APM Blogs

Welcome to the first in a series of blog posts that aim to make the case for applying systems thinking to project management.

Many of us are familiar with the transformation life cycle exemplified through MSP®.

If we consider a project to be ‘a unique, transient endeavour undertaken to achieve a desired outcome’ – we can see why projects are inherently stressful.

Find what you need to fix Have the courage to find out what you need to do better.

It’s acceptable to pull the plug on a project when you’ve done everything right – and still it goes wrong.

Too often in the construction industry, all-important client outcomes are lost in a sea of contractual wrangling that can be conflict-ridden, overwhelmed by complex jargon or disregarded due to the approach of ‘well, it’s always been done this way’.

New frontiers in programme management The world today is rapidly changing, and it is the programmes of the future that will both help deliver and mitigate against these changes.

How do behaviours impact on assurance processes and how do the ‘right’ behaviours support successful assurance mechanisms and ultimately project success?  These and other questions we will try to answer as part of a future research project, led by the APM Assurance Specific Interest Group.

“The way that the consultation process has worked with feedback and what they're planning to do in the future, shows that the APM is taking this topic very seriously, wants to engage with the membership and the community generally and is listening.

Christmas Day: a transient endeavour with fixed start and end dates, clearly defined objectives and deliverables, perhaps no business case as such, but very real costs (tangible) and expected benefits (mostly intangible) and a stakeholder community with risks to be managed and issues to be addressed.