Project Complexity 

Project Managers are expected to produce essentially the same results – outputs and outcomes that are acceptable to relevant stakeholders.  However, the context in which these results are produced may differ: some projects are inherently harder to manage than others.  A project manager who is competent to manage an easier, less complex project may not be competent to manage a harder, more complex project.

GAPPS has developed an approach to categorising projects based on their management complexity. The GAPPS framework uses a tool called the Crawford-Ishikura Factor Table for Evaluating Roles, or CIFTER. The tool, named after two major contributors to GAPPS, is used to differentiate project manager roles based on the complexity of the projects managed.

The CIFTER identifies seven factors that affect the management complexity of a project. Each factor is rated from 1 to 4 using a qualitative point scale, and the factors are totalled to produce a management complexity rating for the project.  This was used as the basis for development of two levels of Project Manager Standards, G1 and G2. G1 is a moderately complex project and G2 is a very complex project. Anything that scores below a G1 is considered to be a simple project. Too simple to be used as evidence of competence as a project manager against the GAPPS Project Manager Standard. These simple projects are excellent opportunities for giving new project managers safe projects to run and learn their craft on.

The CIFTER Table also provides a useful basis for categorising projects and therefore selecting the appropriate Project Manager based on their demonstrated competence.

The CIFTER factors identify the causes of project management complexity. For example, in some application areas, a project manager's ability to control project costs is considered to be the primary factor in determining competence. The CIFTER provides a mechanism for matching competence to need by identifying the factors that affect the project manager's ability to control costs.

Download Project Manager Standard containing the Full CIFTER

CIFTER Summary

Project Management Complexity Factor
1. Stability of the overall project context	Very High (1)	High (2)	Moderate (3)	Low (4)
2. Number of distinct disciplines, methods, or approaches involved in performing the project	Low (1)	Moderate (2)	High (3)	Very High (4)
3. Magnitude of legal, social, or environmental implications from performing the project	Low (1)	Moderate (2)	High (3)	Very High (4)
4.  Overall expected financial impact (positive or negative) on the project’s stakeholders	Low (1)	Moderate (2)	High (3)	Very High (4)
5. Strategic importance of the project to the organisation or organisations involved	Very Low (1)	Low (2)	Moderate (3)	High (4)
6.Stakeholder cohesion regarding the characteristics of the product of the project	High (1)	Moderate (2)	Low (3)	Very Low (4)
7. Number and variety of interfaces between the project and other organisational entities	Low (1)	Moderate (2)	High (3)	High (4)