Workshop on Project Management

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Workshop on Project Management

• Current Challenges for Project Management in the
  Public Sector

Jeets Hargovan Strategic Alternatives
Management Consultants CC 9 November 2006
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OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION

• Leadership on Project Management
• Government Response
• Qualification Framework
• Programmes and Projects
• Tenders
• Background to the experience input
• Some Practical Considerations
• Seven Phases of a Project
• PMBOK Project Cycle Management unpacked
• Institutional challenges
• We are not Alone
• Conclusion

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LEADERSHIP ON PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• The Government and Old Mutual Business School aim
  to provide foundational project management
  training to 100 employees within local
  government, in support of the Accelerated and
  Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa
  (AsgiSA) and particularly the Joint Initiative on
  Priority Skills Acquisition (JIPSA) Deputy
  President 1 June 2006
• I would like to be so bold as to categorically
  state that project management is one of the
  approaches that we have extended the use to the
  public sector that have much to offer to our
  effective functioning. (Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi
  November 2003)
• Project Management has become a core skill in the
  make-up of all public sector managers and
  professionals (Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi
  November 2003)
• Ministerial Statements / 2006 Budget Vote
  Statements by (amongst others)
• Minister T Manuel Budget speech 2006
• Minister of Housing, L Sisulu
• Minister of Provincial and Local Government, FS
  Mufumadi
• Minister for Agriculture and Land Affairs, T
  Didiza
• Gauteng Expanded Public Works Framework,
  introduced a new service delivery model for EPWP
  projects in the form of Project Management
  Resource Groups (PMRG) MEC Ignatius Jacobs
• Similar Statements by numerous Provincial MECs

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GOVERNMENT RESPONSE Formal Training

• Qualifications, Accreditation and Unit Standards
• SAQA Gazetted Generic Project Management
  qualification requirements ( others)
• Accreditation
• Approved Courses
• Unit Standard Compliant Service Providers
  Registered / Approved by SETA
• Necessary Process
• Has become a long bureaucratic

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GOVERNMENT RESPONSE - Selected Tenders
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GOVERNMENT RESPONSE Programmes / Projects

• Infrastructure Delivery Improvement Programme
  (IDIP) Mentioned by State President in May 2006
  in response to questions
• Municipal Infrastructure Grant (MIG) Project
  Consolidate
• Established Programme Management Units (PMUs)
• Some direct transfer of funds to Municipalities
• Other departmental initiatives E.g. Housing,
  Public Works Programmes
• National Treasury
• Conditional Grants, infrastructure grants
• Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) -
  Initiative called Siyenza Manje
• Provincial programmes and projects

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BACKGROUND TO THE EXPERIENCE

• Tendered worked on numerous public service
  projects
• Involved with the Donor Community
• Project Appraisals
• Project Management
• Evaluations
• Wits PDM Accredited Project Management
  Course
• As a public servant

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THE 7 PHASES OF A PROJECT
1. Wild enthusiasm 2. Disillusionment 3.
Confusion 4. Panic 5. Search for the guilty 6.
Punishment of the innocent 7. Promotion of
non-participants
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SOME PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES Wits

• Wits PDM Certified Project Management Course
• 40 students each in Johannesburg and Nelspruit
  Mix of Public sector, Private Sector and NGOs
  Across hierarchy (including a secretary once)
• Some independents Consultants / unemployed
  Average 10 - 15 looking for certificate - for
  promotion / leave organisation
• Core PM Cadre being created (with other
  institutions initiatives
• Management skills constraints , especially
  financial economic management

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PMBOK Project Cycle Management

• PMBOK
• 5 basic process groups
• Initiating,
• Planning,
• Executing,
• Controlling and Monitoring,
• Closing.
• 9 knowledge areas
• Project Integration Management.
• Project Scope Management,
• Project Time Management,
• Project Cost Management,
• Project Quality Management,
• Project Human Resource Management,
• Project Communications Management,
• Project Risk Management, and
• Project Procurement Management

• Project Cycle Management
• Programming
• Identification
• Formulation
• Financing
• Implementation
• Evaluation

There is a move to Results / Outcomes Based
Processes Evaluation
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SOME PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES

• Initiating / Programming identification
• Direction not always clear
• Resource driven - Availability of funds
• Political imperatives
• Evaluation then difficult

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SOME PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES

• Planning / Formulation
• Ability to scope project
• What makes a good terms of reference
• Unrealistic / optimistic time frames
• Lack of clarity on processes and deliverables
• What is work breakdown
• Use of consultants / professionals
• Tender / Procurement processes underestimated
• Agreement on evaluation criteria / process /
  contracting
• Buy in of all stakeholders

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SOME PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES

• Executing / Implementation
• Add-on to existing mandate of Project Manager
• Is the project manager a project manager?
• Management by Committee
• Hierarchy vs Project management team
• Reverse decisions / availability
• Communication through hierarchy
• Delayed / Insufficient feedback to project team
  consultants
• Lack of administrative support
• Poor risk management
• Scope creep

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SOME PRACTICAL EXPERIENCES

• Controlling and Monitoring / Evaluation
• Budget over-run
• Who has the final say?
• Administration of the department vs project
  management agreements
• Lack of clear evaluation criteria and mechanisms

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INSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGES

• Skills transfer / capacity building requirements
• Conflicts of interest
• Budget games
• Record keeping / knowledge management
• Reporting auditing
• Stability in organisation
• Executing Authority or Accounting Officer
• Hollywood syndrome
• Lack of timeous decision making

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WE ARE NOT ALONE (1)

• 1. Lack of clear links between the project and
  the organisation's key strategic priorities,
  including agreed measures of success.
• 2. Lack of clear senior management and
  Ministerial ownership and leadership.
• 3. Lack of effective engagement with
  stakeholders.
• 4. Lack of skills and proven approach to project
  management and risk management.
• 5. Too little attention to breaking development
  and implementation into manageable steps.
• 6. Evaluation of proposals driven by initial
  price rather than long-term value for money
  (especially securing delivery of business
  benefits).
• 7. Lack of understanding of, and contact with the
  supply industry at senior levels in the
  organisation.
• 8. Lack of effective project team integration
  between clients, the supplier team and the supply
  chain.
• (1) UK Office of Government Commerce - Common
  Causes of Project Failure

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CONCLUSION

• Not Flavour of the Month Issue
• Absolute commitment even if no consensus on
  tools to be used
• PMBOK, Prince2, PCM
• MS Office vs Open Source tools etc
• Delivery is taking place
• Pockets of excellence
• Despite institutional difficulties
• Need for a directed government approach
• No Need to re-invent wheel

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Q A