Implementation of Project Portfolio Management and Its Challenges: The Case of Ethio Telecom Wireless Network Program of Addis Ababa
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2017-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Project portfolio management (PPM) is a tool-supported process for optimally selecting and
managing the organizations’ portfolio of projects (Markhofer, 2013). Abundant literatures shows
that the implementation of PPM is essential to maximize the ability of using scarce resource
efficiently, to avoid misdirected effort in an organization, to better manage risk, to reduce
project costs, primarily though elimination of duplicate effort and so forth. However, Markhofer
in (2013) stated that portfolio project management can provide real value, but many
organizations are finding implementing PPM difficult. The road to PPM is often rocky for many
organizations and successfully implementing PPM is difficult failures are not uncommon. This
study raised on the fact that different studies show it is very essential for the achievement of
corporate goal of an organization but has different challenges of implementation. So that it had
an objective to study the implementation of PPM practice and its challenges on a selected
portfolio. The selected portfolio was the Addis Ababa Wireless Network portfolio of Ethio
Telecom. It holds four projects that are highly interrelated. The data were collected from group
of participants who had a direct involvement on the management of the project portfolio using
census and purposive sampling. Questionnaire was prepared both on open ended and close
ended type. Unstructured interview was also employed for managers of the portfolio. The data
were analyzed qualitatively through description and quantitatively with the use of SPSS version
20 software using stastical tool of mean score, standard deviation and percentage. It has been
revealed that how an organization manages its project portfolio is highly interrelated with its
challenges. That refers to that when maturity of PPM of an organization increases, capability to
handle and prevents the different challenges of PPM increases and reaping of all the benefits of
PPM practice can be achieved, Effective capturing and dissemination of lesson learned and best
practices of the application of PPM for all stakeholders of PPM are essential, communication
regarding strategic direction of project portfolio for all the stakeholders is essential for creating
a devotion to strategy throughout the structure of PPM governance, integration management is
critical factor for successful implementation at the same time handling of challenges of PPM; so
that the role of PMO to give an organizational focus on improving the management of project
portfolio and builds up a common set of practices, principles and templates for managing
projects portfolio is essential
Description
Keywords
Project Portfolio Management, strategy, Project Management Office (PMO)