Friday, November 4, 2016

The hidden mathematical object in the model of project management:

Project Management is a relatively new and young profession with an evolving body of knowledge. I have been involved with project management, mostly major projects, since 1995. The nexus of processes and phases in the development of these projects has preoccupied my mind for a long time. I used to see these meaningful relations as interesting patterns, then as modalities of systems engineering until I learned a little bit about the mathematical concepts in matrix algebra and eventually late Ron Atkin's ideas drove the subject home: the consensus model of the project management has an 'incidence structure'! This means there is a logical relationship with mathematical groundings between Processes  and Knowledge Areas of the PMI normative book. Alternatively (and with a bit of abstraction), there is a map between knowing well a subject area and performing equally well that area. Philosophically minded readers can see this as a direct hint a the mutually inclusive, self-referential incidence structure showing how spatial domain of the knowledge and its temporal process of fulfillment are linked.  

That would be fine to think of this practice in an alternate algebraic process but does it have any value and utility for the actual practice of this profession? I think it does with far ranging consequences. 

Alireza