Decision-making in project portfolio management: using the Cynefin framework to understand the impact of complexity

Shalbafan, Saeed; Leigh, Elyssebeth; Pollack, JB; Sankaran, Shankar

doi:10.5130/pmrp.irnop2017.5775

Cited by 9 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…It was also mentioned that, "It is necessary to use tools, such as design thinking [14], design sprint [17] and the Cynefin framework [20], which are able to capture business needs and identify the indicators considered to have the greatest impacts on the execution of services". It was found that, in fact, these tools were able to capture business needs and establish a ranking of indicators to be optimized, based on experience and feedback from interested parties.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This tool was used to guide participants regarding the definition and classification of problems in the CSD matrix. In order to verify which domain of each indicator in question is more related, it was decided to use the analysis defined by Shalbafan et al [20] in conjunction with Gray's approach [69]. The approaches try to verify the relationship between the processes and projects with the domains defined in Cynefin.…”

Section: Execution Of the Apply Model Stepmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this work we propose a model for defining and prioritizing IT indicators, within a context related to agile software development, using specific mechanisms and tools for decision making and focusing on the end user, such as design thinking-which refers to the cognitive, strategic and practical processes by which design concepts (proposals for new products, buildings, softwares, etc.) are developed by designers and/or design teams [14][15][16]; design sprint-an exercise in five phases restricted by time to reduce the risks involved in bringing a software product to market [17][18][19]; and the Cynefin framework -a tool that guides professionals' decision making by analyzing the context in which that decisions are made [20,21]. For this purpose, we have identified in the literature and industry indicators, and we validated them in a real context of agile software development.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Model for the Definition, Prioritization and Optimization of Indicators

et al. 2022

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Context: The definition and prioritization of indicators is now a common reality and an integral part of the evolution of the strategic, technical and business processes of any organization, whether public or private. Purpose: This paper proposes a new model regarding the definition and prioritization of indicators. Herein, we also investigate the definition and prioritization models currently adopted by academia and industry, and analyze the context of the proposed strategies against the traditional view of indicator definition currently adopted. In addition, we conducted a survey with organizations that had well-defined indicator management processes, seeking to identify customer expectations with a new indicator management model proposed by this work. Method: To gather evidence, we defined a methodology that relates the literature review and an exploratory case study with the application of an experiment. Driven by a set of research questions, this methodology comprised four main phases: planning, literature review, experiment execution and documentation of results. The method used is supported by some techniques, such as design thinking, design sprint and the Cynefin framework. Results: The analysis of the results was carried out in two different ways: Through the verification of the achievement of specific objectives and through a questionnaire applied to assess the degrees of perception of all employees who participated in the work. Regarding the specific objectives, it is clear that most of the objectives were achieved. Regarding the applied questionnaire, it is clear that, although the collaborators did not have adequate knowledge regarding the conceptual and practical aspects of some approaches used in the proposed model, there was a general perception that the model, in fact, supported top management for decision making. For professionals, the proposed model has a restricted scope; that is, it does not serve all types of organizations. Conclusion: The model proposed in this work proved to be effective, considering that the indicators were defined, prioritized and optimized, with a focus on the user experience. As future work, we intend to expand the scope of the model’s performance, evaluating business indicators alongside IT indicators.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Execution Of the Apply Model Stepmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Model for the Definition, Prioritization and Optimization of Indicators

et al. 2022

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“…As an example of the SoS perspective, Bakhshi et al (2016) point to the Cynefin framework (Snowden and Boone, 2007). The Cynefin framework is gaining interest in research literature and can support project decision-making (Basha, 2017), including portfolio management (Shalbafan et al, 2018). Cynefin is seen as a potentially important new tool for project managers (Vollmar et al, 2017) and is found in several more recent handbooks, like (Hermano and Mart ın-Cruz, 2019), (Pirozzi, 2018) and (AXELOS, 2015).…”

Section: 3mentioning

confidence: 99%

Researching navigation of project complexity using action design research

Mikkelsen

Venable

Aaltonen³

2020

IJMPB

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PurposeProject complexity is becoming increasingly challenging for project managers. Much valuable research has been done on the concept of project complexity. The research reported in this paper aims to provide a new means (the “Complexity Navigation Window”) and guiding principles for the navigation of project complexity in practice.Design/methodology/approachThis paper applied action design research (a methodology for design science research) to design and evaluate the Complexity Navigation Window (CNW), which will serve as a representation of project complexity as a key component of the user interface for a decision support system (DSS) for managing project complexity.FindingsFormative evaluations of the CNW by 16 project management practitioners indicated that the artefact is relevant, comprehensible and heading in a promising direction to guide decision-making. The evaluation also highlighted project managers' difficulty in using the (conceptual) representation by itself to assess a project's current situation accurately, which in turn limits their ability to understand a project's current complexity and decide an appropriate course of strategy. A conceptual framework by itself is insufficient. This finding motivates further research to develop and evaluate a DSS that would partially automate the assessment process (by surveying stakeholders and automatically assessing and representing project complexity according to the CNW), which should aid in increasing the accuracy (and timeliness) of project complexity assessments and contribute to appropriate strategy formulation and timely revision.Practical implicationsThe formative evaluation of the CNW indicates relevance for practitioners and the further features of the DSS may still yield even higher perceived utility from the full artefact.Originality/valueThe paper provides improved understanding of practitioners' perceptions of project complexity and ability to assess it for a given project. The paper describes the design of a new visualisation for navigating and managing complexity. The paper further presents four strategies for managing project complexity. Finally, the paper also provides a methodological discussion on the potential of ADR in advancing project management research.

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“…The leader needs to move between several domains, separating out simple, complicated and complex problems and dealing with them all appropriately. Several other authors have picked up this categorization across a range of dimensions, including health, IT and education [62][63][64][65]. Figure 1 presents the characteristics of various degrees of system complexity and appropriate leadership styles.…”

Section: Typology Of Systems In Terms Of Complexity and Leadership Immentioning

confidence: 99%

Effectiveness of Leadership Decision-Making in Complex Systems

Hallo

Nguyen

Gorod

et al. 2020

Systems

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This paper traverses the domains of leadership and decision-making within various types of systems with different levels of complexity. The article presents some background about both leadership and decision-making, and then explores the concept of leadership decision-making and some of the factors involved. The paper then reviews complex systems and provides examples to differentiate complex systems from other systems. Finally, these strands are brought together with a consideration of leadership decision-making in complex systems and presentation of a framework to assist managers faced with decision-making in complexity, based on data collected in a survey. The aim and practical contribution of this paper is to improve the outcomes of leadership decision-making within complex systems, based upon the findings and on a decision aid model derived from them. The paper, therefore, should help people in real life and leaders within organizational settings to improve their decision-making effectiveness within the ever-increasing range of complex situations which are now widely encountered.

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Decision-making in project portfolio management: using the Cynefin framework to understand the impact of complexity

Cited by 9 publications

References 43 publications

A Model for the Definition, Prioritization and Optimization of Indicators

A Model for the Definition, Prioritization and Optimization of Indicators

Researching navigation of project complexity using action design research

Effectiveness of Leadership Decision-Making in Complex Systems

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