Measuring the Project Management Complexity: The Case of Information Technology Projects

Abstract

Complex projects require specific project management (PM) competences development. However, while no complex projects have standards that are recognized to guide their management, complex projects do not have guides to deal with their complexity. To lead complex projects to success, this complexity must be measured quantitatively and, in our opinion, project management complexity assessment should be based on existing PM standards. In this work, the main project complexity assessment approaches based on PM standards are analyzed, observing that International Project Management Association (IPMA) approach is the closest to a tool that can be used as a complexity quantitative measurement system. On the other hand, several authors have shown that the inherent complexity of specific kind of projects must be measured in a particular way. The main objective of this research is to propose a project management complexity assessment tool for IT projects, providing a Complexity Index that measures the impact that complexity factors inherent to IT projects have under a specific complexity scenario. The tool combines the use of complexity factors defined by IPMA approach and the use of complexity factors found in the literature to manage inherent complexity of IT projects. All these factors were validated by expert survey and the tool was applied to a study case.

Measuring Information Systems Project Complexity: A Structural Equation Modelling Approach

“…is arguably excludes complexities associated with managing stakeholders throughout an IS project's lifespan. Poveda-Bautista et al [16] approached IS project complexity from a different perspective to Damasiotis and Fitsilis [14]. ey applied the technological, organisational, and environmental framework of Bosch-Rekveldt et al [13] rather than extracting complexity indicators from the PMBOK ® Guide.…”

“…is paper aims to build on the work of Joseph [12] and Poveda-Bautista et al [16] to understand what constructs and indicators are applicable to IS projects. Although Poveda-Bautista et al [16] did develop a more comprehensive model for measuring IS project complexity compared with previous studies, they did not establish if all indicators are relevant to IS projects. e goal of this paper is to establish the constructs and indicators relevant to measuring IS project complexity.…”

“…is is contentious as Hällgren et al [15] argued that the PMBOK ® Guide only provides a broad base for measuring and managing project complexity. Poveda-Bautista et al [16] addressed this by incorporating multiple project management standards and literatures to develop the measures for IS project complexity. eir drawback however was that they maintained all constructs from this assimilation and did not determine which were relevant or not.…”

A Case Study of Complex Policy Design: The Systems Engineering Approach

“…The proposed model combines strategic decision-making, complex adaptive system (CAS), and the mathematical techniques analytic network process (ANP) and linear programming (LP) [41]. Also, complexity theory has been proposed as a complexitydriven approach to assist project management in decisionmaking, while defining complexity-based criteria [42].…”

The effective implementation of cloud computing through project management : conceptual framework

“…It is about the present and the future: triple constraints, activity, goals, technology, stakeholders, among others(Bakhshi et al 2016;Botchkarev & Finnigan 2015;Marnewick et al 2017;Mitleton-Kelly & Land 2005). Dynamics is about project change management, i.e. the changes both internal and external to the project(Bakhshi et al 2016;Botchkarev & Finnigan 2015;Marnewick et al 2017;Merali 2006;Mitleton-Kelly & Land 2005;Murray 2002; Xia & Lee 2004). Size deals with the number and significance/magnitude of all project-related factors(Bakhshi et al 2016;Botchkarev & Finnigan 2015;Marnewick et al 2017). Project management complexity per se deals with all project-related factors such as scheduling, scoping, methods, tools and techniques (Bakhshi et al 2016; Botchkarev & Finnigan 2015; Marnewick et al 2017; Murray 2002; Williamson 2011;). People management involves all the people-related factors which affect the project(Bakhshi et al 2016;Botchkarev & Finnigan 2015;Poveda-Bautista et al 2018;Marnewick et al 2017; Williamson 2011).…”