Issues in front-end decision making on projects

Williams, Terry; Samset, Knut

Abstract

The importance of the front-end decision-making phase in projects is being increasingly recognized - the need to "do the right project" is on a par with "doing the project right." This area is underrepresented in the literature, but there are a number of key themes that run throughout, identifying key issues or difficulties during this stage. This article looks at some of these themes and includes: the need for alignment between organizational strategy and the project concept; dealing with complexity, in particular the systemicity and interrelatedness within project decisions; consideration of the ambiguity implicit in all major projects; taking into account psychological and political biases within estimation of benefits and costs; consideration of the social geography and politics within decision-making groups; and preparation for the turbulence within the project environment, including the maintenance of strategic alignment. © 2010 by the Project Management Institute.

Citation

Williams, T., & Samset, K. (2010). Issues in front-end decision making on projects. Project management journal, 41(2), 38-49. https://doi.org/10.1002/pmj.20160

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Apr 1, 2010
• Publication Date: Apr 1, 2010
• Deposit Date: Apr 1, 2022
• Journal: Project Management Journal
• Print ISSN: 8756-9728
• Electronic ISSN: 1938-9507
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 41
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 38-49
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pmj.20160
• Keywords: Front end; Strategy; Complexity; Biases; Turbulence
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3634115