Leading Complex Projects Action Research Initiative

Photo of Ashridge from the South in Summer

“Why is it, in spite of all the investment we make on (often excellent) project management, some of the most expensive and critically important complex projects still fail to deliver the benefits that stakeholders and public expect?”

This is the heartfelt question that a number of our clients have been asking, so we are launching an action research to explore some answers.

What makes a project ‘complex’?

Apart from being major investments of time and money, complex projects:

Often involve many leads, or partners, who may have not worked together before. They may have multiple stakeholders and be set in dynamic political contexts
They may be multinational, affected by different national cultures as well as organisation cultures
They may be using untried technologies or anticipate that the technology will evolve over the lifecycle of the project
They may be affected by wider social, economic and environmental conditions which are themselves unstable and unpredictable.

All of this creates uncertainty, unpredictability, high political stakes, anxiety and a need for leadership beyond traditional project management techniques.

The Action Research Project

Working with around a dozen senior leaders from across public, private and not-for-profit sectors, we will be seeking to discover the practices which help to 'de-risk' these complex projects and increase the chances of delivering the benefits that are intended.

The action research programme starts with an opening one day workshop to set the scene and share an enabling framework for leading complex projects. A second workshop will introduce the action research methodology. Four one-day group meetings will then enable sponsoring organisations to explore their real live challenges with help from other experienced practitioners. Learning will be pulled together and disseminated at a final workshop.

The benefits:

Access to new learning from across sectors
Expert advice and inquriy applied to your real live projects whilst they are are in motion
Being an early adopter of the practices that make a difference, before your competitors
Stretching the leadership capability of participants who get high impact development at a very low cost.

This is designed for those who have a real, live stake in the management of a complex project and who wish to co-develop with colleagues the approaches, tools, techniques, measures and practices that are more likely to work in contexts of uncertainty and rapid change, where traditional project management approaches are necessary but not sufficient.

How can I get involved?

As part of a wider research consortium, Ashridge will be subsidising the cost of the programme complemented by contributions from participating organisations.

Sponsoring organisations (or consortia) may participate on payment of a one-off contribution of £15,000.

To discuss your potential involvement, please contact either Sue Pritchard or Danny Chesterman

To sign up please email Katherine Bailey or call her on +44 (0)1442 841194

Michael Cavanagh explains how familiar 'first order' project management tools are vital, and perform well up to a point; but as project complexity increases, less prescriptive '2nd order' techniques must be deployed. The difference is as great as that between basic scales on a piano - and the great virtuoso Rachmaninov.

Watch Michael's short YouTube video here.

	Gill Coleman
	Ashridge Centre for Action Research
	01442 841112
	gill.coleman @ashridge.org.uk

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Leading Complex Projects Action Research Initiative

See here for progress on this project