Mike Barnato

Are your projects in a muddle?

A previous post discussed project overload and what to do about it.

If you don’t prioritise, you usually fail to achieve your goals.

It’s like shooting the alligators rather than draining the swamp.

So can you be confident, that your projects, taken as a whole, will deliver your goals? 

These initiatives are variously called work streams, projects, programmes.

These are key questions to consider:

• Are your projects still appropriate?
• Are they still deliverable?
• For example: Do you have, or can you transfer skills and knowledge?
• For example: Do you have the necessary ingredients for project success?
• Will they realise business benefits?
• Is the overall risk acceptable?

The issue is going to be particularly important in the public sector. Many public sector projects are long term, so there is a big legacy of incomplete initiatives. There is also a high spend on projects, in relation to business as usual.  It is also urgent because of changes in public sector financials, political change and structural change. For example, many new agencies have been created in the last few years to create independent organisations. This is now likely to be reversed because of financial constraints.

In my experience as a Portfolio Director, this is challenging stuff because it crosses disciplines like programmes, organisation and strategy and needs engagement with technical experts.  It is also both analytical and emotional. People don’t want to give up projects when they are a big part of their position and power.

But it is vital to actively manage initiatives as a whole, without losing sight of the detail; ‘strategic portfolio management’  in jargon. If they degenerate into a muddle, they won’t, taken as a whole, deliver your goals. And you will disrupt your business, waste resources and demotivate your staff.

 Picture by Mykl Roventine