Comments on: Project Risk - Is It All Bad? http://www.pmhut.com/project-risk-is-it-all-bad Thu, 24 May 2012 08:59:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Paul Slater http://www.pmhut.com/project-risk-is-it-all-bad/comment-page-1#comment-21359 Paul Slater Thu, 27 May 2010 12:14:15 +0000 http://www.pmhut.com/?p=4684#comment-21359 Ross, Thanks you for your kind words on my article - I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to respond. I find project complexity an issue that is poorly understood by many people and not just those in the IT field. Projects that encompass a number of different disciplines which have to come together to deliver overall success are particularly difficult, even more so when there are differing 'themes' of project management at play in the different areas. This is when the experience of the project manager and their team really comes into play. Paul Ross,

Thanks you for your kind words on my article - I’m so sorry it’s taken me this long to respond.

I find project complexity an issue that is poorly understood by many people and not just those in the IT field. Projects that encompass a number of different disciplines which have to come together to deliver overall success are particularly difficult, even more so when there are differing ‘themes’ of project management at play in the different areas. This is when the experience of the project manager and their team really comes into play.

Paul

]]> By: Ross Holman http://www.pmhut.com/project-risk-is-it-all-bad/comment-page-1#comment-16180 Ross Holman Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:36:38 +0000 http://www.pmhut.com/?p=4684#comment-16180 Paul your article is very helpful. My experience suggests one of the primary reasons for these continued poor results is the lack of formal, aggressive IT project complexity and risk assessment and management – a responsibility of the IT project sponsor and project manager. Software development is a process – a process with varying degrees of complexity. A process’s complexity, therefore, defines, qualitatively and quantitatively, the relative difficulty, time consumption, resource requirements and skill requirements necessary to successfully complete. The more complex the process – the more difficult, time consuming, resources intensive and more experienced skills are required. Many project managers use complexity and risk synonymously – but they are not. Project risks are qualitative and quantitative issues or events which could lead to negative consequences. Risks can be prevented, repaired if they become an issue or mitigated. Complexity is not an event and is harder or impossible to prevent, repair or mitigate once the IT project begins. So why do most IT sponsors and project managers do a lousy job of complexity and risk assessment and management? A few reasons are: 1.Lack of skills – training and/or experience 2.Internal politics 3.Lack of formal assessment and management process that is consistent and repeatable 4.Lack of assessment, management and reporting tools 5.Lack of emphasis in CMM, ITIL and other methodologies Project risks are not necessarly to be avoided, but they do need to be managed. Paul your article is very helpful. My experience suggests one of the primary reasons for these continued poor results is the lack of formal, aggressive IT project complexity and risk assessment and management – a responsibility of the IT project sponsor and project manager.

Software development is a process – a process with varying degrees of complexity. A process’s complexity, therefore, defines, qualitatively and quantitatively, the relative difficulty, time consumption, resource requirements and skill requirements necessary to successfully complete. The more complex the process – the more difficult, time consuming, resources intensive and more experienced skills are required. Many project managers use complexity and risk synonymously – but they are not. Project risks are qualitative and quantitative issues or events which could lead to negative consequences. Risks can be prevented, repaired if they become an issue or mitigated. Complexity is not an event and is harder or impossible to prevent, repair or mitigate once the IT project begins.

So why do most IT sponsors and project managers do a lousy job of complexity and risk assessment and management? A few reasons are:

1.Lack of skills – training and/or experience
2.Internal politics
3.Lack of formal assessment and management process that is consistent and repeatable
4.Lack of assessment, management and reporting tools
5.Lack of emphasis in CMM, ITIL and other methodologies

Project risks are not necessarly to be avoided, but they do need to be managed.

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