Goal Directed Project Management
Goal Directed Project Management (GDPM, also called Targeted Project Management in the German-speaking world; hereinafter referred to as ZGPM) is a project management method that was developed more than ten years ago by Erling S Andersen , Kristoffer Grude , Tor Haug .
The procedure was conceived by Coopers & Lybrand (a predecessor company of today's PricewaterhouseCoopers ) and in Germany the ZGPM methodology is now being further developed by PricewaterhouseCoopers AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft and used for their consulting projects. The successful practical use has been proven in many projects in a wide variety of industries.
This procedure is based on statistical studies that show that most of the deviations from the plan in projects originate in the early stages of setting objectives, planning and / or project organization. In this planning phase of a project, more than 80 percent of all problems arise that can be avoided through the consistent application of a project management method. ZGPM is therefore a procedure that focuses on the phases of project planning and the strength of the methodology can be seen in the comprehensive description and planning of the course of the project. Nevertheless, ZGPM supports the entire project life cycle and also offers the possibility to control the project implementation and control it accordingly. In particular, ZGPM defines a framework for efficient progress monitoring and project management, meaningful reporting and budget monitoring.
ZGPM sees projects in a holistic approach as the interaction of personnel, systems and organization (PSO approach). This is why active knowledge and communication management (change management) is always an integral part of project management according to ZGPM.
ZGPM is based on three central basic components that build on one another and are interlinked:
Milestone plan
The milestone plan represents the central element of the ZGPM. It is worked out in detail at the beginning of each implementation project with the project team of the respective organizational unit and then coordinated with the central coordination team. In this step, the detailed planning is also harmonized in terms of program management. The milestones describe what is to be achieved.
Activity planning
In the activity planning it is determined how the assigned milestone is to be achieved and which people (internal and external) are involved. Communication with the project team also takes place here.
Roles and responsibilities
The involvement of all units (departments, functions, etc.) in the project is defined by the binding involvement and commitment of all parties involved and the link between the strategic and the operational level is formed.
As part of the progress monitoring, project progress, budget consumption and current risk situation can be recorded. A plan-actual comparison of the project status is carried out at regular intervals. This is the basis for a more in-depth analysis so that targeted control measures can be proposed to the steering committee in good time and taken by the project management.
Strengths of ZGPM
ZGPM enables clear planning and reporting for efficient project control and communication with project members. The methodology has a clear strength especially when the project is characterized by a high level of complexity, in that planning, control and reporting are possible on one A4 page, and rolling planning takes place on the activity level. The planning and control information can be hierarchically layered and scaled in a way that is appropriate for the addressee, which serves to “focus on the essentials”. The equal consideration of staff as well as the systems and organizational structure can reduce project risks and increase the quality of results.