Issues in front-end decision-making on projects
Issues in front-end decision-making on projects
The importance of the front-end decision-making phase in projects is being increasingly recognized - the need to do the right project is on a par with doing the project right. This area is underrepresented in the literature, but there are a number of key themes that run throughout, identifying key issues or difficulties during this stage. This article looks at some of these themes and includes: the need for alignment between organizational strategy and the project concept; dealing with complexity, in particular the systemicity and interrelatedness within project decisions; consideration of the ambiguity implicit in all major projects; taking into account psychological and political biases within estimation of benefits and costs; consideration of the social geography and politics within decision-making groups; and preparation for the turbulence within the project environment, including the maintenance of strategic alignment.
front end, strategy, complexity, biases, turbulence
38-49
Williams, Terence
5f501e37-0e96-4091-bd8a-67bb405dcc46
Samset, Knut
b4f6f60d-0331-4d8b-9c3a-cbfb79acb5b0
3 March 2010
Williams, Terence
5f501e37-0e96-4091-bd8a-67bb405dcc46
Samset, Knut
b4f6f60d-0331-4d8b-9c3a-cbfb79acb5b0
Williams, Terence and Samset, Knut
(2010)
Issues in front-end decision-making on projects.
Project Management Journal, 41 (2), .
(doi:10.1002/pmj.20160).
Abstract
The importance of the front-end decision-making phase in projects is being increasingly recognized - the need to do the right project is on a par with doing the project right. This area is underrepresented in the literature, but there are a number of key themes that run throughout, identifying key issues or difficulties during this stage. This article looks at some of these themes and includes: the need for alignment between organizational strategy and the project concept; dealing with complexity, in particular the systemicity and interrelatedness within project decisions; consideration of the ambiguity implicit in all major projects; taking into account psychological and political biases within estimation of benefits and costs; consideration of the social geography and politics within decision-making groups; and preparation for the turbulence within the project environment, including the maintenance of strategic alignment.
Text
PDF_verson_of_total.pdf
- Author's Original
More information
Published date: 3 March 2010
Keywords:
front end, strategy, complexity, biases, turbulence
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 148941
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/148941
ISSN: 8756-9728
PURE UUID: 131ad6f0-f6cd-44b2-ab57-2ab69eef5fa7
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 29 Apr 2010 12:25
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 01:04
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
Terence Williams
Author:
Knut Samset
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics