NON-STANDARDISATION OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROCESSES: A CASE STUDY OF ERICSSON SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA - Part 17

• 5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS
• BIBLIOGRAPHY
• APPENDICES

5.3 RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommendations are suggestions made towards the organisation on possible actions they can take. Solutions are suggested in response to the problem statement, as well as the primal research questions found within the ambit of this research and presented in line with the Five Factor Theory Model. Implementing the recommendations as stated above is possible.

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• As a first step, brainstorming sessions must be held within the Central Functions team.
• Capture all ideas presented and categorise them in order to start creating some structure.
• Determine who should form part of the senior management team, essentially, a steering committee is elected. Representatives in this senior management team should represent all areas that will be affected by the alignment project.
• A very detailed proposal should be created and then presented to the senior management team. Feedback should be noted and has to form part of the proposal.
• Create smaller sub-projects based on the content of the proposal and assign a team lead to each.
• Prioritise sub-projects; SOX compliance should be the number one priority within the alignment initiatives.
• The next step is to create various forms of communication in order to prepare the organisation for the changes to come.
• A detailed project plan, time line, stakeholder map, as well as the project organisational structure have to form part of this communication.
• Information is very powerful and should be used as a calming influence and to avoid anyone being caught by surprise, as well as eliminate the ‘I did not know’ factor.
• Request feedback on planned activities and consider the feedback as possible improvement\ to the plan while soliciting volunteers.
• Consult with Line Managers to find allies who can effectively influence teams.
• Request regular feedback from all affected stakeholders by asking: ‘How are we doing?’
• Retaining momentum of the initiatives can be achieved by incorporating the initiatives in everything we do and say. Request a dedicated time slot in the weekly, monthly or quarterly PMO management meetings.
• Request that management recognised individual, as well as group contributions.
• Conduct regular audits and publish results, the good and the bad ones.
• Celebrate small wins and forge ahead with a positive and enthusiastic attitude.
• The attitude of the change leaders will determine the attitude of the adopters to a certain extent.
• Clearly announce completion of each sub-project and have a visual illustration as to the contribution to the alignment project as a whole.
• Conclude each phase with a 'lessons learnt' session, as well as specify an opportunity for improvements.
• Send out a final questionnaire to all participants affected by the alignment program, while soliciting comments on future improvements.

“… organisational change is more likely to succeed when top management is truly committed to the change process and the desired goals of the change program. This is particularly true when organisations pursue large-scale transformation. Finally, the effectiveness of organisational development interventions is affected by cross-cultural considerations. Managers and organisational development consultants should not blindly apply an organisational development intervention that worked in one country to a similar situation in another country” (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2004:684).

In this chapter a summary of the research was presented, enabling the reader to have a clear and concise understanding of topics covered. Some conclusions were drawn from the data analysis results as depicted in chapter 4. Recommendations were offered in aid of aligning and eradicating non-standardisation of project management processes within disjoined Project Offices in Sub-Saharan Africa. Finally, solutions in support of the primal research question, as well as the research problem statement, were discussed.

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APPENDICES

APPENDIX A
RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE

Section 1 − Project Office

In this section your view of the Project Office(s) is solicited. Please select the option that best describes your opinion regarding the statement made in every instance. Make only one selection per statement number.

Section 2 − Project Management

In this section your view of how the Project Office(s) processes and procedures impact on your day-to-day activities is solicited. Please select the option that best describes your opinion regarding the statement made in every instance. Make only one selection per statement number.

Thank You.

APPENDIX B

Questionnaire WITH SUMMATED results for both Project Offices combined.

Section 1 − Project Office

In this section your view of the Project Office(s) is solicited. Please select the option that best describes your opinion regarding the statement made in every instance. Make only one selection per statement number.

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Section 2 − Project Management

In this section your view of how the Project Office(s) processes and procedures impact on your day-to-day activities is solicited. Please select the option that best describes your opinion regarding the statement made in every instance. Make only one selection per statement number.