Introduction

Projects are the principal vehicle through which organizations of all types implement strategic and operational change. A project may mean the creation of a physical asset through investment, or refer to a wide variety of business changes, from a merger or acquisition to a new product launch. Many of today's projects involve the implementation of large, complex IT systems. Another typical example is a corporate relocation project, involving the relocation of staff, possible new recruitment in the new location, as well as a host of IT and data transfer issues.

Since projects are essentially creative and lead to new opportunities, and since the contemporary business climate places a high premium on continuous change, organizations are, today, more compelled to enter into a variety of projects on an ongoing basis. The fashion in which a project is managed can make all the difference between its success and failure. Moreover, the successful management of a project has become a key to how companies create competitive advantage overall.

The way in which people interact on a project and work effectively as a team is the most important single factor determining its probable success. More specifically, the effectiveness of teamwork between all project stakeholders is key. Project stakeholders typically include:

• the business management responsible for delivering the improved business performance that was the justification for the project;

• those responsible for delivering the new systems, structures, buildings, processes and so on necessary to achieve the improved performance;

• the targets of change , those...