Second Order Project Management

145 Pages·2012·0.899 MB·English

by  Michael Cavanagh

Second Order Project Management
For Marjorie
Second Order Project
Management
Michael cavanagh
© Michael cavanagh 2012
all rights reserved. no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher.
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gower Publishing limited gower Publishing company
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Michael cavanagh has asserted his moral right under the copyright, Designs and
Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
cavanagh, Michael.
Second order project management. – (advances in project management)
1. Project management.
i. Title ii. Series
658.4'04 – dc22
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
cavanagh, Michael, 1949–
Second order project management / by Michael cavanagh.
p. cm. – (advances in project management)
includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4094-1094-2 (hardback : alk. paper) – ISBN 978-1-4094-1095-9 (ebook)
1. Project management. 2. Project management – Methodology. 3. Technological
complexity. i. Title.
hD69.P75c384 2011
658.4'04 – dc23
2011027142
ISBN 9781409410942 (pbk)
ISBN 9781409410959 (ebk)
IV
CONTENTS
List of Figures and Music Examples vii
About the Author ix
Author’s Note xi
Foreword xiii
Acknowledgements xv
Introduction 1
PART I UnceRTAInTy, comPlexITy And
ImPAcT on PRojecTs
1 What Makes Projects Complex? 9
2 First and Second Order Project Management 15
3 Leadership in an Uncertain World 19
4 Outcomes and Ethics 31
PART II second oRdeR Tools And TAcTIcs
5 The Systems Approach to Project Management 41
6 Experiential Learning 47
vi Second order Project ManageMent
7 Appropriate Contracting 77
8 Conclusion 87
Appendix1: The Project Leaders’ Commentary 91
Appendix 2: Using the Systems Anatomy – a Case Study 97
References 111
Some Suggestions for Further Reading 113
Index 119
List of figures and music exampLes
Figures
Figure 1.1 Complexity Assessment Matrix 12
Figure 2.1 Doing the right thing/doing things the right way 17
Figure 3.1 The Risk Horizon 22
Figure 4.1 In-service errors 33
Figure 6.1 Cognitive hierarchy 49
Figure 6.2 The Learning Cycle 51
Figure 6.3 Learning in the lifecycle 53
Figure 6.4 Learning at the Enquiry stage 54
Figure 6.5 Learning during Project Execution 55
Figure 6.6 Reflection and Analysis 55
Figure 6.7 The personal learning repertoire 71
Figure 6.8 Typical Experiential Learning activity 73
Figure 6.9 The long dark night of the soul 75
Figure 7.1 Levels of uncertainty 81
Figure A2.1 Viable Systems Model of Stafford Beer 99
Figure A2.2 Generic Anatomy model 101
Figure A2.3 System relationships 102
Music exaMples
Example 2.1 Scales and arpeggios 15
Example 2.2 Excerpt from ‘The Flow of the Nile’ 15
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about the author
Michael Cavanagh is a consultant specialising in organisational
learning, development and project management. In his 40-year career,
Michael Cavanagh has worked as a Programmer, Systems Analyst,
Project Manager, Department Head and Consultant in a number of
business sectors. In recent years, he has concentrated on the transfer
of knowledge and wisdom in an organisational context. This work
on experiential learning has led to the focus of his research and
consulting activity being the use of systems thinking techniques to
perform ‘forensic’ analysis of major project failure and the ways in
which lessons can be derived and corrective process improvement
implemented, applying these ideas in very large long-term projects.
Michael has worked alongside many organisations in Defence,
Transportation and Petrochemical sectors across Europe, the USA,
Canada and the Middle East. He is a regular speaker at international
conferences and in major Business Schools.
Michael is also an ordained Anglican priest in the Church of Ireland,
responsible for the churches of the Kenmare and Dromod Union,
Co. Kerry.