Abstract for: Building Shared Vision As a Project Management Strategy: Quantitative model for a Qualitative Problem Context

The paper presents a group-model building design (GMB) for discussing and attempting to solve a persistent “messy” problem within a student-led NGO in the Russian Far East, Vladivostok. Even though the projects conducted by the NGO had reached their targets, there was always an implicit concern over the way those projects were conducted. Throughout a one-day GMB session the management team elaborated a causal loop diagram (CLD) titled "Dissatisfaction with successful projects". The CLD made explicit an important mental model within the NGO: the projects were considered to be truly successful only if they served as learning opportunities for project team members. As the coordinators lacked the capacity to develop shared vision among team members with diverse perspectives, that important mission of the projects was not fulfilled. The case was presented in a poster format at the 30th International Conference of the System Dynamics Society in St. Gallen. While building on the data from that case, the current paper gives the new perspectives of the conflict and power difference issue amplifying the “messy” problem and how the specifics of the implemented GMB design managed or mismanaged the conflict. As a further step of implementation, the quantitative system dynamics model has been developed and presented.