Interdependency in Projects as Complex Systems

Projects, regardless of their type, size, industry, or duration, consist of various work packages and groups of activities that are interconnected and dependent on one another. The level of interdependency among project activities is often so high that not only do activities within the same discipline influence each other, but activities from different disciplines, locations, and with diverse resource requirements are also closely interdependent. Considering the definition of systems as "a set of interrelated entities of which no subset is unrelated to any other subset," it is justifiable to view projects as complex systems.

Designing an Effective Planning Approach

The interdependency between components within a system (project) is a crucial characteristic when designing an effective planning approach. The interrelationships among the system subsets determine the system's functionality. Therefore, any planning method that fails to consider this complexity is bound to be unsuccessful. To effectively plan a system (project), planners must consider the overall functionality of the system while planning its components. Moreover, the complexity of interrelationships among system parts necessitates the adoption of a PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle by planners.

Interactive Planning as an Effective Method

Acknowledging the requirements for successful and effective planning, interactive planning was introduced by Ackoff (1974) as the most effective method for system planning, which can now be extended to project planning. Ackoff defined interactive planning as "A Participative Method of dealing with interrelated problems when it is believed that unless something is done, a desirable future is not likely to occur, and if appropriate action is taken, the likelihood of such a future can be increased." Interactive planning is characterized by four main principles:

1. Participative Principle: Recognizing that no one can develop an effective plan for someone else, this principle emphasizes the importance of involving all stakeholders in the planning process.

2. Integrated Principle: This principle underscores the significance of integrating planning across multilevel systems, ensuring that plans at each level are aligned and coordinated with plans at other levels.

3. Continuity Principle: Acknowledging that even a well-designed plan requires continuous review and modification, this principle highlights the need for ongoing evaluation and adaptation.

4. Coordinated Principle: This principle emphasizes the simultaneous and interdependent planning across all parts of the system, ensuring that different aspects of the project are aligned and coordinated.

Implementing Interactive Planning in Projects

To ensure an effective planning process, project planners should consider and communicate the four principles of interactive planning to the project team members. The planning process should be designed in a way that encourages active involvement from team leaders and decision makers. Through interactive planning sessions, project planners should guide the team in identifying and understanding the interdependencies among various aspects of the project. The outcome of these workshops should be integrated and coordinated project plans which has the full buy-in from the team. It is crucial to inform all team members that the initial plan is not the final product but rather the starting point of an ongoing project planning process.

Conclusion

Interactive planning, with its four fundamental principles, offers project planners a framework for effective planning processes. By embracing participative, integrated, continuous, and coordinated planning, project teams can enhance their understanding of interdependencies and foster collaboration. Also they will feel more ownership to the schedule which results in more commitment to the project plan.