Brushing Up On The Basics
From the The Money Files Blog
by Elizabeth Harrin
A blog that looks at all aspects of project and program finances from budgets, estimating and accounting to getting a pay rise and managing contracts.
Written by Elizabeth Harrin from RebelsGuideToPM.com.
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I’ve spent a lot of time going through the PwC Global PPM Survey recently and there are lots of things in there that project managers can take away. The most important message – and this won’t come as a surprise – is that “the PM community needs to brush up on the basics.”
They give some statistics to support that:
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Almost 40% of project managers do not believe there is clear accountability within a programme to make decisions and enable delivery.
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Almost a third of project managers do not have schedules that align both programmes and projects i.e. the programme level schedule does not integrate with the project schedules.
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Risk and issue management is not being carried out effectively. Only 77% of issues are managed “in a timely manner” and only 72% of project managers report that risk management is carried out through the life of the programme.
That last statistic troubles me, because risk management is not a one-off activity. You can’t set up a risk log (on my other blog I have a free risk register template) and expect it to manage itself or expect the project’s environment to remain static to the point that no other risks manifest themselves during the life cycle. Risk management has to be a regular, ongoing activity.
Getting the project management basics right
The survey says:
“PMs can improve their performance in getting the basics right and help Executive Teams deliver programmes of change. Many of the improvements that can be made are basic PPM processes and should be part and parcel of every programme but are frequently not done well or are not done consistently.”
This is what I consider the basics.
First, set your objectives. Have a clear goal and a line of sight to that goal. Everything is easier when you have total clarity about what you are trying to achieve because every decision you make supports the journey to get there. (It also makes it easier to do point 3 below.)
Second, regularly measure progress. Apparently this is not always done in all programmes, although why you would invest in a programme of work and then not bother to check anyone is actually working on it is beyond me.
Third, have a process to manage changes. According to PwC’s maturity assessments, almost half of programmes don’t have established processes for managing change.
Fourth, build in time to reflect. You can’t do a good job when you and the team are stressed and under pressure. You need a moment to catch your breath, consider alternative solutions, work out what’s round the corner (be it positive or negative) and review lessons learned so you don’t make the same mistakes over and over again.
Fifth, manage your risks. Risks that aren’t managed cost you money. Risks that aren’t exploited miss you opportunities. Everyone needs a Plan B because you can never be too prepared, especially when you have a lot of time and money tied up in delivering transformational change.
All of these are basics, but they don’t need to be unwieldy or fully documented to be done well. The most important thing is talking about them. As the survey authors write:
“Whilst reviewing a risk register or ensuring a benefits tracker is up to date need to happen, what is most important is that the conversation around a particular risk is had with the right people to drive mitigating action.”
What other project management practices do you consider to be ‘the basics?’ Let me know in the comments below.
Posted on: June 24, 2015 03:54 AM |
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Comments (8)
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Rashmi Mohan
Dar Es Salam, Dar Es Salam, Tanzania, United Republic Of
Efficient and timely reporting is also important to maintain the Stakeholder buy in.
Lots and lots of communication with stakeholders, sponsors, and other customers.
I would also separate scope from objectives. Controlling scope creep is very basic and fits in nicely with the point about change management.
Great article!
Thilo Wack
Head of Existing Product and Test Lab| optimed
Tholey-Hasborn, Germany
For me the most basic issue is people. If you do not have the right people or do not know how to lead the team, the other basics won''t save you. But if you have a great team you may even succeed without the basics...
Cheryl Texeira
Founder| Ghost Light Enterprises, Inc.
Carson City, Nv, United States
Basics to me... review the mission and vision of your PMO. Assess whether what you are currently doing supports the mission and vision. If you don't have a mission and vision statement for your PMO, its time to write one.
Thanks for all the comments. These are great suggestions, generally with a common theme that stakeholder engagement is one of the basics that underpins project success. My thoughts exactly!
Salam Kalandos
Chief, Healthcare Technology Management - Clinical Engineering | US Department of Veterans Affairs
Chandler, Az, United States
Thank you Liz, Enjoyed the article.
Kevin Coleman
Subject Matter Expert, Author, Speaker and Strategic Advisor| - Insights
Pa, United States
All too often we forget the basics!
Suresh MK
Consultant - Transformation| Freelancing
Bangalore, Karnataka, India
One of the ways I was party to manage Risks and Issues was to have weekly cadence and assign accountability and tracking those.
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