Speaking - Managing Complexity in Projects

Managing Complexity in Projects

This presentation explores complexity in projects, the sources and levels of complexity, the spectrum of project complexity and also the implications of project complexity. It questions whether regular project management tools and techniques can be used for complex projects. Through several historical case studies it examines the history of Ancient Roman Project Management and how projects evolved in complexity, where projects like the Caesar's Bridges over the Rhine and the Siege of Alesia bordered on the edge-of-chaos. It then narrates the construction project of the Colosseum in the first century. This was the most significant project in the Roman Empire,  and the most complex project of the Roman era in both technical and organizational complexity. It was also a highly successful project where the Colosseum became the centre of Roman life and transformed Roman society. In today’s world, nothing is simple any longer and we need understand project complexity in order to manage it successfully.

Audience: Project Managers, Program Managers, Business Managers

Managing Complexity
in Projects

Learning Objectives

The presentation:

• Reinterprets several historical projects for a modern project management audience, by examining in detail how the Ancient Romans dealt with complexity.
• Demonstrates how the Ancient Romans were able to master and push the limits of complexity through competence, organizational ability, and an inherent understanding of interdependencies.
• Allows us in turn to learn about the types of complexity, unpredictable situations and emergent events that occur over time and identify complexity factors, so that we can recognize complexity in our projects,
• States how complexity is arguably one of more significant topics in contemporary project management in "the century of complexity".

Full of intriguing details, the presentation helps you to work out strategies for addressing project complexity and plan for ambiguity.

The Benefits

In today's world, project teams face greater pressure than ever to deliver complex projects, and improve on previous projects. The presentation is valuable in understanding the processes and approaches in managing complexity based on the experiences from previous contemporary and historical projects.

Note: This presentation conforms to the internationally recognized standards of the Project Management Institute (PMI®). You will receive 1-2 PDUs (professional development units) upon completion.