for benchmarking it. Project management is the core business process of the POO. The project management process starts with the formal project assignment and ends with the project acceptance by the project owner. It consists of the subprocesses project start, project coordination, project controlling, project discontinuity management, and project close down (Figure 4). The project management process is performed in addition to the contents-related processes to achieve the project results. Examples for contents-related processes of an engineering project are engineering, procurement, logistics, and construction.
Figure 4: Project Management Process
Objects of consideration in the project management process are the project objectives, the scope of work, the project schedule, and the project costs, as well as the project organization, the project culture, and the project context (project environment relationships, relationships to the company strategies, relationships to other projects, and so on).
Program management has to be performed in addition to the management of the single projects of a program. The program management methods are similar to the project management methods, i.e., there is a program work breakdown structure, a program bar chart, a program environment analysis, and so forth. The program organization has to be designed in addition to the organizations of the single projects. Specific roles in a program are program owner, program manager, and program office (Figure 5).
Figure 5: Program Organization Chart
The advantages of designing program organizations instead of defining a "mega-project" with several subprojects are as follows:
A less hierarchal organization
Clear structures and a clear terminology (a program manager and several project managers instead of one project manager and project managers of the subprojects)
Empowerment of the projects of the program by allowing for specific project cultures, specific relationships to environments, specific project organizations, and so on
Differentiation between program ownership and different ownerships for the projects.
Consulting and auditing of projects and programs are important instruments to ensure project and program quality.
The objectives of the project portfolio coordination are:
Optimizing the results of the project portfolio (and not of the single projects)
Selection of projects to be started
Definition of project priorities
Coordination of internal and external resources
Organization of learning of and between projects.
The basis for the coordination of the project portfolio is a project portfolio database, which allows the development of project portfolio reports. Typical project portfolio reports are the bar chart of projects, the projects profit versus risk graph, the progress chart of projects, and so forth.
Networking between projects occurs in an ad-hoc process, where a set of coupled projects cooperate, in order to create synergies. Personnel management processes in the POO are recruitment, disposition, and development of project personnel. In the POO a project management career path includes the roles junior project manager, project manager, and senior project manager (Figure 6).
Figure 6: Project Management Career Path
The organizational design of a POO is characterized by specific integrative structures such as a project management office, a project portfolio group, and expert pools and specific tools, such as project management procedures and standard project plans.
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