The Swiss Project Management Journal
EDITORIAL
When People are the Purpose
Exploring humanitarian projects and techniques for mindful project management
P
rojects: we like to think we can clearly
predict and control their outcome. People:
whatever we think of others and ourselves, I
think we can all agree that the one common
characteristic that unites us is our
unpredictability. will encounter. I am glad that I will still be able to
point out to her all the humanitarian projects
that are being run by fellow project managers
around the globe. In this context, it seemed
appropriate to use this issue of the PM@CH
journal to explore some of these projects.
A project manager may have to manage the
unpredictability of the people who work in the
project but what about the challenges associated
with managing projects with the primary
purpose of helping those in need? How can
predictable project management techniques be
applied to manage unpredictable people? We also thought it made sense this time to look
at tools to help PMs and their project teams deal
more effectively with the challenges of living and
working in our complex and challenging world.
These tools can help us not only to understand
ourselves - our true nature or ‘Svarupa’ - but also
to understand and support other people. Judging
by the popularity of the stress management
courses in the companies where I have worked,
these tools should be no less important for the
PM than the Gantt chart or the Work-
Breakdown-Structure!
The purpose of these projects can vary
enormously - from rescuing people urgently
from a humanitarian crisis such as war or famine
to progressively improving the welfare of the
particularly vulnerable. However, what all these
projects have in common is their deliverable: not
a software product, a bridge or a process
improvement but people’s lives! These projects
are driven fundamentally by compassion, even if
they may still need to confront politics and
challenges similar to those experienced in any
major project in every industry.
I hope that this issue of PM@CH inspires and
reassures during these turbulent times. As
always we would love to hear from you if you
would like to share your experiences of running
humanitarian projects or of how you strive to
become more mindful
in your projects and
your lives.
When I look at what is happening in the world
today, I become increasingly alarmed about what
is happening to the people who live in it. The
birth of my daughter a few months ago has only
made me feel more helpless about the world she
Aliah Blackmore
Aliah Blackmore
Project Management Institute
SWITZERLAND Chapter
2
2017 Edition