For the full listing of speakers at a symposium visit our Symposium history pages.
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Dr Naomi Mathers
2022 Keynote: Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome – Supporting the success of modern projects
Through her experience, and her time as Director, Industry Liaison and Member Services at the International Centre for Complex Project Management, Naomi understands the importance of experienced project leaders skilled in responding to complexity in a way that ensures project success. Naomi will use the announcement that Australia is to build 4 satellites to explore some of the challenges faced by modern projects and explore how these projects can be a catalyst for change on many levels.
2022 Webinar: Why a complexity-based view of project delivery is becoming even more important.
Delivering projects in an environment exhibiting volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) characteristics requires special treatment using tools and methods designed for use in these types of environments. However, many conventional project management methods, methodologies, frameworks, and bodies of knowledge used today are based on a linear and deterministic (controllable and predictable) world view. That is not to say that these don't have their place, indeed conventional project management methodologies and tools are foundational and necessary, however, they are insufficient when dealing with project complexity. This presentation will explore why a complexity-based view of project delivery is important, and why this must include more than just project, program and portfolio managers.
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Lisa Mathews.
2021 Webinar: Leadership Perspectives of Project Management
What leaders need to know to establish a solid and successful PMO from corporate culture, structure and support, to staffing.
Sandeep Mathur
2021 Using Data Science Initiatives to deliver smart infrastructure and improve customer experience – a Transport for NSW case study
This presentation covers some use cases of how Transport for NSW is using data and Data Science Initiatives (DSIs) to deliver smart infrastructure and improve customer. It also covers how data is enabling better investment decisions specifically in the Active Transport area to promote Walking & Cycling.
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Phil McClure
2019 Keynote: Infrastructure Investment Program – Overview and Governance Arrangements
The Australian Government's $100 billion investment program is primarily delivered in partnership with the states and territories. This arrangement is governed through a package of legislation and individual agreements that address how and when projects may be approved, how the scope and costs of projects are developed, and they key requirements and milestones for delivering projects. The key components of this governance arrangement are the National Land Transport Act 2014, the Federal Financial Relations Framework and the National Partnership Agreement on Land Transport Infrastructure Projects, including its attached notes and cost estimation guidance. In this presentation Phil will discuss how these governance arrangements work in practice to ensure the Australian Government's policy objectives are met.
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Stephen McDonald
2019: A View from the Function Lead in Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group
The Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG) was formed following one of the recommendations of the First Principles Review (FPR). The FPR recommendation requires Defence to adopt more sophisticated contracting models to ensure that personnel in SPOs undertake predominately contracting, assurance, planning and governance activities, while industry partners focus on execution to support the delivery of capability.
Functions are responsible for the professionalisation of the CASG workforce to meet its changing business needs. They will provide training assistance, career progression advice and information on policies and procedures to support individuals (APS and ADF staff) to do their job.
This will result in a more flexible and mobile workforce that will be better equipped to support delivery of the Integrated Investment Program and future capability requirements.
Download the presentation.
Rob McMartin
2023: Evolution of Projects and Project Management - Reframing competency for the modern world
Over the last 50 years, there has been a substantial shift in project management, an evolution. Project have gone from being the Simple/Complicated projects that humans have worked on for thousands of years, evolving in both complexity and size. In order to understand the future of project management, it is important to understand the past and the reasons for so many project failures. Various groups have reported on the high level of project failures, depending on the type of project it can range from 73% (low end) through to 91% of projects fail. If we have been doing projects for so long, why are there so many failures? The evolution of project management is inextricably linked to the evolution of humans. As humans have progressed in technology, project management has been there, not just riding the coat tails, but in some cases leading humanity. This presentation will discuss the current state of project management and what needs to be done to improve the success rate of the industry. It will highlight that most projects are in the Simple to Complicated range, and that most project managers and organisations doing project management are ill equipped to deliver projects beyond the simple/complicated and what needs to be done to improve project delivery.
2022: Governance in Complex Projects
Projects have evolved to include a variety of different types in a multi-dimensional matrix including: - Simple to complex - Small to large - Traditional to agile. As these new project types have emerged and increased in difficulty, complexity and value, it has become obvious that the current systems, processes and governance requirements are now no longer suitable. This presentation looks at the differences in the new evolved projects, as well as techniques for managing, controlling and governing these projects. We will look at the definitions of the project types and governance and personal attributes required for delivery of the new types of projects.
2022 Webinar: Complex Project Management Governance
There has been an evolution occurring in projects and where once projects were difficult, but simple. They have now evolved to include a variety of different types of projects.
As these new project types have emerged and increased in difficulty, complexity and value, it has become obvious that the current systems, processes and governance requirements are now no longer suitable.
This presentation looks at the differences in the new evolved projects, as well as techniques for managing, controlling and governing these projects. We will look at the definitions of the project types and governance and personal attributes required for delivery of the new types of projects.
Dr Ralf Müller
2021: Multi-level governance in inter-organizational project networks
Inter-organizational project networks are common in major programs involving governments and delivery partners working collaboratively. Management systems are typically designed as hybrid networks including hierarchical and non-hierarchical structures. This challenges traditional governance theories, which typically assume either a hierarchical or a network structure, but not a mix of it. This presentation will address the concept of MLG and provide empirical examples of its application to hybrid structures and the three organizational entities which provide the link between Type I and Type II governance in network structures.
Shoeb Ahmed Memon
2019: Exploring Project Teams' Collaborative Behaviour in Hong Kong's Relational Contracting Projects
This study aims to explore project teams' collaborative behaviour in Hong Kong's relational contracting projects. A qualitative approach was employed using interviews, which were guided by the theory of planned behaviour (Ajzen, 1991). Participants included ten mid-senior level professionals with active involvement in Hong Kong relational contracting projects. Later, the interviews were analysed using thematic analysis procedures suggested by Braun and Clarke (2006).
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Saeed Munir
2022: Making Benefits Realisation A Project Success Criteria – Challenges in Practice
Project success is a perennial topic in the project management (PM) literature, and the concept of project success has been evolving since the 80s. During the last two decades, researchers started calling to designate benefits realizations as one of the determinants of project success criteria. The initial PM literature focused on the triple constraints of cost, time, and specifications as project success criteria (Atkinson 1999, Jha 2011, Lim and Mohammed 1999, Meredith and Mantel 2008, Shenhar et al. (2001). However, during the late 1980s, PM researchers started looking at project success beyond the Iron Triangle. Pinto and Slevin (1987, 1988) published a list of 10 project success factors. Later works introduced the concept of benefits realisation as criteria for real project success (Bradley, 2010). During the last decade, benefits management has received increasing traction from the researchers, and Zwikael and Smyrk (2012, 2019) argued for making project outcomes rather than outputs criteria for project success. Mossalam and Arafa (2016) state that benefits realisation has now become a key factor in project success. There is evidence of growing awareness of benefits realisation among organizations globally, as APMSIG (2009) survey highlights that organizations are seeking to make benefits realisation a determinant of project success. This article discusses the following questions: • Can benefits be included as criteria for project success evaluation and what are the implications for practice? • What is the most appropriate phase/stage of the project life cycle for benefits evaluation and what are the current practices in the Australian Public Sector? • Who is accountable for benefits realisation and how benefits ownership is established in the Australian Public Sector? This article aims to suggest steps to enhance benefits realisation in the public sector so that realising benefits becomes realistic project success criteria and enriches the abstract project management theories by arguing for a practice-led theory.
2021 Walt Lipke Finalist: The role of benefits owner in effective Benefits Management.
This paper looks at the role of the benefits owner in the PM literature, PM methodologies, impressions and observations of the PM practitioners in the PSOs and how this role can enhance benefits realization in the public sector.
Download the presentation. Download the PGCAR Paper.
2019 Walt Lipke Finalist: Project Benefits Realization- Academics Aspiration or Practitioners Nightmare
Project Management (PM) literature increasingly calls for making project outcomes (benefits) rather than outputs as criteria for project success. Our findings show that there is widespread awareness about the significance of BR in the public sector and BR frameworks do exist but rarely used. This research also finds that Project governance does not play effective role in promoting BR. This research highlights the lack of adequate funding, human resources and skills that are haemorrhaging efforts for the implementation of BR. This research also points out that the top management is neither fully committed to the cause of BR nor ready to provide resources and leadership for the implementation of benefits realization in the public sector organizations.
Download the presentation.
See more on the Walt Lipke Award.
James Nash.
2018: A Navy Case Study – The Strategic Enterprise Approach to Combat System Development.
Taking an enterprise approach to future naval combat systems is a demonstration of our commitment to a vibrant and innovative Australian defence industry for the long term.
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Dr Nam Nguyen
Governance and Controls in Complex Projects
This session explores the potential sources of complexity in major projects and programs and how governance and controls need to be approached differently. It uses practical examples to explore different approaches and their impact, including:
• Understanding the potential sources of complexity in major projects.
• Appreciating the importance of approaching governance and controls of complex projects differently.
Drew Nugent
Current techniques for multi path analysis of major project schedules
Why are large schedule delays, which seemingly too often come as "huge surprises" when reported, becoming a feature of major and mega projects? Is the critical path method failing us? Is agile development the solution, maybe hybrid, or what about critical chain as an alternative?
The reality is that all project management methodologies are undermined if the quality and accuracy of the data flowing in and out of the project control system is poor, or not adequately analysed or understood by project controls professionals or not acted upon by project management leaders. Major projects today are certainly exposed to increasing uncertainty, an expanding range of risks and complexity factors, in some cases particularly in Defence related to partially or fully novel designs which extend across the full life cycle from concept development through to warranty. The Government and industry response has included larger project planning teams and larger, more complicated scheduling models. Why then are low probability schedule baselines and inaccurate schedule forecasts still such a common occurrence?
Perry Oren.
2017: Should I buy that Ferrari? The difficulties of cost-benefit analysis.
With a light-hearted example, this presentation illustrates why it is so difficult to determine the value of a project at initiation or determine whether it will be a success, taking the audience through the conception of the project, the analysis of the costs, the estimate of the benefits, and the possible outcomes. This example explores why standard financial analysis techniques do not always assist us in getting the best outcome from a project investment decsion, and why benefits realisation is often so difficult to accurately forecast. Download the Presentation.