Effective Project Management for Strategic Innovation and Change in an Organizational Context

Projects are a means of implementing strategy; the relationship of project management to strategic implementation in an organization is explored. Some of the recent project management literature is examined and a case study from the education sector is used to consider how to effectively link project management to organizational strategic processes. Project management techniques have been used very successfully in a wide range of areas. They are routinely applied in IT developments, building, government, and education. Recent thinking has raised questions about how to more closely match the techniques to the nature of individual projects. The nature of different types of projects is explored through consideration of projects involving high levels of change, and/or innovation. By their nature, the final outcomes of such projects are not clearly defined and their execution may require many iterations of development. A means of categorizing projects within an organization is developed. This, along with a set process guidelines, will enable an organization's management to more effectively consider the implications of implementing strategic projects. Monitoring such projects can present problems in an organization when management accountability mechanisms demand results and rigid processes are imposed.