ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the complex system problem domain and the specific resulting project governance challenges. The domain of the project practitioner is truly ‘holistic’ in nature. This spans the entire gamut of dimensions that practitioners must both consider and contend. The problems emanating from this domain continue to proliferate into all aspects of the world of project practitioners. Complex System Governance development and application draws upon a strong conceptual base found in Systems Theory, Management Cybernetics, and System Governance. For complex systems, it is important to make a distinction between governance and management, since the two are often loosely interchanged. Certainly, understanding of system performance involves discovery of conditions that might act to limit that performance. A cross section of the enterprise completes a System Governance Pathologies assessment instrument. An enterprise has difficulty in providing a clear, coherent, and accountable enterprise-/project-level innovation strategy to address persistent criticisms from oversight bodies/stakeholders.
