Modelling software project management complexity: an assessment model

During the last years, more and more business use projectised organisation as an organisation structure to tackle complex problems needed for the implementation of their strategic objectives. A significant number of these projects were/are challenged or even failed to meet their initial requirements in terms of cost, time and quality. This phenomenon is more intense in software projects due their special characteristics sourcing from the dynamic and continuous changing environment they operate and the nature of the software itself. Most of these failures were attributed to complexity that exists in various forms and levels at all projects. Many studies attempted to identify the sources of project complexity and define an appropriate complexity typology for capturing it. However, most of these studies are theoretical and only a limited number is proposing models capable to evaluate or measure project complexity. This research, acknowledges the endogenous character of complexity in projects but instead of trying to identify complexity dimensions of this complexity in projects, focuses on the complexity in the interfaces between project processes, project management processes and project managers, which consists of the critical point for successful project execution. The proposed framework can be used in order to highlight the most significant complexity areas either organisation specific or project specific, providing in that way the necessary awareness for better, efficient and effective project management. The approach followed in framework design, identifies the variation of perception of complexity between different organisations. Allow organisations to evaluate complexity of projects and provide them with an important information that will assist project selection process. Identifies the significance of peoples’ knowledge and experience and generally the maturity/capabilities of an organisation in management in order to handle complexity, as this was revealed through the findings of this research. Furthermore, considers complexity as variable that can be measured and propose a model for it. To implement this framework, an extended literature review was initially performed, for identifying the complexity factors sourcing from project management aspects. Subsequently, statistical methods for processing and refining the identified factors were used, resulting to the final set of measures used in the framework. Finally, the proposed model was validated through the appliance of case study methodology