AccidentalProjectManagersNotaMythinthePublicSector

Manyindividualsfindthemselvesundertakingprojectmanagementresponsibilitieswithlittleorno
preparation.Referredtoasaccidentalprojectmanagers,theyhavenotrainingorexperienceandmust
oftenmanageprojectsfromthesideoftheirdesks.

ResearchersVanessaDarrell,ofWesternAustraliasdepartmentoftreasuryandfinance,andDavid
BaccariniandPeterE.D.LoveofCurtinUniversityofTechnologyinPerth,Australiawerecurioustoknow
moreaboutaccidentalprojectmanagers,particularlyinthepublicsector.

Theresearchersnoticedasurginginterestinprojectmanagementinthepublicsector,notingthatthere
isagrowingneedforgovernmentdepartmentstobecomemoreresponsivetochange,andthattheyare
increasinglyrecognizingthattheprojectisanadaptableformofworkorganization.

Butunliketraditionalprojectbasedindustries,suchasaerospaceandconstruction,whichuse
professionalprojectmanagers,thepublicsectorisappointinguntrainedstafferstomanageprojects
wheneverthereisanunexpectedneedforprojectmanagement.

Theresearcherscoinedthetermaccidentalprojectmanagertoillustratethetrialbyfirenatureof
theirintroductiontoprojectmanagement.

Sinceprojectmanagersneedtohaveacomprehensiveunderstandingofpeople,thetaskandtools,and
theorganizationalenvironmentwithinwhichtheyareworking,theresearcherssetouttoexaminethe
experiencesofaccidentalprojectmanagersinWesternAustraliaspublicsector.Theywantedtoidentify
keyskillsandknowledgegapsthatwouldhelpthepublicsectortounderstandtheneedtotrainits
peopleinordertoachievesuccessfulprojectoutcomes.

Theresearchersdevelopedanddistributedaquestionnairethatwascompletedby46publicsectorstaff
whohadassumedtheroleofprojectmanagerwithlimitedornopreparationforthejob.The
questionnaireexaminedwhypeoplewereselected;theirskills,knowledgeandexperience;
organizationalsupportandtheorganizationalenvironment.

Thequestionnairerevealedahighincidenceofparttimeprojectmanagers70percentof
respondentsreportedthattheyhadotheroperationalresponsibilities.Aswell,respondentsidentifieda
rangeofprojecttypesthattheyhadbeeninvolvedwith,suchasorganizationalchange,administrative,
informationtechnology,policydevelopment,construction,andcommunityinitiatives.

Theresearchersfoundthatmostoftheprojectsinthepublicsector,withtheexceptionofIT,
constructionandinstallationbasedprojects,areofanontechnicalnature.Yet,respondentsranked
technicalknowledgeandgeneralmanagementskillsasthefundamentalreasonsfortheirselectionas
projectmanager.

Availabilitywasalsorankedhighly,whichsupportsthenotionthataccidentalprojectmanagersare
chosenbecausetheyareintherightplaceattherighttime.

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Lowrankingfactorsintheaccidentalprojectmanagersselectionwere:projectmanagementskills,
customer/clientrelationship,organizationalknowledge,andseniority.

Thequestionnairealsorevealedthatrespondentsperceivedtheirskillstobeeffectiveorhighlyeffective
inthefollowingareas:
interpersonal(60%),
management(46%),
technical(41%)
andprojectmanagement(36%).

Interestingly,respondentsindicatedthataprojectmanagershouldpossessstrongskillsinthefollowing
importantareas:
interpersonal(57%),
projectmanagement(42%),
technical(39%),
andgeneralmanagement(35%).

Theaccidentalprojectmanagersfoundthefollowingorganizationalsupportstobeeffectiveorhighly
effective:
opportunitiestogainexperience(72%),
assessmentandfeedback(57%),
educationandtraining(54%),onthejobtraining(48%),
recognitionoftheroleorwork(46%),
coachingandmentoring(31%),
andadditionalremuneration(17%).

However,74%ofrespondentsindicatedthattheirorganizationdidnotprovideenoughdevelopment
opportunities.

Respondentsalsoindicatedahighlevelofmanagementsupport,butmostindicatedanabsenceof
projectmanagementtoolsand83%acknowledgedthattherewasnoprojectmanagementmethodology
inplace.Only41percentofrespondentsindicatedthattheirdepartmentseesprojectmanagementasa
corecompetency.

Theresearcherssaythisisareflectionofanorganizationthatisnotfullyrecognizingthecriticalnature
oftheprojectmanagementfunction.Therelativelyhighlevelofmanagementsupportindicatesa
willingnessorenthusiasmforprojectmanagementbutthelackofmethodologiesandtoolsimpliesa
lackofpreparednessandalackofsoundprojectmanagementfoundationfromwhichtoachieve
successfulprojectoutcomes.

Overall,saytheresearchers,thepublicsectorsseniormanagementneedstoreevaluatethewayit
selectsprojectmanagerssothatindividualswiththeappropriateskillsarechosentoundertakethis
importantrole.Theresearchersrecommendthatseniormanagementbemoreproactiveinoffering

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developmentalopportunitiestobothexistingandpotentialprojectmanagers.Andtheysuggestthat
organizationscouldbemoreinnovativebyengagingseveralpeopleacrosstheorganizationascoaches
andmentors,andfordeliveringassessmentandfeedback.Aswell,theysaythelackofproject
managementtools,techniquesandmethodologiesshouldbeofconcerntoorganizationsandsenior
managers.

Withouttheseprojectmanagementtools,theysay,anorganizationdoesnothaveastrongfoundation
fromwhichtobuildskilledprojectmanagers,anorganizationalcultureofprojectmanagement,and
ultimately,betterbusinessoutcomes.

Giventhatthereisagrowingawarenessoftheimportanceofprojectmanagersforimplementing
businessstrategiesandachievingorganizationalgoals,theresearchersweresurprisedbytheirfindings.

Whiletheyexpectedthattheaccidentalprojectmanagerwouldbeclosetoextinction,thesurveyresults
suggesttheoppositetheaccidentalprojectmanagerisaliveandkickinginthepublicsector.

Source:Darrell,V.,Baccarini,D.andLove,P.E.D.Demystifyingthefolkloreoftheaccidentalproject
managerinthepublicsector,ProjectManagementJournal,41:5,December2010,pp.5663.

PMPerspectives.orgisawebsitewhichconnectsprojectmanagersandsponsorswithproject
managementresearchers.Ourmissionistounderstandandimproveprojectmanagementpractices.The
researchteamcomprisesDr.BlaizeHornerReichandDr.AndrewGeminofromSimonFraserUniversity,
CanadaandDr.ChrisSauerfromOxfordUniversity,UK.

Reich,Gemino,Sauer(2012)

ThisPDFversionwasreproducedin2013withminortypographiccorrections.

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