Marketing Management - Objectives of Project Governance

Project Governance

It is important to establish the management structure for the project that identifies the specific players, their responsibilities and the interaction between them for the duration of the project. Ultimate responsibility and accountability for the project must be clearly defined and accepted at an appropriately high level within the organisation.

Objectives of Project Governance

The objective of project governance is to plan and manage the project throughout its life. This involves the realisation of project outcomes, with high levels of productivity and quality, and with manageable levels of uncertainty (risk).

In developing a governance structure for a project and the roles used within it, there is always a great deal of flexibility. There are also, however, some general principles which should only be ignored in extreme circumstances (i.e. with very large, very small or very unusual projects).

One principle is that ultimate responsibility and accountability for the project must be clearly defined and accepted at an appropriately high level. The appropriate level is that which has discretionary control over the bulk of the resources that will be expended in the project process. For a large project, this will generally be a member of the senior executive.

It is also highly recommended to include representatives from each major business unit directly in the decision making process, at least through their inclusion on the project's Steering Committee. A Steering Committee member from outside the organisation to provide a ‘reality check' and represent broader stakeholder interests is also recommended.

Selecting the right Project Manager

The Project Manager is the key person around which the project will ultimately revolve and appropriate selection of a project manager and team, resourcing of the team and delegation of authority is critical.

For large or complex projects, project management knowledge and experience are at least as important as knowledge of the business area(s) in which the project is being run. However, Project Managers should have or seek to obtain knowledge of the business area in order to be able to effectively communicate with Project Team members and project clients to ensure that business issues and concerns are addressed.

A Project Team should include at least one person with an intimate knowledge of the business area, and preferably more. It may also be an advantage if one or more Project Team members are novices or inexperienced in the business area so that fundamental issues are not overlooked or simply taken for granted. Many issues can be uncovered through the process of explaining issues to those with little background in the area. Finding the right combination of people with project management, technical and business