PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
for
Strategic Change and Upliftment
by Gerrit van der
Waldt & André Knipe
Oxford University Press, 1998
(Originally
published by International Thomsons Publishers)
PREFACE
South Africa has been experiencing dramatic change, particularly since the implementation of the 1993-constitution. Especially local and provincial authorities, as the basis of effective government, have not escaped this change.
Local authorities continually experience change in functional, structural and legislative areas. This change requires deliberate and proactive management actions to transform an authority from its current (experienced unsatisfactory) state to a required state.
A local authority should continually reposition itself strategically regarding a changing environment. To transform an authority with a significant personnel component and limited resources within a given policy framework and without jeopardising service is an extremely complex process. Transformation is usually associated with resistance, instability and uncertainty and therefore does not simply involve the change of services, management hierarchy or methods and processes. People remain the means whereby change must take place. Without adequate support from personnel and the skills of management to act as transformation leaders, shortcomings may be anticipated in the process.
A proven mechanism to implement institutional transformation is project management. This course will focus on three aspects. Firstly, it will focus on the application of project management as a mechanism to strategically transform an authority, public institution, department or division from its current state to a required state. Secondly, it will concentrate on the application of project management to facilitate community development projects and thirdly, it will focus on the use of computer software to implement project management.
Although there is no "best" practical recipe for successful transformation, generic elements may be identified which can be adapted to the unique circumstances of the organisation.
This book provides an introductory perspective on how project management can be utilised to bring about strategic change within an institution. It also provide a basis to explain the applicability of project management in developmental projects in South Africa. The book will try to highlight generic elements of the change process in order to establish a customised transformation model.
STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK
The book is divided into two parts in order to achieve its aim:
| Part
1: Part 2: |
Project
management for institutional change (chapters 1 - 5) Project management for community development projects (chapters 6 - 10) |
Part 1 focuses on the use of project management to bring about strategic change within a public institution, such as a local government department. Reasons for this change may include the following:
To explain the process of this change, strategic management and the management of change as an integrated management process is first discussed (chapter 1 and 2), followed by the application of project management as a mechanism to bring about strategic change (chapter 3 and 4). In chapter 5 the role and functions of project managers are discussed in detail.
In part 2 we explain the application of project management for development aimed at upliftment of communities. Although project management is a generic management process, the emphasis shifts from institution orientation to community orientation. The community therefore replaces the public institution as the client. Public managers within public institutions act as project managers to facilitate development projects. Aspects such as community consensus on the type of project, participation in decision-making and the use of resources play a far greater role than in the case of institutional change. The reason for the existence of public institutions, i.e. to improve the general standard of living of the community, is thus realised. Aspects such as business plans for project proposals and technology for upliftment will also be discussed.
Because students and practitioners are employed in diverse departments and divisions and have unique skills and experience, it is hardly possible to meet everyone's needs with such a text book. However, an effort has been made to maintain a balance in the formulation of the book content. We explain specific circumstances and more specialised techniques and processes by using practical examples. It should, however, be borne in mind that the purpose of this book is to provide an introductory perspective on the application of project management for strategic change and socio-economic upliftment.
The glossary at the end of the book includes general concepts that are used when dealing with project management in the public and private sectors, in communities and also with technology. This glossary is by no means comprehensive, but attempts to provide an easy reference to the user of this book.
WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THE BOOK?
The book is specifically targeted for students in the field of Project Management, Strategic Management, Change Management and Development Management. However, due to its practical nature, the book will equally benefit practitioners involved in development and strategic change projects.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book is to a large extent the result of the presentation of various training programmes for public officials on local and provincial level, for councillors, and for students on non-formal certificate courses. We hereby like to express our gratitude to Alan Jonker, Manager of the Bureau for Public Management Development, Technikon SA, who, through the development and presentation of training programmes, expose us to the real training and development needs out there.
We like to thank Leanne Martini from International Thomson Publishers for making publication of this book through her professionalism so pleasant an experience.
To our wifes, Helah and Mandolien, thank you for your support, understanding and just for being there.
Last but not least, we would like to thank our Creator, for giving us the knowledge, skills and the ability to realise our ideals.
The Authors
July 1997
CONTENTS
FOREWORD
CHAPTER 1: APPLICATION OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT IN PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT DEFINED
3. RELEVANCE OF STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR
4. DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE
INSTITUTIONS
5. STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT PROCESS
6. SUMMARY
7. QUESTIONS FOR SELF-EVALUATION
CHAPTER 2: MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE: THEORY AND APPLICATION
1. INTRODUCTION
2. MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE
3. MANAGEMENT OF CHANGE: THE PROCESS
4. ROLE OF MANAGEMENT IN CHANGE
5. CRITICAL VARIABLES IN CHANGE
6. ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AS A CHANGE MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUE
7. SUMMARY
8. QUESTIONS FOR SELF-EVALUATION
CHAPTER 3: PROJECT MANAGEMENT: THE PROCESS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. PROJECT MANAGEMENT DEFINED
3. DEVELOPMENT OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT
4. ORGANISING FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT
5. PROJECT DEVELOPMENT CYCLE
6. PRACTICAL STEPS IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
7. CRITICAL FACTORS IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
8. SUMMARY
9. QUESTIONS FOR SELF-EVALUATION
CHAPTER 4: APPLICATION OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR STRATEGIC CHANGE
1. INTRODUCTION
2. DEFINITIONS
3. PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR STRATEGIC CHANGE: AN INTEGRATED PROCESS
4. SUMMARY
5. QUESTIONS FOR SELF-EVALUATION
CHAPTER 5: THE NEED FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT FOR UPLIFTMENT
1. INTRODUCTION
2. WHY UPLIFTMENT?
3. POLICIES, PROGRAMMES AND STRATEGIES
4. PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND UPLIFTMENT
5. SUMMARY
6. QUESTIONS FOR SELF-EVALUATION
CHAPTER 6: DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT, PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND THE GOVERNMENT
1. INTRODUCTION
2. DEFINING DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT
3. LOCAL GOVERNMENT DEFINED
4. THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN MANAGING DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND
PROGRAMMES
5. FUNCTIONS OF THE PUBLIC MANAGER AS A PROJECT MANAGER IN
DEVELOPMENT
6. SUMMARY
7. QUESTIONS FOR SELF-EVALUATION
CHAPTER 7: COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
1. INTRODUCTION
2. DEFINING PARTICIPATION
3. EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES
4. ENABLING STRUCTURES FOR COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
5. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN THE PROJECT CYCLE
6. SUMMARY
7. QUESTIONS FOR SELF-EVALUATION
CHAPTER 8: PROJECTS AND BUSINESS PLANS FOR SOCIAL UPLIFTMENT
1. INTRODUCTION
2. EXAMPLES OF PRESIDENTIAL LEAD PROJECTS
3. RDP PROJECTS: PRACTICAL EXAMPLES FROM THE NINE PROVINCES
4. BUSINESS PLANS FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT
5. SUMMARY
6. QUESTIONS FOR SELF-EVALUATION
CHAPTER 9: ROLE AND FUNCTIONS OF PUBLIC PROJECT MANAGERS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. CHANGING NATURE OF PUBLIC MANAGEMENT
3. NEED FOR NEW MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
4. PROJECT MANAGEMENT FUNCTIONS
5. MANAGEMENT SKILLS
6. PUBLIC MANAGERS AS STRATEGIC CHANGE AGENTS
7. TYPICAL DILEMMAS OF PROJECT MANAGERS AND HOW TO OVERCOME THEM
8. SUMMARY
9. QUESTIONS FOR SELF-EVALUATION
CHAPTER 10: TECHNOLOGY FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT
1. INTRODUCTION
2. TECHNOLOGY FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT DEFINED
3. PROJECT MANAGEMENT COMPUTER SOFTWARE
4. IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY ON THE PERFORMANCE OF PROJECT TEAMS
5. APPLYING TECHNOLOGY FOR MANAGING COMPLEX PROJECTS
6. SUMMARY
7. QUESTIONS FOR SELF-EVALUATION
GLOSSARY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
