TOTAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES By the end of this chapter you should: Understand the role that project management plays within change situaons. Idenfy the phases and techniques associated with total project management Be able to idenfy situaons in which the approach would be beneficial Apply the approach and understand its limitaons. Be aware of the linkages between systems style intervenon approaches and organizaonal development Project managers, or praccing managers with knowledge and experience of project-based management approaches, have oſten expressed the view, when first faced with ISM, that it is lile more than another three phase methodology: definion, design and implementaon. They generally consider themselves to be proficient in the use of network and budgetary-based planning techniques and fully understand associated decision-making processes. However, with a lile prompng they will very quickly admit that the problems they face when managing a complex project, a transion from one state to another, a change in effect, are oſten traceable to people-related management issues. When they are then forced to examine the planning and control tools they employ in project management, along with their decision-making methodologies, they realize that they do not incorporate the features necessary to ensure the organizaonal complexies are fully integrated with the physical planning mechanisms. Even in 2000s, many organizaons, or at least divisions within them, do not fully recognize the need for holisc, people-focused, change management. The ISM, introduced in chapter 7, maybe considered by some to be just a lile too liberal, democrac and even possibly dangerous. Many managers may readily idenfy with the raonale behind its design, but consider the emphasis placed on a holisc systems review and parcipave styles simple common sense – a common sense that they acknowledge but do not necessarily observe or fully understand. A useful model, which integrates the parcipave features of ISM and the mechanisc planning tools associated with a more scienfic management approach, is the total project management model (TPM for short). TPM cannot teach a manager to manage in a more parcipave and less intervenonal manner, but it can highlight the points within a typical project life cycle when a more liberal, trusng and open management approach should be employed (Firth and Krut, 1991). In many ways TPM promotes a more inclusive and trusng environment for those most likely to be impacted upon by the change event (as stressed by Llnes et al., 2005) It forces project managers and problem owners and problem owners to progressively “open-up”: this is especially useful when the organizaonal culture is more rigid, formal and tradional. Such an approach may minimize the impact of the inial intervenon and enhance the likelihood of a sustainable outcome (Karp, 2005). As far as the TPM is concerned a project manager is simply the individual charged with handling a specific project. They need not be, in the course of normal events, permanently designated as a project manager. They may or may not be skilled in the applicaon of project planning techniques. However, the assumpon has been made that they will be aware of the existence and seek out, when appropriate, project team members skilled in their applicaon. Such assumpons concerning the capabilies and knowledge bases of professional and appointed project managers are in the authors’ view valid given the context in which TPM was both conceived and promoted. 1 | N S K