SYSTEMS THINKING: GAINING AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROBLEM SITUATION
3.5 Can Systems Thinking be Applied to Project Management?
In order to establish whether a systems thinking approach is relevant to project management, one would need to firstly look at the definition of a system in order to decide whether or not a project could be deemed a system. A definition of a system was provided in chapter 2. A similar definition of a system used by business practitioners is:
"A group of elements, either human or nonhuman, that is organised and arranged in such a way that the elements can act as a whole towards achieving some common goal, objective, or end" (Kerzner, 1998). Although the actions of the elements within the system define the emergent properties of the system, the system is characterised by its boundaries. The impact of the environment on the system is also critical to the functioning of the system. A system that is completed isolated from its environment is considered a closed system. Where there is interaction with the environment, the system is considered an open system (as is the case with all social systems).
The definition of a project can be taken as "a sequence of connected events that are conducted over a defined and limited period of time and are targeted towards generating a unique but well defined outcome" (Bagu1ey, 2003). A project usually has a 1ifecycle through which it achieves its purpose. A lifecycle typically comprises the following phases as illustrated in fig 3.1 above.
In order to meet the goal of a project, a number of elements are required. These include (but are not limited to):
i) Human resources to work on the project (including management and other technically skilled personnel)
ii) Facilities (buildings, furniture, tools and equipment, etc.)
iii) Objective (including desired output, quality requirements, timetable, etc.) iv) Methodology
v) Stakeho1ders
To test whether a project can be considered a system, the definition provided in the earlier chapter to test this assertion will be used.
1. A system is an assembly ofcomponents connected together in an organised way:
Certainly all of the above components are assembled with a unity of purpose with respect to the project activities. Inapplying virtually any project
management methodology, the interaction of these components will be connected in a way organised and controlled by the project manager. All the components are vital to the smooth operation of the project and if any component is removed or changed, the project system will have a different outcome.
2. The components are affected by being in the system and the behaviour ofthe system is changed
if
they leave it:Each of the above components will be directly affected by having an involvement in the system. By removing any ofthe components, the outcome of the project will again be different.
3. This organised assembly ofcomponents does something:
All of the components within the project system are used to achieve the goal of delivering the defined outcome of the project.
4. This assembly as a whole has been identified by someone who is interested in it:
Usually a sponsor or senior management of an organisation will be desirous of having a project team together with all the requisite components in order to achieve the project goal. The user community would also have some interested in the project system.
Based on the above, it is evident that a project complies with the requirements to be considered a system. Furthermore, the system is bounded, although the boundary can be moved depending on the perspective of the person looking at it.
Itwas stated in an earlier chapter that one of the boundaries of a project is time, or more significantly, the end date. On the basis of this, it is asserted that another boundary of a project would be the scope (or objective). The scope defines the output of the project system that, once achieved, largely determines the demise of the project system. Another key bounding factor of a project is the available funds. For a project to be deemed
successful, the boundary conditions of finish date, scope, quality and cost should merge at a predefined point as illustrated in fig. 3.2 below.
I
Time lineI
Successful project
Fig. 3.2: Key project boundary conditions
Outside of the project boundary is the environment in which the project system operates.
Environmental factors exert influences on the system and can significantly influence the emergent properties of the system. Within the environment of a project would be the project management governance that dictates how projects must be run.Itdefines the organisation's project management methodologies and also dictates which project management tools may be used. The organisation's management lie within the environment and can influence the outcome of any project positively or negatively.
Current projects being undertaken by the organisation often affect other projects (by requiring the use of allocated resources, for example). Similarly, extraneous events elsewhere within an organisation can dramatically affect a project (e.g. the decision to restructure the organisation, or changing the priority ofprojects, etc.).
Having looked at the problem within the context of the organisation and the impact it was having on the project, and also establishing that a project may be considered to be a system, systems thinking as described in chapter 2 will be applied in order to obtain an improved understanding ofthe situation. This will be used as input to the action research activities that will be described in chapter 4.