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In this episode, I interview Bob Prieto, a senior executive at Strategic Program Management LLC, where he is Chairman & CEO. Bob focuses on achieving capital efficiency in large engineering and construction programs and organizations. He is the author of nine books, including the one we will be discussing today, Theory of Management of Large Complex Projects (2015). He is a member of the National Academy of Construction, ASCE Industry Leaders Council, and a Fellow of the Construction Management Association of America (CMAA).

The Project Management Body of Knowledge (or PMBOK) from the Project Management Institute, has set the Global Standard for the practice of management in projects. As noted in its introduction, the PMBOK is expected to be applicable “to most projects most of the time.” Today’s guest argues that the theory underlying the PMBOK (and like-minded guides) often fails to deliver success in large complex projects. In such projects, the project boundary appears more permeable to outside flows, such as stakeholder demands, macro-economic downturns, or risk accumulation over long time frames. These flows can introduce uncertainties that often go unmitigated, making failures in budgeting, or scheduling more likely. The episode also indicates that failures are likely when a project’s objectives or expected outcomes are poorly defined from the start.

Reach out to Bob Prieto on LinkedIn, or through email at [email protected] to follow up on this topic.

Charles G. Chandler, Ph.D.

Reference:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299980338_Theory_of_Management_of_Large_Complex_Projects