Paradigm Shift | Project Management Magazine Winter 2022 by Australian Institute of Project Management

PARADIGM SHIFT THE AIPM DIGITAL MAGAZINE

ACHIEVING SUCCESS

WINTER 2022

Uplift your organisation's capability for better project outcomes Become an AIPM organisational member for organisation and employee benefits LEARN MORE 2

CONTENTS MESSAGE FROM THE CEO . . . . . . . . . 4 IN THE NEWS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 CONNECT UPCOMING AIPM EVENTS . . . . . . . . . 6 INNOVATIONS AND INSIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF CHAOS IN SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS. . . . . . . . . . 8 LEAVING A LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . 12 WHAT IT TAKES TO SUCCEED IN PROJECT COMPLEXITY. . . . . . . . . . . . 16 WHY FOCUSSING ON THE SCOPE MAY NOT LEAD TO TRUE PROJECT SUCCESS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 AN INCREASE IN COMPLEX PROJECTS WITHOUT INCREASING STAFF: HOW IT’S BEING DONE. . . . . 26

The Jemena-Kendall Bay Remediation Project (source: Jemena)

Paradigm Shift is published quarterly. Calls for articles for the next edition will be made approximately 45 days before publication. Please see the back page for more details on how you can feature in our next edition.

PROJECTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT THE 10 MOST SUCCESSFULLY MANAGED PROJECTS IN AUSTRALIA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 UOW’S APPROACH TO INCREASING STUDENT EMPLOYABILITY. . . . . . . . 36 PROJECT MANAGEMENT AS A LEARNING TOOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 FELLOWS FORUM DIGITISING THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. . . . . . . 46 IN MEMORIAM VALE RAY ABÉ, AIPM LIFE FELLOW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

MESSAGE FROM THE CEO SID GOKANI

The COVID pandemic has forced us to shift focus, and make big decisions and changes at a faster pace than ever before. For many, this has brought about innovation and success. One of our articles this issue poses an interesting question on whether we should continue to create chaos for future success, and another reminds us that for success, we need to stay aligned with the business need and not just the project scope. With this issue focussed on achieving success, other articles look at what is needed to succeed in complex projects, and we take a look at a case study of how a branch is managing an increase in complex projects without an increase in staff. We also look at some great examples of how project management 4

education is changing for the better, how a software company is seeking to digitise the construction industry using gamification, and how we can add value to our projects for the future. As it’s more important than ever to reward success, I must remind you of the approaching deadline of 6 July for submitting your entry to the 2022 Project Management Achievement Awards (PMAAs). Don’t miss your chance to gain professional recognition, increase morale in your team, and enhance your organisation’s positioning in the project profession. Open to a variety of categories and sectors, the PMAAs are an example of how success can be achieved in many forms across many industries within the project landscape. I hope this issue provides you inspiration and cultivates discussion among your teams. Enjoy reading, Sid Gokani MBA GAICD CEO Australian Institute of Project Management

IN THE NEWS THE GREAT RESIGNATION BECOMING A ‘GREAT MIDLIFE CRISIS’?

A new trend of older workers quitting their jobs is being coined the ‘Great Midlife Crisis’ in America, and may be starting to appear here. While the beginning of the pandemic caused younger workers to rethink their careers, it now seems to be the higherpaid workers who are resigning. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that more workers between 40 and 60, with financial stability, are now reconsidering their options and are starting their own businesses or looking for more flexible positions. The pandemic has given people time to reflect, and it’s at this point in their lives where they’re considering what they want to spend the rest of their lives and their careers doing. We would be interested to know if you’ve noticed this trend in your workplace. Members, let us know in the Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM) community forum.

PMAA DEADLINE APPROACHING The deadline of 6 July for submitting your entry to the 2022 Project Management Achievement Awards (PMAAs) is fast approaching. The PMAAs celebrate excellence in project management, recognising the talented individuals and teams who work across varying sectors of the project profession. It’s a fantastic way to gain professional recognition, increase morale in your team, and enhance your organisation’s positioning in the project profession. If you want to ensure your submission has the best chance of winning, ensure you’ve read the guide to entry, as well as read our blog or watched our webinar on How to nail your PMAA submission.

FAREWELLING TWO AIPM MEMBERS We reflect on the lives of two AIPM members, who passed away recently. Ray Abé LFAIPM and John Brain MAIPM were longstanding members of the AIPM. We remember the service these gentlemen brought to the AIPM and the greater project profession, and the comradery established. Their presence will be sorely missed. Ray was a board member of the AIPM and had an extensive impact on our organisation. You can read more about Ray’s contribution to the AIPM on page 50. Our thoughts are with Ray and John’s families, and we express our deepest condolences. 5

CONNECT UPCOMING AIPM EVENTS Visit our Events page to see the latest webinars and virtual events coming up, or start streaming content anytime, anywhere at ondemand.aipm.com.au.

Celebrating leadership in project excellence

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INNOVATIONS AND INSIGHTS

THE IMPORTANCE OF CHAOS IN SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS

NO MATTER HOW GOOD YOU ARE AT MANAGING PROJECTS, LIFE HAPPENS; SUPPLIERS FAIL TO DELIVER, PEOPLE GET SICK, AND RESOURCES MAY NOT MEET YOUR SPECIFICATION. GOOD PROJECT PLANNING IS AN OBVIOUS PART OF THE SOLUTION, SAYS KERRY SWAN, AUTHOR OF HEARTFELT LEADERSHIP, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE CHAOS THAT THESE PROBLEMS CREATE? COULD THIS BE A GOOD THING?

The best project managers understand that project management is both an art and a science. You can manage a project effectively with good analytical controls like a budget, schedule, or resource plan, but you can manage a project to success if

you also utilise a range of soft skills like emotional intelligence, adult learning, and facilitation skills. TIGHTLY CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENTS DO NOT ENCOURAGE INNOVATION Better projects happen when creativity, change, and innovation are actively encouraged. Generally, the best teams, projects, and businesses are all built in the middle of chaos – not inside a tight structure. Consider the chaos and changes that you have accommodated during the COVID-19 pandemic. You have changed the way you work, managed a range of uncertainties, and continue to deliver your projects. If you reflect on the last two years, you might find, despite the uncertainty, that some of your projects are actually stronger, and have performed better because you had to get creative in the way that you managed them. Imagine if you had delivered your projects, as planned. They may have worked according to time, scope, and cost, but you would have missed out on the good stuff. And, even 9

if you ‘had to’ respond to the uncertainty, the chaos did force you to be more innovative in your project delivery.

THE IMPORTANCE OF CHAOS Conventional leadership wisdom suggests that a strong and good leader creates everyday habits to make sure things happen, or, as the planners amongst us believe, that good leadership is all about planning and control. Whereas, author David Deida contends that, “The way of man or woman is control. The way of the universe is chaos.” A sense of control can make us feel organised and in charge, and, that you might even believe that you can bend the universe to your will. However, if you explore chaos theory, you begin to understand that small and insignificant changes can impact complex environments. In more practical terms, the concept of chaos theory is based on the reality that the longer the project, the more difficult it becomes to predict what will happen. Consider working from home: what impact has that had on project delivery? Communication patterns have changed, work happens at different time, and misunderstandings might have increased, but what if, in the increasing chaos, the reverse is also true? That working from home also increases your 10

attention span, your research time, and your pace. Chaos, therefore, is not necessarily bad, or necessarily good. Chaos exists in all projects, the workplace, and life. Chaos is therefore, a learning opportunity for you as a project manager.

LEAN INTO YOUR OWN DISCOMFORT Leaning into project chaos, and building a system for responding to change, can be a terrifying prospect for some project managers, but the best project managers plan for chaos, expect chaos, and lean into the discomfort that it creates. It will take more courage to sit with the chaos and consider what you are learning both personally, and from a project performance, but I guarantee that it will sharpen your delivery over the life of your project.

ACTIVELY ENCOURAGE CHANGE If you want to manage your discomfort, you can build an active change management process into your project. You can start by simply listing all of the things that are outside of scope, budget, or time and then attack them in a brainstorming session with your team.

This analytical approach (creating a list and then assessing it) allows you to add some logic and science to your project, but, facilitating the meeting, from your heart, will allow you to create a range of innovative solutions. A courageous project manager will actively encourage change and welcome the discomfort.

LEANING INTO CHAOS WILL BUILD BETTER PROJECTS You will miss out on all the opportunities that chaos presents if you are too rigid and too reliant on your project logic, rules, and authority.

In my experience, the best project managers, and leaders, are those who lean into the chaos and confusion, because that is where the gold is, in the opportunities for change and reform. Author: Kerry Swan, author of Heartfelt Leadership (Publish Central, $29.95), is a born-and-bred project manager. With more than 20 years’ experience as a self-employed consultant, coach and teacher, Kerry has worked with hundreds of leaders. These days Kerry works with her husband Craig across their diverse range of family businesses. With interests in real estate, earthmoving, and agribusiness, and a team of 35 people, Kerry loves leadership. Visit www.kerryswan.com.

INNOVATIONS AND INSIGHTS

LEAVING A LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

RESPECTED LEADER IN THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROFESSION, IAN SHARPE EXAMINES FOUR KEY WAYS THAT ASTUTE PROGRAM MANAGERS CAN WORK WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO ADD VALUE FOR THE FUTURE. HOW WILL YOUR PROGRAM CONSIDER THE LEGACY?

The classic view of projects versus programs is that projects deliver outputs and programs deliver outcomes. The challenge is defining what a meaningful outcome is and the value or benefit derived from delivering it. With an increasing focus on sustainability and climate change in the world, and most governments now mandating eco-friendly approaches, programs need to be constructed in a way that doesn’t just deliver outcomes, they leave a legacy for future generations. Understanding the social value that programs can generate in communities and how the program 12

connects to the United Nations Sustainable Development goals (UN SDGs) – during and afterwards – are now critical to get the best value from a program. Here are four key ways astute program managers can work with stakeholders to add value for the future. 1. STARTING WITH THE FUTURE (AND NOT JUST THE END) IN MIND Managing Successful Programmes® from the UK Cabinet Office defines outcomes and benefits as follows: • A n outcome is ‘the result of change, normally affecting real world behaviour and/or circumstances’. • A benefit is ‘the measurable improvement resulting from an outcome…’.

Of course, you can achieve tangible improvements during project and program delivery which are beneficial to organisations, for example saving software costs. However, there is a class of benefits beyond the organisation that is often neglected – the legacy that the program leaves for the world. Considering what legacy your program may be able to achieve up front enables you to consider how you structure and deliver your program to deliver that legacy, be that a community or global impact. Not all programs save the world, but that doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t consider the ways in which they can have a lasting positive impact.

2. UNDERSTANDING WHAT DIFFERENCE THE PROGRAM CAN MAKE FOR COMMUNITIES (DURING AND AFTERWARDS) Corporations and agencies have a social responsibility in what they do to contribute to the society and economy they are part of, yet how social value can be created and measured throughout the program is challenging. Sir Michael Barber wrote in An Instruction To Deliver: Tony Blair, The Public Services And The Challenge Of Delivery about the power that transformation programs have with the public when program outcomes are tied to tangible metrics they care about (and vote on). For example, when people can see trains running on time and average hospital waiting times reduce, they see value. There is no doubt that this alignment was seen as instrumental in helping show the social difference being made by the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007. Social value can be factored into programs from the outset – noting that it’s not just about what the public cares about of course. The second challenge is in what do you measure, with confidence that it will make a difference. For example, a new park facility in a local council area may have direct health benefits (physical and mental) from exercise, and community events enabled, 13

but it can be challenging to quantify these. Surprisingly, for a species that has had some 10,000 years of civilisation, actual government guidance on what to measure and effective frameworks are still emergent. The UK published a national handbook for Enhancing Social Value and Sweden drafted a national Social Impact Measurement standard in 2021. Standards Australia has undergone a public consultation for their handbook equivalent in the same year. There are other examples, but the point seems to have been glacial in coming. 3. CONNECTING TO THE UN SDGs TO INFORM BETTER EQUITY AND OPPORTUNITY The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which are an urgent call for action by all countries. The UN SGDs recognise that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-inhand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve the biosphere. These are certainly outcomes you can care about, yet few programs 14

proactively look at how what they are doing can contribute towards them. It’s often the case that the love for certainty blinds us to opportunity. For example, what if: • Your program could help align multiple agencies to support workforce development and help build transferrable capability for now and the future? • You could not only excavate a tunnel but use the earthworks to build a new park for a community and, in doing so, improve their access to recreation and exercise? • You budgeted exploring alternative processes and technologies to accelerate program delivery or improve the legacy you are leaving (for example, earlier decommissioning of a coal-fired station arising from battery storage improvement and pumped hydro)? 4. UNEARTHING UNEXPECTED BENEFITS Programs often encounter the fulcrum where the pressure to deliver far outweighs the capacity and funding to achieve the outcome needed. Private investment can help as part of funding. At the World Investment Forum 2021, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) launched the Sustainable Fund Awards

to recognise companies’ commitment to SDG funding and the achievement of high-quality, high-impact sustainable funds. UNCTAD estimated that the value of sustainability-themed investment products amounted to $3.2 trillion in 2020, a staggering 80% increase from 2019, showing that the capital market is increasingly aligning itself with sustainable development outcomes, including the SDGs. Attracting this investment to your program is the challenge. Investors are a lot more astute now and want to see how things are governed and controlled, not just promised as a return in a business case. Strong program management helps win their confidence but showing how you are also making a sustainable difference is clearly an investor priority. Another unexpected benefit is in talent retention and attraction. Beyond the pay and feeling included, most people want to do meaningful work and make a difference. It’s worth showing how you can help succession planning in your program delivery, grow careers, and de-risk delivery, and show the connection to making a real difference for others and the world.

Additionally, by calibrating your program to ensure you’ve got a sustainable focus and realistic outcome, a range of national and global awards (including the United Nations and the AIPM’s Project Management Achievement Awards) for sustainability become accessible. If you’re doing to do the work anyway, why wouldn’t you want to be recognised for it?

HOW WILL YOUR PROGRAM CONSIDER THE VALUE AND LEGACY? In conclusion there’s not only compelling reasons to examine the social value and legacy of your program, but there are also clear advantages to doing so. The key challenge here is how your program will consider the value and legacy; after all, there’s too much to lose if you don’t. Remember, you won’t be the only ones impacted. Author: Ian Sharpe FAIPM CPPD is an internationally respected leader in the project management profession and former Chair of the AIPM Board. As Director Program Advisory at Jacobs, Ian works globally with organisations and governments on their critical initiatives, including establishing and maturing global practices, frameworks and capability on project, program, PMO operations, and portfolio management.

INNOVATIONS AND INSIGHTS

WHAT IT TAKES TO SUCCEED IN PROJECT COMPLEXITY ADVISER AND COACH, KIERAN DUCK LOOKS AT HOW COMPLEX PROJECTS INCLUDE SOCIAL, AS WELL AS TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS. HAVE WE FORGOTTEN HOW TO BUILD CONNECTIONS?

In the final scene of the 1994 movie Pulp Fiction, Jules and Vincent, the main characters of the film, are sitting in a diner discussing the events of the day and how they

narrowly escaped being killed by an inept gunman. Jules describes it as ‘the miracle we witnessed’, to which Vincent replies, “The miracle you witnessed, I witnessed a freak occurrence.” Jules goes on to describe how he is going to fundamentally change his life, how he is going to ‘walk the Earth’ and ‘just be Jules’. This incident has no impact on Vincent. How is it possible that they experienced exactly the same situation, but had such different interpretations of it? Complexity can be like this, where exactly the same information leads to different conclusions. We see it with COVID responses – everyone has access to basically the same information but reactions at the individual, organisational, and national levels differ dramatically. In projects, differences of opinions will have an impact when trying to finalise a new wage deal, sign off a building layout, or even agree about what was decided in a meeting. This subjectivity, where individuals define reality 17

based on their world views, is a critical characteristic of complex projects.

THE NATURE OF COMPLEXITY Along with the subjective nature of many issues, the defining characteristics of complex projects are that they are: • Connected – the topic is so broad and interrelated that no one individual can see the whole system, often creating unexpected consequences and requiring multiple views to be brought together. • Unknowable – some things don’t reveal their true nature until you get into them. This is what David Snowden calls ‘complex and chaotic’ in his Cynefin model. You can’t rely on previous experience and have to ‘sense and respond’ to really understand the nature of this situation. • Unique – when it comes to genuinely complex projects, this group of people have never been in this situation facing this problem, so new norms and procedures need to be built. • Constrained – finally, while all projects have constraints, complex projects have political, financial, and legal trade-offs that are highly visible but can also be debated to test if they are real. 18

These characteristics are created by the social conditions, not technical issues. The result is a fluid situation with distributed power that can shape-shift and develop based on changing attitudes and judgement. For example, a new technology project gets unexpectedly delayed by nine months because employees launch a court challenge to the impact on staffing levels or the construction of a new dam gets halted by the social media campaign of an activist. In complexity, the boundary of what is in and out of scope can be unclear at the beginning, and even the definition of what is important can mutate as the project evolves. What becomes important in complex projects is the ability to navigate a range of opinions, to bring together disparate ideas, to build bridges between teams. Complexity requires you to create coalitions to drive ideas and actions forward. Project managers need to become experts at building connections.

BUILDING CONNECTIONS What do I mean by connection? It is about bringing people together to build a collective view of a situation.

It starts with getting to know others, to see their perspective, to ‘walk a mile in their shoes’. Let me give you an example. I worked on a large infrastructure project that was running late and over budget when I got involved. At the heart of the problem was the design sign-off. It required the packs to be submitted for review, the customer provided comments, and the packs were then updated and resubmitted. This cycle continued until there were no more comments. It was never clear how many iterations were required. The result was no reliability in the plan and no agreement on when the design milestone would be achieved (estimates ranged from 4-10 months). Project analysts were diving into detail to create a ‘more reliable’ plan, but this highlighted more and more dependencies and, as often happens when you add more detail, the timeframes blew out further. This approach wasn’t working. Instead of going into more detail, what we did was look at how to connect the suppliers’ design team with the customer – to bring the teams closer together. Within the limits of the contract, we colocated teams for a few days to

actively debate the designs. It became clear that one side was trying to create a technically brilliant product while the other wanted to reduce ongoing risk. With greater connection between the team, the design was submitted, and most packs were signed off in a single cycle. The benefit of connection wasn’t just a one off. I have seen a large military project accelerate delivery when the contractor and customer spent time together and realised that, even though the contract was clear, the underlying goals (low cost versus high functionality) were at odds. The business transformation that was stalled in union negotiations that was freed up by individuals spending time together, building trust, and coming to a much more creative arrangement to achieve their outcomes.

HOW TO DO IT WELL Connection isn’t easy. It takes effort to build, spending time with people in a deliberate and focussed way to understand their reality. As leaders, there are six things, not normally found in the project managers training manual, that are 19

essential to increase the level of connection in your team: 1. Ask good questions. Given that perspectives define what is real, only by asking good questions do we understand someone else’s experience and what is true for them right now. After Action Reviews are an excellent example of how a few good questions bring forward a shared understanding. 2. Listen intently. If you have asked a good question, listen intently for the response. Listen for what they are passionate about. Listen for their brilliance. Listening is a gift you give to the speaker and requires you to be genuinely interested in the person. 3. Draw for clarity. Done well, visuals make it easier to think collectively. They crystalise meaning, they externalise the idea from the individual, and can make the complex simple. 4. Share stories. Stories are the best way to communicate a complex topic. They help us form deep, nuanced pictures of the situation and reveal a lot about the speaker. Stories also activate different parts of the brain – areas involved in attention learning and empathy – that enhance our ability to connect. 5. Give up knowing. One of the biggest blocks to building 20

genuine connections is believing that you already know the result. Be curious, have a bias for learning, and give up knowing the answer. 6. Make time. Connections don’t happen without creating space for them to occur. Sometimes it is a conversation, sometimes it is a meal. I always say that a team dinner is so much more than a free feed.

CONNECTION INCREASES YOUR CHANCE OF SUCCESS IN COMPLEXITY On the infrastructure project I mentioned previously, the result from connecting the teams was that the design was accelerated and the milestone was achieved on time. Other than a couple of minor updates, the dozens of design packs were signed off in a single review while also meeting all contractual requirements for proper process. We were able to reduce time, improve quality, and reduce cost all at once. We lifted the confidence in the program of the executives because they were hearing a common view of progress. One executive even said about the status reports that he ‘no longer felt like he was being lied to’. Building connections across the project is a more effective leadership style than directing staff with a plan.

Understanding opinions and aligning world views makes it easier to recognise how the situation is evolving. It gives you access to all manner of information, particularly when things aren’t going well, keeping you ahead of the game. Connecting with team members brings more perspectives to the table, generate more creative approaches, and broaden what you believe is possible.

CONCLUSION With the defining characteristics of complex projects (subjective, connected, unknowable, unique, constrained) being driven by social rather than technical considerations, correctly applying the standard mechanistic project toolkit is ineffective. Project managers often look to ignore (descope) or control (risk manage) the wickedness, rather than taking the time to resolve it. To succeed in complex projects, project managers need to expand their toolkit and become masters at bringing people together and building connections. Building connections not only lifts project performance through greater alignment and understanding, it also elevates the energy and enjoyment of everyone involved. The result is more success in complex projects but also a better place to work.

This article was adapted from The Complex Project Toolkit: Using design thinking to transform the delivery of your hardest projects from Major St Publishing, 2021. Author: Kieran Duck has 25 years’ experience as an adviser and coach to senior leaders running complex projects and transforming organisations, including Qantas, Jetstar and Essential Energy. He is also a global presenter on using design thinking to drive step changes in project and business performance.

INNOVATIONS AND INSIGHTS

WHY FOCUSSING ON THE SCOPE MAY NOT LEAD TO TRUE PROJECT SUCCESS

MANY PROJECT MANAGERS ARE TOO FOCUSSED ON THE PROJECT SCOPE, AND NOT THE BUSINESS NEED THAT ORIGINATED THE PROJECT. WHEN THESE MOVE APART, SUCCESS WON’T BE ACHIEVED BY FOLLOWING THE PROJECT SCOPE TO THE END, SAY GUS DOMINGUEZ AND STEVE HARPER FROM THE BUREAU OF METEOROLOGY.

When we studied project management in the early 1990s, project success was usually defined as ‘producing the agreed deliverables under budget and within schedule’. These criteria have remained as the most common measures of success in industries where changes to objectives during the project lifetime are uncommon. However, this fit is not as clear for long lasting projects, during which the business requirements may change, or for programs, where the objectives are initially stated in a generic manner and acquire form as time goes by, as uncertainties are resolved. Is timely delivery important? Is delivery within budget the ultimate objective? Perhaps those parameters are important to a company which must meet contractual requirements, but they would not matter as much to a stakeholder who realises that the business objectives have changed, and therefore that the project will not deliver a useful outcome.

It could then be argued that project success depends on the stakeholders’ perspective. An external supplier needing to realise a profit may still see success in the traditional scope, time, cost form, while an internal supplier may additionally consider ease of maintenance and customer satisfaction. Conversely, a business sponsor will be more interested in achieving the business objectives (contribution to strategic goals, problem resolution, or opportunity realised) with somewhat less regard for time and cost, and little regard for the project deliverables created.

IT’S ALL ABOUT BENEFITS The business objectives are also called benefits – the ultimate reason for a project’s existence. Project deliverables are connected to benefits through a value chain in which project outputs are used to generate outcomes, which in turn enable the recipient to realise the proposed benefits. The links in this value chain can be defined as: • Output(s): The project deliverables (e.g., a new vehicle fleet management system). • Outcome(s): The effect of using the outputs (e.g., assets managed in a more efficient manner). 23

• Benefit(s): The business objectives supported by the outcomes (e.g., reduced costs underpinned by improved fleet management practices).

SUCCESS MUST BE DEFINED UPFRONT Projects and programs must be started with the benefits in mind and success should be stated in terms of benefits realisation. Why beforehand you say? Defining success based on past events or knowledge can result in misguided investment that keeps people busy but does not contribute to organisational objectives. This approach is comparable to the legendary sharpshooter who fires randomly at a shed wall and then paints the targets around the bullet holes, creating the false impression of being an excellent gunman. The sharpshooter paradigm symbolises the dangers of adopting evidence-based targets to justify investments of questionable results. A disguised form of the sharpshooter concept occurs when time pressures arises, and work starts on ‘no-regrets activities’ while the business case is finished. In over 30 years in project management, we have witnessed ‘no-regrets activities’ as being the most regretful of them all – delaying definition of business objectives 24

and often locking the scope onto what some stakeholders want done, rather than what the organisation requires.

FOCUS ON BUSINESS GOALS Benefits must not be defined as outputs or outcomes, which often results from viewing the project with a technical lens. Having access to a new fleet management system is not a real benefit and leads to a late search for justification. This always brings memories of Dennis Denuto’s famous closing argument in the film The Castle, “… it’s the constitution, it’s Mabo, it’s justice, it’s law, it’s the vibe and… no that’s it, it’s the vibe”. No project should be justified on ‘the vibe’.

MEASUREMENTS ARE THE KEY Defining the benefit also implies establishing the way in which the benefit’s realisation will be measured. In our fleet management example, the project should promise a quantifiable benefit (the cost reduction in asset-related expenditure) to be achieved within a specified timeframe. Agreement on measures that directly reflect the benefit claimed provides an objective mechanism to prove that project success has been reached. From a supplier’s perspective, projects provide input to another organisation that in turn harvests the benefits. In this case, success

can be defined as a function of the customer’s benefit (e.g., customer profitability or other customer goals achieved, such as improved environmental management) by delivering outputs to the customer’s satisfaction within budget, and accepting the customer’s feedback of satisfaction with the outputs provided. Measuring project success does not need to be complex or costly. It does though require thinking at commencement time to agree on the goals sought from undertaking the project. The biggest challenge is to ensure that the benefits are defined in terms of business objectives, and that the measures agreed are directly related to the benefit claimed. In our example, a direct measure of the reduced costs underpinned by improved fleet management practices could be a financial report comparing breakdown maintenance costs prior to the new system being implemented, with similar reports taken a couple of years after the system’s implementation. The commissioning of the system itself does not constitute a measure of project success, as the actual system does not guarantee cost reductions.

Finally, we should emphasise that the project sponsor is accountable for project success and therefore for ensuring the early definition of benefits and measures, although the project manager must carry out this definition as directed by the sponsor. Yes, it all comes back to the project manager to have more than ‘the vibe’ to prove the project’s success when questions are asked.

5 TIPS FOR DEFINING PROJECT SUCCESS 1. B ase success on business objectives. 2. Do not define success in terms of outputs or outcomes. 3. Define measures that directly reflect the benefit claimed. 4. Ensure your scope includes everything you need to achieve the benefit sought. 5. Focus project governance on achieving the benefits claimed. Authors: Gus Dominguez MAIPM manages the EPMO Portfolio Management function at the Bureau of Meteorology and is the Benefits Manager. Steve Harper is EPMO Systems Manager at the Bureau of Meteorology, and a certified Portfolio Management Professional.

INNOVATIONS AND INSIGHTS

AN INCREASE IN COMPLEX PROJECTS WITHOUT INCREASING STAFF: HOW IT’S BEING DONE

A WHOLESALE INCREASE IN CAPABILITY ACROSS THE AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE HAS LED TO INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO ASSIST WITH THE CORRESPONDING INCREASE IN WORKLOAD FOR THE MANAGERS OF THE DEFENCE ESTATE. COLONEL TONY ROGERS EXPLAINS HOW THE CAPITAL FACILITIES AND INFRASTRUCTURE BRANCH (CFI) OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE IS MANAGING AN INCREASING NUMBER OF COMPLEX DEFENCE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.

Puckapunyal Training Area, VIC – Armoured Vehicle Simulation Training Centre (source: CFI Branch)

PROJECTS BEING MANAGED As of May 2022, the staff of CFI Branch, which forms part of Defence’s Security and Estate Group, are managing approximately $36 billion worth of capital infrastructure projects across the Defence Estate. These projects include infrastructure 26

works to support the introduction of new capabilities into Defence (including armoured vehicles, aircraft, ships, submarines, space systems, and guided weapons), as well as renewal of the existing Defence estate with Base redevelopments and critical system upgrades. Redevelopment

infrastructure projects with a total value of approximately $36 billion. This is expected to significantly increase in the future without a commensurate increase in staffing.

Shoalwater Bay, QLD – Urban Operations Live Fire Training Facilities (source: CFI Branch)

and upgrade works include fuel installations and to heavy vehicle maintenance facilities, explosive ordnance storage buildings, education facilities, office accommodation, live-in accommodation, vehicle shelters, specialised ranges, and satellite communications installations. Defence is the largest Commonwealth landholder in the country and has a built-estate replacement value of well over $80 billion.

THE NEED FOR A SHIFT IN APPROACH With an increase in new capabilities over the next few years, the infrastructure supporting these capabilities needs to be updated. CFI Branch staff (approximately 100 Australian Defence Force, Australian Public Service, and contractors) currently manage around 185

Shifting to a more programmatic or portfolio-management approach while meeting Defence and government policies and legislation is the current approach to workflow management, coupled with supplementation of project staff with specialised contractors.

STRUCTURE OF THE CFI BRANCH The current CFI Branch structure includes seven delivery directorates and three supporting directorates. Each delivery directorate has a director and typically three teams of between three to five members. Each team is responsible for a number of projects that are valued, in aggregate, between $2-5 billion. The three supporting directorates assist with branch-level programmatic coordination, internal quality assurance, executive support, specialist procurement advice. and standing offer panel management.

Edinburgh Defence Precinct, SA – Land 400 Armoured Vehicle Workshop (source: CFI Branch)

CURRENT DELIVERY APPROACH

HOW THE CFI BRANCH WILL CHANGE PROJECT DELIVERY

CFI Branch currently receives capital infrastructure projects from all areas of Defence through the Estate Planning Branch. Upon handover to CFI Branch, each project has an approved broad scope, a geographical location and a financial allocation spread across a number of years. Each project is then allocated to a Delivery directorate to be planned, developed, and delivered as a stand-alone project using contracted project managers, designers, and builders.

Programmatic approach This revision in approach is essentially aggregating similar projects together to form a program of works. ‘Similar’ is deemed to be either like-capabilities (for example, new armoured vehicles for Army, including main battle tanks, cavalry vehicles, engineer vehicles, self-propelled artillery) across the country, or geographically (for example all new Air Force capabilities being supported by RAAF Base Tindal, NT). Challenges with this approach include aligning programs for greatest efficiency and dealing with multiple project sponsors who control the project budgets and have, at times, competing demands.

This approach has been in place for a number of years and has served CFI Branch well until now. As seen in the graph, the recent increases in investment in Defence capabilities as well as the Defence Estate will result in a significant increase in the volume of projects and their respective values. Therefore, a necessary change in management approach is needed.

Contractor support inside CFI Branch A second approach being adopted in parallel is increasing the ability for

FORECAST Enterprise Estate & Infrastructure Program 12,000

10,000

$ million

8,000

6,000

4,000

2,000

0 -4

-3

39 20

38 37 -

38 20

-3 7

6 -3

36 20

5 -3

35 20

-3

34 20

33 20

-3

32 20

-3 30 20

9 -2

-3 29 20

28 20

27 26 -

27 20

-2 6

25 20

-2 4 23

3 -2

-2

24 20

22 20

-2

0 -2 19

-19

18 20

-17

-18 17 20

-16

16 20

15 20

-15

Year

Approved Capability

Approved Sustainment

Unapproved Capability

Unapproved Sustainment

CFI Financial Actual/Forecast expenditure (source: CFI Branch)

Approved Strategic Investment

Unapproved Strategic Investment

Approved Other

Unapproved Other

existing staff to engage contracted personnel to cope with increases in workload. To facilitate this approach, a new panel of suppliers of specialised staff is being established and will soon go live. This panel of suppliers – the Capital Facilities and Infrastructure Specialist Services (CFISS) Panel – follows a rigorous two-stage procurement process for companies to provide appropriately qualified and experienced staff to assist permanent staff inside each delivery directorate, or as a program approach for a ‘turnkey’ client-side project management service. These teams can increase and decrease in size as the workload or project portfolio fluctuates, overseen and with continuity provided by the permanent Australian Defence Force and Australian Public Service staff. These specialised contractor staff will be highly qualified and experienced in construction project management, security-cleared, and available to work full-time at a Defence site in Canberra.

HOW THIS WILL HELP The ability to aggregate projects together to create larger programs of works creates efficiencies in two key areas – procurement activities and ongoing management – thus delivering greater value for money for the Commonwealth. Relieving staff from multiple procurement and associated administrative activities allows these limited resources to focus on the ongoing management of projects, including the inevitable adjustments to scope and timeframes driven by changes in the Defence Capability programs.

Supplementing existing project teams with additional in-house embedded resources will further extend the capabilities of the delivery directorates to take on additional programs of work, to be overseen by the existing Australian Defence Force and Australian Public Service staff. Existing staff are in the best position to provide continuity, mentorship and maintain quality control over the management outputs of the whole CFI Branch.

HMAS Stirling, WA – Armament Wharf (source: CFI Branch)

ONGOING INCREASES Increases in Defence capability over the past few years will continue, leading to increased pressure upon the supporting elements of the Department including infrastructure. The adoption of a programmatic approach to delivering increased capability on the Defence Estate, along with the efficient and selective use of additional contractor staff, will enable CFI Branch to continue to deliver the right infrastructure in the right place at the right time. Author: Colonel Tony Rogers FAIPM CPPD is a professional Engineering Officer and Fellow of the AIPM. He is currently posted as the Director – National Projects in the Capital Facilities and Infrastructure Branch of the Department of Defence in Canberra. 29

PROJECTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

THE 10 MOST SUCCESSFULLY MANAGED PROJECTS IN AUSTRALIA

WE LOOK AT THE 10 BEST MANAGED PROJECTS IN AUSTRALIA, BASED ON THE 2021 PROJECT MANAGEMENT ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS. EXPLORE THE PROJECT OF THE YEAR, THE BEST TRANSFORMATION PROJECT, AND MORE.

At a time when it’s more important than ever to celebrate success, we take a look at the top 10 most successfully managed projects in Australia. These outstanding projects are based on the 2021 Project Management Achievement Awards (PMAAs) winners. The PMAAs were announced in February 2022, and recognise the talent and commitment of project leaders across Australia. “These awards not only celebrate project successes, but it’s also a way to show appreciation for the outcomes these project leaders have delivered to the Australian economy and community,” said Sid Gokani, CEO of the Australian Institute of Project Management. 30

Congratulations to all the winners. Here are the 10 best managed projects in Australia.

1. PROJECT OF THE YEAR Jemena-Kendall Bay Remediation Project Jemena

Also winning best sustainable project, the Jemena-Kendall Bay Remediation Project can be seen above in the main picture. Operations from the former Mortlake Gasworks resulted in contamination of sediment within

Kendall Bay. Contamination in certain areas of the bay posed potential ecological and human health risks. The project objective was to address the contamination risks while minimising disturbance to the marine environment and surrounding community. A triple bottom line approach was adopted to ensure the project was sustainably delivered with social, financial, and environmental perspectives in mind. This led to development and implementation of an innovative world-first design that delivered a successful outcome, within the sensitive and dynamic marine environment while limiting impacts to the adjacent residential community.

as the external project manager, on behalf of AMP Capital, helped create a better future by delivering a $100m+ 10-year capital works program to upgrade equipment including; critical life safety services, electrical switch boards, mechanical and electrical equipment. The completed upgrades have increased the sustainability and efficiency of the site, all whilst maintaining occupancy with little to no disruption to tenants.

3. BEST GOVERNMENT PROJECT BuyICT.gov.au Digital Transformation Agency

2. BEST CONSTRUCTION/ ENGINEERING PROJECT Collins Place – Repositioning Turner & Townsend

Collins Place is an enduring Melbourne icon. In 2017, most of the building services infrastructure at Melbourne’s Collins Place was identified as beyond its operational life, inefficient and in need of replacement. Turner & Townsend,

The Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) is responsible for the development and improvement of digital and ICT sourcing arrangements so that Australian Public Service (APS) agencies have broad access to industry partners 31

who provide cost-effective, innovative and contemporary solutions. BuyICT.gov.au combines all DTA whole-of-government procurement services into a single platform. Comprised of 14 panel arrangements and agreements, BuyICT.gov.au enables a cohesive experience for customers. It also supports the rapid deployment of new marketplaces and the continual enhancement of services through the regular release of customer centric features. BuyICT. gov.au makes buying and selling simple, clear and fast.

4. BEST ICT/ TELECOMMUNICATIONS PROJECT Westpac Branch Network Transformation Westpac Group

The Westpac Branch Network Transformation (BNT) was a $25m ICT program which replaced the Westpac Group branch switch/ routers and wireless access points to 944 branches and remediated a significant End of Support (EoS) risk by December 2020. The project deployed a Software Defined Network (SD-WAN) 32

solution which removed current technology constraints, introduced Regional Performance Hubs (RPH) to improve performance by delivering breakout to internet and cloud services and moved away from the traditional Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) based network connectivity. The SD-WAN solution provided to branch sites a significantly higher network bandwidth at a lower cost with carrier diversity.

5. BEST TRANSFORMATION PROJECT Transforming the Portfolio Management Capability within Unitywater Unitywater

In 2019, the Unitywater executive teamed up with Deloitte Touché Tohmatsu to explore an enhanced Enterprise Portfolio Management Office (EPMO) capability with the key objective to deliver a single source of portfolio performance data that enabled more effective executive decision-making to drive strategy execution. This transformational project was delivered in three phases:

1. establish the foundation 2. evolve EPMO 3. embed EPMO. The new enterprise-level functionality is underpinned by a suite of modern and contemporary tools and techniques coupled with a desire to invest in change and continuous improvement.

6. BEST SMALL PROJECT

hydrogen’s role in the renewable energy future through the application of hydrogen storage, electricity generation and supply for fuel cell electric vehicles.

7. BEST REGIONAL PROJECT Mater Private Hospital Townsville – Mercy Centre Resource Co-ordination Partnership (RCP) Pty Ltd

Western Sydney Green Gas Project Jemena Pty Ltd and Zinfra Pty Ltd

Jemena and their project services partner Zinfra, supported through co-funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, successfully completed the Western Sydney Green Gas project. The project involved demonstrating power-to-gas technology by converting renewable electricity into hydrogen and was one of the most comprehensive hydrogen demonstration projects in Australia. It was undertaken to identify and understand barriers to the commercialisation of hydrogen technology and the application within the gas distribution network. It will also provide insight into

Mater Health Services embarked on the redevelopment of their private hospital in Townsville to provide residents in North Queensland with contemporary medical facilities and industry-leading treatment and care services. This stage of the hospital’s master plan, named the Mercy Centre, included the development of a new four-storey clinical services building delivering modern x-ray facilities, digital operating theatres, a new day surgery unit, and a new hospital entrance. RCP project managed the development from commencement to completion with minimal interruption to the hospital’s daily care of patients, and that was achieved during COVID and a major flood event in Townsville. 33

8. BEST COMMUNITY SERVICE AND/OR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT Melbourne City Mission – Hester Hornbrook Academy Turner & Townsend and Melbourne City Mission

Run by Melbourne City Mission (MCM), the Hester Hornbrook Academy (HHA) is an independent school which provides youths with a better education facility. Responding to the growing need for an alternative approach to education for youths, MCM decided to open its largest and most ambitious HHA facility in Sunshine, Victoria. Turner & Townsend has supported MCM’s projects since 2018 and have built a strong relationship with MCM. The team successfully project managed the HHA Sunshine facility from inception through to completion to enable greater results for Melbourne’s disadvantaged youths. 34

9. BEST PROFESSIONAL SERVICES PROJECT Services Australia 500 Site Network Refresh Telstra Purple

Services Australia, formerly the Department of Human Services, is an executive agency of the Australian Government responsible for delivering a range of welfare, health, child support payments and other services to the Australian public. Telstra was contracted to uplift and future proof Services Australia ICT network, enabling Services’ Australia to enhance their ability to serve the Australian public. A dedicated Telstra Purple Project team completed the national ICT infrastructure rollout project ahead of schedule, under budget and without interruption to customer business. The rollout was not only successful but seamless despite significant challenges.

10. BEST PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE (PMO) Inland Rail Program Management Office (IR PMO) Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), Turner & Townsend and SNC Lavalin

BEST PROJECT PROFESSIONALS Individual winners of the PMAAs were also selected, and we couldn’t miss giving them a special mention and congratulations. The winners were: • Future Project Leader – Tarini Pathak • Project Professional – Luke Osland • Senior Project Professional – Trevor Cooper.

STAND OUT WITH A PROJECT MANAGEMENT ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Inland Rail was a once-in-ageneration project that will enhance mostly agricultural and retail supply chains between inland Australia, major cities and ports by unlocking economic value through upgrading capacity in selected brownfield areas and creating new infrastructure in missing links, ultimately to make rail the preferred choice for freight transport. Turner & Townsend was appointed by ARTC as Program Management Office (PMO) provider, to improve existing internal PMO services, enhance reporting and assurance on project and program controls. To ensure local capability and capacity, Turner & Townsend and SNC Lavalin jointly submitted a service offer which was accepted late 2018.

The Project Management Achievement Awards (PMAAs) recognise, honour, and promote outstanding achievements in program and project leadership. In its 22nd year, the 2022 PMAAs will celebrate project management excellence and innovation across 12 award categories for both organisations and individuals. Find out more about the project management awards and download the guide to entry. By entering the PMAAs, you and/or your organisation are benchmarking your outstanding achievements and innovations in project management against your peers and demonstrating your commitment to achieving project excellence. This is your year to be recognised and rewarded for your achievements within the project profession. Is your project one of the next upcoming most successful projects in Australia? 35

PROJECT IN THE SPOTLIGHT

UOW’S APPROACH TO INCREASING STUDENT EMPLOYABILITY

THE REQUIRED SKILLSET OF PROJECT MANAGERS IS RAPIDLY CHANGING, AND AS A RESULT, FORMAL PROJECT MANAGEMENT EDUCATION NEEDS TO INCREASINGLY ALIGN WITH INDUSTRY, SAYS THE UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG’S (UOW) DR MARCO FERIS AND PROF RODNEY J CLARKE. HERE’S A CASE STUDY OF UOW’S NOVEL TEACHING APPROACH TO INCREASE STUDENT EMPLOYABILITY THROUGH SIX COMPLEMENTARY PRACTICES.

A report issued in 2021 by the Project Management Institute (PMI) foresaw that

Tertiary educational institutions are now offering a wide range of programs, including at undergraduate, postgraduate, executive education, and doctorate levels. On the other hand, the predominant industry judgement concerning the traditional project management education is that it is not preparing students to deal with the complexities of the business environment. Among other factors, students: • are not exposed to real situations • are not encouraged to critical thinking • are not properly prepared to deal with conflicts. Moreover, universities are being forced to adopt a new set of behaviours to

1. Project team

2. QPLAN website

3. Google forms

Feedback to improve the quality of planning

Answer the questionnaire

Responses

The six complementary practices (source: UOW)

organisations will need to fill approximately 2.3 million new project-based roles each year by 2030. This growing need for qualified professionals makes formal project management education increasingly important in many universities.

deal with an established business model that was disrupted by the advent of COVID-19. So, how can we better design and deliver a project management program that fosters competencies that support real-life problem solving, so students will be better prepared to work in the industry and succeed in the future?

CHALLENGES IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT EDUCATION Textbooks One of the problems in traditional education is the use of textbooks that seem inadequate to the task of preparing students to effectively manage real-life projects. The 2019 edition of Project Management: Achieving Competitive Advantage provides an incomplete concept for project success (pp.37-38), because it does not consider detriments (e.g., the environmental issue of polluting of a river as a result of the project).

The 5th edition of Project Management – The Managerial Process features an extremely detailed way to calculate the duration and slack of each task to be performed (pp.258-265), but practitioners often do not plan at this level of detail because any unforeseen event will undermine the calculations and introduce rework.

Diverse needs and interests of students To complicate matters, today’s student body is diverse with different levels of interest. For example, many students expect their education to focus on raising their employability levels, while those who have previous work experience use it to booster their marks. These kinds of students want to make the most of the academic inputs provided in the classroom and understand how to apply knowledge, tools, and techniques in practice. Many international students are also looking for advice on successfully applying for jobs. There are others that are less likely to focus or put energy into their studies because their priority is migration. Many

4. QPLAN software tool

5. QPLAN Project reports

6. Moodle

Data is entered in QPLAN

Evaluate the quality of planning

Reports are uploaded on Moodle

students are from Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2013), a group that has been characterised as having the ‘highest rate of diagnosed depression and anxiety’ when compared with all other generations. Students with low performance tend to ignore the importance of concrete feedback, while those who get better marks indicate a stronger desire to improve even more their performance.

APPROACH ADOPTED AT THE UOW The approach adopted at UOW started in 2018 and is still ongoing. It was designed to overcome the issues described above and has been implemented in subjects of the Master of Project Management and the Graduate Certificate in Project Leadership and Management, modules in the Bachelor of Engineering, and also in the training of doctoral students. There are three subjects focused on planning, one subject focused on the leadership, and other focused on negotiation. All subjects employ six complementary practices: 1. Blended learning environment to meet the wide variations in student profiles and their individual learning preferences. Students can attend lectures on campus or online (synchronous learning), access the material and recorded lecturers later (asynchronous learning), and/or attend weekly consultations. 2. Learn by doing through projectbased learning (PBL) to encourage students to interact with lectures, reflect on their outputs and 38

become proactive problem solvers. Sometimes, students can deceive themselves about the quality of their work and become emotional when they perform poorly. When this happens, lecturers have to re-establish a constructive atmosphere within the classroom, while also convincing those students that this kind of behaviour can jeopardise their future careers as it is not tolerated in professional contexts. 3. Myriad of multidisciplinary pedagogical practices to allow students to become knowledge creators, rather than simply recipients of knowledge. Among other activities, students develop artefacts (e.g., project plans) to deal with expected and unexpected project situations, make oral presentations, perform peer-reviews to promote critical thinking on the outcomes of their decisions, engage with academic papers about teamwork (e.g., trust and cultural differences), study relevant topics, such as SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework) and PPAP (Production Part Approval Process), and use relevant commercial software, like MS Project and Minitab. 4. Continuous improvement to check whether the content and PBL activities continue to be relevant to the needs of the industry every trimester. 5. Subject delivery by former project managers who as lecturers can effectively mentor our students.

6. Synergy of teaching and research to identify improvement opportunities in the current teaching approach and help students in delivering better assessments. For example, during 2019 and 2021, students were asked to evaluate the quality of project planning, by completing an online questionnaire. Just as with practitioners, collected data was input into QPLAN, which then generated a report on planning quality improvement suggestions. These reports were uploaded on Moodle, an opensource learning management system, so that students could download their report and then improve their planning from the feedback provided by QPLAN. Then, we analysed data from 65 project plans and found that the scope, time, risks, and integration are all areas to be emphasised in classroom. This resulted in improvements to our teaching practices and materials.

CONCLUSIONS There must be an ongoing dialogue between educational institutions and industry to continue to increase students’ employability. Results from this novel approach maintained the number of enrolments in our programs even during the worst of the pandemic (on average, an 85% attendance level). Students have evaluated these subjects highly. One commented that “…these industry relevant courses have broadened my understanding of diverse methodologies, and equipped

me with effective and adaptable tools which has enhanced my professional confidence and ability to take on projects of any scale and complexity”. Companies are recognising that this approach works and have requested that we pass on specific job opportunities to suitable candidates looking to enter the profession. Nonetheless, no matter how good the quality of education offered by an educational institution, the same needs that drove the changes in our approach apply to each individual’s career. In particular, project managers must have the ability to identify and address their own educational needs over time. This constant lifelong learning, paved with formal and informal experiences, combined with a behavioural skills, hard work and proper people management, creates the conditions to remain competitive long term. Authors: Dr Marco Feris MAIPM is the Program Director of the MSc Project Management and the Graduate Certificate in Project Leadership and Management at UOW. His research focuses on project development, decision support systems, continuous improvement, and project management education. Prof Rodney J Clarke PhD is Professor of Operations and Systems at the Faculty of Business and Law UOW, Director of the Centre for Responsible Organisations and Practices (CROP), and a multidisciplinary researcher in the areas of societal and organisational information systems. He is an elected Fellow of the British Computer Society and is President of the Australasian Association of Information Systems, the peak body for IS in Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania. 39

PROJECT IN THE SPOTLIGHT

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AS A LEARNING TOOL

REALISING THAT PROJECT MANAGEMENT SKILLS COULD FILL THE MISSING GAPS AND ENABLE SUCCESS FOR SENIOR SCHOOL STUDENTS IN NEED OF EXTRA SUPPORT, ELAINE ROBERTS AND HER TEAM BEGAN TEACHING THE DIPLOMA OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT TO THEM. FIND OUT THE IMPACT IT HAS HAD AND HOW IT WAS ACHIEVED.

Alex from Marist College Ashgrove accepting his Diploma of Project Management certificate from Dr John Griffiths, CEO of Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (source: Elaine Roberts)

Over the past 13 years, 300 senior school students, in need of extra support have gained a Diploma of Project Management, benefiting in a number of ways from Elaine’s program. What started as a great idea, has enabled the students to organise themselves 40

better and increase their confidence, which has opened the opportunity for them to transition to meaningful work or entry to university. The Diploma of Project Management has become a learning tool as well as a qualification.

HOW IT STARTED Elaine had a background in working with students with learning issues, and when she took part in Griffith University’s Australian National Research Council, she was able to observe the excellent work yourtown was doing, but realised too many school students were falling through the cracks, and something had to be done.

She taught the student a Diploma of Project Management in the afternoons after school. That student is now a manager of a multi-story construction project, with a degree in Urban Construction and Development, and an eye watering salary package within a leading construction company. From this one student, the teaching of the Diploma in Project Management then got the go ahead to be taught to year 10-12 students in need of extra support in other schools in Brisbane after school, with similar successes being achieved by many who are now engineers, lawyers, teachers, nurses, environmental scientists, and others. So how did they do it?

THE PROJECT PLAN/ASSESSMENT Maddisson from All Hallows’ School Brisbane accepting her Diploma of Project Management certificate (source: Elaine Roberts)

Then, through a family friend, Elaine came across a year 12 student injured in rugby, and after major surgery his dreams of architecture were in tatters, with gaps in his school results. Elaine realised that if he were to manage his schoolwork as a project, he could improve his university entry, and so the trial began.

Using the lifecycle approach of Morris and Simmonds – which was perfect to recreate the reality of project management – Elaine helped students create an integrated plan that encapsulated all the initiating activities and documents of the twelve units (see next page) and formed the Project Plan. She then introduced changes, the processes and flow-ons which became the updated Project Plan. Then reporting on progress and any problems that could be coming, and risks that could be emerging or changing became the Status Report. The Closure Report 41

tied up all units and related the lessons learned and these became the topic of their presentation for a guest speaker of note, and then their parents, while a workbook ensured that all knowledge could be accounted for. This diagram shows the interaction patterns to set up initial documentation. Integration is the key What makes project management different from other forms of management is the essential nature of integration of all the project functions and the interactive way the projects move and the iterative need for change.

Project Management Plan (source: Elaine Roberts)

The effects of a lack of integration can be felt in learning institutions and in workplaces. Often in workplaces where certain areas of specialist expertise are developed, these become something like a series of fiefdoms to be protected. Without adequate communication and effective collaboration, work suffers, and this is what the teaching was aiming to combat.

OVERCOMING HURDLES Striving for more The first hurdle to overcome was attitude.

Many of these students had come to accept that a 51% pass mark was acceptable, but it was important to educate them to understand that competence means finished, correct work, and that 51% wasn’t going to be enough in this course.

These young people wanted to do everything, from scrolling Facebook to playing football, so there was a massive time management initiative. That led to prioritising and students doing their own weekly plan, including home chores as well as sport.

At first, Elaine appeared unreasonable as she asked for complete and perfect project documents, but the students seemed to accept the analogy of an incomplete house plan, whereby it wouldn’t be complete without a kitchen or bathroom.

Time management Then came the formula for time estimation that linked their understanding of their school maths normal curve, enabling them to estimate time from longest, shortest, and most probable time, for planned tasks. The spreadsheet with the inbuilt formula led nicely to the work breakdown structure of their school subjects. The budget, the sequencing and dependencies, and the Gantt chart brought together time, task and cost. Leads and lags ensured that workloads could be adequately spread. That enabled Elaine to introduce the need for staging learning so the front brain could recognise and the back brain could take its time to make the connections and provide solutions. She also looked at Stephen Covey’s quadrants and the percentage of time students spent in each and compared it with their other time planning. This enabled understanding of the need for the flight or fight reaction, as well as

Teachers and parents The team conducted detailed cross mapping to ensure that the internal and external environment effect and factors were considered, along with stakeholders. Using technical terms to describe the parents and their goals, teachers and their goals, as well as how the environment affected all players became an interesting exercise and took quite a bit of the teenage angst out of the discussions. Clarity of understanding of the scope and how the students reached that was another interesting journey, but no one was writing an assignment on a misunderstood topic.

the value of forward planning, prevention, and networking. Risk management Elaine claimed that students learning to drive should know how to drive themselves, their thinking, and their emotions before they took charge of a vehicle. ‘Their strategies for themselves’ was a critical component, which led to the quality measures of their Academic Improvement Plan. However, the most interesting part was the integration of risk, contingencies, and issues management, as well as risk prevention into their thinking. They were thinking, ‘boys will be boys’, and Elaine was thinking, ‘if only I can keep them alive and functional until the brain is fully developed at 25’. Giving students a detailed framework to deal with the overlapping and multiple priorities of their lives is invaluable. One student announced in class, “You know, Elaine, this stuff really works for doing anything in life, but you probably already knew that.” Money management The standards of things procured to enable the project led the students to consider quality, as the idea of world standards and ‘fit for purpose’ were dealt with. ‘Time is money’ was reinforced when the prospect of rework for unsatisfactory work was 44

considered. On one hand, when someone is manufacturing nuts and bolts, they need them to fit every time, but if buying a laptop, they needed to consider the use to which the computer would be put. Our simulated purchase required comparisons of three laptops and weightings for multiple criteria about future needs, as well as value for money. Construction standards and ISO were considered and applied where appropriate. Students had to make a judgment based on criteria and make the link into planning within the Academic Improvement Plan. Having a work ethic It became evident to the learners that quality systems and standards needed to be operated by quality people who had the work ethic and capabilities for what they were doing. This allowed discussion and practice on finding those people, developing expertise in interviewing/being interviewed, as well as mentoring their team to multi-skill within a Legal and Human Resource framework. Storing information Expertise in storage and retrieval ensured that all team members learnt where to find the information created during the processes explained earlier. Knowing ahead of time what they needed to know and do, improved performance. The need for version control and

effective filing of information was then very clear and had to be practised. Acceptance of others Knowledge alone is not the key to success: it takes the application, issues to be resolved, and people working together for the competitive edge. Teams are not effective unless there is diversity of thought and, often, action. All students had an individual, professional personality profile done by Bellcastle so that they were all shown in a positive light. The ability to accept a different point of view, culture, gender, or background is a value beyond price and plays a role in lowering the bullying that dominates, from classrooms to kitchens. Stakeholders come in all shapes, have varying persuasions and bring their own unique world view to a project situation. If the students were to appreciate it, they could use it to their advantage. Managing change Throughout, it was easy to demonstrate that change had to be managed, and COVID-19 ensured that Elaine did manage it and see the links to quality and risk. The flow-on effect of change is critical to managing life and work.

A LIFE-CHANGING SUCCESS Overall, Elaine used the Diploma of Project Management to weave a tight integrated system from plan to implement, to finish and review, that maximised brain acuity. It has become a true learning tool. A Brisbane Boys College parent commented that, “the course took pressure off our son (and his parents) and has contributed to significantly better results in his other school subjects. I believe the course content had taught him many valuable skills that he will have throughout his career.” Another parent said, “Thanks to the Diploma of Project Management, my son has already improved his school results and it has allowed him entry to his first choice at university.” Classes are now being taught over a number of schools in NSW and Qld, with more to come, Elaine hopes, and she is currently trialling the latest version of the Diploma of Project Management. Author: Dr Elaine Roberts FAIPM CPPD has had a long career in management and people development, from teaching year one to university students and beyond. Her experiences and qualifications are both at PhD level and VET level. She strives to make the workplace a learning place.

FELLOWS FORUM

DIGITISING THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

IT’S NO SECRET THAT THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY IS LAGGING BEHIND ALL OTHER MAJOR INDUSTRY SECTORS WITH DIGITISATION. DOUG MITCHELL, IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR OVER 30 YEARS, DISCUSSES HOW FELLOW PROJECT MANAGERS CAN USE DIGITISATION GAMIFICATION TECHNIQUES AND PROJECT MATURITY MODELS TO IMPROVE OUTCOMES.

What are the consequences of the lack of digitisation across the construction industry upon productivity? Recent academic and industry studies imply that it is directly hampering construction productivity growth. Over the past 20 years it’s now assessed to be lagging behind other sectors by as much as 60%. Productivity experts contend that improving data digitisation in construction is the low-hanging fruit for improving productivity growth. 46

DIGITISATION IN THE CAPITAL WORKS/INFRASTRUCTURE INDUSTRY At the most basic level digitisation means using real-time data and reporting so that all stakeholders make better decisions using up-todate information. Mastt, the software development tool I currently consult to, is a webenabled example of digitisation. It takes already available, but isolated, construction management data and uses digital tools to improve data accessibility, analytics, and usage across major projects. When quality data is made universally available to managers across projects, the prospects of improved outcomes is greatly enhanced.

HEADING TOWARDS BIG DATA Without having a crystal ball, as the client-side project management industry evolves, I suspect in the medium term it will connect projects with corporate systems and industry standards to create a single-source of ‘project truth’. Once big data is integrated, project managers can optimise projects through ‘if-then’ scenarios, providing one project with many experiential learnings. However, project managers need to understand the total costs of ownership, project benefits, and other organisational constraints

that are described through governance. This system of controls is outside most project managers’ experience so an organisation plus project maturity model must be used to connect stakeholders.

THE ORGANISATION PLUS PROJECT MATURITY MODEL The maturity model is a framework to measure and improve a project’s contribution to organisational success. The maturity model incorporates organisational systems in a typical capital facilities process. For instance, organisational systems provide the opportunity for software to use big data moderated by highly capable humans for governance and management. 47

The framework requires key people to define how the organisation will change during and because of this project to establish project health criteria. Health and ill health criteria are used to establish project outputs and organisational success over the entire project and useful benefit of the facilities. Governance, the system of controls, is designed to resolve conflict between now and the future amongst stakeholders in different timeframes.

WHERE DOES GAMIFICATION COME INTO IT? • Conflict resolution requires evidence-based decision-making based upon processing big data in the software program to run game scenarios. • The game scenarios use data from other projects and the rules established by organisational constraints and the project initiation document. • Game scenarios provide the basis for testing continuous improvement. • The integrated effect shifts the focus of project managers from supervising current activities to making decisions to improve organisational outcomes.

PRODUCTIVITY IMPACTS The impacts of fully embracing digitisation are different based upon your role and organisation’s relative maturity. 48

1. P roject managers, using real-time automated project management data tools, will initially see time savings in preparing monthly reports along with quicker decisions. 2. This will free the project managers’ time to better organise upcoming activities. 3. More experienced project managers using digital tools like Mastt will be able to run scenarios to better understand their project decisions and potential options. 4. For those who use the Mastt templates, especially the governance templates, stakeholders can use realtime reports that reduces meeting times. 5. Over time, better data is available to improve granularity in performance outcomes by using real-time operations and maintenance data to value project decisions. 6. This data enhances program management continuous improvements through identifying system improvements on repetitive tasks. 7. The maturity framework provides descriptors to project stakeholders on options to improve project outcomes. 8. As the program connections are made both with data, health criteria and templates, portfolio management opportunities are available.

9. Portfolio opportunities included data for resilience, relative waste between project activities based around input cost and utilisation along with discounted cashflow valuations between investment opportunities. 10. Interestingly relative waste is about re-baselining expectations based upon this new digitisation. 11. These improvements are reflected within the maturity model and indicate areas of continuous improvement at the project, program, and portfolio level.

KEY TAKEAWAYS Digitisation, gamification, and the use of organisational maturity models reflects the real world of software synthesising big data, allowing smart people to focus on making project decisions that support better organisational outcomes. Author: Doug Mitchell CSC FAIPM CPPS is a fellow of the AIPM, Engineers Australia and the Financial Services Industry of Australasia along with being a Graduate of the AICD. He has been involved in project management for over 30 years and is a CPPS and Assessor with the AIPM.

IN MEMORIAM

VALE RAY ABÉ, AIPM LIFE FELLOW

RAY ABÉ’S CONTRIBUTION AND COMMITMENT TO THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT (AIPM) WAS SIGNIFICANT, AND THE AIPM IS THE ORGANISATION IT IS TODAY, IN PART, AS A RESULT OF HIS EFFORTS, SAYS FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE STUART HUGHSON.

Ray Abé, third from left, and his colleagues at an AIPM conference (L-R: Maria Skillern, unknown, Ray Abé , Mba Kalu, Stuart Hughson)

We have lost one of the greats. Ray was one of the most genuine, kindest, happiest, and professional people you could ever meet. 50

“It was so sad to hear of Ray’s death. Ray was always interested in the advancement of AIPM, and was always happy as a fellow to help out. “ Graham Watt LFAIPM

I met Ray in 2001 when we both joined the National Board. He was elected National Treasurer while I was the inaugural Tasmanian Chapter President. At our first board meeting it was apparent we would be friends forever. Ray was National Treasurer from 2001 to 2005 when I then took over the role. He remained on the board until 2008. His greatest contribution to the AIPM was establishing the Governance Committee and chairing that from 2006 to 2011. During that period, he was instrumental in replacing the constitution from one that was typically used by not-for-profit organisations that usually suited small community organisations such as charities or sporting clubs. It did not suit a professional organisation that was growing as fast as the AIPM was at that time and was beginning to have a real presence and influence on the project management profession at all levels of government and the private sector across Australia. The constitutional review took 12 months, commencing in October 2006 and being accepted at the 2007 National Conference held in Hobart in October 2007. Ray led the charge in the development of the new constitution, along with myself, Peter Dechaineux, and with legal assistance (pro-bono) from Chris Richards. Ray and I may have been in different parts of the country, but

“Ray was a voice of reason with a particularly astute way of identifying issues. He always had a wry sense of humour and a glint in his eye. He was approachable and always answered the call for what needed to be done for the AIPM and its members. His success as a project manager can be attributed to the fact that he put people first on any issue – yet still with the organisation in mind. He even helped me on my PhD by locating interviewees amongst his colleagues and mentoring me throughout my career. He achieved so much in his lifetime, and yet it was almost like he was just starting out. He was always energetic, a family man who loved to travel and contribute to the greater good. He will be missed by us all.” Dr Chivonne Algeo LFAIPM CPPD during our AIPM days together on the board we spoke every week. For most of the time I knew Ray during his working career with Sydney Water; his role was Program Manager. His greatest achievement, as he tells it, was the relocation of Sydney Water’s head office from the city out to Parramatta for 1,500 staff. This 51

“Ray was an honourable, dedicated professional, and instrumental in the AIPM as a fellow, building the project management profession in so many ways beyond count. We all owe him a great deal and I’ll miss him dearly. Best speed Ray, and farewell.” Ian Sharpe FAIPM CPPD project was more about change management, than a physical relocation to a different building. It seemed every time I spoke to Ray, he was dealing with a

change of government, or a change of the minister, secretary, deputy secretary, general manager or head of business. Each time he had to re-pitch the business case and go through hoops previously approved. I’m sure it was this project that sent him bald! This project took seven years to complete and after that he took well deserved long service leave and then retired to spend time with his wife Leonie, his kids and granddaughter, and to travel. Indeed, he came to Tassie in the last couple of years and visited my wife and I. Ray and I had some great times whenever we met, and especially

Ray, far right, celebrating the PMAAs in Sydney in 2017 (L-R: Nick Massie, unknown, unknown, Gary Yorke, Ray Abé)

at the annual AIPM National Conference. It was the Alice Springs conference in 2003 where Ray introduced me to the great taste of Kilkenny and stout in an Irish bar at the conference venue. We both loved golf, and both loved a good time. This was “Humorous, dedicated, personable – in all a great friend. Events will hardly be the same in the future without Mr Abé. Vale old mate, you will be sadly missed.” David Hudson FAIPM CPPE

how Ray lived his life. From that year on, at every conference, we sought out the nearest Irish bar and would arrive a day or two early so we could throw in a round or two of golf. Ray was mentor to me and a mentor to many who worked for him. I will miss my friend, but be forever grateful for having him in my life. Ray is survived by his wife Leonie, Kate (daughter), and Matt (son). Our thoughts and love are with them and the rest of their extended family. Author: Stuart Hughson FAIPM, Hydro Tasmania

“Ray Abé was a gem of a person. A man with a generous heart and a great sense of humour. Ray personally contributed a huge amount to the AIPM in all his various roles and director’s activities. Ray was just one of those people that looked at a problem and never saw it as insurmountable; there was always a way forward. We are going to miss you, Ray. God bless you on your journey to heaven.” Dr Bill Young LFAIPM CPPD (AIPM National President 2007–2011) 53

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Do you have a project that you would like our community to know about? Is there a project insight you believe needs to be shared? Our next theme is DRIVING CHANGE and we would love to hear your article ideas. Visit the magazine page on the AIPM website to submit your article idea before Friday, 15 July 2022. Our next issue will be out in September 2022.

Paradigm Shift | Project Management Magazine Winter 2022

Articles inside

VALE RAY ABÉ, AIPM LIFE FELLOW

DIGITISING THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AS A LEARNING TOOL

UOW’S APPROACH TO INCREASING STUDENT EMPLOYABILITY

THE 10 MOST SUCCESSFULLY MANAGED PROJECTS IN AUSTRALIA

LEAVING A LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

WHY FOCUSSING ON THE SCOPE MAY NOT LEAD TO TRUE PROJECT SUCCESS

THE IMPORTANCE OF CHAOS IN SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS

WHAT IT TAKES TO SUCCEED IN PROJECT COMPLEXITY

AN INCREASE IN COMPLEX PROJECTS WITHOUT INCREASING STAFF: HOW IT’S BEING DONE