The Pragmatic Comportment Compass: Rethinking projectification in public sector projects

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between public sector project managers and their organizations' formal project management processes. Utilizing Heidegger's concept of ‘practical comportment,’ we develop the ‘Pragmatic Comportment Compass,’ which identifies four primary modes of this relationship: to use, manipulate, circumvent, and suffer. Based on qualitative data from a focus group of nine experienced project managers in the Australian state government, our findings reveal a tendency to prioritize the public good over strict protocol adherence. This results in adaptive strategies that respond effectively to complex public service realities, ensuring project progress. Our findings challenge the conventional definition of projectification, proposing an alternative that emphasizes the importance of discretion and strategic flexibility. We align this alternative with the principles of street-level bureaucracy and contingency theory, highlighting the necessity for situational responsiveness and resilience in navigating the bureaucratic and procedural obstacles inherent in public sector projects.