Lucy, It is my experience that public agencies seldom meet cost and schedule goals because they make cost and schedule the measures, sometimes the only measures, of progress, which means they do not know they are in trouble until they miss one or both of those targets at key milestone points. Each part or phase of the program or project has key characteristics that need to be measured, but most managers do not know how to manage with metrics. In addition, managers typically do not know how to identify and manage the key factors (Critical Success Factors) on which they must give their own attention so they can delegate the things that need delegation. I taught Program Management for 15 years at the Defense Acquisition University and have a lot of critical information I can share with you. You can reach me at [email protected] if you would like to discuss this further.

Lusy, as my research suggests the main problem with public institutions is not that they set unrealistic goals for the projects (which they do) and not that they fail to manage the process appropriately (which they do also) but their incompatibility with the very concept of management by projects. The bureaucracy is born and thrives on processes. The officials work hard in order to make themselves indispensable. Even the most selfless of them think in terms of rules and regulations. They need to establish long-lasting institutions. That is their job, their essence.

Now a project is a thing that is temporary by its nature. No amount of bureaucracy is sufficient to make sure it will be accomplished according to the plan, because the bureaucracy is only good outside the project. It can help arranging the flow and coordination between the projects. But it is useless within the project. Inside a project, a thing that is doomed to have a scheduled ending (success or failure), the official acts like a baby tooth that clings to its place for too long.

There are two ways to deal with this controversy. Either replace projects with institutions or go 100% agile with them. Say you need to build a Sydney Opera. Do not start a construction project. You either set up an agency which will run the Sydney Opera indefinitely and incorporate the construction part within its internal regulations. Or you try to build a very small part of the Opera within an extremely short project, then make another extremely small step in a separate project etc. The latter does not really work with construction but you get the idea - stretch the project out so it becomes a process.