Abstract
It is widely accepted that every project aiming at specific outcomes is unique, since it is not a routine operation. In this context it is important to identify and study certain common characteristics of an effective project manager. The aim of this research is to examine the importance of the attributes of an effective project manager by analyzing how satisfied his/her collaborators are. The study focuses on the project management of EU Operational Programs in the public sector. Based on the literature, the effective project manager should be able to understand and influence the key parameters of any project (physical, technical, scientific, etc.), such as the duration, the financial resources, the human resources, the legislation, and the operation. To analyze the degree of satisfaction and the importance of project manager characteristics, the MUSA method has been applied, which is a multiple-criteria decision-analysis approach in the field of preference disaggregation.
TopIntroduction
Project management is a set of activities aiming to implement a series of actions with the ultimate goal of achieving a final result or a change. To achieve this, a team is created that follows a timetable and has a budget at its disposal. The team simultaneously considers technical limitations until the project is fully implemented (Munns & Bjeirmi, 1996). Fundamentally, project management is just a part of the overall business process that carries out the implementation of the project.
The process (of project management) is a set of functions such as design, development, and production of a project. Each process involves actions, changes, and operations that lead to a result when there is an appropriate budget and timetable (MD137675, 2018). When all the necessary elements are present, the strategic planning of a project is essentially carried out.
However, what is the definition of a project? According to JMD126829 (2015), it could be all the energy that is consumed in order to implement a final product or service that is unique in its kind. A natural characteristic of the project is its beginning and end (life cycle), while its result, which is the product/service, is always similar but never identical from a different perspective. The types of projects can be discriminate into three main categories according to the Project Management Institute (2013):
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Implementation of a new product or service.
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Influence on the structure or staffing of a service.
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Creation of modern software for optimal performance.
Also, the following should be noted:
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The start of the project has a clear date.
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The end of a project is determined by a date or the final outcome.
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A project has a clearly defined objective.
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The final outcome (product) is unique.
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There are usually important restrictions on the basic necessary resources.
The main phases of any project overall with the project life cycle, but they can help to understand the sequence of necessary operations. These phases are typical and can be roughly considered as follows (Horine, 2009):
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1st phase – Project initiation: It includes project definition and other key elements, such as the purpose, the benefits, the risks, the stakeholders of the project, etc. All these are usually defined in a Project Initiation Document (PID).
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2nd phase - Project definition and planning: This stage refers to the assessment of the goals and the project scope. It also includes the development of a project plan and work breakdown schedule.
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3rd phase – Project launch and implementation: In this stage the project is put into action, by carrying out all the necessary tasks and activities. Particular attention is given to the required deliverables.
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4th phase – Project monitoring and control: It focuses on measuring project progression and performance. Usually monitoring and control often overlap with execution.
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5th phase – Completion and delivery of the project: This stage refers to the project closure, which however does not always imply success (e.g., project cancellation). In several cases, a post-implementation project review is performed.
Overall, project management can be a valuable tool for organizations, but it is important to be aware of its potential challenges and drawbacks. Some of the positive and negative elements of project management are presented in Table 1 (Richman, 2011; Brown, 2007).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Project Management: The use of specific knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to achieve specific project objectives and deliver an added value outcome to users.
Customer Satisfaction: The consumer’s fulfillment response; it is a judgment that a product or service feature, or the product or service itself, provided (or is providing) a pleasurable level of consumption-related fulfillment, including levels of under- or over-fulfillment.
Project Manager: Organized, goal-oriented professional who are responsible for the planning, execution and managing of people, resources, and project objectives.
MUSA Method: A multicriteria decision analysis method for measuring and analyzing customer satisfaction based on the principles of ordinal regression and using linear programming techniques.
Multicriteria Analysis: Methods, models and approaches that aim to aid the decision-makers to handle semi-structured decision problems with multiple criteria; it handles problems where the rational solution does not preexist but constitutes an objective of research usually through an interactive process.
Operational Programs: Programs that implement the priorities and targets agreed between the EU Commission and the national or regional managing authorities through investment priorities and specific objectives.