The document discusses the importance of tapping into informal project management techniques. It notes that many historical projects in India were completed successfully before the advent of formal project management practices, such as the Taj Mahal which was built over 22 years without any deviations. The document proposes identifying exemplary informal projects, categorizing them, analyzing management approaches used, and developing online databases to document informal techniques. It suggests incorporating learnings into formal project management education to bridge skills gaps. A methodology is outlined, and challenges of institutionalizing informal project management practices are discussed.

1. High time to tap the enormous power of Informal project management Praveen Gupta 21st NOV 2010

2. Lets see and feel this … Video Clip Source : From Youtube ofwww.destination.net High time to tap the enormous power of Informal project management

3. Facts Behind …. The construction of TajMahal started in 1631 22,000 laborers and 1,000 elephants. Built entirely out of white marble, which was brought in from all over India and central Asia. Expenditure of 32 million rupees (approx US $68000) Completed in the year 1653. The Making of TajMahal .. One of the seven wonders of world ..

5. RESOURCES,

6. MONEY &

7. SCHEDULE SPANNING OVER 22 YEARSWITHOUT ANY DEVIATION IN OBJECTIVE TO DELIVER THE PRODUCT , KNOWN BY WORLD AS TAJ MAHAL ??? ....when there was hardly any formal project management education available !!! Forget the project management and the technological advancement, we are enjoying and utilizing today on every project today.

8. Another Interesting and amazing example .... Lets review the facts behind world famous Mumbai Dabbawalah’s Started in the 1880s , 4500 semi-literate dabbawalas collect and deliver 175,000 Tiffin boxes Covering more than 25 kms of public transport, 10 kms on foot and involving multiple transfer points. Own coding system for the error-free delivery

9. Interesting and amazing … 85 % of Dabbawalahs are illiterate and 15 % are till 8th class , yet achieved virtually six-sigma quality with zero documentation? The Dabbawalla’s operations is an excellent model of elegant logistics, operational efficiency & supply chain management Completely home grown model envisioned, developed and perfected by individuals who are not exposed to formal scientific methods procedures or principles of management.

10. Facts behind success.... Belief in simple but efficient coding & delivery system Flat org – faster decision making with autonomy Less Operational Cost Only Investment is the every Dabbawalahs honesty, hard work, mutual respect, ownership & commitment Informal approaches driven by experience and wisdom

11. Briefly .. Theme and soul behind this paper “High time to tap the enormous power of Informal Project Management “ is … a suggested structured approach to tap few drops from the sea of immense wisdom driven by experience and power of instinctive & intuitive thinking from the informal part of all of us. This may give us a unique direction to introspect and incorporate the missing link in approaches and methodologies to execute the projects successfully.

12. Inspiration behind this paper … Reference : Standish CHAOS 2009 Report Standish CHAOS Survey Research highlights that only 32 % of IT projects can be considered truly successful. … that means 70 % still fail one way or other , its quite high !!! .. Certainly no body can eliminate this but some more logical efforts can reduce this rate. Failure attributed to lot of technical, financial or business reasons but One important aspect, which can enhance success rates is certainly the more realistic and practical future project managers equipped with informal aspects of projects handling.

13. Normally Ignored Aspect of Project Failures ..

14. Missing link .. Formal Project Mgmt (FPM) Informal Project Mgmt (IPM) Focus is on planned and structured approach driven by procedures and hierarchy Concerned with the generation and execution of plans. Formal project management can be automated because it makes use of such approaches as critical path analysis. . Focus is on getting the work done rather than stuck in procedures Concerned with the motivation & coordination of project staff. Informal project management is concerned more with intuitive judgment Balanced Approach

15. Meet the - Informal Project Mgmt ... Its not newly discovered, is present through ages within each of us In most basic terms the informal PM is the unplanned execution of work without adhering to standard procedures, hierarchy or rules, emphasis here is getting the work done rather than hooked in procedures. In informal environments, project managers can approach the projects in way they deem appropriate and is driven by their experience, instinct and judgment taking capability.

16. Objective and Scope of this Paper ..

17. Defining the Problem : The Challenge ..

18. Environmental impact ( formal and informal ) on skills to be a successful project manager .. A survey is being done by circulation to individuals of widely varying background to get the inputs on the belief on the probability of acquaintance of important aspects of the essential skills required for a successful project manager through Informal or Formal environment?? The 8 skills have been included in this survey and each participant was asked to rate on the probability factor (from 0 to 1) for each of the skill. This survey was sent to the peoples varying from the formal project managers, program managers in formal organizations as well as to the other’s involved in various projects in smaller organizations following more informal ways to handle the projects and even to persons not directly / indirectly associated with projects handling.

19. Survey Questionnaire SAMPLE ..

20. Average Statistics .. Inputs from survey respondents were compiled against each skill and in separate category of probability of acquaintance through Formal and Informal environment. After that average is calculated by summing all the values and dividing by the number of respondents.

21. Survey Results Assessment ..

22. Results of Survey : Outcome summary is the requirement of optimum mix of informal and formal skills to be Successful Project Manager.

26. Identification of Exemplary Examples of Informal Projects from Authentic Sources Flow Chart of Suggestive Methodology to Tap The power of IPM Subject wise Categorization of the projects identified Online Database development of project wise informal project managers & the skills matrix from their profile Online Database development of the Informal techniques used in projects analyzed Analysis of the projects based on the complex situations / problems, solutions & approaches adopted Application of EI & AI models & techniques to work for measurement, quantification & improvement of the informal skills to future project managers on continuous & sustainable basis Suggestion to establish a body like National Institute of Informal Project Mgmt (NIPM) to work in this area of huge tasks, challenges and opportunities Development of comprehensive, ambitious & searchable nationwide online database of proven Informal Project Mgmt Techniques with periodic updation Incorporation of summarized key learning’s of the Informal PM techniques & solutions as part of Formal PM courses / education to bridge the gap of missing skills of future Project Managers

27. Some of the historical projects executed in india well before the advent of formal PM( FPM) Some of the historical projects executed in india well before the advent of formal PM ( FPM)

28. Some of the historical projects executed in india well before the advent of formal PM ( FPM)

29. Conclusion … Overall methodology suggested is to focus on successful historical projects & persons identified through a careful selection criteria. To extract the best of informal aspects through a structured systematic process from such identified projects / persons skills. It can be institutionalized as a system of imparting informal project management skills to our new and next generation project managers To effectively tap the sea of proven knowledge and experience & integrate with formal stream of producing future project managers.

31. Informal techniques can reduce the cost and time in projects but one aspect where focus could be is to enhance the certainty.

32. The latest techniques of EI, AI coupled with neural network can help us to a great extent to build a model for extraction and conversion of the informal skills, experience and knowledge to a formalized content useful for making of future project managers.