Project Initiation
Possibly one of the most important phases of the project, this stage captures:
This article explores the importance of project management and why it might mean the difference between success and failure.
Project management is the application of the skills, resources, techniques and knowledge into a project that is designed to exceed the needs and expectations of the stakeholders. In order to achieve this success, the project practitioner needs to balance the competing demands of stakeholder needs and expectations which include:
Continue reading “Project management – why do we need it?”There are three unique characteristics that projects have. They are disruptive, temporary and unique.
Organisations perform work and this comprises operations or projects and sometimes both will overlap. Operations and projects share many similar characteristics which include:
Continue reading “Project Management Basics Part 2 – Project Characteristics”This is the start of a series of posts that will give us a foundation on projects and where they sit in our society.
History of Projects
History has shown us that projects have been with us for centuries. Examples of famous projects include:
Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg when considering projects through history.
Continue reading “Project Management Basics Part 1- What is a Project?”The projects that are required to host a tournament like the World Cup are huge in scale. Qatar have been at the forefront of technology and sustainable principles in order to be ready for the influx of Football fans.
When it comes to projects there is nothing quite like the scale of International events such as the World Cup. The upcoming World Cup tournament in late 2022 is no different and Qatar have developed 8 incredible stadiums with cutting edge technology, amazing design and world leading sustainable principles.
In this blog I look at 10 key elements that every Project Manager should be aware of. Irrespective of size or complexity.
The following ten elements should be considered by a project manager irrespective of the size of the project. It is the level of detail that goes into each element that will correlate with the size and complexity of the project.
Element 1 – Planning and Scoping
A key component of any project is the completion of a project scope. Having a clear project scope assists with the effective management and expectations of stakeholders. It ensures that the deliverables are aligned with the project objectives and improves the chances of project success.
Included in the project scope statement should be detail on the project outcomes, customers, outputs, work and resources.
What is planning and scoping?
Scoping establishes the boundaries of a project and is suggested for all projects within an organisation. The scope of a project represents the deliverables that are required in order for the project to be completed. It establishes what can be done within the constraints of the project, specifically its time and cost.
A project will usually change through its life cycle. It is with the benefit of planning that the amount of change and therefore its risk can be reduced. Project risk can never be removed completely however with through planning it can be reduced significantly.
Continue reading “Planning and Scoping Your Projects”There are several options available when an organisation identifies a strategic objective that needs to be addressed.
To refine these options down and present management with that one recommended project several business cases are required.
In order for a business case to be effective, clearly defined project benefits are essential.
Project Benefits are the expected value that the project will bring once delivered. They should include:
Continue reading “The Importance of a Project Business Case”In 2001 a group of seventeen software developers came together to publish the agile manifesto. This presented a range of values to uncover ways to improve software development. The values were:
The manifesto also incorporated twelve principles that were very focused on the timely efficient and adaptability of software development.
It is interesting to note that Scrum, Kanban, Extreme Programming and Dynamic Systems Development Method were all documented before the manifesto was formed. However, all of these methodologies are now known as agile software development methods.
Have you ever thought a project was a good idea and then you went straight into planning it? Or there was talk with your colleagues that a certain project would work and then somebody in a burst of enthusiasm begins setting out a set of tasks to see the project through?
This is a common situation. But is there a better way to think about projects in your organisation?
From all the different project options available to us we need to find a process that applies some rigour in order to find the best project option available to us.
Continue reading “Choosing the Right Project”
