ABSTRACT
The growth of the project mode of working has been phenomenal. The project management discipline–and within it the individualistic heroic project manager–takes overall responsibility, as a matter of routine, for the delivery of such projects. The basic practices and skills of project management have been defined and applied across government and business, and within many technical and organizational disciplines. The enterprising organizations formulate and codify knowledge and practices, set out the criteria and qualifications for different grades of membership, and act as gatekeepers, controlling entry and exit and awarding certificates to those who meet their standards. The response to the charges from the mainstream establishment–project management experts, consultants, project directors and others–has been to demand more of the same. The first charge, the performance deficit, is well recognized. The second charge has less visibility. It concerns alienation. The third charge to be laid against mainstream thinking in project management is that of theory–practice disconnection.
