Project design plays a major role in meeting project expectations. (Note: The word design has a broad meaning in this context. It is not restricted to technology-related activities or the arts. Projects are designed with specific purposes. The project design involves considering all of the elements required to produce a positive outcome.) The project design focuses primarily on the thinking required to define a project and bring it to a successful conclusion. We know from research that less than ten percent of projects fulfill their specifications, within the estimated timeline, and at the estimated costs. The statistics on information systems projects are even worse. As a newly appointed manager you probably come with some knowledge of project management, but you need to understand why so few projects meet all requirements. Many of the reasons for not meeting project outcomes, such as change in scope, lack of resources, loss of a key employee, and a week of snowstorms, are simply not acceptable.
As the newly appointed manager, you should review the past history of the department you have inherited and see what percentage of projects met the required outcomes during the past year, and determine the reasons they did or did not. What you learn from this past history, coupled with your experience as a professional working on projects, should allow you to focus on designing projects in such a way as to meet the expected outcomes. Keep in mind that projects are made up of teams that are responsible for some defined part of the project. A major project may have many teams.