Project governance: Selected South African government experiments

 

"Project governance": Geselekteerde Suid-Afrikaanse proefnemings

 

 

G. van der Waldt

Public Management and Governance, Potchefstroom Campus, North-West University, Potchefstroom. E-mail: Gerrit.vanderwaldt@nwu.ac.za

 

 

---

ABSTRACT

Some form of accountability and power structure binds all organisations. Such structures are typically referred to as the "governance" structure of the organisation. In organisations that have relatively mature project applications and methodologies in place, governance mechanisms are established on more permanent bases. With its focus on performance, results and outcomes, project governance establishes decision-making structures, as well as accountability and responsibility mechanisms in public institutions to oversee projects.
As government institutions increasingly place emphasis on project applications for policy implementation and service delivery initiatives, mechanisms or structures should be established to facilitate clear interfaces between the permanent organisation and the temporary project organisation. Such mechanisms or structures should enhance the governance of projects, that is, the strategic alignment of projects, the decentralisation of decision-making powers, rapid resource allocation, and the participation of external stakeholders.
The purpose of this article is to explore the concept "project governance", and to highlight examples of project governance as applied in selected government departments in provincial and national spheres. This would enable the establishment of best practice examples and assist to develop benchmarks for effective project applications for service delivery improvement.

Key concepts: governance projects; project governance; project governance mechanisms; project management

---

OPSOMMING

'n Bepaalde vorm van aanspreeklikheid en bevoegdheid bind alle organisasies. Daar word tipies na hierdie vorm as die "regering"- of "besluitnemingstruktuur" van die organisasie verwys.
In organisasies wat relatief gevestigde projektoepassings en projekmetodologieë in plek het, word regeerkundige meganismes op 'n meer permanente basis gevestig. Met die fokus op prestasie, resultate en uitkomste, vestig "project governance"-meganismes besluitnemingstrukture sowel as aanspreeklikheiden verantwoordingdoeningsmeganismes in openbare instellings om projekte te moniteer.
Namate regeringsinstellings klem plaas op projektoepassings vir beleidsimplementering en diensleweringsinisiatiewe, behoort meganismes en strukture gevestig te word om duidelike koppelvlakke tussen die permanente organisasie en die tydelike projekorganisasie te bewerkstellig. Sodanige meganismes en strukture behoort die regeerbaarheid van projekte te verbeter, verwysend na die strategiese belyning van projekte, die desentralisasie van besluitnemingsbevoegdheid, snelle hulpbrontoedeling, en die deelname van eksterne aandeelhouers.
Die doel van die artikel is om die konsep "project governance" te verken en om voorbeelde van geselekteerde toepassings daarvan in openbare instellings op provinsiale en nasionale sfere uit te lig. Sodoende kan die beste praktykvoorbeelde ontleed word om die ontwikkeling van maatstawwe vir effektiewe projektoepassings vir diensleweringsverbetering te bevorder.

Kernbegrippe: "project governance"; "project governance"-meganismes; projekbestuur; regeringsprojekte

---

 

 

Full text available only in PDF format.

 

 

List of references

ANDERSEN, E.S. & JESSEN, S.A. 2002. Project maturity in organisations. International journal of project management, 21:457-461.         [ Links ]

ARTTO, K.A. 2001. Management of project-oriented organization - conceptual analysis. (In Artto, K.A. & Aalto, M.M., eds. Project portfolio management: strategic management through projects. Helsinki: Project Management Association. p. 5-22.         [ Links ])

AUBRY, M., HOBBS, B. & THUILLIER, D. 2007. A new framework for understanding organisational project management through the PMO. International journal of project management, 25:328-336.         [ Links ]

BOYNE, G.A. 2003. Sources of public service improvement: a critical review and research agenda. Journal of public administration research and theory, 13(3):367-394.         [ Links ]

BRESNEN, M., GOUSSEVSKAIA, A. & SWAN, J. 2004. Embedding new management knowledge in project-based organisations. Organisation studies, 25(9):1535-1541.         [ Links ]

CAMPBELL, G.M. 2003. Project management. 3rd ed. New York: Penguin.         [ Links ]

CHIEN, M.H. 2004. An investigation of the relationship of organisational structure, employee's personality and organisational citizenship behaviours. The journal of American Academy of Business, 5(1 ):428-431.         [ Links ]

CLARK, J. & NEWMAN, J. 1997. The managerial state: power, politics and ideology in the remaking of social welfare. London: Sage.         [ Links ]

CLELAND, D.I. 1988. The cultural ambience of project management - another look. Project management journal, 19(3):49-56.         [ Links ]

CONTANDRIOPOULOS, D., DENIS, J., LANGLEY, A. & VALETTE, A. 2004. Governance structures and political processes in a public system: lessons from Quebec. Public administration, 82(3):627-655.         [ Links ]

CRAWFORD, L. 2006. Developing organizational project management capability: theory and practice. Project manage journal, 37(3):74-86.         [ Links ]

DENHARDT, J. & DENHARDT, R. 2003. The new public service: steering, not serving. New York: Sharpe.         [ Links ]

DPSA see SOUTH AFRICA. Department of Public Service and Administration        [ Links ]

ELANDER, I. 2002. Partnerships and urban governance. UNESCO, 12:191-204.         [ Links ]

ENGLUND, R.L., GRAHAM, R.J. & DINSMORE, P.C. 2003. Creating the project office: a manager's guide to leading organizational change. New York: Jossey-Bass.         [ Links ]

GALBRAITH, J.R. 1995. Designing organizations: an executive briefing on strategy, structure and process. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.         [ Links ]

GAREIS, R. & HUEMANN, M. 2000. Project management competences in the project-oriented organization. (In Turner, J.R. & Simister, S.J., eds. The Gower handbook of project management. Gower: Aldershot. p. 182.         [ Links ])

HOBBS, B. 1993. Organizational choices for project management. (In Dinsmore, P.C. The handbook of project management. New York: Amacom. p. 163-167.         [ Links ])

HOBDAY, M. 2000. The project-based organisation: an ideal form for managing complex products and systems? Research policy, 29:871-893.         [ Links ]

INGRAHAM, P.W. & LYNN, L.E. 2004. The art of governance: analyzing management and administration. Washington: Georgetown.         [ Links ]

KERR, G. 2005. Reflections on "The Steering Committee". American journal of evaluation, 26(1):132-134.         [ Links ]

KERZNER, H. 1998. Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. 6th ed. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.         [ Links ]

KERZNER, H. 2003. Project management: a system approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. New Jersey: Wiley.         [ Links ]

KOOIMAN, J. 2003. Governing as governance. London: Sage.         [ Links ]

LARSON, E. 2004. Project management structures. (In Morris, P.W.G. & Pinto, J.K. The Wiley guide to managing projects. New Jersey: Wiley.         [ Links ]

LEWIS, J.P. 2003. Project leadership. New York: McGraw-Hill.         [ Links ]

MAGLIOLO, J. 2008. The guerrilla principle: winning tactics for global project managers. Cape Town: Juta.         [ Links ]

MEREDITH, J.R. & MANTEL, S.J. 2000. Project management: a managerial approach. New York: Wiley.         [ Links ]

MOORE, S.T. 1992. How useful is "bureaucracy? A review essay. Political research quarterly, 45:1049-1065.         [ Links ]

NEWMAN, J. 2001. Modernising governance: new labour, policy and society. New York: Sage.         [ Links ]

PARTINGTON, D. 1996. The project management of organisational change. International journal of project management, 14(1):13-21.         [ Links ]

PATEL, D. 2007. Project governance: evolution, not revolution: projects@work. http://www.projectsatwork.com/content/articles/235972.cfm. Date of access: 30 Apr. 2009.         [ Links ]

PETERS, B.G. 1996. The future of governance: four emerging models. Lawrence: Kansas University Press.         [ Links ]

POLLITT, C. & BOUCKAERT, G. 2000. Public management reform. Oxford: Oxford University Press.         [ Links ]

REID, B. & BOURN, J. 2004. A guide to governance of project management: association for project management. Buckinghamshire: Wycombe.         [ Links ]

RENZ, P.S. 2007. Project governance: implementing corporate governance and business ethics in non-profit organizations. Heidelberg: Physica.         [ Links ]

SOUTH AFRICA. 1996. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa: Act 108 of 1996. Pretoria. Government Printer.         [ Links ]

SOUTH AFRICA. Department of Public Service and Administration. 2008. The Centre of Public Service and Innovation. http://www.cpsi.co.za/cpsi1/home.jsp. Date of access: 10 Sept. 2008.         [ Links ]

STOKER, G. 2006. Public value management: a new narrative for networked governance? The American review of public administration, 36(4):41-57.         [ Links ]

THIRY, M. & DEGUIRE, M. 2007. Recent developments in project-based organisations. International journal of project management, 25(7):649-658.         [ Links ]

THIRY, M. & MATTHEY, A. 2005. Delivering business benefits through projects, programs, portfolios and PMOs. Proceedings of PMI Global Congress, Singapore.         [ Links ]

THOMAS, J.C. & STREIB, G. 2003. The new face of government: citizeninitiated contacts in the era of e-government. Journal of public administration research and theory, 13(1):83-102.         [ Links ]

TURNER, J.R. & KEEGAN, A. 2001. Mechanisms of governance in the project-based organization: roles of the broker and steward. European management journal, 19(3):254-267.         [ Links ]

WAMSLEY, G. & WOLF, J., eds. 1996. Refounding democratic public administration: modern paradoxes, postmodern challenges. Thousand Oaks: Sage.         [ Links ]

WILSON-MURRAY, R. 1997. Managing projects: a new approach. Brisbane: Wiley.         [ Links ]

YEO, K.T. 1993. Systems think and project management: time to reunite. International journal of project management, 11(2):111-117.         [ Links ]

YOUNG, T.L. 1996. The handbook of project management: a practical guide to effective policies and procedures. London: Page.         [ Links ]