Effective Project Management for Strategic Innovation and Change in an Organisation

Projects ore a means of implementingstrategy; the relationship of project managementto strategic implementation inan orgonization is explored. Some of therecent project management literature isexamined and a case study from theeducation sector is used to consider howto effectively link project management toorganizational strategic processes.Project management techniques havebeen used very successfully in a widerange of areas. They are routinelyapplied in IT developments, building,government, and education. Recent thinking has raised questions about how tomore closely match the techniques to thenature of individual projects.The nature of different types of projectsis explored through consideration ofprojects involving high levels of change.and/or innovation. By their nature, thefinal outcomes of such projects are notclearly defined and their execution mayrequire many iterations of development.A means of categorizing projectswithin an organization is developed.This, along with a set process guidelines,will enable an organization's managementto more effectively consider theimplications of implementing strategicprojects. Monitoring such projects canpresent problems in an organizationwhen management accountability mechanismsdemand results and rigid processesare imposed.