Topic Teasers Vol. 23: Lighter Project Docs

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  Estimating   Work Breakdown Structures (WBS)  

I have a short project coming up that seems too simple to need to go through all the usual processes. Is there a quick way to ensure that the project plans are baselined and tracked in my automated software? My boss will still want effort, schedule and cost captured and reported and the usual PMI processes honored?

A. Collect cost receipts in a manila folder and ask team members to write down the time they spend on each task. You can figure out a report at the end.

B.  Go through all of the steps, including your automated software files, just as you usually do. Short projects should be planned, documented and archived exactly as longer ones.

C. Use a quick plan with lighter documentation, but involve your team in close communication on a daily basis.

D. Pull a similar electronic project file from your archives and change its name to the name of this project. Submit this disguised project at the end.

Answer: C. Use a quick plan with lighter documentation, but involve your team in close communication on a daily basis.

Along with their large projects, project managers are often asked to do short, internal projects that are unique and unlikely to be repeated. This is true regardless of the department they are in or the type of projects they helm. If the project will take three weeks and will use four people who sit next to your full-time …

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