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This thesis investigates project risk management issues in smaller software teams. Certain gaps in the literature are identified. There is limited literature on what risk management techniques software practitioners use. The studies that are published tend to focus on large software teams. This thesis investigates what risks these smaller teams consider to be important. It also investigates what techniques are perceived to address these risks and how effective those techniques are considered to be. One of those risks is found to be of primary importance, yet this risk is not suggested by the project management literature. This thesis goes on to conduct a more in-depth exploration of that specific risk in the context of these smaller teams Interviews were selected as the most appropriate method to achieve the objectives of the thesis. Nineteen interviews in eight software organisations are conducted to collect data for this thesis. Three different perspectives on project risk were investigated. Those were the perspectives of the; service managers, project managers and developers. Hence a large store of rich information is collated. The results are analysed and a rich set of information is presented in this thesis. As a result of this research it is suggested that smaller software teams may find it useful to consider the 16 risks discussed in this research and how applicable those risks are to their individual organisation. Service managers may need to do more to raise the awareness of the importance of risks associated with ‘customer relationship issues’ within their own organisations. Three risks stood out as areas where future research might be most fruitful. They were; customer relationship issues, introduction of new technology and unrealistic schedules and budgets. Risks related to customer relationship issues were of particular significance and have tended to be over looked in the project management literature. It is submitted that research into standard project risk management approaches may need to be combined with business risk management approaches to gain a full understanding of the risks faced and addressed by these smaller teams.

This thesis investigates project risk management issues in smaller software teams. Certain gaps in the literature are identified. There is limited literature on what risk management techniques software practitioners use. The studies that are published tend to focus on large software teams. This thesis investigates what risks these smaller teams consider to be important. It also investigates what techniques are perceived to address these risks and how effective those techniques are considered to be. One of those risks is found to be of primary importance, yet this risk is not suggested by the project management literature. This thesis goes on to conduct a more in-depth exploration of that specific risk in the context of these smaller teams Interviews were selected as the most appropriate method to achieve the objectives of the thesis. Nineteen interviews in eight software organisations are conducted to collect data for this thesis. Three different perspectives on project risk were investigated. Those were the perspectives of the; service managers, project managers and developers. Hence a large store of rich information is collated. The results are analysed and a rich set of information is presented in this thesis. As a result of this research it is suggested that smaller software teams may find it useful to consider the 16 risks discussed in this research and how applicable those risks are to their individual organisation. Service managers may need to do more to raise the awareness of the importance of risks associated with ‘customer relationship issues’ within their own organisations. Three risks stood out as areas where future research might be most fruitful. They were; customer relationship issues, introduction of new technology and unrealistic schedules and budgets. Risks related to customer relationship issues were of particular significance and have tended to be over looked in the project management literature. It is submitted that research into standard project risk management approaches may need to be combined with business risk management approaches to gain a full understanding of the risks faced and addressed by these smaller teams.

The diploma thesis in its theoretical part describes importance and requirements of the cross-border cooperation, history and facts about Euroregion Nisa, Next part briefly describes programs supporting cross-border cooperation, that where in Czech Republic implemented before was Czech Republic accepted as a member of the European Union and after that from the perspective of the Euroregion Nisa. Practical part analysis and compares structures of applicants and their projects within the Small Projects Fund between program Interreg IIIA Czech Republic -- Saxony and program Cíl 3/Ziel 3 Czech Republic -- Saxony from the perspective of the Euroregion Nisa. Next part here contains evaluation of those two programs by applicants and their opinions were obtained by prepared questionnaire. The main goal of the thesis is thus to analyze Euroregion Nisa and its cooperation with Saxony, find out whether submitting of an application and project implementation within the time has simplified or vice versa and suggest own recommendations for the future of this kind of cooperation.

<p><p>Det existerar i dagsläget många färdigutvecklade mjukvaror för att underlätta olika organisationers processer.  Dessa mjukvaror täcker ofta stor del av den funktionalitet som organisationen behöver – till ett förhållandevis lågt pris.</p><p>Priset för att skräddarsy mjukvara, i motsats till färdigutvecklad mjukvara, efter sin egen organisation kan, speciellt när företaget är litet, vara väldigt högt i förhållande till lönsamheten. Då alla organisationer är olika, och således har olika funktionalitetskrav kan flera system behövas för att täcka dem. Överlappningen som sker mellan systemen ger plats för redundant data, som utan noggrann kontroll kan bli felaktig data.</p><p>En lösning är att integrera mjukvaror med varandra för att skapa bryggor emellan och således ta bort risken för felaktig data. Detta är ursprungspunkten för denna undersökning. Bristen på information om hur en sådan systemutveckling bör ske är motivet för denna utredning. Utredningens syfte är att täcka detta kunskapsbehov.</p><p>Genom att använda aktionsforskning, som förespråkar nära samarbete mellan praktiker och forskare, har ett organisationsspecifikt problem studerats. Artefakter från vissa delar av systemutvecklingsmetoden Rational Unified Process(RUP) har utvecklats för att ge organisationen ett praktiskt bidrag, samtidigt som ett akademiskt bidrag i form av riktlinjer har utvecklats. Eftersom avgränsning till vissa delar av RUP är gjord utvecklades inte ett fullt system utan artefakter för att underlätta själva utvecklingen – en slags förstudie.</p><p>Riktlinjerna, som speglar det praktiska bidraget, visar på ett ökat behov av att beskriva och illustrera arkitekturen hos det system som ska utvecklas. Men även ytterligare kunskap om de system som skall integreras bör utvecklas, detta innebär ett behov av närmare samarbete med organisationen.</p><p>RUP kan kompletteras med ytterligare metoddelar för att täcka speciella behov som projektet kan ha – detta inkluderar metoddelar för att hantera integrationsprojekt. Det är denna undersöknings slutsats att sådan komplettering inte är nödvändig i mindre projekt då RUP redan beskurits ordentligt under situationsanpassningen. Artefakter för att beskriva arkitektuella aspekter av projektet finns i RUP och inkluderingen av dessa bör täcka de behov ett mindre projekt har.</p><p>Undersökningen har även studerat hur integrationsfokuset påverkat valda delar av RUP. Resultatet av denna frågeställning är ytterligare modell-element i några artefakter samt ett antal ytterligare artefakter för att beskriva arkitektur.</p></p>

abstract: Project teams expend substantial effort to develop scope definition during the front end planning phase of large, complex projects, but oftentimes neglect to sufficiently plan for small projects. An industry survey administered by the author showed that small projects make up 70-90 percent (by count) of all projects in the industrial construction sector, the planning of these project varies greatly, and that a consistent definition of “small industrial project” did not exist. This dissertation summarizes the motivations and efforts to develop a non-proprietary front end planning tool specifically for small industrial projects, namely the Project Definition Rating Index (PDRI) for Small Industrial Projects. The author was a member of Construction Industry Institute (CII) Research Team 314, who was tasked with developing the tool in May of 2013. The author, together with the research team, reviewed, scrutinized and adapted an existing industrial-focused FEP tool, the PDRI for Industrial Projects, and other resources to develop a set of 41 specific elements relevant to the planning of small industrial projects. The author supported the facilitation of five separate industry workshops where 65 industry professionals evaluated the element descriptions, and provided element prioritization data that was statistically analyzed and used to develop a weighted score sheet that corresponds to the element descriptions. The tool was tested on 54 completed and in-progress projects, the author’s analysis of which showed that small industrial projects with greater scope definition (based on the tool’s scoring scheme) outperformed projects with lesser scope definition regarding cost performance, schedule performance, change performance, financial performance, and customer satisfaction. Moreover, the author found that users of the tool on in-progress projects overwhelmingly agreed that the tool added value to their projects in a timeframe and manner consistent with their needs, and that they would continue using the tool in the future. The author also developed an index-based selection guide to aid PDRI users in choosing the appropriate tool for use on an industrial project based on distinguishing project size with indicators of project complexity. The final results of the author’s research provide several contributions to the front end planning, small projects, and project complexity bodies of knowledge. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Construction 2015

Det existerar i dagsläget många färdigutvecklade mjukvaror för att underlätta olika organisationers processer.  Dessa mjukvaror täcker ofta stor del av den funktionalitet som organisationen behöver – till ett förhållandevis lågt pris. Priset för att skräddarsy mjukvara, i motsats till färdigutvecklad mjukvara, efter sin egen organisation kan, speciellt när företaget är litet, vara väldigt högt i förhållande till lönsamheten. Då alla organisationer är olika, och således har olika funktionalitetskrav kan flera system behövas för att täcka dem. Överlappningen som sker mellan systemen ger plats för redundant data, som utan noggrann kontroll kan bli felaktig data. En lösning är att integrera mjukvaror med varandra för att skapa bryggor emellan och således ta bort risken för felaktig data. Detta är ursprungspunkten för denna undersökning. Bristen på information om hur en sådan systemutveckling bör ske är motivet för denna utredning. Utredningens syfte är att täcka detta kunskapsbehov. Genom att använda aktionsforskning, som förespråkar nära samarbete mellan praktiker och forskare, har ett organisationsspecifikt problem studerats. Artefakter från vissa delar av systemutvecklingsmetoden Rational Unified Process(RUP) har utvecklats för att ge organisationen ett praktiskt bidrag, samtidigt som ett akademiskt bidrag i form av riktlinjer har utvecklats. Eftersom avgränsning till vissa delar av RUP är gjord utvecklades inte ett fullt system utan artefakter för att underlätta själva utvecklingen – en slags förstudie. Riktlinjerna, som speglar det praktiska bidraget, visar på ett ökat behov av att beskriva och illustrera arkitekturen hos det system som ska utvecklas. Men även ytterligare kunskap om de system som skall integreras bör utvecklas, detta innebär ett behov av närmare samarbete med organisationen. RUP kan kompletteras med ytterligare metoddelar för att täcka speciella behov som projektet kan ha – detta inkluderar metoddelar för att hantera integrationsprojekt. Det är denna undersöknings slutsats att sådan komplettering inte är nödvändig i mindre projekt då RUP redan beskurits ordentligt under situationsanpassningen. Artefakter för att beskriva arkitektuella aspekter av projektet finns i RUP och inkluderingen av dessa bör täcka de behov ett mindre projekt har. Undersökningen har även studerat hur integrationsfokuset påverkat valda delar av RUP. Resultatet av denna frågeställning är ytterligare modell-element i några artefakter samt ett antal ytterligare artefakter för att beskriva arkitektur.

Healthcare is continuously changing through means of project work. Small projects in healthcare settings are of particular interest since they are usually not adequately supported by the health institution, and present many challenges of their own. However, collective successful completion of small projects has the potential to significantly impact and improve health service delivery. This thesis examined the common and successful project management practices in small projects in Canadian hospital settings to acquire new knowledge on this understudied kind of project and propose basic project management practice guidelines for future small projects conducted within these settings. Data collection was conducted in two hospitals in the form of 23 semi-structured interviews with five interprofessional project teams composed of 4-10 healthcare professionals. Each project was considered as the unit of analysis. Qualitative within-case and cross-case inferential processes were applied and a consolidated list of 43 project management practices deemed important by the majority of participants from all cases was revealed and could serve as basic project management practice guidelines for future small projects conducted in hospitals. Findings also shed light on the beneficial value of adapting principles of project management to small projects in hospital settings. Given the bottom-up nature of small projects, results suggest it is of significant importance to clearly define and understand the small project, as well as perform a thorough stakeholder analysis to be able to gain the right approvals. Insufficient time dedicated to small project management governed these shortcomings, thus team members need to regularly allot time to managing their small project. Lastly, the presence of a team leader was a significant factor influencing continuous project execution. Future studies should take into consideration allied disciplines’ contributions such as organizational behaviour to help explain the interplay between group dynamics and small project outcome.

This thesis is concerned with the actors of cross-border cooperation in the Euroregion Silva Nortica. The aim is to analyze what kind of actors affect cross-border region Silva Nortica and are involved in cross-border cooperation in this area. Another aim is to determine key areas of cross-border cooperation with its specific features within the Euroregion Silva Nortica and evaluate the selected programmes on the Czech and Austrian side of the euroregion. The first programme is the Community Initiative Programme Interreg IIIA and Disposition Fund for the period 2004-2006 and the second programme is the European Territorial Cooperation Austria-Czech Republic and Small Projects Fund under this initiative for the period 2007-2013. The theoretical part deals with the phenomenon of the border, cross-border area and the establishment of Euroregions. The practical part consists of a survey and outcomes of structured interviews. Keywords: cross-border cooperation, euroregion, Euroregion Silva Nortica, actors of cross-border cooperation, Disposition Fund, Small Projects Fund

Cross-border cooperation (CBC) influenced the regional development of the border regions. CBC is very much supported by the European Union and its funding policy. Cooperation between border regions is considered as a key to the joined Europe. Since 1989 there is a special programme supporting CBC within the member states of EU. A new programme supporting cross-border cooperation between the member states and the candidates' countries "Phare CBC" was developed in 1993. This paper is focused on selected issues of cross border cooperation of Euroregion Šumava, Pilsner region and South Bohemian region. Euroregion Šumava was established in 1993. It is a voluntary association of cities, villages and other joined organizations intent on the cross border cooperation with similar association on Bavarian and Austrian site of border. These three associations established trilateral Euroregion Šumava{--}Bayericher Wald{--}Mühlviertel. Together they implement the principles of European regional policy. Cross border activities of Euroregion Šumava were analyzed on followed issues: 1. Euroregion budget and its development between 1998{--}2006 2. Projects supported by Small Projects Fund realized by Euroregion 3. Projects realized under the financial support of Small Projects Fund Phare CBC and Interreg IIIA (focusing on the projects´ holders, priority areas and districts) Pilsner and South Bohemian regions were established in 2001 as regional authorities. They provide national and regional service partly financed by their own resources (mainly tax income) and partly by grants received from central authorities. Together they constitute the cohesion region of NUTS 2 "Southwest". Pilsner and South Bohemian regions create joint regional development policy and strategic documents because of implementing Regional operational programme. So far CBC was not part of their common regional policy. Cross border activities are analysed on the projects realised under the Interreg IIIA programme, which was managed by the Secretary of Cohesion region. Special focus is put on the projects´ holders, priority areas and regional aspects. Results of analysis are summarized in graphs, tables and maps.