Abstract
Under the Community Support Framework (CSF) 2000–2006, the structural assistance budget allocated to Greece was € 25 billion, in contrast to €19.2 billion allocated during 1994–1999. This amount was managed by almost 7,500 companies who were the final beneficiaries in Greece. As it turned out, most of these companies did not have the project management skills and/or expertise required for managing projects. Today, at the end of the CSF 2000–2006, nobody in Greece can supply project success metrics for the CSF 2000–2006 (project success rates/overbudgeted project rates).
Being aware of these issues, the Greek government decided to overcome these difficulties in the CSF 2007–2012 totalling €21.5 billion by developing a new Greek project management standard. In August 2007, the Greek Ministry of Economics has signed an agreement with Ellinikos Organismos Typopoiiseos ELOT (the Greek ISO member) for the development of a New Greek Project Management Standard until the end of 2008.
In April 2008, the Greek Organization for Standardization (ELOT) gave the public the draft version of this new standard under development. As expected, this new standard ELOT 1429 is not a project management standard for certifying individuals. It is a maturity model to certify organizations for delivering projects for the central government only. A strict translation of the ELOT 1429 standard to the English is “Administrative Sufficiency of Organizations for Implementing Projects of Public Interest.”
The Greek government, Ministry of Finance, is demanding that all organizations in Greece dealing with projects funded through Community Support Framework (CSF 2007–2012) be accredited with this new Greek Project Management Standard ELOT 1429 by 1 January 2009. Until 1 January 2009, companies can pass over this requirement and be certified with ISO 9000.
Background
As is the case with many European countries, Greece is funded under the Community Support Framework (CSF). The 1994–1999 Community Support Framework (CSF) structural assistance budget allocated to Greece was €19.2 billion. Most of the funds are used to support the infrastructure of the country.
The 2000–2006 CSF structural assistance budget allocated to Greece was €25 billion. This amount was managed by almost 7,500 companies—final beneficiaries in Greece.
As it turned out, most of these companies did not have the necessary project management skills and/or expertise required for planning, managing, and delivering projects. Many insist that the only skill needed for these projects was the ability to “just spend money.”
Today, as the CSF 2000–2006 has finished, nobody in Greece can supply qualitative and/or quantitative project success metrics for the CSF 2000–2006 such as:
What are the project success rates?
How many projects were over budget?
How many projects were late?
Was the full scope of the projects delivered?
What were the lessons learned?
Are the customers of the project happy?
What is the life cycle costing (LCC)?
The Approach to Develop the Standard
Being aware of these issues, the Greek government decided to overcome these difficulties in the CSF 2007–2012 by developing a new Greek project management standard.
In 2006, the first attempt to develop a document with all of the requirements needed to manage projects was withdrawn because the requirements were so strict than almost no company in Greece could satisfy them.
In August 2007, the Greek Ministry of Economics signed an agreement with ELOT (the Greek ISO member) for the development of a New Greek Project Management Standard until the end of 2008. By the time that the new standard development had started, the CSF 2007–2012 was delayed 8 months!
Ten months later, in April 2008, ELOT gave the public the draft version of this new standard under development. As was expected, this new standard ELOT 1429 is not a project management standard for certifying individuals. It is a maturity model to certify organizations for delivering projects for the central government only. A strict translation of the ELOT 1429 standard to the English is “Administrative Sufficiency of Organizations for Implementing Projects of Public Interest.”
The Greek Government, Ministry of Finance, is demanding that all organizations in Greece dealing with projects funded through CSF 2007–2012, must be accredited with this new Greek Project Management Standard ELOT 1429 by 1 January 2009. Until 1 January 2009, companies can pass over this requirement and can be certified with ISO 9000.
The Technical Committee 95
In the development of the standard, ELOT formed the Technical Committee 95. Participants in this committee were from the following parties:
Ministry of Finance
Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Public Works and Environment
Ministry of Development
Ministry of Social Security
Ministry of National Education
Technical Chamber of Greece
Central Union of Prefectures
Central Union of Municipalities and Communities of Greece
Management Organization Unit of Development Programmes
The ELOT Standard 1429
On 14 April 2008, ELOT gave the public the draft version of this new standard under development. As was expected, this new standard ELOT 1429 was not a Project Management standard for certifying individuals. On the contrary, it was a maturity model to certify organizations for delivering projects for the central government only. The title of the ELOT 1429 standard is “Managerial Capability of Organizations Implementing Projects of Public Interest–Requirements.”
Also new “Implementation Guides” will be developed in order to support the ELOT 1429 standard. These Implementation Guides will be:
ELOT 1431-1 “Implementation Guide of ELOT 1429 for Organizations Implementing Public Technical Infrastructure Projects”
ELOT 1431-2 “Implementation Guide of ELOT 1429 for Organizations Implementing Public Procurement and Services”
ELOT 1431-3 “Implementation Guide of ELOT 1429 for Organizations Self-Funding and Implementing Specific Actions”
ELOT 1432 “Administrative Sufficiency of Organizations for Implementing Projects of Public Interest–—Requirements for Evaluation Processes and Evaluators”
Exhibit 1 - The Structure of the 1429 Standard
The above diagram (written in the Greek alphabet) (Exhibit 1) is the only diagram in the standard describing the system for the project management of the projects and programs. The main ingredients of the standard are:
- Management and Organization
- Human Resources
- Project Management Processes
3.1 Initiating Processes
3.2 Planning Processes
3.3 Executing Processes
3.4 Monitoring and Controlling Processes
3.5 Closing Processes
- Review and Lessons Learned
The Road Ahead
Until now, March 2009, the CSF 2007–2012 had not yet begun. This means that all projects are delayed by design 27 months. If this standard can help organizations to delivers projects on the triple constraint, is to be proved.