Using an improved rich pictures approach to improve project situational analysis in complex aid reconstruction development projects

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe and explain the use (at the situational analysis project phase) of an innovation to a sensemaking and problem-solving tool for aid relief and disaster recovery projects, that improves programmes to project management practice. Design/methodology/approach: There are tools that can assist in understanding a project situational context as a pre-cursor to planning and implementing project plans. One tool, soft system methodology (SSM), is used to visualise messy complex problems to understand this context and effectively plan. The authors used SSM and evolved some improvements reported upon here. Findings: The rich picture approach in SSM was adapted to add layers of meaning through colour coding and process mapping. This is explained in detail, using examples from a recent study to illustrate this approach that has been subsequently rigorously validated in practice. Research limitations/implications: The use of SSM can considerably assist in gaining a deeper understanding of how the project can be planned and monitored in future. The paper is limited to aid relief project examples. Practical implications: Macro-level project planning sets the stage for the effective delivery of a realistic program-to-project plan. Projects are often characterised by chaos, paradoxes and highly complex choices of action. The SSM tool enhancement and further developments can help practitioners improve their understanding of complex situations when preparing response and project plans. Originality/value: While SSM is not new, the way it was adapted for recent research into aid disaster recovery demonstrates a highly innovative development to visualising complex situations and offers some powerful improvements to SSM. The paper advances project management research through its SSM innovation and also illustrates an important adaptation to a standard SSM technique.