Have you ever felt like your project is battling unseen forces? You’re not wrong! Every project operates within a unique “environment” – both the outside world and your company’s inner workings. Understanding this environment isn’t just project management jargon; it’s the secret sauce to making things actually work.

(Why This Matters) Think of it like planting a garden. You wouldn’t just toss seeds anywhere, right? You’d consider the soil, the sunlight, the climate. Projects are the same. Ignoring their surroundings is a recipe for headaches.

The “Outside” Stuff: Enterprise Environmental Factors (EEFs)

These are the things outside your direct control that impact your project. Think of them as the rules of the game and the playing field itself:

• Laws & Regulations: From permits to data privacy, these can dictate your project’s path.
• Society & Politics: Public opinion, current events, and even ethical considerations can shape your project’s reception.
• Industry Know-How: Benchmarks, risk data, and research can give you a heads-up on potential challenges and best practices.
• Standards: Government or industry guidelines you must follow.
• Money Matters: Exchange rates, interest, and even your project’s location can affect the budget.
• The Real World: Weather, working conditions – the literal environment you’re operating in.

The “Inside” Stuff: Organizational Process Assets (OPAs)

These are your company’s unique ways of doing things and the knowledge it’s gathered. Think of them as your internal tools and past experiences:

• The Usual Steps: Your company’s standard processes, policies, and procedures for projects.
• Tailoring Guides: How your company lets you adapt those standard steps for your specific project.
• Company Rules: Specific policies you need to adhere to.
• Project Blueprints: How your company typically runs projects (Waterfall, Agile, etc.).
• Time-Savers: Templates for documents, pre-approved vendor lists.
• Quality Checks: Change control processes, ways to track progress and fix issues.
• Resource Management: How your company handles who works on what and when.
• Communication Norms: How your company expects you to keep everyone in the loop.
• Lessons Learned: Past project files and what the company learned from them.

Your Company’s Operating System: How Things Really Work

It’s not just individual factors; it’s how your company functions that matters:

• Governance: Who makes the decisions? What are the rules and expectations? This framework sets the tone for your project.
• Management Style: How does your company organize work, delegate, and ensure things get done?
• Company Structure: Is your company organized by departments? By project teams? This affects how you collaborate and who you report to. Different structures (like flat, hierarchical, or matrix) have different impacts.
• The PMO (if you have one): This office standardizes project practices and can offer support, guidance, or even direct management.

Making It Practical: Your Project’s Context Checklist

Instead of getting bogged down in the jargon, think about these questions at the start of your project:

1. What external rules or trends could impact us? (Laws, public opinion, industry shifts)
2. What are our company’s standard ways of doing things for projects like this? (Processes, templates)
3. What has our company learned from similar past projects? (Lessons learned, common pitfalls)
4. How does our company make decisions about projects? (Governance, approval processes)
5. Who and what resources are readily available within our company? (Skills, tools, budget)

Answering these simple questions will give you a much clearer picture of your project’s environment and help you plan more effectively.

(Key Takeaway) Don’t treat your project like it exists in a vacuum. Understanding the “outside” pressures and your company’s “inside” playbook is crucial for navigating challenges and setting yourself up for success. It’s about being aware of the real-world context your project is operating within.

Want to learn more? Check out my video about the environment in which projects operate at https://www.youtube.com/@YourProjectProPM

Free Download: Environmental Response Matrix

Photo by CDC on Unsplash