Strategy Implementation through Project Management

Overview

The gap…

Far too few managers know how to apply project management techniques to their strategic planning. Often, the result is strategy that is poorly thought out and executed – and a business that could perform so much better with the benefit of the right techniques.

The answer…

Strategic project management is a new and powerful process designed to manage complex projects by combining traditional business analysis with project management techniques.

The aim of this valuable Report is to equip all managers – of whatever discipline – to manage projects more effectively. The strategic management process contains five key stages, which the Report explains clearly and in detail:

• managing strategic business projects
• linking projects with business strategy
• strategic project definition
• project strategy and planning
• strategic project control and learning

The Report will enable you to apply project management techniques successfully not just at the level of business strategy but also to operational change programmes and even to more tactical programmes aimed at improving short-term performance. As an extra benefit, Appendix I provided extensive checklists dealing with a whole variety of strategic projects, whilst Appendix II offers guidance on diagnosing team roles within a project.

Content

1. Introduction – Managing strategic business projects

• Managing strategies as projects
• Deficiencies in conventional project management
• Case example – the ICI experience
• The strategic project management process

2. Linking projects with business strategy

• The strategy mix and project management
• Project programmes and strategic breakthroughs
• Seeing business strategy as a stream of projects

3. Strategy project definition

• Scoping the project
• Project diagnosis
• Identifying the project’s key objectives

4. Project strategy and planning

• Project options and plans
• Implementation strategy – AID, forcefield, stakeholder analysis
• Activity analysis

5. Strategy project control and learning

• Project mobilisation and roles
• Project milestones
• Project learning

6. Conclusion

The author

Tony Grundy is the Director of Cambridge Corporate Development, an independent consultancy specialising in improving strategic, organisational and financial performance. Following a career with BP, ICI and an international retailer, Tony Grundy has spent the last 15 years as a consultant with KPMG, PA and also independently. He has lectured at Cranfield, Cambridge University and City Business School. He is the author of seven books on strategy.