C3: a new approach to Collaborative Project Management

Most approaches to project management concentrate on the tasks which need to be successfully completed to achieve the project goal. Important as this is, it is at most only half of the story of successful project management. The C3 approach addresses the hidden side of project management – the people-collaboration-end-result perspective and is also a powerful tool for conducting a quick project healthcheck.

C3: a new approach to Collaborative Project Management

C3 is a novel approach to Project Management which integrates a people-centric and results-oriented methodology with a supporting computer based game (screenshot below).
The C3 game enables rapid adoption of the methodology through experiential and social learning. In a single facilitated workshop practitioners learn C3 on a virtual project and then are guided in applying C3 on one of their own projects either in risk assessment or project planning mode.

Key aspects of the C3 Project Management Methodology

Core Factors*3
The first step in the C3 methodology is to define the essential one-liners of the project in terms of:

• Campaign: What is the end result which must be achieved by when?
• Context: Why is this project important now?
• Community: Who are the key players who are tasked with achieving this result, in other words the team?

Conclusions*3
What are the 3 major Conclusions or outcomes which need to be achieved to deliver the overall end result required by the campaign and what are the dependencies between them.
Constituencies*3
Who are the 3 main Constituencies or interest groups who can help or hinder you in achieving your end result. In other words who are the 3 main parties who can make it easier or harder for your goal to be achieved. For each of these groups you need to establish their:

• Power (High, Medium or Low) – their leverage over your goal and 3 required outcomes
• Attitude (Positive, Neutral, Negative) – their current attitude to your goal and 3 required outcomes
• Influence (High, Medium or Low) – the degree of influence you have over them which might be a combination of your relationship with them and/or their openness to changing their positions.

Constraints*3
What are the 3 main Constraints, limitations or shortages you must work within? These could include resources, money, skills, time or access.
Complications*3
What are the top 3 Complications which make your goal more difficult to achieve than it would appear from the outside looking in?
Changes*3
Finally, what are the 3 main Changes which if they happened would make your goal more difficult to achieve? In other words, Risks!
For more details on the C3 methodology, game or workshops please contact me directly.