Just a quick one today, with some more information on the importance of your project’s business case.  As you will recall from Building the Case, the business case should explain why you are doing the project.  This is vital moving forward, and needs to be revisited often throughout the life of the project.

PMHut has an article called Writing an Unbeatable Business Case which gives the PRINCE2 thinking behind it, which I personally find very useful.

Don’t forget you can also download my Business Case template (PDF) to get you started.

We now have a project management team and structure in place.  We’re agreed we want to move ahead with the project idea.  We need to put in place what we need to actually carry out the project.  In the previous post in the project management guide, we realised we needed to make sure we planned the project well – and the best way to do that was to plan that planning process.  Today I want to expand on the kind of things we need to make sure we do in the project planning – in other words, what we need to put into the plan for the plan, what we need to have in place so we have the best chance of beginning a successful project.

What do we want?

Earlier, we have created a business case for the project.  This is what we had our project executive agree to, and is the reason for doing the project.  When we move on to the planning of the project, we will start to have a better idea of how much this is likely to cost – which means we must revisit the business case.  In addition, we will also start to get a better idea of what we need to do to achieve the project goals, and we need to expand the business case to include this information.

Here is a Business Case template (PDF), which shows you what you need to start thinking about at this time.  The first four sections of this can be filled in now, at least in some way.  The second four sections we can start to populate once we move into project planning – and that means we need to plan to do this in the next phase of the project.

In that next phase, we also need to come to an agreement on the quality we want the end product to have.  Partly this comes down to a trade-off between time, money, and quality.  However, we also need to look at what is expected at the end.  For example, in a software project, we may only be looking for a proof of concept, or a prototype system, as opposed to a completed package which is ready to be sold as commercial software.  We need to get clear agreement on this at the beginning.  We also need to put down some ground rules on how the quality will be assessed, and by whom.

Finally, we’ll also need to come to an agreement on various project management ‘house-keeping’ issues.  Who needs to know project progress information?  How often?  What level of detail?  What form should this take (e.g. meetings, formal documents, emails, phonecalls, etc.)?  Who will make the decisions about the project?  This isn’t the day to day matters, but the bigger decisions about quality, budget, acceptance of products, and so on.  We have a project executive, but who will also be involved?

All of these issues will need to be considered and decided on in the next phase.  And on top of that, of course, we will need to start to plan the actual project work!  Make sure you realise what an important phase the next one is.  It is the foundation on which the rest of the project rests.  If you get it right, and put in place a clear plan, achievable and desireable objectives, with a strong project management structure and team around them, you will be well on the way to delivering a successful project.

I hope this second ‘Planning the Planning’ post in this project management guide has been useful to you.  What else would you include in the project planning phase?  What tips and techniques have you found useful?  Post below!

Oh, and Happy New Year!

(Image courtesy of perhapstoopink. Some rights reserved.)

On the last Project Management Guide, we looked at building the business case. Now we have a clear idea of what the project is for, and what it should achieve, we need to look at what we need to get a clearer idea of how to go about delivering it, and how long this may take.

This is not the same as planning the project itself. What we are doing here is having a look at what kind of resource we need to set aside to do that planning. Now, in a relatively small project, this should not take very long at all, and any reporting to the project management team we have created can be informal. However, for some projects, even the work of planning the project is a significant exercise.

For example, imagine a project to design and produce a prototype of a new aircraft. There are a huge number of factors to take into account, and the planning for that project could be considered to be a project in its own right. In that case, it is only sensible that you consider the resources you will need to get it done.

Once you have produced this plan, it is back to the project management team you have put together, especially the executive, to get their approval to move forward. This takes us beyond starting up the project management process, and into building the framework for the project work.

You may ask why we have spent so long in making sure we have a project management structure in place. In practice, this stage can often be very short, but you really shouldn’t be tempted to skip it. The right project management team, and particularly the right executive, can mean the difference between success and failure. Showing the right discipline now in the processes used gets everyone into the right mindset for the project as a whole. And making sure the business case is known and agreed makes sure you know what a successful projct will look like, and what you need to check throughout the project to make sure you are staying relevant to the project and the business needs.

In our last installment of the project management guide, Laying the Foundations, we looked at putting together the project management team. The most important task for this group now is to expand on the project mandate or idea that has started this whole process. They need to make the business case for the project.

So what is the business case? It explains the purpose of the project, the aim that it has, and importantly, why the project is a good thing for the organisation to do. Let’s look at an example.

Wally’s Widgets is a firm on the up. It is currently based in a single floor office above a store in a suburb. However, things are getting a bit cramped. The firm has recently taken on a few new staff, and it’s getting hard to fit everyone in. In addition, their landlord has recently put up the rent for the space. So Wally’s Widgets has decided to move to a better location.

The project management team have come together to write the business case for the relocation project. Now, some of this is simple to write. What the business wants to get out of this project is obvious – more space, and hopefully paying less rent. But we need to drill down to show why the business wants these things. Firstly, the business wants more space to provide a better working environment for staff, and to provide the possibility of future expansion. Secondly, the business wants to reduce rent as this has a direct impact on the bottom line!

It is important to realise that these reasons need to be put down, because the business case should be revisited often throughout the project. This is because it is important to continue to check that the project is still relevant. For example, Wally’s Widgets could hit a bad patch, and have to lay off some staff. Then the need for extra space is lost.

The need for a strong business case for a project is particularly acute in times of economic stress. As you can see in “Recession may put short-term IT projects on hold” and “Surviving IT Project Management Complexity”, the business case becomes vital for deciding which projects survive, and which projects can be cut. You must always make sure your business case is as strong as possible – and, if the situation changes around you, examine it with an open mind to see if the project should be stopped.

(Image courtesy of Jacob Bøtter. Some rights reserved.)

Right, we now have our project’s reason for being, its purpose in life.  We’re all ready to rush off and jump right into doing some nice, meaty work, really getting our hands dirty to move the project along.

Of course, if you do this, you’re going to waste time, money, and risk having the project fail.

Now we have the project idea, it is time to do some homework to make sure we put the project on the best footing we can, to give it as much chance of success as possible.  And because all projects are going to be done within an organisation, the first thing we need to do is make sure that our project has the right person at the top.  This person needs to be of enough stature within the organisation to make sure the project can get what it needs to get to success.  This role is known by a variety of names, such as Project Sponsor, Executive Sponsor, Project Champion, or simply Executive.

We also need to find some people to support the Executive.  While the Executive holds a position of authority in the project, they will also need help in examining the project’s progress.  To this end, there are a couple of useful roles.  Firstly, there needs to be someone who represents those delivering the project, the people doing the building, coding, writing, etc.  Secondly, there needs to be someone who represents the end users of the project, the customers, be they internal or external.

We’ll come back to all of these roles in a later post, but hopefully you’ll already be able to see why we need them, and how they fit together.

You may also want to pencil in some names to be part of your project team, but you may have to wait until you are further down the track to do this.

Oh, and naturally, there also needs to be a project manager!

All these people need to get together to help expand on the original idea that was passed to them.  This is the first chance they get to really dig down into the idea, and see how good an idea it really is.  This is the point when the business reason for doing the project needs to be clearly and explicitly set out – this will help us to nail down what we expect the outputs of the project to be, what quality these need to have, and why these outputs are a good idea.  Essentially, we want to get down:

• a business case for doing the project
• what we want the project to produce
• what quality these products need to have

In essence, we want to know why we’re doing the project, and how we’ll know when we’ve finished!  Getting this information down enables your Executive to make the decision as to whether it is a good idea to go ahead with the project or not.  Only once this information is available to them, and they have agreed to it, can we get cracking on getting the project under way.

I hope you’ve found this post in our project management guide useful – next time, we start to get our hands dirty!

(Image courtesy of The Lebers.  Some rights reserved.)

OK, so we now know what a project is, and what project management is.  Now it is time to get to grips with an actual project.  It would be good to start from the very beginning.  Unfortunately, you actually have to start before that.

What is the start of a project?  Most people would say the start of the project is when you have your team in place, a plan ready, and start working to achieve the success criteria.  However, there are some very important things that need to happen before you get to this stage, before you actually start the project.

To me, the work begins with that initial twinkling in the eye, the first gem of an idea that kicks something off in somebody’s mind.  But, of course, you can’t be the project manager of this – the idea of what to do is, not surprisingly a pre-requisite for getting a project manager in!

So, what will happen here?  Well, let’s think about what we would want in an ideal world.  In this fantasy land, someone in the organisation, Bob, has an idea, an inkling that something could be done to help the organisation meet its goals.  He immediately scribbles this down on the back of a napkin (did I mention he was at a coffee shop?) and hurries back to the office.

Back at the office, Bob speaks to his boss, Alice.  Alice likes the idea too, and thinks it could help the organisation if this were done.  So she goes to speak to the head of the project management office, Carl.  Carl, worried by the creeping alphabetisation, asks Susan, a project manager, to help Bob and Alice to see if the idea is really a good one for a project.

The important thing that has happened here is the engagement of Susan into the progress.  The idea, the kernel of a project, that has been passed to her is the reason for the project.  In PRINCE2, it is called the Project Mandate – it is this that triggers the next step, that of starting up the project.  We’ll talk about that in the next post of this project management guide.

(Image courtesy of Sol Young.  Some rights reserved.)

Surprisingly, this is a question which isn’t asked enough by aspiring project managers. Everyone thinks they know the answer, but do they really? Let’s look at a few examples:

1. You have just started a new management job. Your company produces a speciality good, and you have to oversee the manufacturing process, and make sure as many are produced as possible.
2. You have just joined a new company. Your first assignment is to ensure every desk in the office gets a new computer on it within 12 months.
3. Your next assignment is to deliver the roll-out of a new communications infrastructure, and maintain it afterwards.

Before we decide, we’ll have a look at a few definitions that are out there. The Project Management Institute says in their guide A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge “a project consists of a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product, service or result.” The definition used in PRINCE2 (a popular project management methodology in the UK and Europe) says a project “is a management environment that is created for the purpose of delivering one or more business products according to a specified business case.”

In plain English, a project starts to achieve an aim, and finishes when that aim is achieved. The aim can be creating a new product, delivering a particular item, or even just achieving a particular goal. The important thing to remember is that projects are temporary. They do not consist of the same task done ad infinitum.

Given these definitions, we can now decide which of the examples given above are actually projects.

Number 1 is not a project. You will be managing a process that already exists. However, if, for example, you were tasked with coming up with a way to make the process 25% more efficient, doing that task would be a project.

Number 2 is a project. You can see it has a clear aim – to put a new computer on every desk. In addition, it has a constraint, because it all has to be done within 12 months. We’ll come back to constraints in a later project management guide.

Number 3 is a project – at first. Rolling out the new comms infrastructure is a project, with the aim of delivering that infrastructure. Maintaining the infrastructure afterwards is not a project. However, you may want to write the procedures and protocols for maintaining the infrastructure in the delivery project, as an additional product.

The third case is a classic example of how project management can come into many jobs. It is easy to imagine, for example, an IT manager having to project manage the roll-out of the infrastructure, in addition to the day job of maintaining it at the end. If you are in this sort of situation, it is important to realise you need to clearly define what is part of your project, and what isn’t – otherwise your precious project resource may start to get pulled onto day to day tasks, instead of being focussed on delivery.

Remember that projects are temporary, with defined goals. I hope you’ve found this project management guide useful!

If you are a project manager, you will know that project management is important. But you will also know that it is too often misunderstood. Here at Project Management Guide website, we try to spread the message about what project management is, why it is important, and how to do it well.

Project management is the science and art of achieving success in your projects. It’s a science because it is possible to set down techniques and methodologies to follow, and an art because you need to have the ability to see which of these to us, and where and when to apply them.

Project management is important because it allows us to tackle projects in a clear, repeatable, and successful manner.  If we approached every project we face with no clear idea of the techniques to use, we’d end up trying to muddle through every time, making the same mistakes over and over again.  This is all avoidable with the proper project management techniques, experience, and knowledge.  This means we have more successful projects, achieved in a shorter time, and at a lower cost.

So what do you need to do in project management?

1. Understand what success is for your project
2. Plan how to get there
3. Find and allocate the resources needed
4. Monitor progress
5. Identify the project risks, and how to avoid them, or how to mitigate the effects if they occur
6. Solve the problems that occur along the way
7. Hand over a successful product at the end
8. Review the project at the end, and learn lessons for next time (for yourself and your organisation)

Notice, though, that none of these imply a particular methodology, a particular set of tools. The right tools to use depend on what job you are trying to do! It would be ludicrous to try and use the same tools for a $500 project that you do for $5,000,000 project! One of the most important things in project management is to know when to use the techniques and methodologies you have at your disposal, to know which of them are right for that particular project.

This project management guide will help you learn the tools, tips and techniques you need to achieve success!

Do you need to know more about project management – fast?
Do you want to know how to make your projects successful?
Do you need help with a project that is in trouble?
Do you want to find out how to reduce the cost of your projects, while getting better results?

We all carry out projects in our lives, whether at work or at home.  From the executive carrying out a massive restructuring of her business, to the secretary planning a business meeting, we all come up against similar challenges.  Knowing how to handle those challenges means the difference between success and failure.

The problem is, sometimes the way we should move forward isn’t clear.  While you could always buy a project management guide, you need to know enough to find the right one for you and your project.  What we need is somewhere we can go to get advice.  Somewhere we can find the information we need.  Somewhere we can learn the techniques to get to success.

This is where ProjectManagementGuide.org comes in.  This resource is written by a successful project manager.  Over the years I have managed projects with budgets ranging from millions of dollars, to just a few hundred. Working with government bodies, major companies, and small businesses, I have created communication infrastructures, set up organisations, started businesses and delivered marketing campaigns – all by following the simple principles set out in this guide.

So keep reading, and you too will learn how to use your knowledge, expertise and experience to tailor your approach to be the perfect fit for your project, and to achieve success.

With this project management guide, you will learn:

• to begin a project – defining what you want to achieve
• to plan how to get to where you want to be
• to recognise when problems are coming – and how to deal with them
• to deal with risks by spotting them early, and taking the right action then – not when it is too late
• to review your project regularly – recognise where you are, what you have achieved, and what there is to do

Taken together, this project management guide will have you delivering on time, on budget, high quality projects, enabling you to save money, time and effort, all to the benefit of your company, and your career.  Let ProjectManagementGuide.org be your guide to project management.