Design of post project analysis and risk management processes for r&d projects

This study has been performed as a project management process improvement project in the R&D Department of a leading white goods manufacturer in Turkey. Data related to 93 projects executed and finished during 1994-2001 in the R&D Department is compiled. These projects are analyzed to determine the factors that affect the project performance and to identify the risks encountered in the past and to compile a Risk Checklist as an input to the proposed risk management process. Then, a risk management process and a post project analysis process are designed for introducing risk management and organizational learning practice to the R&D Center. The risk management and project analysis processes are tested on a project close to its initiation and on two recently completed projects, respectively. It is observed that learning points are identified upon analyzing risk issues and the risk management process outcomes may provide insights into the weaknesses in the project management process. Thus, both processes are intertwined and evolve around each other.