Chapter 6

Focus the process

If the only tool in your toolbox is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.

—Anon

Generic PUMP pack processes provide a framework for uncertainty management, but the precise scope and detail of analysis in each phase will depend upon the application and corporate context. There is no ‘one best approach’ for all circumstances. The focus phase of the basic PUMP is about adapting the generic process to the specific project context of immediate interest.

The opportunities for uncertainty management in projects are considerable, pervasive and diverse. Any systematic efforts at project uncertainty management must be carefully designed and managed if ‘clarity efficiency’ is to be achieved – cost-effective use of uncertainty management resources including process demands on everyone involved, directly or indirectly. Achieving clarity efficiency is the goal of the focus phase.