Glen Alleman

Paper and Presentation: Five Immutable Principles of Project Success

Abstract: There are Five Immutable Principles of project success, no matter the domain or context, they answer the question(s):

  1. What does Done look like in units of measure meaningful to the decision-makers? These units of measure start with what Capabilities are needed to accomplish a mission or fulfill a business strategy?
  2. What is the plan to reach Done for the needed cost, at the needed time, with the needed outcomes? This plan states when the needed Capabilities will be available, what are the needed Measures of Effectiveness, Measures of Performance, and Technical Performance Measures for each Capability, and when they will be available.
  3. What are resources are needed to reach done for the needed cost at the needed time? These resources include time, money, staffing, facilities all being available at the right time.
  4. What are the risks to reaching Done as needed and their handling plans? Since all risk comes from uncertainty that creates risk how can we handle reducible (Epistemic) uncertainties with the work of the project. The irreducible (Aleatory) uncertainties handled with “margin” – cost margin, schedule, technical margin?
  5. How are we measuring physical percent complete toward Done in comparison with the needed Measures of Effectiveness and Performance. The passage of time and consumption of resources, never a measure of progress.

With each immutable principle, we can develop the needed processes and practices – from agile software development to fully compliant US Government acquisition guidelines – to answer the question “what is the probability of project success” at the time intervals needed to take corrective or preventive action to “keep the program Green.”

PMI Talent Triangle: Ways of Working


Biography: Glen B. Alleman has more than 40 years experience managing complex system of systems in aerospace, defense, enterprise IT, biopharma, electric utilities (nuclear and convention), petrochemical, and software intensive embedded systems.

Glen’s academic background includes degrees in Physics and Systems Engineering. Glen is a published author of project management and risk management books and book chapters on project management, journal articles, is a frequent speaker at professional organizations including PMI, AACE, ICEAA, College of Performance Management, and the Project and Program Management Symposium at the University of New South Wales, Canberra, Australia.
Glen currently is a consulting advisor to defense contractors, NASA, Department of Energy.

As well Glen writes and delivers courses through the Federal Acquisition Institute on Project Management, Contract Management, Agile Acquisition management for US Coast Guard, Department of Agriculture, Department of Interior, and Department of Homeland Security.