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Fundamentals of Project Management
By Jeff Crump
Projects begin because a problem creates a need. In order to solve the
problem or fulfill the need, you need to formulate a measurable goal.
Once a goal is set, you can develop a strategy to meet it. A project is
the strategy to meet this goal.
All projects must be defined in terms of Time, Budget, and Performance.
This is commonly referred to as the ‘Triple Constraints’.
The one constraint that has the highest priority becomes the driver of
the project.
Triple Constraints
The key to the project is to determine what the constraints are and their
priority. How do you do that? ASK QUESTIONS!
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Ask a comparative question. |
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If we had to sacrifice performance to meet the deadline,
what would the customer want you to do? |
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Ask a “What if” question. |
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What if we eliminated build management or online forms,
how will that impact the project? |
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Have we thought of other ways to solve the problem? |
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Why do they want this done? |
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If time, money and resource limitations were not a problem,
what would the customer want? |
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How would the customer rank this project with other
projects that are happening? |
| • |
What is the most likely thing to go wrong with this
project, and how can you avoid it? |
A preacher and a cab driver reach the pearly gates of
heaven. The cabbie gets through and is presented with a silk robe and
a golden staff. When the preacher enters he is presented with a cotton
robe and a bronze staff. The preacher asks why the cabbie was presented
with higher quality material. The preacher said he was responsible for
bringing many more people into the fold. Saint Peter simply said, “Yes
this is true but when you preached, people snoozed. When the cabbie drove,
people PRAYED!
| Ten Commandments of Project Management |
| I. |
Set a clear project goal. (Covey: Begin with the end
in mind.) |
| II. |
Determine the project objectives. (Sub-units or Sub-goals) |
| III. |
Establish checkpoints (milestones), activities, relationships (how
tasks are interrelated), and time estimates. |
| IV. |
Draw a picture of the project schedule (MS Project). |
| V. |
Direct people individually and as a project team. |
| VI. |
Reinforce commitment (walk the talk) and excitement of the project
team. |
| VII. |
Keep everyone connected with the project informed. |
| VIII. |
Build agreements that vitalize (win/win) team members. |
| IX. |
Empower yourself and others of the project team. |
| X. |
Encourage risk taking and creativity but manage it closely. |
Project Planning
Project planning is perhaps the most important activity of any project.
A lack of proper and thorough planning will rapidly become obvious as
the project moves into the subsequent phases. As a result, much time and
energy must be dedicated to this activity. The typical components of project
planning include:
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Create a Project Management Plan ? Include all the associated
project documentation noted in the following bullet points plus be
sure to include the contact information for your project team members. |
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Project Summary ? The Project Manager should document the problem
that the team is trying to resolve. Reference to triple constraints
and their priority should be made. |
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Project Requirements ? Time, costs, and performance. |
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Milestones ? Be sure to celebrate along the way. |
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Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) ? The WBS are the lower level, detailed
tasks that make up the real work that has to be performed during the
project. The depth of the WBS is dependent on what level of clarity
and direction is required or desired. |
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Network Diagram ? Having they physical layout always adds clarity
and value. |
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Budget ? How much money and time has been contracted for? Are there
travel and expense caps that must be adhered to? |
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Project Management Structure ? Communicate project management and
team hierarchy. |
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Logistical Support ? Ensure you understand the work environment
and the recommended travel and lodging information, if applicable. |
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Acceptance Plan ? This ensures all parties are working from not
only the same set of work plans but also the acceptance of the end
result. |
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Standards for Property Control and Security ? What system ID’s
have been created for use? Are access badges required? |
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Project Reviews / Status Reports ? Schedule regular, weekly meetings
for entire project team. Coordinate additional resources as needed. |
Enterprise Change Management Specific Questions
As the ECM project manager you should be able to answer the following
questions. If you can’t then now is the time to get the answers.
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Do the project’s objectives fit into the overall IT and /
or business strategy? |
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When is the project due? How is the date determined? |
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What would be the result of late delivery? |
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What would be the result of limited success (functionality)? |
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Could there be any ‘political’ implications of the project’s
failure? |
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Is the project a part of a larger program? |
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Does the supplier, if any, have a reputation for delivering high
quality? |
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Does the contract provide enough detail to identify what the vendor,
if any, will deliver? |
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Does the project have the wholehearted support of the management
team? |
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What’s the commitment level of the user community? |
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Have the training requirements been identified and addressed? |
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How clearly are the project’s objectives defined? |
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Does the project team understand the project methodology? |
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What are the skills of the project team? |
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Does the project team need training? |
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How many separate users are involved and impacted? |
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Have the technical options been weighed? |
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Are the requirements clear and concise? |
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How many sites are being impacted? |
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Who will be responsible for testing? |
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Have requirements for long-term operations, maintenance, and support
been identified? |
This is not an exhaustive list but it does give an idea
of the breadth of knowledge and awareness required to effectively manage
an Enterprise Change Management solution project.
The Process of Change
After reviewing the other information at EnterpriseCM.com it should be
evident that a concerted amount of effort has to be targeted toward understanding
and managing the process of change itself within your organization.
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The first question is ‘why change?’; this leads
to consideration of where the organization is and what outcomes are desired,
the planning and implementation of a change effort, and finally a review
of the outcome. The results of the review, combined with the impact of
other changes in the organization and external developments, will eventually
give rise to another cycle of change. In addition, it is likely that at
any given time there will be more than one change process going on in
an organization.
After a major change effort, everyone in the organization will probably
be hoping for a period of stability. But periods of ‘steady state’
are unlikely to last long. In the public sector, new initiatives show
no sign of slackening, and the pressure of competition is ever-present
for all organizations. For both the public and private sectors, developments
in IT are constantly suggesting new options for improvements in internal
administration and service delivery.
Everyone has lived through attempts to introduce changes into the organization,
some more successful than others. So, what distinguishes the successes
from the failures?
Corporate Preconditions:
• Business strategy defined
• Alignment to the business strategy
• Roles and responsibilities understood
• Skills and capabilities in place
• Organizational learning and communication
• A framework for managing risk
Critical Success Factors:
• Change definition
• Management commitment
• Organizational complexity recognized
• Change owner nominated
• The right project team
• Communication and involvement
• Staff development and support
• Institutionalization of change
Without these, a change effort is likely to fail. The responsibility to
effectively manage a project falls onto the project manager. Oftentimes
the project manager simply has to take it upon himself/herself to seek
out the knowledge needed to be successful. Hopefully, this document provides
the baseline of knowledge and helps trigger thoughts that will eventually
help you be successful.
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Jeff Crump is a tech-savvy leader with nearly 20 years of information
technology experience including enterprise change management, ChangeMan
consulting, project management, customer relationship management,
sales and business development, managing international professional
services groups, and delivery efforts for high-tech commercial and
government customers. Jeff is a Director of EnterpriseCM, Inc. (ECMI),
a collaboration of powerful technology, process improvement expertise,
and veteran change management professionals. ECMI brings together
Enterprise Change Management thought leadership and real-world implementation
experience to offer customers educated, informed and seasoned consultation
services. Jeff can be contacted Toll Free: +1.866.788.5383, Direct:
+1.931.788.5383, E-mail: JCrump@EnterpriseCM.com,
Web: www.EnterpriseCM.com.
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