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Project Management is a skill that most people assume
involves attention to detail. This is true but, when managing a team,
it is essential that the manager understands the dynamics of the team
and considers each player’s drivers. Often bottlenecks will
occur when communication breaks down between individuals.
Never draw up a plan without building in wasted time. Events will
occur that will lose several days from your target. When these happen,
deal with them aggressively to get back on track and review your plan.
Give your customers conservative estimates of delivery. It is better
to impress than to disappoint. Don’t let your internal targets
make you complacent. Set internal deadlines that will keep you focused.
This paper contains a number of checklists to help you manage your
projects. Use them to document your successes and mistakes. Project
management is an art, not a science. Develop your own style.
What is a project?
An indeterminate number of unknown activities conducted to variable
standards by different people all of whom have their own objectives,
perceptions and misapprehensions.
What are the characteristics of a project?
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It has specific, measurable objectives. |
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It is a one-off undertaking, perhaps breaking new ground within
the organisation. |
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It has a definite start and finish. |
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It is usually multi-disciplinary and complex |
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There are time, cost and quality targets that must be met. |
How to write your plan
This is the stumbling block for most of us. This is a “living”
roadmap and should be reviewed every week. Structure it using the
following headings:
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Goals. Describe your purpose and mission. |
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Objectives. What do you have to do to make your goals possible?
Objectives are quantifiable, measurable targets. |
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Strategy. How will you make your project happen? |
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Assumptions. Describe them and the approach that you will
take. |
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Plans. Describe actions and work packages. |
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Activities. This is the detailed description of tasks and
responsibilities. Build a plan that outlines who does what,
when. Where are your “hot spots” where you might
experience a bottleneck? What are your risks? Assume that your
“ideal world” plan will run over by at least 30%.
Take this into account. |
Project management checklist
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How detailed should your plans be? Are the links between activities
well-planned or is the logic fuzzy? |
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How often will progress be monitored and who needs the information?
How will progress be measured and who will provide the information? |
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Are resources critical? Do you need to monitor as well as
schedule resource usage? |
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Remember to track costs. How do they relate to other company
needs? |
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What other requirements do you have? Examples include equipment
and stock. |
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What type of reports is required? What and who are they for? |
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What graphical output will be required? |
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What other company systems will feed or be fed by the project
management system? |
The following supporting documents should be crafted to support
the overall
project plan.
The baseline plan
This is your detailed project plan. This should be done before the
project starts.
Statement of work
Project work is based on deliverables of which there are three types:
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Ultimate deliverables which together make up the end product
of the project. |
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Intermediate deliverables which are required to produce the
end product such as a discussion database. |
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Support deliverables which are required to undertake the project
successfully but are not part of the end product such as contract
documents and plans. |
Work plan
This is a detailed plan of work to be undertaken. It should include:
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A project plan. This will help you understand potential bottlenecks
and critical paths. This is your baseline but will not highlight
any management issues. Don’t forget to include elapsed
days for each task. Review this weekly. |
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Supporting information. What are your resources? Do your team
members have any other commitments that might impact their ability
to deliver on time and to budget with the desired quality? Consider
equipment availability and other materials. Can your suppliers
meet their targets? |
Expenditure plan
Produce a detailed statement of costs, broken down over time.
Quality plan
Describe:
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Working practices (standards and procedures) that should be
followed. |
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Quality reviews to be undertaken and who will be responsible
for them. |
Pilot
Always pilot your project. Before you begin a pilot, solicit the support
of your key stakeholders and influencers. If you miss this stage they
are liable to halt your progress until they feel personal commitment
and understanding of the benefit of what you are trying to do for
the business. Your technical proficiency and understanding of what
you are doing is not a guarantee of success.
Project Management is not easy. Remember always to work on
a “no surprises” basis. If you are concerned that your
project might slip then talk to your client and/or manager immediately
and work together to resolve the problem. Often you might have to
consider other options to ensure that you can deliver. |
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