¶ … Project Management Key Success Factors (KSFs) of most organizations have similar attributes, references, and disciplines. This is because each project has internal and external expectations. In most cases, internal expectations happen to be project developers while the external expectation happens to be clients and/or the audience community. The positive striking balance is categorical in elaborating the nature and quality expected in developing each project. This comparison will be substantial in assessing KSFs of two seemingly different organizations. The analysis will identify the reasons why the organizations have pursued the KSFs in the execution of their projects. This study analyzes the KSFs of the two organizations. The study will also appoint basic commonalities between these two organizations in relation to the nature of projects that the two organizations are pursuing.

The key success factors in these two seemingly different scenarios

Article

Combined Security Transition Command -- Afghanistan (CSTC-A)

After a close reading of Combined Security Transition Command -- Afghanistan (CSTC-A) project management, one will notice substantial factors that formulate CSTC -- A managerial approach. Firstly, it is evident from the reading that the CSTC -- A focuses on training the Afghanistan security apparatus to adopt professional military management. Secondly, these collective efforts are an aggregate formulation from a number of countries, which include, British Army, Canadian, U.S. Army, and Polish amongst others (Ruhm et al., 2006). To achieve considerate organizational goals, the joint military effort is mandated in designing and developing customized system to respond to Afghanistan case. This is imperative since it aids the development of Security systems that are composed of numerous interrelated subsystems facilities, logistics, human resources and policy development. The lucid operation of the above panel is chiefly responsible in scheduling and budgeting various social, political, or economic initiatives.

A second imperative success factor is the implementation of critical communication channels, which is aided by the much-developed baseline. Essentially, the acquisition program baseline is affected by the time zone difference, the operational environment, and personnel turnover. In this case, personnel turnover is aided inherently by a much developed communication methods (Ruhm et al., 2006). Communication is emphasized by the use of internal and external methods. This aids disparities created by changing time zones. The organization communicates its policies, strategies, and timeline to diverse departments collectively. In any case, the APB ensures that the larger external community welcomes the program managers' schedules (Ruhm et al., 2006). In addition, it is prudent to relate the baseline to provide a clear and concise decision-making process. In fact, this reduces the aggregate time required in a decision making process whilst ensuring that information is dispensed effectively from inside the organization to the external sectors.

In order to accomplish satisfactory results, program managers must use some tools like Microsoft project. This tool ensures that short-run objectives are merged collectively with the long-run term objectives. The success behind this ERP approach is based on its ability to empower stakeholders to access critical information collectively. Dow and Taylor (2012, p. 276) presenting a similar project -- critical chain management. In the duo's argument, it is good to note that an ERP protects customers from delays. In most cases, the Microsoft Project is made as a stand-alone project management product. Therefore, in relation to the CSTC-A, ERP strategies are integral prerequisites defining its success.

In addition, it is collective note that CSTC -- A has heavily considered cultural and social considerations back to back with the creation of a collective security environment. The goal of CSTA -- A program is developing coherent military professionalism. This not only ensures substantiality in the corporate world, but also the political and social arenas are greatly affected. Considerably, the social arena is an integral success factor to be revitalized. In fact, the Afghanistan political situation has significantly deteriorated because of the poisoned social arena. To achieve this, CST -- A overcame institutional challenges by integrating a collective training through bridging strategy.

Article 2

ZuSRoM Project

In this case, the strategies being pursued by ZuSRoM project management have close relations to interior organizational productivity. However, it is evident that the ZuSRoM applies a comprehensive approach in assessing in dealing with diverse managerial challenges (Degnitu, 2009). For instance, the model of dealing unavailability of resources is assigned to technology to respond to that scarcity. The program managers foster the proper operation of Research and Development department. In reference, the organization sent a team to South Africa to process substantial recommendations in response to challenging pricing problems.
Secondly, the program considered the critical role it has on the client's trustworthiness. Therefore, the organization ensures that it focuses on the project's timeline as specified in the contract. This is achieved through the development of well-engineered plans. As an engineering company, tasks have extreme stretches and it is important to plan efficiently. Planning is fostered by the development of an appealing accounting and finance departments. Goatham (2009) suggestively supports this view. In this article, Goatham highlights that the construction projects overstretches the budget in most cases thereby, constraining the overall timing process. Hence, the concept of proper and collective timing cannot be ignored when reaffirming success factors.

Achieving these goals is an uphill task in case the human resource department is not aligned to the central organization's objectives. In order to curtail these challenges, the ZuSRoM program fosters the timely undertaking of performance appraisal meetings. This can be done on weekly and monthly basis. These meetings were definite in analyzing the substantial contribution of all section labor. In project management, the role played by different departments is realized collectively when the employees are reading from the same page. The quality human resource development is a considerate success factor that ZuSRoM has realized. In fact, the views and goals were formulated in line with the objectives.

Thirdly, ZuSRoM elects specialized targets when pursuing its projects. Targets are imperative since they help in defining what the teams are required to accomplish. Schwalbe (2008, p 7) specifies that project managers should specify the total time required to respond to a given project. This specification is essential because program developers use updates to reassure the organization and stakeholder that the project's success will be realized. For instance, ZuSRoM specifies the number of cubic meters to be covered in any given project depending on the number workers.

Fourthly, ZuSRoM advocates for the standardized use of resources. These resources stretch valiantly from local to reconditioned second-hand materials produced locally. The general goals of engineering include the development of standardized products at considerate costs. This can also be related to the influence of culture in the general construction process. Primarily, the success factor being pursued here is the appreciation of the primary society, surrounding cultures, and the traditions in the overall product inducement (Degnitu, 2009).

Commonalities between these two organizations

There are considerate conjoining factors that assess basic and complex similarities in the two organizations. While the CSTC -- A pursues a politically-based corporate management ideology while ZuSRoM is pursuing a cost-saving management ideology geared towards reducing the total cost of production in the project. Nonetheless, it is appropriate to identify substantial similarities that link the commonalities. Technically, the social-good and cultural is a dominant similarity that should be considered in the enrollment of this discussion. However, the model of pursuing the objectives contrasts the two approaches. In the first article, professionalism is explained in relation to the way the staffs are applying a complex system of communication. Essentially, communication methods are meant to circulate information inside the organization before the information is dispersed to the exterior community. The goal of this culture is to align activities together, scheduling, and preceding each other. The second article fosters an organizational culture that emphasizes on high disciplinary levels like…