1.2 Project Initiation Forces
Organizational leadership initiates projects in response to factors acting upon their organizations. According to PMI, there are four fundamental factors that illustrate the context of the forces that cause a project to be initiated:
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Meet regulatory, legal, or social requirements
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Satisfy stakeholder requests or needs
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Implement or change business or technological strategies
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Create, improve, or fix products, processes, or services
Figure 1.4 provides a schematic that represents these forces that act on an organization that cause change to be initiated.1
Figure 1.4: Project Initiation Forces
Table 1.1
Project Initiation Forces
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Specific Forces | Project Descriptions | Meet regulatory, legal, or social requirements | Satisfy stakeholder requests or needs | Implement or change business or technological strategies | Create, improve, or fix products, processes, or services |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Technology | A technology company authorizes a new project to develop a new phone with a bendable glass face based on advances in bendable glass technology. | x | x | ||
| Competitive Forces | In order to remain price competitive, a project was initiated to reduce production costs. | x | |||
| Material Issues | A routine inspection of a bridge exposed critical material failures that initiated a bridge rebuild project. | x | x | ||
| Political Changes | With a new party in office, a project was initiated to reduce labor demands in anticipation of higher minimum wages. | x | |||
| Marked Demand | With Tesla disrupting the auto industry, other car manufacturers are forced to initiate new EV projects to remain competitive with the growing demand of all-electric vehicles. | x | x | x | |
| Economic Changes | With the economy booming, a business expansion project was initiated to take advantage of this growth. | x | x | ||
| Stakeholder Demands | The Pheasant Branch Neighborhood Association demanded that bike paths be paved through a public nature area for more accessibility. A municipal improvement project was initiated to do so. | x | |||
| Legal Requirements | Due to changed waste removal laws, the organization initiated a recycling program to dispose of its byproducts to remain in compliance. | x | |||
| Business Process Improvements | An organization implements a process improvement project to streamline its operation. | x | |||
| Strategic Opportunity or Business Need | COVID-19 caused a manufacturer of mattress covers to initiate a project to convert its production and marketing department to make and sell face coverings. | x | x | ||
| Social Need | Based on public social media feedback, the organization initiated a project to change its hiring practices. | x | |||
| Environmental Consideration | In response to the organization’s sustainability plan, the organization initiated a waste and material reduction project. | x | x |