business analyst

In Switzerland, there are more than 4'000 contaminated sites needing remediation in the next decades. Some of the remediation projects are especially large – over 100 Millions € - and highly complex. On behalf of the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), the authors developed a guideline (in press) to support the authorities which are challenged by such complex projects.
After having identified the success factors and key challenges of three sites being currently remediated, a project typology, based on four dimensions (technical, legal, socio-relational and management), has been developed. Further, a complexity grid, inspired by the project complexity model of Kathleen Hass, has been developed, allowing a qualitative identification of the main sources of complexity. Finally, success factors, recommendations and tools for key elements like goal-setting, decision-making and steering, stakeholder-management, project-organisation, participation and communication, planning, uncertainty and risk-management, culture and leadership, are suggested.

The Belgian professor and consultant, Nick van Heck, likes to say, in a purposefully provocative manner that “Disruptions do not exist. They are only an excuse for the unprepared”. For him, leaders need to challenge their assumptions about what strategy and planning are about and how they are structured. He continues: “Strategy should not be about guessing the future but preparing for whatever may be!” I support this way of thinking.