PRACTICE AND CHALLENGES OF PROJECT PORTFOLIO MANAGEMNET: THE CASE OF ETHIO-TELECOM INFRASTRUCTURE EXPANSION PROJECT

Abstract

A project's success depends on its management. The unlimited market need should be compromised with the limited resource through an application of proper project portfolio management technique. Throughout all the phases of PPM (formation to execution, updating and closing) the management team takes care of the time, cost and quality constraints of a project. This study was conducted to assess the practices and challenges of project portfolio management on ethio telecom’s infrastructure project. A descriptive research design was employed for the study. 45 employees working in the various sub-departments of PMO of Ethio telecom were taken considered for the research. Mixes of both qualitative and quantitative approaches were implemented to collect the primary data from respondents. The study examined how PPM is practiced includingthe challenges faced at Ethio telecom. According to the findings of the study, the case organization has a major problem of information exchange, resource sharing, strategy linkage and balancing of different project characteristics in the formation stage and the execution process of portfolio management i.e. communication of the strategic direction, continues monitoring and comparison of projects in the program as well as the performance visa vis the schedule, resource sharing of projects was also found to be conducted poorly. Finally,looking at the findings as well as various literatures, recommendations such as establishment of well organized PMO to handle different issue of PPM, fixed communication platform along with practical implementation were suggested by the student researcher.