Agile: What’s in It for the Project Manager? (Part 2)

by George Dinwiddie May 9, 2013

Making a transition from what you’re currently doing to an effective agile process is a project in itself--but it can easily be worth it. Let’s look at what we can gain by adjusting our approach--our concluding installment looks at interpreting requirements and tracking progress, and offers some further caution and advice.

Phased-Based Governance

by Rob Saxon April 29, 2013

Governance happens in projects all the time, and a well thought-out governance process can be a powerful project tool. In this article, we will examine why governance is necessary, where governance is most effective and how we as project and program managers can use governance to powerful effect.

You Wanna Be Starting Something?

by Mike Donoghue April 22, 2013

Determining the nature and scope of a project is essential to refining how the resulting effort will accomplish business needs. A crucial component of this is having the knowledge of the business environment and the demands it must meet.

Pardon from the Governor

by Mike Donoghue April 15, 2013

It doesn’t seem to matter what methodologies are used--success is not a guarantee. While eyes always turn to the PM for blame, isn’t it time we examined why another significant party should also be sharing that burden?

The Show Must Go On

by Kenneth Darter, PMP April 3, 2013

Managing issues on a project takes strategic planning and a little finesse so that issues do not turn into show stoppers. Do you have an issue management plan that can handle any problems and still keep the project on track?

Can the PMO Create a Phoenix?

by Andy Jordan April 1, 2013

An application has been bolted together piece by piece, and it’s threatening to break any day. It’s now been handed to the PMO with the mandate to try and modernize it--and make it a tool for today that can truly act as a hub for other tools without alienating the current user base. So what does the PMO do? Read about a voyage into (potential) salvation.

Stamping Out Requirements Dysfunction

by Michelle Stronach March 25, 2013

All project failures are related to miscommunication of requirements. And it's the requirements that define the purpose, function and value--the business requirements--that are the biggest culprit as they are especially hard to define.

Matching Scope and Benefits

by Andy Jordan February 11, 2013

You won’t get the right benefits unless you start with the right scope. As project managers are increasingly asked to become involved in the business side of project execution, many elements they previously didn't have to worry about are now becoming relevant.

Autonomy and Empowerment from an Unlikely Source

by Mike Griffiths December 17, 2012

Teams work best when they are empowered to self-direct and given freedom to self-organize. Yet striking the balance between providing this autonomy with responsible project oversight can be tricky. We want to create empowered teams, but we also need to know if the project is going awry and when to intervene. A great source for creating empowered team environments can be found in the prescriptive process of PRINCE2.

WBS Analysis

by Kenneth Darter, PMP November 7, 2012

Creating a work breakdown structure for the project and refining it until it can be used as the pattern for the project plan may seem like overkill for some projects, but the WBS can help create a schedule that fully supports the work of the project.

All About Project Scope

PREMIUM presentation

Simply put, scope is the size of the project. But there’s more to it than that!

Requirements Completeness Evaluation Checklist

PREMIUM checklist

This checklist will assist you in minimizing scope creep, schedule extensions and project failure by evaluating whether the initial requirements are complete. This 5 page series of requirements attributes, quality checks, and examples provide a thorough review of what you plan to do.

Change Request Form

deliverable

The change request form should be used to formally initiate a request for change to a project. Types of change requests you can initiate by using this form include changes to scope, timeframes, deliverables, resources, milestones and expenditures.

Project Change Request Form

PREMIUM deliverable

Change is bound to happen. Make sure that you handle it correctly by following the proper procedures. This form will help you cover all your bases so change doesn't have to mean big surprises or project disasters.

Change Request

deliverable

This simple change request form will keep you mindful of what the proposed change is and the impact it will have.

Change Management Standards

deliverable

How do changes get recorded, analyzed and approved on your project? This document contains guidelines for these procedures and more.

Components of a Statement of Work (SOW)

presentation

The statement of work (SOW) encompasses the goals, scope, deliverables, cost and schedule estimates, stakeholder roles, chain of command and communication guidelines for a project. Learn how to put a quality SOW together by studying its components.

Assessment of Business Change Requirements

deliverable

Assess the scope, impact ranking and criticality of each business change required to implement a particular application package.

Quality Management Systems Procedures Testing

PREMIUM deliverable

This procedure describes the process of testing software code or products by the test team. It documents the procedure for the entire testing cycle: generating test plans, scheduling tests, conducting tests and reporting test results. This procedure applies to new development, as well as major and minor releases, including customized solutions delivered to customers.

Planning and Defining Scope

presentation

This Powerpoint presentation is a high-level view of the basics of planning and defining scope.

PM Project Change Request Form

deliverable

Use this form to capture the what, how and why of your proposed project change and to get sign-off from the brass.

Early Justification Service Level Agreement Planner

deliverable

This tool is designed to create service level agreement information for a justification or similar document. It is most useful for IT organizations that are too small to have a Project Management Office, but can use better control over linking project service level agreements with business objectives.

Project Notification Sheet

deliverable

Are you intending to develop a project? You need a project notification sheet.

Business Scope

PREMIUM deliverable

This document outlines the Business Scope, which is a description of the area of the business to be supported by the application package, including the specific business activities to be supported, the business objects to be managed and the organizations and sites to be supported.

Project Status Report Definition

deliverable

Who's on first? What's on second? Don't know who's on third? When it comes to your project, you need to have this information at your fingertips. Use our definition of a project status report to make sure your team members provide the right information to the project manager.