Project Management World Today Editorial
May 2006
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THE TIMELESS PRINCIPLES OF SUCCESSFUL PROJECT MANAGEMENT
As Patrick Weaver argues in his fascinating paper: A Brief History of Scheduling, we are fast approaching the 50th anniversary of modern project management.
May 7, 1957 deserves special recognition. That was the day DuPont and Remington Rand Univac jointly funded a project to solve the time-cost conundrum. Notably, the project brought together Morgan Walker from DuPont and James Kelley from Remington Rand Univac who developed what we now call the critical path method, using activity on arrow designation. By July 24, 1957, they had proven the concept with an analysis of the George Fischer Works, using 61 activities, 8 timing constraints and 8 dummies.
Other developments quickly followed, including the formation of the major professional associations devoted to project management: IPMA in 1965, and PMI in 1969. And the discipline we now call project management, with its emphasis on critical path scheduling, gradually emerged.
But project management has been around since the dawn of civilization and the pending 50th anniversary has generated renewed interest in the ancient roots of project management. Is there anything to be learned from the construction of the pyramids, for example, or the Great Wall of China? The answer undoubtedly is “yes”, if we could find documentation of the project manager’s approach. Unfortunately, authoritative contemporaneous documentation of ancient projects is rare.
The oldest project document for a structure still in existence appears to
be the deed of foundation for the Benedictine Abbey in Tihany on the northern
shore of Lake Balaton, Hungary. This remarkable document, which still hangs
in the crypt beneath a church rebuilt in 1754, was issued by King András
I in 1055 to authorize construction of the abbey. From a linguistic perspective,
the document is important because it is the earliest extant written record
of the Hungarian language. The document was written mostly in Latin, but
apparently there were no Latin words to translate the expression: “up
to the main military road to Fehervar”. And so the author simply used
the Hungarian words: “feheruuaru rea meneh hodu utu rea”.
From a project management perspective, the document is important as the oldest original project charter. At least, it is the oldest we could find. We will be happy to be corrected.
The oldest description of a project written in the first person by the project
manager is also a remarkable example of successful project management. In
446 BC, the Persian King Artaxerxes I appointed his royal cup bearer, a man
named Nechemya or Nehemiah, governor of Judea and authorized the reconstruction
of the City of Jerusalem. By military necessity, Nehemiah started by rebuilding
the walls. The fascinating story of this project is now recorded in the Ketuvim,
part of the Jewish Tanakh, and also the Old Testament of the Christian Bible.
Nehemiah’s account of the project exemplifies excellent project management practice. He secured the sponsorship of an influential stakeholder, none other than King Artaxerxes himself. He assembled a strong leadership team: army officers appointed by King Artaxerxes. And he acquired the necessary physical resources: he asked King Artaxerxes for a letter to Asaph, keeper of the royal park, “so he will give me timber to make beams for the gates of the citadel by the temple and for the city wall and for the residence I will occupy”.
Upon reaching Jerusalem, he inspected the existing walls, scoping out the work. Then applying a technique right out of a 21st century human resources textbook, he enrolled the stakeholders in the project. As the official representative of King Artaxerxes, he could have ordered his subjects to perform the work. Instead, he described the need and a compelling vision: “We will no longer be in disgrace”, and they responded with "Let us start rebuilding."
The WBS divided the wall into sections, with a different team assigned to each. Nehemiah describes no less than 40 separate sections of the wall, with a designated leader for each.
Like modern projects, there were unexpected events. Nehemiah had actually prepared for some risks. He had asked King Artaxerxes for letters to the governors of Trans-Euphrates to provide safe conduct until he arrived in Judea. But attacks against the workers was an unexpected risk event that required an adjustment to the plan. “From that day on”, writes Nehemiah, “half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor.”
Nehemiah even had a project communication plan, albeit a simple one reflecting the primitive tools of the day: “The man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.” He continued: “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there.”
Nehemiah adopted another practice which proved critical to his project and to countless projects since. He refused to be distracted. When he was invited to visit one of the neighboring villages, he responded simply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?" He adds: “Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.”
The result was an incredibly successful project. The wall was completed in just 52 days. Now Nehemiah carefully omitted his initial estimate and so we cannot assess the schedule performance index. Nor do we have enough information to calculate the cost performance index. But it was clearly an extraordinary achievement, one rarely duplicated today even with modern scheduling tools.
In fact, we could use a project manager who knows how to complete a wall
in 52 days right now…in New Orleans!
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