The contribution of the systems approach to project management

The systems approach is a set of theories and methods designed to explain how systems work. The approach is transdisciplinary. It can therefore be applied in a wide range of fields. In project management, systemic methods can be applied in a number of ways: upstream of the project, during risk management, upstream of stakeholder management, during needs analysis, during crisis management...

The tools of the systems approach are designed to take into account the complexity of a project. The aim of the systemic approach is to understand the globality of a project situation, so as to be able to identify possible solutions that meet the challenges at hand. This approach therefore runs counter to the rationalization and complexity reduction frequently observed in project management.

The systems approach also complements the traditional project management approach. It often precedes the latter (upstream of the project launch), and can also be used during the project to solve complex problems.