2. Goverrnance Flashcards
(21 cards)
What is the functional organisation structure?
•Staff report to functional line manager only.
•Straightforward communication.
•Works well for routine work; weak project focus.
What are the strengths and limitations to the functional organisation structure?
Strengths
•Specialist skills
•Efficient resource use
•Clear intra-department communication
•Ideal for routine/low-change projects
Limitations
•Weak cross-team integration
•Low motivation
•Slow to adapt
•Limited customer focus (no single contact)
What is the matrix organisation?
•Staff report to both functional and project managers.
•Common for managing projects using shared resources.
What are the strengths strength and limitations of matrix organisation?
Strengths
•Balances project & BAU
•Cross-department integration
•Retains specialist expertise
•Aligns global priorities
•Flexible, efficient resource use
Limitations
•Dual reporting lines
•PMs may lack authority
•Complex structure
•Risk of conflict/stress
•Needs strong coordination
What is a project organisation structure?
•Staff fully allocated to project teams.
•High autonomy and integration.
What are the strengths and limitations of project organisation structure?
Strengths
•Clear purpose & strong team focus
•Cross-discipline collaboration
•Builds general management skills
•Clear roles & responsibilities
•Fast, informal communication
•Transparent costs/budgets
Limitations
•High visibility can disrupt org
•Resource inefficiency/duplication
•Job insecurity
•Team instability (reforming often)
•Risk of groupthink, poor knowledge sharing
• Motivation drop near project end
What is the responsibility of the project manager?
Project Manager:
•Leads day-to-day management.
•Develops project plan, manages budget, time, risks.
•Leads and motivates the team.
•Reports progress to stakeholders.
What is the responsibility of the project sponsor?
Project Sponsor:
•Provides strategic vision and funding.
•Develops and owns the business case.
•Justifies the business change.
•Supports and challenges the project manager.
•Makes decisions at key project phases.
What is the responsibility of the steering group?
Steering Group/Board:
•Ensures alignment with strategic aims.
•Approves business cases.
•Makes high-level decisions.
•Resolves escalated issues.
•Oversees governance and feasibility.
The responsibility of the product owner?
Product Owner:
•Owns product vision and scope.
•Acts as voice of customer/stakeholders.
•Defines goals and accepts deliverables.
•Bridges project team and business.
The responsibility of the team members?
Team Members:
•Deliver project tasks under PM guidance.
•Report progress, support risk and change processes.
The responsibility of the user?
Users:
•Define project requirements.
•Provide subject matter expertise.
•Set acceptance criteria.
•Use and benefit from the delivered outputs.
Types of PMO structures?
PMO Structures:
Central PMO: External to project teams, supports multiple teams.
•Embedded PMO: Sits within the project, closely tied to delivery.
•Hub-and-Spoke PMO: Central PMO connected to multiple embedded PMOs.
What is the purpose project governance?
Purpose of Project Governance:
•Ensures compliance with legal, regulatory, ethical and corporate standards.
•Clarifies roles, responsibilities, and limits of authority.
•Provides structure and consistency via policies, processes, and delegated powers.
Key governance element: Policies
📌 Policies
•Provide guidelines on what the business expects from projects
Key governance element: Regulation
📌 Regulations
•Outline the boundaries within which the business operates
Governance key element: Processes, Procedures & Functions
📌 Processes, Procedures & Functions
•Define how projects are run and reflect organisational culture
•Standardise working methods and ensure consistency
•Support governance via decision gates, audits, and reviews
•Embed structured approaches and best practices (e.g. risk, budget, life cycle)
Governance key elements: delegated responsibility
📌 Delegated Responsibilities
•Clearly define who does what in the project
•Supported by tools like RACI/RAM
•Ensure accountability and effective
communication
Governance Impact on project life cycles?
📌 Impact of Project Life Cycle
•Governance applies across all phases with control points (e.g. gate reviews)
•Iterative: Flexible scope, PM has more control
•Linear: Fixed scope, strict controls, changes need sponsor/board approval
Project, programme and portfolios?
•Projects, programmes, and portfolios deliver strategy, enhance performance, and support growth and adaptation
•Projects directly support strategic objectives
•Programmes combine related projects and business as usual to deliver outcome
•Portfolios align projects/programmes with strategy, balancing investment and capacity
Projects vs BAU
•Projects are temporary, unique, and focused on change.
•BAU is ongoing and stable, focused on operations.
•Projects deliver outputs; BAU uses those outputs to realise benefits.
