The Occasional PM: A Framework

  Work Breakdown Structures (WBS)   ProjectsAtWork  

In this installment, we introduce an adaptable framework for Occasional PMs to use as a recipe or a starting point for managing their projects, regardless of classification or type. This framework allows the OPMs to control the project management process rather than having the process control them.

This is the fourth in a series of six articles devoted to the Occasional Project Manager (OPM).

At the highest level of abstraction (Ideation, Set-up and Execution), the OPM Project Management Framework adapts across the three types of OPM projects defined earlier in this seres and shown below. Each of these project types can occur across all four quadrants of the OPM project landscape defined in Part 2 of this series. That means the range of OPM project types is broad and deep. They can be simple or complex, and each requires a different project management approach to be effective. The OPM Project Management Framework must be inclusive of these approaches and offer models consistent with the expectations of the OPM described in Part 1 of this series.

One of the first things to note is the similarities and differences across the three project types. The Project Ideation Phase is different for each project type yet there are some steps in the Ideation Phase that work for each type of project. The deliverables from the Ideation Phase are the same for each …

Please log in or sign up below to read the rest of the article.