Project profiling : adaptive project management using project character clues

Abstract

Projects are temporary and unique endeavours, each providing its own set of managerial challenges. Metaphorically speaking, a project’s individual character is an aggregate of features and traits that form the very nature of the project. The purpose of this paper is to examine how the complex of project characteristics might be evaluated to provide critical insight in determining the appropriate management approach.Using a qualitative research approach, a case study of ten individual projects was conducted from a project portfolio in a financial services organization. Each project was measured against every competence factor of the IPMA Eye of Competence in terms of importance, and against the four dimensions of the Diamond Model; novelty, technology, complexity and pace. With ascending project characteristics score, the challenge increases of managing the project effectively and successfully - thus forming a basis for a sliding scale of project individuals of growing character strength.