Complexity Twice: Multi-project Environment in Education and Shareholders with Dynamic Agendas - Achieving Mature Decisions and Project/ Portfolio Success

Important in decision-making processes in a portfolio setting are the targets of each project and the consequences for portfolio success. Increase in a portfolio's complexity requires understanding of decision-making mechanisms, elements of complex projects and their impact on the portfolio. The involvement of international stakeholders adds complexity. The paper uses a real-world example (Competence Based Dual Education in Michigan) where this complexity exists and a mature decision-making process from industry, academia, and government stakeholders was successfully implemented. This paper will describe how models of decision making were considered, combined with models of complexity, transferred into applications, and facilitated success.