Key Project Manager Practices

Managing a project can be daunting, but using the right techniques and tools will help the project manager achieve a project no matter how complex or large it might be.  There are seven practices that any project manager can put to good use to ensure the success of the project.

Define the objectives, scope and stakeholders
Firstly, understand the project objectives. Deciding the real objectives will help plan the project.  The client may have many ideas, but often it turns out that most of those ideas are not applicable to the current project.
Scope is the boundaries of the project.  Deciding what’s in or out of scope will determine the amount of work which needs performing.

Determine the stakeholders, what they expect to be delivered and enlist their support.  The stakeholders will review the objectives and scope, and either agree with them, or indicate what needs to be changed before they can give their approval.

Define the deliverables
Define what will be delivered by the project.  Decide what things, whether product or service, will be delivered.  Document them in enough detail to enable someone else to produce them correctly and effectively.
Key stakeholders must review the definition of deliverables and must agree they accurately reflect what must be delivered.

Project planning
Define what activities are required to produce the deliverables using techniques such as Work Breakdown Structures. Estimate the time and effort required for each activity, dependencies between activities and decide a realistic schedule to complete them. Involve the project team in estimating how long activities will take. Set milestones which indicate critical dates during the project. Write this into the project plan. Get the key stakeholders to review and agree to the plan.

Communication
Project plans are useless unless they’ve been communicated effectively to the project team. Every team member needs to know their responsibilities. I once worked on a project where the project manager sat in his office surrounded by huge paper schedules. The problem was, nobody on his team knew what the tasks and milestones were because he hadn’t shared the plan with them. The project hit all kinds of problems with people doing activities which they deemed important rather than doing the activities assigned by the project manager.

Tracking and reporting project progress
Once your project is underway you must monitor and compare the actual progress with the planned progress. You will need progress reports from project team members. You should record variations between the actual and planned cost, schedule and scope. You should report variations to your manager and key stakeholders and take corrective actions if variations get too large.

Change management
By managing changes, the project manager can make decisions about whether or not to incorporate the changes immediately or in the future, or to reject them. This increases the chances of project success because the project manager controls how the changes are incorporated, can allocate resources accordingly and can plan when and how the changes are made. Not managing changes effectively is often a reason why projects fail.

Risk management
Risks are events which can adversely affect the successful outcome of the project.  Risks will vary for each project but the main risks to a project must be identified as soon as possible. Plans must be made to avoid the risk, or, if the risk cannot be avoided, to mitigate the risk to lessen its impact if it occurs. This is known as risk management. Not managing risks effectively is a common reason why projects fail. Download these  Project Risk Management Templates to reduce risk on projects. View the sample risk management templates in PDF - Project Risk Management templates

The Risk Management Templates – Find and Control Risk

Define the risk management methodology to be used, the risk assumptions, the roles and responsibilities, the time frames, risk rating/scoring techniques, establish risk thresholds, define risk communications, and develop a risk tracking process.

1.Define the risk management methodology to be used:

The risk management process is scalable to ensure that the level, type, and visibility of risk management are commensurate with both the risk and the importance of the project.

a. Risk Identification: Risks will be identified by using the Risk Assessment Questionnaire Template, augmented to include other project specific risks, as appropriate.

b. Categorize Risks – The Risk Assessment Questionnaire Template groups the risks into categories.  The project will create additional categories, as required.

c. Risk Impact Assessment – For each risk identified, assess the risk event in terms of likelihood of occurrence and its effect on project objectives if the risk event occurs.  This information will be used to prioritize the risk using established threshold criteria.

d. Prioritize Risks – Risks that meet the threshold criteria will be recorded in the Risk Response Plan.

e. Risk Response Planning:

• For each risk in the Risk Response Plan, determine the options and actions to reduce the likelihood or consequences of impact to the project’s objectives.
• Determine the response based on a cost/benefit analysis (cost vs. expected effectiveness).
• Describe the actions to be taken to mitigate the risk
• Describe the actions to be taken when the risk event occurs (contingency plan)
• Assign responsibilities for each agreed upon response
• Assign a “due date” where risk responses are time sensitive
• Incorporate this information into the Risk Response Plan

f. Risk Response Tracking:

• Document the dates and the actions taken to mitigate the risk
• Document the actions taken when the risk event occurred (contingency plan)
• Document any subsequent actions taken
• Incorporate this information into the Risk Response Plan

g. Monitor Risk:

• Establish systematic reviews and schedule them in the project schedule.  These reviews are to ensure:
• All of the requirements of the Risk Management Plan are being implemented
• Assess currently defined risks
• Evaluate effectiveness of actions taken
• Status of actions to be taken
• Validate previous risk assessment (likelihood and impact)
• Validate previous assumptions
• State new assumptions
• Identify new risks
• Risk Response Tracking
• Communications

h. Control Risk:

• Validate mitigation strategies and alternatives
• Take corrective action when actual events occur
• Assess impact on the project of actions taken (money, time, resources)
• Identify new risks resulting from risk mitigation actions
• Ensure the Project Plan (including the Risk Management Plan) is maintained
• Ensure change control addresses risks associated with the proposed change
• Revise the Risk Assessment Questionnaire and other risk management documents to capture results of mitigation actions
• Revise Risk Response Plan
• Communications

2. Define assumptions that have a significant impact on project risk


3. Define the roles and responsibilities unique to the Risk Management function

• Risk Management Team-
• Risk Response Tracking Coordinator-

4. Define Risk Management Milestones

5. Define risk rating/scoring techniques: The project will rate each identified risk (High, Medium, Low) based on the likelihood that the risk event will occur and the effect on the project’s objectives if the risk event occurs.  This will be a subjective evaluation based on the experience of those assigned to the project’s risk management team.


6. Establish risk thresholds: The project will establish risk responses for risk events that have been determined to have a rating of “High”.

7. Define risk communications

8. Define risk tracking process


If you are interested in viewing Risk Management Templates, then check these out now...More 

Managing Project Management Template Risks

If all of our projects just smoothly followed our project schedule we’d have it made.

No issues, 

No budget overruns, 

No cranky customers, 

No scope changes.  

But that’s not the case... 

There are always going be some issues, the budget never manages itself, the customer always has a few demands, and scope is usually a challenge to manage and keep in check.

What I haven’t touched on yet is project risk.  What is risk in terms of project management templates?  One definition goes like this…

“A possible event that could endanger the planned course or goals of the project.”

Do we need to manage for these risks, these ‘possible’ events that may or may not happen?  Or can we just leave things to chance and worry about them if and when they happen?  You can, but the impact may be so great and blindside you so badly that the project can get knocked way off course or could come to a complete halt.

As part of a sound and solid project management process, it is far better to plan for risk and look for ways to avoid a specific risk even happening or ways to work through an risk event should it actually happen.  Basically, every company with a formalized project management methodology should have a risk management component.

Risk items are likely to come up on nearly every project you manage.  Training yourself to recognize potential risks as they arise is a critical piece of your overall project management process and something you and your project team need to work very hard with the customer to do well.

Sometimes you have to think out-of-the box – think in terms of what-if scenarios.  And as you identify potential risks associated with tasks and milestones in your project plan, document them and revisit them every week with your team and your customer.  Above all, be proactive.  Approaching risks in this manner will help you to better recognize the event should it occur and be much better prepared to deal with it.  And in the long run that means your project has a far greater chance for success.


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