A New Approach to Programme and Project Management: A Short Comment Per-Erik Ellström Linköping University

The Main Message Part I Planning driven models of project management don’t do the job, that is, to create long term impact and sustainable change

Planning Driven Models Have too strong a focus on: goals, plans and activities, rather than on long term impact of the project or programme – intentions rather than effects summative evaluation based on the three C model (control groups, counterfactual analysis and cost-benefit analysis)

Too much confidence in one-way communication (“the Magic Bullet Principle”) Information/dissemination of project results Sustainable change = changes in people’s attitudes, thoughts and actions

The Logic of Development: reflection, alternative thinking, experimentation, risk taking; tolerance of ambiguity, variation, and mistakes; critical analysis; developmental (creative) learning The Logic of Production: high demands on efficiency; problem-solving through avoidance or the application of given rules or instructions a focus on consensus, and stability – low tolerance of variation adaptive learning Together with a strong focus on a logic of production

The Main Message Part II Sustainable change and development is to a large extent a matter of: Developmental (creative) learning Driven by on-going evaluation

Ongoing Evaluation (or Learning Evaluation) is a formative rather than a summative form of evaluation with a steering and control function based on continuous feedback to the actors a “disturbance function” that invites us to stop and reflect on what we are doing, why and with what consequences, i.e. to trigger developmental learning and a function to support continuous learning integrated with the project/programme

Stirring up Supporting Steering/control Learning Through Ongoing Evaluation: The Three S Model

A Model of Ongoing Evaluation Conceptualisation and interpretation of the evaluation object Research/Evaluation Project/Programme Problems/ issues Theories and concepts Data collection and analysis Program Theories Project Activities Problems/ issues

Knowledge Creation for Sustainable Change A multi-disciplinary research programme A partnership between research, companies, public sector and labour market organizations An interactive research approach

The HELIX Partnership Research and Higher Education Linköping University, Four Departments: Behavioural Sciences and Learning (IBL) Management and Engineering (IEI) Medicine and Health Sciences (IMH) Studies of Social Change and Culture (ISAK) Public Sector Organizations The Regional Development Council of Östergötland (Östsam) The National Insurance Office The County Council of Östergötland Four Municipalities: Finspång, Linköping, Mjölby & Norrköping Companies SAAB Inc, Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery Inc, Toyota/BT Products Inc, Rimaster Inc, Industrial Competence Inc, IDC Östergötland Inc (“Industrial Development Centre”) Labor Market Organizations IF Metall (“Swedish Metal and Industrial Workers’ Union”) The Swedish Municipal Workers´ Union UNIONEN (“A Swedish White-Collar Union”) TRR Outplacement (“Trygghetsrådet”)

Multi-DisciplinarityPartnership Interactive Research Mobility Pr oduction & Or ganization D evelopment Le arning for Ch ange and In novation Health, Co mpetence an d W ork Ability N ew Forms of Organization Entrepreneur- sh ip and In novation Knowledge for Sustainable Change The House of Helix

Sustaiable change Collaboration Developmental learning Active ownership of projects/programmes Mechanisms for Sustainable Change and Development

A Planning-Driven Model of Project Management Problem Analysis Goals Alternative Measures/Solutions Choice of ”best” solution Implementation Evaluation

Planning driven models have difficulties to handle uncertainty Goals: Clear & measurable Unclear/ Difficult to measure ”Given”, clear alternatives No ”given” alternatives, uncertainty, openness Means/Methods, Knowledge Base

Too much confidence in the three C approach to evaluation Control groups Counterfactual analysis Cost benefit analysis

Aspects of the Learning Situation Task Given Given Given Not given Method Given Given Not given Not given Result Given Not given Not given Not given Types of Learning Adaptive Learning Productive Learning I Productive Learning II Developmental Learning (1)(2) (3) (4) Four Types of Learning

The Main Message Planning driven models of project management don’t do the job. To plan and implement activities in order to reach short-term results is often not a problem – the real problem is to create long term impact and sustainable change The predominating project logic has its focus on goals, plans and activities, rather than on the long term impact of the project or programme. Thus, a focus on intentions and plans rather than on effects Sustainable change and development presupposes a balance between a project logic based on planning, steering and control and a learning driven project logic based on ongoing evaluation.

Några reflektioner och frågor 1.Urvalet av projekt framstår som avgörande för att stärka hållbarheten. Bör man gå längre vad gäller att utforma urvalet som en dialogbaserad lärandeprocess? Hur kan detta i så fall göras? 2.Bör ”ribban” höjas för att erhålla projektstöd – t.ex. vad gäller kriterier kopplat till organisering för hållbarhet och strategisk påverkan? 3.Partnerskapens roll i urvalsprocessen – är de tillräckligt aktiva? 4.Var finns företag och näringsliv i processen? Är det önskvärt att ge företag och näringsliv en tydligare roll? Hur kan detta i så fall uppnås?