The Correlation between Project Quality and Project Risk Management
Case Assessment, Analysis, and Judgment
The objective of the study entailed the development of a framework on the correlation between project risk and quality management to achieve better results in organizations. Risk management is a necessary process when undertaking any project. Based on the interviews conducted, Salim Zid (Senior Civil Engineer, Dubai Municipality) and all participants agreed on the ideology that risk management involves the process of identification, analysis, and response to risks within any project. It may explain why knowledge of the relationship between projects and risk management often has a systemic process. It includes the identification of risks, assessment, response development, and implementation of a mitigation and contingency plan. The purpose of risk management is to ensure that project output is maintained and organizational culture factors, including teamwork, are promoted (Didraga, 2012). Participant interview from Dubai South gave a more elaborate answer regarding risk management. In their perception, risk management can only be beneficial is compounding questions are asked regarding the project. Explicitly, the participant explained that quality is subjective and that it is not defined by one single entity. It can include tasks and deliverables. It may explain why other participants regarded quality as an associate to teamwork and incorporation of the interests of stakeholders. Nevertheless, the concept of project risk management and achievement of success, according to Durga Devi (training company) in any project, requires a quality control check that ensures that members and tasks are well coordinated.
Quality and risk management are often integrated within any organization’s project. Participants indicated that risk management and the quality of a project are interlinked. A risk is defined as an uncertain occurrence that can affect the success of a project. Risks, as such, can occur from different perspectives. According to Salim Zid, risk can be an opportunity. From the researcher’s point of view, an opportunity may be argumentative based on the results of the study. Regardless of whether it is defined as an opportunity or problem, quality implies the use of management protocols that safeguard the tasks, individuals, and variables of the project from sabotage (Popescu and Dascalu, 2011). Saeeds interview, for instance, agreed that the process of risk management is crucial to disseminating any risk and finding the best solution to handling the risks both for short-term and long-term purposes similar to all other participants’ positions. An example of a risk management protocol is the PDCA cycle, which entails the identification of risk, potential sources of the risk, and pre-emptive solutions.
The study also investigated the integration concept of quality against risk. In particular, the interviews wanted a professional perspective on risk integration with quality. All participants seemed to agree on the integration of risk as a natural concept. However, the Dubai South interview participant provided a more coherent explanation as to why it can be difficult sometimes for companies to handle risk to realize quality. The information retrieved explains that quality is a differential concept within a business. In most organizations, different departments handle different risks. How each department mitigates the risks presents the unique problem of what quality entails. There is always a silo-type of management for risks, which may explain why companies often find themselves in trouble over matters that could have been handled through different lenses, according to Teller and Kock (2013). To mitigate this, the research investigated the impact of implementing training for workers. One interviewee (Dubai South) indicated that training is not a major concern. In their view, it improved in the integration of risk management, including the set of practices and processes in handling risks. Similarly, the other two agreed that training could never be a hindrance to risk management.
However, quality management and risk management often result in minimal achievements in projects within businesses. To understand the criteria, the interviews inquired on why this is a phenomenon. From a professional perspective, the participants suggested that companies rely on individualized documentation on quality and risk management. Theories, on the other hand, recommend the use of one source documentation. The participants agreed on this premise, suggesting that it prevents over documentations, limits obsolete documents, and improve on risk management protocols, systems, and criteria. Therefore, the participants agreed that it is pivotal and necessary for companies to have individualized risk management systems. To achieve this, companies should have specific Critical success factors and key success factor parameters (Zhang and Fan, 2014). They are communication, adequate project control, resources, teamwork, and realistic time and cost estimated. Durga Devi suggested the inclusion of all employees at all levels in risk and quality management. Knowledge of specific key factors is dependent on the organization, as seen in the data retrieved, including skills, communication, teamwork, planning, and execution process.
In general, the participants appeared to be knowledgeable and congruent in their perception of risk and quality management. However, based on the industry or sector of employment, each participant had a proficiency comprehension of how each business or organization which explains why results offered similar positions but, different ideologies.
Research Limitations and Recommendations
The limitation of the research is on the sample size. The objective of the study was to understand how project risk and quality management are interlinked. The reliability and credibility of the study would have been optimum if concepts of the study were interviewed across numerous businesses and organizations to provide specific views on the goals of the study. Another limitation of the study is the lack of incorporation of a professional neutral candidate who has no affiliation to a company or organization. Each participant provided their point of view based on their company or organization’s outlook on risk and quality management. Having a neutral professional who can justify the correlation may have provided either a corroborative or conjecturing perspective, which would have improved the data analysis.
Nonetheless, the project was a success. However, given the scope of the study, recommendations are necessary to improve research information. It is recommended that there be an exploitative study that focuses on each firm and how they understand risk and quality management based on their project performance. If a quantitative data analysis can be provided, this would improve on the information relayed by the participants. Also, it is recommended that there be improved interview questions that are explicated on the example of risk management in these organizations and how they are mitigated according to theoretical analysis and practical system integration. Such knowledge will greatly impact the analysis of the correlation between risk and quality management from both standpoints.
References
Didraga, O. (2012). The importance of risk management for achieving success in IT projects. Managerial challenges of contemporary society, (3), 125-129.
Popescu, M., & Dascalu, A. (2011). Considerations on integrating risk and quality management.
Teller, J., & Kock, A. (2013). An empirical investigation of how portfolio risk management influences project portfolio success. International Journal of Project Management, 31(6), 817-829.
Zhang, Y., & Fan, Z. P., (2014). An optimization method for selecting project risk response strategies. International Journal of Project Management, 32(3), 412-422.