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Unit I Journal_The Dimensions That Make A Compex Project

Nguyen Duy Son

Columbia Southern University

MGT 6304 Managing Complex Projects

Dr. Zee

Date: April 18th, 2023

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According to Shenhar, a taxonomy for complex projects based on two dimensions:

complexity (or system scope) and uncertainty (or risk). The uncertainty dimension refers to low-

tech projects, medium-tech projects, high-tech projects, and super high-tech projects. This

dimension can also be understood as the degree to which the project's goals, requirements, and

constraints are unknown, unclear, or in flux. It can include technical uncertainty (uncertainty

about how to achieve the project's goals), market uncertainty (uncertainty about customer needs

or competition), and/or organizational uncertainty (uncertainty about how the project fits into the

larger context of the organization); And, the complexity dimension refers to assembly projects

(or low complexity), system projects (or moderate complexity), and array projects (or high

complexity). This dimension can also be aware of the degree to which the project involves

multiple interdependent systems, components, or stakeholders, and/or requires the coordination

of multiple disciplines or areas of expertise. Complex projects often involve nonlinear

relationships, feedback loops, and emergent behaviors that can be difficult to predict or control.

Building and developing a new competent project management team for potential office

renovation projects was considered a highly complex project as my role of project manager.

There are several factors that suggest this project could be considered complex:

 Highly level of complexity: The project involved coordinating multiple stakeholders

with diverse expertise and perspectives, including project management, construction,

technical drawing development, and site supervision. Each of these roles required

specialized knowledge and skills, and the successful execution of the project would

depend on their ability to collaborate effectively and communicate clearly with each

other.
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 Medium level of technological uncertainty: While the project team might have

experience with office renovations, each renovation project was likely to present

unique challenges and technical requirements. This uncertainty was compounded by

the fact that the project team was being built from scratch, meaning that the team

members might not have a shared understanding of best practices or standard

procedures.

In general, the above factors made the project to be highly complex and challenging.

However, my team gained success with it thanks to the awareness and identification of the

complexity at the beginning of the project’s initiation phase. It required our team a thorough

understanding of the project's goals, risks, and constraints, as well as effective management of

resources, stakeholders, and communication.