Project Management

The Four Phases of Project Management Planning Build-up Implementation Closeout

Planning

Determine the real problem you are trying to solve. Before you consider anything else with your project, you’ll need to determine exactly what the project is trying to accomplish. Don’t just look at what it is you are making, look at why you’re making it. Identify all the variables that your project will be addressing so that you can take them into account when budgeting your time.

Identify the stakeholders and determine how the project will affect them Stakeholders are anyone that might be affected by your project’s activities or outcomes, whether they are directly contributing resources to its development (People, space, time, money, and tools) or if they are the intended beneficiaries of your project. You will need to consult with them and find out what their expectations are for the project. Make sure that you make clear what your objectives are before the project start. Most of project management is making sure that everyone is communicating with each other and has a full understanding of what is expected of them.

Define the objectives Translate your stakeholders expectations into clear objectives for your project. Create goals that will allow you to track the progress of your project. Keep in mind that the objectives of your project may change in the course of its lifetime so the more information you gather now, the easier it will be to adapt to new scenarios and problems.

Determine the scope and resources available to you Make a list of all of the resources that you have at your disposal for the project: People, space, time, money, and tools. Determine what you can reasonably accomplish with these resources.

Determine what is most important to your project’s success Find out the minimum viable product you can come out of this project with to still be successful. Remember that Quality = Time + Cost, you will have to balance the level of quality that your stakeholders require with the resources you have at your disposal.

Identify your major tasks Create a Work Breakdown Structure. Basically you ask yourself, “What will have to be done in order to accomplish X”. Keep asking yourself this question until the answer cannot be subdivided any further. You now have a list of tasks that need to be completed allowing you to estimate the resources needed for the project. Compare that with your scope and make sure that you will be able to proceed with the project.

Build-up

Assemble Your Team Bring in the people that have the skillsets required to complete the tasks you have. If you cannot, you will have to budget time for the training required for someone to learn those skills.

Plan Assignments Designate the tasks you’ve outlined to the members of your team according to their skillsets. Make sure that everyone understands exactly what is expected of them for each of their tasks.

Create a Schedule Work backwards from any deadlines that are outside of your control and create a schedule that allows you to meet them with enough room for error to address any problems that will arise.

Present the schedule to the whole team Present your proposed schedule to your team and discuss it with them. Make sure that they understand how their deadlines affect the rest of the team. Encourage people to point out any problems or improvements that can be made and adjust accordingly. The more honest everyone is during this process, the less conflict will arise when problems occur.

Determine your budget Break your project down into any relevant spending categories that may come up: personnel, travel, training, supplies, space, research, capital expenditures, and overhead. Review your budget with someone you trust to reveal any errors you may have made. Expect your actual costs to deviate from your estimates so remember to stay well within your limitations for all three categories: time, quality, and money.

Implementation

Monitor the process and progress of the project Find a system of monitoring your team’s progress that is appropriate for the size of project you are dealing with. Make sure that you are balancing the gathering of as much information as possible with the need for letting people do the jobs you have asked of them. Address any problems as early as you can. Make sure your team understands the importance of keeping you appraised any information that affects the project so that you can filter it to those that need it as soon as possible. Look at the real data that comes in with regards to your project and ensure that its within the budget. If it isn’t, find out why and fix the problem if possible, or if not, plan for how the increased costs are going to affect you down the road.

Hold regular meetings Meet with your team regularly to focus them on what is critical to the project’s success. Go into these meetings with a clear agenda. Look at what targets you have missed, met, or exceeded and discuss the ramifications of them with your team.

Manage your team One of your primary jobs is to care for the wellbeing of your team. Look for signs of stress, irritability, loss of enthusiasm, etc. and get the heart of the problem as soon as possible. Don’t allow the project to destroy a person, or a person to destroy a project.

Closeout

Evaluate the project performance Compare the actual progress of your project with the goals and scope you initially put in place. Discuss your findings with the team and stakeholders and determine how “finished” your project is.

Debrief the team Run a post evaluation with your team to find what lessons have been learned that can be applied to future projects. Be open and honest with each other, this is a time for learning, not blame.

Celebrate! Your project is done! Recognize the effort and accomplishments of the team and allow them to relish in what little stress free time they may have before the next one.