Team Effectiveness Study: Using Resources Effectively

Effective use of project professionals and project teams is key to capital project excellence, especially in today’s limited availability of (experienced) project staff.

IPA has begun a special study to identify resource requirements on projects as well as to quantify what makes project teams effective and what is the relationship to project performance.

The study results will help the participating companies in more accurately forecasting resource needs and in better leveraging existing personnel on projects. To achieve this goal, the study comprises the following objectives:

• Quantify relationship of various team attributes and effectiveness on project performance
• Develop measures of team staffing
• Investigate potential trade-off between staffing and functionality
• Develop measures of team effectiveness

The following chart illustrates the study concept:

We are evaluating several team attributes, including team traits and practices:

Team Functionality reflects the belief of the team members whether the necessary basis for the project is in place. This includes project processes, level of clarity in objectives, stakeholder alignment, leadership, communication, etc. Our evaluation of the team’s functionality, or how well the team is working together, is measured by IPA’s Team Functionality Index.

As a result of this research, you will know how to staff a project team at the right time and with the right functions, and how to get the team to work more productively to deliver the project.

Study participants include several companies from Refining, Oil Exploration and Production, Chemicals, and Mining, Metals, and Minerals industries worldwide. The study is focused on projects above US$10 million. Study completion is targeted for December 2008. To meet the targeted date, please plan to join by May 2008.

For more information about IPA’s Team Effectiveness Study, please contact Margit Jochmann at IPA by phone +1 703 726 5334 or email at mjochmann@ipaglobal.com