Discover The Secret Of Project Success

The only way to deliver a successful project, time after time, is to apply the tried and tested disciplines of professional project management. Sound a bit elementary! No doubt it will be to some of you, but project management has for a long time been seen as the sole domain of engineers and information technology (IT) professionals. It is only relatively recently that this discipline has been applied across other industries and the results have been outstanding. Whilst project management is still significantly under-utilised, growth in this area will continue to be fuelled by the ever increasing focus on good governance and the growing recognition of its tremendous benefits.

Projects are unique, one-off, initiatives that are born out of the need to solve a problem or exploit an opportunity. They are, by their very definition, important initiatives that are often the subject of significant interest and high expectations from senior management, shareholders and stakeholders alike. So when it comes to delegating responsibility for making these important initiatives happen, why is it that they are so often handed over to staff with no real project management expertise?

The Winning Approach

Project Managers apply a range of skills and tools to ensure that projects deliver what they are supposed to, within an agreed time and budget. Although there are many variations on the approach that can be taken, generally speaking a project manager will address the following five steps to project success:

• Project Design – the project objectives, deliverables, key decision makers, stakeholders, risks, constraints, assumptions and high level costings are established. It is also important at this point to obtain a clear mandate for the project, before proceeding to the next phase.
  
  
• Project Planning – project governance is established, tasks are identified, sequenced, scheduled and resourced, detailed costing is undertaken and commitment is obtained to go ahead and implement the project.
  
  
• Implementation - project managers closely monitor actual progress against scheduled progress and manage any risks, issues or changes as necessary to keep the project on track.
  
  
• Wrap-up – this is where the project is finalised and responsibility for the new product or service is handed over to the new owners.
  
  
• Project Evaluation – this step is too often forgotten but it does provide an excellent opportunity to identify learnings and continually improve project delivery.

An Example

Let me explain further by way of an example. Let’s take for instance a project that has been initiated to solve a problem.

Without Proficient Project Manager	With Proficient Project Manager
Management assigns a senior staff member (SM) to fix the problem.	Management assigns a project manager (PM) to the new project.
SM is aware of the problem and starts designing a fix.	PM meets with key stakeholders to develop common agreement on problem definition and project design. A number of options may be considered at this stage.
SM reports back to management on the preferred fix and the associated costs. Management instruct SM to get on with the job.	Management meet to review the design documentation and endorse it subject to a number of changes. They also approve membership of a project control board (PCB) whose job it will be to provide clear direction and decision making for the project from this point forward.
SM snaps into action.	PM proceeds with project planning.
Six weeks later, management note that the problem is not yet fixed and asks SM to report on progress.	The PCB review the planning documentation and decide to assign additional resources to bring forward the scheduled date of completion. They also point out the critical stages for engaging key stakeholders.
SM relays that everything is proceeding as quickly as possible and it is just taking ‘time’. No one knows when the finish date will be. The actual costs are also quite vague, as time is money and no one knows how long it is going to take!	The PM advises the PCB of the cost and time implications associated with providing additional resources and stakeholder engagement. The PCB identify a way to scale back the cost of the engagement to minimise budget over runs.
It’s not ideal, but management just have to trust that SM has the job in hand. There is no baseline against which to assess the progress.	PM rallies his team and initiates progress according to the project plan. Each fortnight he reports back to the PCB on progress and it is clear where the project is at all times.
SM realises management are not happy and invests in more resources to pick up the pace.	On project completion, there is a high level of acceptance of the project outcomes and the project is seen as a resounding success.
More time passes and eventually SM reports to management that the job is done. Management give SM a big pat on the back and everyone is happy.
Then the problems emerge. Staff elsewhere in the organisation are up in arms that they weren’t consulted and now the so-called ‘fix’ has failed to address their issues. Management realise that the cost of the project was significantly more than the initial estimates. Overall the project is a significant embarrassment.

The Benefits

A good project manager will leave nothing to chance. They will ensure that everything possible has been done to ensure the project is a complete success.

Some of the benefits to be realised are:

• You Get What You Expect - common agreement is reached on project design and planning so there are no misunderstandings and no nasty surprises!
  
  
• You Get Maximum Bang For Your Buck - the project is done right the first time around.
  
  
• There are Clear Accountabilities - everyone knows what their responsibilities are and they are held accountable to them.
  
  
• You Understand the Commitment - time and resource requirements are determined from the outset so again there are no surprises.
  
  
• Problems are Identified As Early As Possible – progress, budget and risks are continually monitored so problems are identified early and managed to minimise any impact on the project.
  
  
• There is Ownership of Project Outcomes – key stakeholders are involved at all stages of the project and their needs and concerns are taken into account.
  
  
• Your Chances of Success are Optimised – everything possible has been done to ensure the project is a success. Nothing is left to chance.

Project management is a valuable discipline that facilitates project success. It has for too long been the sole domain of engineers and IT professionals. Slowly but surely, other industries are beginning to recognise the broad applications and significant benefits it has to offer. Project management has been tried and tested over many years and it is ripe and ready for the uptake. What do you have to loose?

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