| The purpose of this article is to investigate | | | | perceived probabilities and magnitudes, |
| the current hot topics of project management. | | | | thereby altering them", a definition that |
| In the 21st century, there is a clear swift | | | | differs from the traditional quantitive |
| from hard systems approach of project | | | | analysis of risk. Green broads even more the |
| management to soft factors, a demand for | | | | scope of risk management and includes the |
| strategic thinking in project management | | | | clients. He thinks that "the process of risk |
| (Buttrick, 2000), new success factors | | | | management only becomes meaningful through |
| (Atkinson, 1999) and project uncertainty | | | | the active participation of the client's |
| management (Ward & Chapman, 2003). Broader | | | | project stakeholders". In his point of view |
| project management theory and more intense | | | | there is a new way of assessing risk |
| research efforts are also a trend in the | | | | management that "depends less upon |
| field (Winter & Smith, 2005).Human beings | | | | probabilistic forecasting and more upon the |
| have been executing projects from ancient | | | | need to maintain a viable political |
| times (Kwak, 2003). From relocating a tribe | | | | consistency within the client |
| to constructing enormous buildings such as | | | | organisation".The conventional theory of |
| the pyramids, projects were a dominant | | | | project management consists of a narrow focus |
| element of history. Not long ago, those | | | | on projects as unique and totally separated |
| involved in projects understood that they | | | | units of work. But current projects tend to |
| needed methods and processes to help them | | | | be integrated smoothly in the general context |
| manage these projects more efficiently. To | | | | of organizations in order to "develop the |
| meet this need, scientists and practitioners | | | | «management of project portfolios» and |
| worked together to form a new concept which | | | | «programme management» which are more |
| was called «project management». | | | | strategically orientated towards «doing |
| According to the PMBOK's definition "project | | | | the right projects»" (Winter & Smith, |
| management is the application of knowledge, | | | | 2005). |
| skills, tools and techniques to project | | | | |
| activities to meet project requirements". (A | | | | It is common ground in the literature that |
| Guide to Project Management Body of | | | | the theory of project management needs more |
| Knowledge, 2004). There are many different | | | | research. Koskela and Howell (2002) suggest |
| views in the literature concerning the birth | | | | that the theoretical base "has been implicit |
| of project management. Maylor (2005) mentions | | | | and it rests on a faulty understanding of the |
| that "project management in the way that we | | | | nature of work in projects, and deficient |
| would understand it today did not exist until | | | | definitions of planning, execution and |
| the 1950s" and Wideman (2001) tracks the | | | | control". From their point of view, |
| first use of project management in the UK's | | | | enrichment of project management with new |
| Institution of Civil Engineers report on UK | | | | methods and techniques cannot be done with |
| post war national development first published | | | | any stable theoretical background. As a |
| in 1944.Since then, there have been a lot of | | | | result, there is a trend of putting more |
| changes. "The hard systems approach, which | | | | effort in research and rethinking the way |
| treated the project as a mechanical activity, | | | | which «bodies of knowledge» is written |
| has been shown to be flawed" (Maylor, 2005). | | | | so that complex projects' actions will be |
| The soft skills of project management are | | | | better documented.As a conclusion, we could |
| getting more attention because it is now | | | | use the words of D.T. Jones (2005) who writes |
| clear that "the ability to apply these skills | | | | that "project management is no longer about |
| effectively throughout the life cycle of a | | | | managing the sequence of steps required to |
| project will enhance the success of a project | | | | complete the project on time". He adds that |
| exponentially" (Belzer). In spite of the | | | | "it is about systematically incorporating the |
| perfect understanding of planning, scheduling | | | | voice of the customer, creating a disciplined |
| and controlling, projects have still a high | | | | way of prioritising effort and resolving |
| rate of failure. Belzer points out that "more | | | | trade-offs, working concurrently on all |
| often they fail because of a project | | | | aspects of the projects in multi-functional |
| manager's inability to communicate | | | | teams".References1. A Guide to Project |
| effectively, work within the organization's | | | | Management Body of Knowledge, 2004, 3rd |
| culture, motivate the project team, manage | | | | Edition, Project Management |
| stakeholder expectations, understand the | | | | Institute2. Adams, Review for THES Risk |
| business objectives, solve problems | | | | Decision and Policy, Cambridge University |
| effectively, and make clear and knowledgeable | | | | Press, [Electronic]3. Atkinson, 1999, Project |
| decisions". To address these problems in the | | | | management: cost, time and quality, two best |
| 21st century, a project team needs to develop | | | | guesses and a phenomenon, its time to accept |
| a series of soft skills such as | | | | other success criteria, International Journal |
| "communication, team building, flexibility | | | | of Project Management Vol. 17, No. 6, pp. |
| and creativity, leadership and the ability to | | | | 337±342, [Electronic]4. Belzer, Project |
| manage stress and conflict". (Sukhoo et. al, | | | | Management : Still More Art than Science, |
| 2005).In addition, project management | | | | [Electronic]5. Buttrick, 2000, The project |
| requires a stronger strategy orientation. | | | | workout, 2nd edition6. Engwall, 2003, No |
| "More than 80 per cent of all problems at the | | | | project is an island: linking projects to |
| project level are caused by failures at a | | | | history and context, Research Policy 32, pp. |
| board level in firms to provide clear policy | | | | 789-808, [Electronic]7. Ferguson, 2005, First |
| and priorities" (Maylor, 2001). The approach | | | | Tutorial on Strategic Management, Full Time |
| that Maylor suggests is very different from | | | | MSc in Project Management, Lancaster |
| the traditional link between strategy and | | | | University8. Green, Towards an integrated |
| projects, as he proposes a "coherent, | | | | script for risk and value management, |
| co-ordinated, focused, strategic competence | | | | Department of Construction Management & |
| in project management which eventually | | | | Engineering, The University of Reading, |
| provides source of competitive advantage". | | | | UK9. Jones, 2005, Foreward to Maylor's book |
| This two-way methodology that relates | | | | Project Management, FT Prentice Hall, |
| organisational and project strategy is | | | | UK10. Koskela & Howell, 2002, The underlying |
| illustrated in figure 1. To better understand | | | | theory of project management is obsolete, |
| the project's strategy, there is also a need | | | | Project Management Institute, |
| to analyse "the experiences from past | | | | [Electronic]11. Kwak, 2003, The Story of |
| activities, politics during the pre-project | | | | Managing Projects, Quorum Books, |
| phases, parallel courses of events happening | | | | [Electronic]12. Maylor, 2005, Project |
| during project execution and ideas about the | | | | Management, FT Prentice Hall, UK13. Maylor, |
| post-project future" (Mats Engwall, | | | | 2001, Beyond the Gantt Chart:: Project |
| 2002).Moreover, Maylor highlights a change in | | | | Management Moving on, European Management |
| project's success criteria, from conformance | | | | Journal Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 92-100, 2001, UK, |
| to performance. In 1960s project managers | | | | [Electronic]14. Sukhoo, Barnard, Eloff, Van |
| seek to comply only with the documented | | | | der Poll Accommodating Soft Skills in |
| specifications of the project, while current | | | | Software Project Management, Issues in |
| projects require real performance. In other | | | | Informing Science and Information Technology, |
| words, the success criteria of the 21st | | | | University of South Africa, Pretoria, South |
| century as indicated by Maylor have changed | | | | Africa, [Electronic]15. Ward, 2003, |
| to as short time as possible, as cheaply as | | | | Transforming project risk management into |
| possible and towards a maximum customer | | | | project uncertainty management, International |
| delight. Other academics imply nowadays a | | | | Journal of Project Management vol.21, pp. |
| much simpler view of success criteria which | | | | 97-105, [Electronic]16. Wideman, 2001, |
| is focused only in keeping the client happy | | | | Criteria for a Project Management body of |
| (Ferguson, 2005) in contrast with the 90s | | | | knowledge, [Electronic]17. Winter & Smith, |
| view of just finishing the project on time | | | | 2005, 'Rethinking Project Management, Making |
| and on budget.Changes in risk management are | | | | Sense So Far: Emerging Directions and Future |
| also one of the hot topics of project | | | | Research', Rethinking Project Management |
| management in the new century. Ward (2003) | | | | (EPSRC Network 2004-2006), |
| propose the term «uncertainty | | | | [Electronic]Dimitris Litsikakis is currently |
| management» and recommends that a "focus | | | | studying MSc Project Management in one of the |
| on «uncertainty» rather than risk could | | | | top business schools in UK, Lancaster |
| enhance project risk management". Adams has | | | | University. He has published a series of |
| an interesting view of risk as he describes | | | | articles in Ne.O (New Technology Observer). |
| it as "a reflexive phenomenon - we respond to | | | | |