Targeted success: How Goal Directed Project Management (GDPM) gets projects on track right from the start

Many projects begin with enthusiasm and a clear objective. Yet, after just a few weeks, this often fades — responsibilities become unclear, reports increase, and the original goal becomes less clear. This isn’t usually due to a lack of commitment, but rather an absence of shared direction. This is where Goal Directed Project Management (GDPM) comes in. From the outset, this method establishes clarity around goals, responsibilities, and milestones, ensuring that projects remain on track in the long term.

Goal Directed Project Management (GDPM) is a project management methodology that was developed by Erling S. Andersen, Kristoffer V. Grude and Tor Haug in Norway during the early 1980s. It was first introduced in 1984 in their seminal work, Goal Directed Project Management: Effective Techniques and Strategies. This practical and continuously updated classic has been available in its fifth edition since October 2025.
At the core of GDPM lies the principle of first focusing on the goals and responsibilities, before addressing how they will be implemented. This approach ensures a shared understanding from the outset of what is to be achieved and who is responsible for it.
Another central element is the PSO concept (People, Systems, Organisation). Projects only succeed when these three dimensions work in harmony. Accordingly, GDPM creates structured plans and a sense of shared ownership and commitment, which is one of the key reasons why the method remains highly effective in today's project environments.

At the heart of Goal Directed Project Management (GDPM) are two simple yet highly effective tools: the milestone plan and the project responsibility chart. Together, they create transparency, structure and a shared vocabulary within the project team.
The milestone plan is the central planning element. It presents the project’s key milestones in chronological order in a way that is both clear and concise, allowing them to be displayed on a single sheet of paper. Each milestone represents a clearly defined, verifiable result rather than a vague event. This divides the project into manageable sections that serve as anchor points for progress, decision-making and reporting. The main advantage is that everyone involved can easily keep track of goals, dependencies, and priorities. The plan serves as both a planning instrument and an effective means of internal and external project communication.
The project responsibility chart complements the milestone plan by defining who is responsible for what. It highlights the interfaces between individuals, teams and tasks, and provides an initial basis for estimating the required effort. This clear allocation of responsibilities helps to avoid misunderstandings.
Unlike the widely used RACI matrix, which employs a standardised system of fixed roles (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed), the project responsibility chart is designed to be more flexible. It focuses more on project goals and results, and less on the detailed distribution of tasks. While the RACI matrix primarily identifies who performs which activity or is informed about it, the project responsibility chart emphasises who contributes to which goals and how responsibilities interact within the team.
Together, the milestone plan and project responsibility chart form a kind of control dashboard — a compact visual tool that provides an overview of the project’s status, progress, and responsibilities. As part of progress monitoring, project advancement, budget utilisation, and the current risk situation can all be recorded. A planned-versus-actual comparison of project status is carried out at regular intervals. This provides the basis for more in-depth analysis, enabling targeted control measures to be proposed to the steering committee and implemented by project management in good time.

The Goal Directed Project Management (GDPM) process is clearly structured and spans the entire project life cycle, from goal clarification to control. Each phase builds logically on the previous one, ensuring that projects are given a solid foundation right from the outset.
 

• Foundation Phase – During this initial phase, the project's goals, framework conditions and stakeholders are defined. Teams clarify why the project is being undertaken and the expected benefits. This clarity is essential in order to avoid conflicts of interest at a later stage.
• Global Planning Phase – The next step is to develop the milestone plan. This plan outlines the key milestones that will lead to the project's successful completion, arranged in logical order. This overview forms the backbone of the entire planning process.
• Global Organising Phase – During this phase, the project responsibility chart is created. This specifies who is responsible for each milestone and defines the organisational interfaces.
• Detail Planning Phase – Rolling detail planning then takes place, with individual work packages and activities being defined step by step based on the established milestones.
• Project Control Phase – Finally, the monitoring and control stage ensures that progress and budget are closely measured against the milestones. GDPM operates with a milestone-based budget, whereby funds are only released once a defined milestone has been reached.

Infographic: Process and phases according to Goal Directed Project Management (GDPM): The graphic shows the structured process of GDPM with its five consecutive phases – Foundation, Global Planning, Global Organising, Detail Planning and Project Control – as logically linked steps in the project life cycle.
The level of detail of the planning and control information presented depends on the target group and decision-making level. This hierarchical structure helps to focus on the essentials and prevent information overload.
Taking people, systems and organisational structures into account in a balanced way reduces project risks while improving the quality of results. This ensures that the entire process remains goal-oriented, transparent and controllable from start to finish, rather than descending into actionism or losing sight of the details.

Goal Directed Project Management is particularly effective for complex, interdisciplinary projects involving many participants, for which clearly defined goal structures are essential for coordination. Typical areas of application include:
 

• ERP implementations
• Organisational development projects
• Transformation projects
• Introduction of company-wide systems

By consistently focusing on goals, milestones and responsibilities, GDPM fosters transparency and direction, particularly in projects involving multiple departments, external partners or teams spread across different countries.
One notable advantage is its efficient reporting. Instead of lengthy status documents, it provides concise overviews that display progress, responsibilities, and risks at a glance. This approach saves time, enhances traceability and improves communication with decision-makers.
However, GDPM has its limitations in environments characterised by high dynamics and frequent changes in requirements, such as agile software development projects. In such cases, its planning-oriented nature may lack the necessary flexibility.
A hybrid approach often provides the best solution: GDPM provides an overarching structure with clear goals, architecture, and milestones, while agile methods such as Scrum or Kanban manage operational implementation in short cycles. This combination effectively unites strategic clarity with operational agility.

If you want to implement Goal Directed Project Management (GDPM), you can get started right away — there's no need for lengthy training courses. The key is to establish a clear, shared starting point.
 

• Organise a short workshop with the key project participants. Within one to two days, you can create the initial milestone plan. Work together to define the results that the project should deliver, who will be involved and when the main milestones should be reached. This process produces a transparent overview that everyone can support and use immediately as a basis for control.
• The next step is to create the project responsibility chart. Assign responsibilities to milestones or work packages so that everyone knows exactly what they are accountable for and where collaboration is required. This will establish clarity and prevent misunderstandings.
• For ongoing management, it is best to set up a reporting routine every two weeks. Briefly record the status of each milestone and define simple escalation rules for any risks to deadlines or results. This approach enables you to maintain control, respond promptly to potential issues and avoid unnecessary detailed discussions.
• Focus on results rather than activities. GDPM thrives on clarity and goal orientation.

By consistently applying these principles, you will lay the groundwork for projects that are completed on schedule, transparently and successfully.

A medium-sized company embarked on a project to implement software for both project management and ERP, with the aim of enabling centralised control of projects and resources, standardising processes, and improving reporting. This was a complex undertaking, requiring close collaboration between the IT department, specialist departments and external consultants, as well as the harmonisation of processes and consideration of system interfaces.

Goal-oriented project start with GDPM

The project began with a two-day kick-off workshop, during which time measurable project goals and milestones were defined.
 

• Project start and goal definition
• Completion of process analysis
• System configuration completed
• Go-live
• Stabilisation completed

At the same time, a project responsibility chart was created to clearly assign roles and responsibilities. The IT department was responsible for system configuration; the specialist departments, for testing and process validation; and the ERP provider’s consultants, for training and documentation. This established a foundation for joint, results-focused collaboration right from the start, with the focus being on outcomes rather than activities.

Digital support and modern additions

To facilitate practical implementation, the GDPM structure was supported by digital tools. While these are not part of the classic GDPM methodology, they increase transparency, controllability and coordination.
 

• Gantt charts: Visualise dependencies and deadlines
• Milestone trend analysis: Early detection of target deviations
• Resource planning and dashboards: Get an overview of utilisation and responsibilities

These tools maintain GDPM's flexibility and goal orientation while increasing transparency, coordination, and operational controllability. They enable the team to focus on achieving the defined goals, free from the burden of detailed work or micromanagement.

Results and benefits
 

• Go-live on schedule, project within budget
• Transparency regarding progress and responsibilities
• Greater acceptance among end users
• Efficient integration of business processes

Screenshot Milestone progress: Milestone progress in Projektron BCS – transparency and control in line with Goal Directed Project Management (GDPM): Milestone progress visualises the progress and goal achievement of a project over time. By clearly displaying planned and actual milestones, it supports the central idea of GDPM: managing projects based on defined results, identifying deviations at an early stage and initiating targeted measures. This ensures that the course towards the project goal remains visible at all times.

Goal Directed Project Management (GDPM) originated in Norway in the 1980s, but largely remained confined to that country. As it was never standardised or certified internationally, training in the approach, its application and its dissemination remained limited to the Scandinavian region.
Another obstacle was the lack of internationalisation: parts of the knowledge were kept proprietary by consulting firms such as DNV and C4PE, making open exchange and further development difficult. Consequently, a broad user or research community never emerged.
This situation was exacerbated by a lack of clarity in terminology. The term 'Goal Directed Project Management' was often used in a general sense rather than in reference to the original method specifically.
Many of GDPM’s core ideas, such as goal orientation, iterative planning and a strong focus on vision and purpose, were later adopted by modern frameworks, including OKR, Agile and Design Thinking. Consequently, GDPM lost its distinct identity, although its underlying principles continue to live on in a different form today.

Despite its limited dissemination, GDPM is regarded as one of the earliest approaches to consistently view project management in terms of goals, results and participation — a concept that predates the popularity of agile or purpose-driven approaches. However, its lack of internationalisation and limited openness meant that its ideas were absorbed into other frameworks, preventing it from achieving widespread recognition. Nevertheless, its concepts persist in many areas today, albeit under different names and methods.

GDPM shows that project success depends on clear goals, defined milestones, and unambiguous responsibilities, rather than detailed plans. A shared understanding of purpose, outcomes, and responsibilities is essential — it forms the foundation for efficient collaboration and reliable control.
GDPM stands out for its radical clarity: when teams understand the purpose, the desired results and the timeframe for achieving them, the likelihood of success increases significantly. A goal-oriented approach is far more effective than one focused on activities — projects rarely fail due to a lack of effort, but rather a lack of clarity.
GDPM provides a structured yet flexible framework that ensures transparency without rigidity — a valuable asset in complex environments. Tools such as the milestone plan and the project responsibility chart offer a clear overview of progress, interfaces, and priorities. Digital solutions further strengthen this approach by keeping goals, deadlines, and responsibilities visible and up to date, combining methodological clarity with technical efficiency to put projects on a sustainable path to success.