Project capability: Structure,
culture and roles
Learning outcomes
At the end of this session, you should be able to:
• Describe the various facilitators of project
implementation.
• Explain the different structures for effective project
management
• Describe the ideal project culture
• Distinguish between management and leadership
• Describe the ideal project manager
Different Project
Structures
• The functional structure organises/absorpes projects
with in the current hierarchical structure
• Project ownership vested in particular function based on
expertise/fit
• Used most often in hierarchical organisations where a
particular function has a dominant intererst
• For instance: customer services projectsponsor with
CFO and CIO involved
• Good because it is inexpensive, has more expertise
• Bad because it is slow, inflexible and lacks focus
Different Project
Structures
Different Project
Structures
• The dedicated team structure is a distinct structure to
the organisation
• Teams can be integrated into the organisation in a
projectised structure, or distinct from a functional
structure
• Good because it is quicker, more focussed,
interdependent
• Bad because it is expensive,subject to maverick
behaviour and limited in expertise
Different Project
Structures
Different Project
Structures
Different Project
Structures
• Matrix structure is a hybrid structure combining
dedicated teams with a functional structure
• Includes strong, balanced and weak matrices
depending on how authority is distributed between the
project and functional managers
• Good because it is more focussed, interdependent,
allows for greater use of expertise, easier post project
transition
• Bad because it allows for ambiguity, is slower, has
potential for greater conflict
Different Project
Structures
Different Project
Structures
• Virtual organisation: An alliance of several organizations
for the purpose of creating products or services.
• A “hub” or “core” firm with strong core competencies
outsources key activities to a collaborative cluster of
satellite organizations.
• Good because more dedicated expertise, quicker,
cheaper, more flexible
• Bad because it encourages more conflict due to
contractual breakdowns, and loss of control
Different Project
Structures
Different Project
Structures
•Organization (Form) Considerations
•How important is the project to the firm’s success?
•What percentage of core work involves projects?
•What level of resources (human and physical) are available?
•Project Considerations
•Size of project
•Strategic importance
•Novelty and need for innovation
•Need for integration (number of departments involved)
•Environmental complexity (number of external interfaces)
•Budget and time constraints
•Stability of resource requirements
Project Cultures
•Cultures include the different norms and
values common to the members of the
organisation
•It is the glue that binds organisations
together
•Gives definition to ‘how things are done’.
Project Cultures
Project Cultures
•Challenges:
•Culture not static – changes
•Cultures of coping and adopting to change and
becoming ‘risk takers’
•Project managers have to navigate multiple
cultures across different organisations
•Lack of diversity on a project team
•Complex interplay between organisational and
societal elements
•The way in which an organisation behaves
might not be the way we behave outside the
organisation