WHAT TO MANAGE AS A PROJECT MANAGER

Project integration, stakeholders & initiation

Poor planning and inadequate requirements are a major source of project failure. A consensus among stakeholders should occur before the project gets started and not dynamically along the way. Otherwise frustrations for various project participants are bound to arise when they don’t get what they want. Initiation creates a project charter that minimally contains a description of the business need, the desired deliverables, and a formal approval to proceed by appropriate management.

Project Scope

Project Scope Management includes the processes required to ensure that the project includes all the work required, and only the work required, to complete the project successfully. It is primarily concerned with defining and controlling what is or is not included in the project. Developing a written scope statement as the basis for future project decisions.

Project Time A project is a sequence of unique, complex, and connected activities. Effective project time management ensures that everyone knows what they are doing and have a plan with regular milestones to focus on. The 80/20 rule should be applied throughout the process of project time management.

Project Cost Project cost management involves estimation, budgeting, and cost control so as to ensure that a project is completed within the approved budget. Actual historical data is normally used to accurately plan all aspects of the project.

Project Risk Project risk management involves identifying, analysing and responding to risk. The objective always being to maximise the results of positive risk whilst minimising the impact and consequences of negative events.

Project Quality Project quality management ensures that all stakeholder’s specifications, needs and expectations are met or exceeded throughout a project with a particular emphasis on the customer. It is more about preventing and avoiding than measuring and fixing poor quality outputs. Project quality management is based on continuous improvements to processes, including removing unnecessary activities.

Project Communications and Procurement Project Communications Management includes the processes required to ensure timely and appropriate generation, collection, dissemination, storage, and ultimate disposition of project information. It provides the critical links among people, ideas, and information that are necessary for success. Sending and receiving effective communication in-between all stakeholders throughout the project is of vital importance. The procurement process is designed to obtain a seller at most reasonable prices.

Talent in Projects Today’s project professionals need skills beyond the traditional technical project management skills aimed at bringing projects in on time, in scope, and on budget. Skills and competencies in leadership and strategic and business management are now required.

Project Delivery and Closure The closing stage of a project comprises all the final processes needed to close out a project and deliver final products and reports to the stakeholders.