NON-STANDARDISATION OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROCESSES: A CASE STUDY OF ERICSSON SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA - Part 12

• 4.5.2 PEMA Adherence

4.5.2 PEMA Adherence

Referring to table 4.7, it can be observed that many of the PEMA audit criteria are covered in the PROPS-C criteria; therefore, this data will not be duplicated. Only the audit criterion that is unique to PEMA and not already covered in the PROPS-C adherence section will be discussed here. Data gathered for auditing purposes in support of PEMA compliance are:

• Project Management Professional (PMP®) certified – This certification is an external certification to Ericsson, which is governed by the Project Management Institute (PMI).
• Ericsson Project Manager certified (Ericsson PM and Practice Area certified) – These certifications are internal to Ericsson and classified as Ericsson Project Manager (PM) and Practice Area specific certifications. Project Managers are required to have both certifications. The Ericsson Project Manager certification has four levels of classification, namely ‘Assessed’, being the entry level certification, followed by ‘Experienced’, then ‘Senior’, and lastly ‘Principal’, which is the highest accolade to achieve within Ericsson. To date there are only 5 Principal Ericsson Project Managers worldwide. The practice area specific certification is an extension of the Ericsson PM certification which details which area of speciality the Project Manager practices in, such as Network Rollout (NRO) or Systems Integration (SI). Each of these specialised practice areas has a similar level of achievement, as stated for the Ericsson Project Manager.
• Formal handover from pre-sales to project execution – This measurement is a predetermined point in time at TG2 when the Project Manager signs off a document in which he/she takes full responsibility for the delivery of the content enclosed in this document, which includes all deliverables and financials. The Project Manager’s KPIs are mostly based upon the successful adherence to the content of this document that is signed off.

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Audit results recorded in support of PEMA compliance are presented below.

• Project Management Professional (PMP®) certified:
  • Certified PMP® in the South African Project Office = 14 out of a total head count of 38.
  • Certified PMP® in the Nigerian Project Office = 4 out of a total head count of 37.
• Ericsson Project Manager certified (Ericsson PM and Practice Area certified):
  • Certified Ericsson Project Managers at the level of Assessed (APM − Assessed) in the South African Project Office = 38 out of a total head count of 38.
  • Certified Ericsson Project Managers at the level of Assessed (APM − Assessed) in the Nigerian Project Office = 37 out of a total head count of 37.
  • Certified Ericsson Project Managers at the level of Experienced (EPM − Experienced) in the South African Project Office = 4 out of a total head count of 38.
  • Certified Ericsson Project Managers at the level of Assessed (EPM − Experienced) in the Nigerian Project Office = 1 out of a total head count of 37.
  • Certified Ericsson Project Managers at the level of Senior (SPM − Senior) in the South African Project Office = 5 out of a total head count of 38.
  • Certified Ericsson Project Managers at the level of Senior (SPM − Senior) in the Nigerian Project Office = 0 out of a total head count of 37.
  • Certified Ericsson Project Managers at the level of Principal (PPM − Principal) in the South African Project Office = 0 out of a total head count of 38.
  • Certified Ericsson Project Managers at the level of Principal (PPM − Principal) in the Nigerian Project Office = 0 out of a total head count of 37.
  • Certified Ericsson Practice Area Network Rollout Project Managers (EPM − NRO) in the South African Project Office = 4 out of a total head count of 38.
  • Certified Ericsson Practice Area Network Rollout Project Managers (EPM − NRO) in the Nigerian Project Office = 1 out of a total head count of 37.
  • Certified Ericsson Practice Area Systems Integration Project Managers (EPM − SI) in the South African Project Office = 0 out of a total head count of 38.
  • Certified Ericsson Practice Area Systems Integration Project Managers (EPM − SI) in the South African Project Office = 0 out of a total head count of 37.
• Formal handover from pre-sales to execution:

Quantitative scoring is utilised in calculations that are based on the following Likert scale in terms of the level of compliance in the projects scored:
0 = Non-compliance meaning that there was no contract handshake check list.

1 = Partial compliance meaning that some of the data fields were completed on the contract handshake check list with all or some signatures present.

2 = Full compliance meaning that all data fields were completed on the contract handshake check list with all signatures present.

A total number of 14 projects from the South Africa Project Office were scored with the following results:

1 project was fully compliant. (7%)

12 projects were partially compliant. (86%)

1 project was non-complaint. (7%)

A total number of 27 projects from the Nigerian Project Office were scored with the following results:

18 projects were fully compliant. (67%)

2 projects were partially compliant. (7%)

7 projects were non-compliant. (26%)

Human Perspective is defined as the ability of the organisation to create a working climate, in which its employees are encouraged and supported to grow as individuals and professionals. This is one of the soft issues forming part of the Project Office’s level of maturity. Short (2006:12) amplifies the need that individuals have to be part of the team when he says that: “Good leaders realise that, by nature, people want to be a part of something significant. Not only do people want to be on a team, they want to be a reason that the team is successful. You win leadership when you serve people rather than expecting them to serve you.” Williamson (2006:12) explains that: “Team leadership also dictates soliciting member input while guiding them through a thought process, which strengthens the team as a whole.” Kogon (2006:12) says that: “…, leaders also need to remember that they are the ones ultimately in control. You cannot let everyone else try to lead, because they will.”

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From the PEMA results it is evident that even though the South African and Nigerian Project Offices have been in existence for quite some time, certifications and human capital investment have to be improved upon. Thompson (2008:68) captures this very essence when he says to: “… focus on the people and the results will deliver themselves”.

The third activity audited pertains to the handover performed between the pre-sales team and the Project Manager. In this activity the pre-sales team hands over the documents and details, as discussed with the customer, to the Project Manager for execution and delivery of the project in accordance with the customer contract. A template is required to be completed by both parties and then signed off. It should be noted that the implementation and use of this template is a new addition to the Project Office and, therefore, the uptake is slow and is reflected in the audit results. Even though the template is standardised for both Project Offices, it appears that non-standardisation in its application exists.