Project Management

Home / Blogs / The Money Files /

The Money Files

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.

About this Blog

RSS

Date

newer posts

older posts

Are your projects creating technical debt?

Categories: software

I thought I had written about this before, but I couldn’t find anything, so I figured I would tackle the topic – technical debt.

We talk about debt on projects often in terms of how the project is being funded, but technical debt is different. It’s when you introduce a technical problem that will need to be resolved at some point in the future – debt that some other project or team is going to have to deal with (or maybe Phase 2 of your project). It’s where you make a short-term choice because it helps you in the moment, but it’s not the right strategic or longer term choice.

These are some ways that you could be creating technical debt.

Introducing manual processing

If your system expects users to do manual processing of data, such as receiving in paper forms when previously the submissions were digital, that’s technical debt. Especially with the march of AI, we are going to want to eliminate manual work, whether that’s reporting or data entry. And giving users processes and systems that are worse than what they previously had is never a good idea.

Duplicating records

If your project duplicates data that is already in another system, that’s technical debt. You could/should be identifying which system holds the main record and linking back to that with system interfaces.
Double keying for data entry is a similar thing – if you are expecting users to type the same information into two or more systems, that’s increasing the likelihood of user error. Eventually the smart product owner is going to want to automate the process or build an interface to pull the data.

Increasing support tickets

If your project has some kind of feature that you know has the potential to increase support tickets, that’s likely a sign that something will have to be fixed at a point in the future. For example, introducing an error message that people will call up about because it isn’t clear or because they can’t resolve it themselves. Or not being able to reset their own password and needing someone from tech support to do it for them.

Parallel processing – 2 systems doing the same or similar things

This is a bit like duplicating records, but it’s more about what the systems actually do. For example, if you have two systems that process invoices, at some point in the future it would be smart to standardise the company on to one invoice handling system. Because otherwise you are paying for maintenance and user licences for two systems, including resourcing that work and having system administrators for each. That’s just not efficient, so think about whether your project introduces something similar to what you already have in place.

Inefficient interfaces or integrations

Are you building system interfaces or integrating apps? Make sure you’re doing it in the most efficient way, or you’ll be back in a few months trying to unpick bad coding and streamlining it.
Or more often than not, you won’t be back to fix that and your colleagues will live with the project’s bad choices for years. Sorting out a messy interface is never going to be top of the list for a strategic CIO, unfortunately.

Building on old versions that need (or will need) an upgrade

If your project relies on old tech, platforms that will be decommissioned or are slated for an upgrade, the chances are that someone will have to redo your work in the future to move it (or make it suitable for) the new version. Could you reorder projects so your initiative happens after that upgrade is done and you only have to do the work once?

What else do you see in your organisation’s projects that you would classify as technical debt, and how do you get those items on the radar for management so they make the right choice?

Posted on: February 17, 2026 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

6 Ways Project Managers Can Regain Momentum

Categories: Scheduling

Are you suffering from the February Dip? All that January enthusiasm is just… fading. Another year stretches before us, even if this month is the shortest it all still feels rather a lot (or is that just me)?
While the excitement of the new year has worn off, the workload hasn’t. Here are 6 momentum-boosters to keep things going until your next vacation time.

Shrinking the next milestone

That giant milestone is a little off-putting. So how can you make it smaller? The more manageable it feels, the more likely it is that you’ll actually plan for it and hit it, and keep the momentum going while doing it.
Break down larger pieces of work into smaller chunks. That’s basic project management but it still sometimes doesn’t happen. If you already have reduced your work packages and they still feel too big, there’s nothing to say you can’t do it again.

Making progress more visible

This time of year feels like it can drag, and if you started new work in January, you might not have hit any of the big or meaningful milestones yet. So it all feels like background work or scene setting.
It’s not – you know that, but it doesn’t necessarily help with the slog of it all.
Making progress visible can help show that the planning phase, optioneering or whatever you’re doing at the moment is worthwhile in itself. Talk about progress in your weekly project summaries. Thank the team for finishing design prep or getting in quotes. See what you can do to show that stuff still is being achieved.

Resetting priorities with sponsors

You’ve got your long list of things to get done on this project and others throughout the year. Talk to your sponsors now about which ones are more important. Get your success criteria lined up for this project as that will help shape your decisions.

Re-sequencing work to reduce friction

Friction is generally hand offs between colleagues, decision points or anything that slows down the flow of work. Can you put reminders in your diary now for when stage gates are coming up, or big audit milestones? What can you shift forwards or backwards to minimise the impact on other deliverables?

Giving the team a short-term win

Now, I’ve tried this a few times and it’s sometimes not possible, but if there is anything you can do to lift spirits and improve morale to help support momentum, then say yes to it. For example – internal comms might want to do a story on the upcoming projects, or include your team’s work in a review of the year.
Perhaps there are benefits from one of last year’s projects that are being realised now and you can celebrate that.
Finding quick wins on current projects always seems so hard, so if you have any ideas, please leave them in the comments below as I need inspiration!

Adjusting expectations, not just effort

Feeling like it’s all too much? I know the feeling! Have a frank conversation with your sponsors now, before the year gets away from us. If they’ve got a wishlist as long as your arm, maybe now is the time to gently rein in what they can expect this year. Because by the time you get to Quarter 4 they’ll be upping the pressure to get it all done.
Clarity on expectations, priorities and milestones will help you feel like you are moving forward. Motivation comes from knowing what to do and how it is going to make a difference. If you’re already sensing that the team is frustrated, this is your chance to fix it and to help them continue the year successfully.

Posted on: February 10, 2026 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

February Reality Check: 7 Signs Your Project Plan Is Still Last Year’s

Categories: Scheduling

Is anyone else feeling like reality has set in for 2026? Annual goals are set, budgets are approved and that sense of ‘completion’ that you get at the end of the year has well and truly worn off. All the strategic objectives are in place and we know what we should be achieving in the remaining 11 months.
If your project ran across year end and is continuing into this year, then this is your reality check – how much has changed and are you still working from a plan that made sense last year but no longer cuts it? Here are 7 signs that your project plan is stuck in 2025.

1. Dates that assume uninterrupted focus

I know I’ve been guilty of this in the past – scheduling resources assuming they can dedicate 100% of their time to the project. And let’s put aside the fact that most people don’t have 100% of their working day to give, by the time you’ve taken out team meetings, non-project tasks, sickness, holidays and even bathroom breaks through a day.
Look at the planned dates again in light of what vacation time people have booked for this year and check you can still hit your milestones.

2. Risks that haven’t been touched since approval

Time to dust off the risk register and see which ones are relevant to your project schedule. The plan might not work if some of those risks have either materialised into issues or look a bit more impactful this year.

3. Stakeholders who’ve changed role but not responsibility

Who in your stakeholder community has changed role so they shouldn’t be supporting the project any longer… and yet they still are? Time to check in with them and find out who should be holding the reins now they have moved on.

4. Dependencies that are “assumed” rather than confirmed

Again, something else I’ve done in the past – and I’m sure you know of projects where assumed dependencies have caused problems. Talk to the project teams or business leaders where your dependencies sit and check in with them. They need to know the impact of their work on yours.

5. Decisions parked “until later”

How many decisions got kicked into the long grass at the end of last year? And have you got decisions on all of those now? Oftentimes, we end up with stakeholders needing a refresh of all the things that were discussed last year. This can make decisions take even longer as people remind themselves of what we thought we’d almost decided back in December.
Get the right conversations in the calendar now so you can move forward.

6. Reporting that no longer reflects how work actually flows

Who are you reporting to about planned progress and do they still care? Check in with your senior stakeholders, make sure you haven’t missed any refreshed PMO processes that got reissued last month and ensure that you’re talking to the right people for reporting progress within the team itself.

7. A plan no one refers to

Who is looking at the plan apart from you? If you’re the only person using it, that could be a sign that everyone else knows it’s no longer relevant – time for a meaningful update.

So what do we do?

Your schedule probably isn’t that awful – certainly not needing a complete replan and rebaseline. A quick refresh is most likely going to fix all of these, and you can do that with the team. In fact, you can probably do a lot of it without the team, if you’re close to the detail (and that’s not something I would normally recommend).
Updating the plan is something you’d do regularly anyway as a project manager, and it might just have been that the end of last year got away from you and you haven’t yet had time to put things right on the schedule. Now is the time to do that, before the plan gets too far from reality.

Posted on: February 03, 2026 11:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Goal-setting for project managers who don’t like big goals

I think I’ve written on here before that I’m not against anyone who wants to use January for SMART goal setting for new year’s resolutions, but personally, it’s not for me. Not everyone wants the public stretchy goals that the new year seems bound to bring.

For me, goals are more about direction, not pressure. I want to set boundaries on my work/life, not targets. I do have a personal fitness goal which I’m definitely not going to share in public, but mostly my aims for the year is to just do everything to the best of my ability.

If you’re also feeling the pressure of goal setting, especially as we’re all facing into annual reviews at this time of year, here are 5 alternative goal styles you can use.

“Stop doing” goals

These are goals for things you are not going to do any more.

Over time, you’ve probably picked up tasks like reporting, meeting handling, processes that made sense but now seem like ticking a box. These are the things you could drop. Could your weekly report be a monthly summary?

Could you decline a regular meeting? Could you stop chasing updates where there is already a process to submit them, and then call out people who don’t comply rather than trying to help them look good?

Effort-based goals (not outcome-based)

If you (or someone in your team) has an effort based goal, think about how it could be reframed to be outcome-based instead. This is about how consistently you show up, not what the end result is.

It could be spending 10 minutes each week reviewing risks or blocking out thinking time and sticking to it. It’s about making new habits and doing the thing you said you would, even if the end result is imperfect.

Capability goals (what you want to get better at)

My personal fitness goal would fit in here. This type of goal is about building skills, judgement and confidence, not just completing things on your To Do list.

You’re looking for an improvement in performance. For quite a few people I know this year, it’s about becoming more confident at facilitating difficult meetings. Perhaps for you it’s estimating, scheduling or something else.

Energy goals (what you want more/less of)

For me, this one is working late in the evenings. Energy goals protect how you feel about work, or how you want work to feel for you. It’s about consciously changing damaging habits to avoid burnout.

It could be going to the gym each week, getting a walk in at lunchtime, having a massage booked every month or something more work-y like avoiding back to back meetings and finding the mental space to close down open tasks before you log off at night.

Decision goals (what you’ll decide faster)

Finally, decision goals are about how you make decisions. We looked to buy a new car recently, and I did a lot of research (thank you, ChatGPT). But when it came down to the final two brands, we drove them both in a morning and made the decision that afternoon. I’m sure there are plenty of other cars out there that fit the brief, but I can’t expend effort on driving them all.

In project terms, delays are often caused by not having a decision. What can you do to speed things up?

You don’t need all 5 types of goal to start 2026 strong. Just pick one, and add to it as the year goes on. After all, there’s nothing to say you can’t set goals at other times of the year, right?

Posted on: January 19, 2026 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

New Year, same projects: 5 smart questions to ask in January

Categories: Decision Making

It’s a fresh year, fresh budgets and a big long list of management ‘must dos’. However, I don’t know about you, but all my projects are the same. In my experience, most Januarys aren’t clean slates, they’re continuations. Most of my colleagues aren’t starting shiny new initiatives either. We’ve still got a lot to finish off!

January is a reset point, not a restart, so here are 5 questions that help you re-orientate when you open your laptop on some half-finished work.

What has quietly become harder since last year?

Constraints creep in gradually. Processes get…sludgier. There’s more organisational noise. Look for tasks that are taking longer than expected. Dependencies that feel more weighty. Decisions that seem to involve more people than ever before or that are struggling to get made at all.

This isn’t about blame – it’s just about surfacing some of the tricky stuff so you can tackle it head on.

What assumptions are we still working from?

Look back at that assumptions list. It’s probably shifted a bit, right? Once it’s baked into your plan, it’s hard to see that assumption at all.

Some of my commonly-used assumptions include:

We’ll have business support and stakeholder engagement
The team will be available
Funding will be made available.

Hmmm…. Maybe time to revisit and replan around those!

Who is more (or less) influential now?

Obviously we are not going to be calling people out by saying they are not influential to their faces, but it’s worth some quiet reflection individually or with trusted team members. Some people shift in roles, or their role definition shifts. Organisational influence shifts faster than org charts, so your key influencers might have moved.

Look for the people who block or unblock decisions, stakeholders whose opinions now carry more weight and any informal influencers.

What’s draining effort without adding value?

Look for things that you are still doing as a team because it got started last year and hasn’t been looked at since.
For me, that’s weekly team meetings. We have shifted them to fortnightly because that works better.

What decision are we postponing?

Avoided decisions often create more problems and delays than bad decisions. January exposes the decisions we didn’t make at the end of last year because we said, “let’s circle back in the new year”. Suddenly, the new year is here and those decisions still aren’t made.

Look for trade offs between scope and timelines, resources you need but haven’t asked for, issues that you should be deciding about escalating. Decide what info is actually missing or what the decision is and go out and get it. Remember, you don’t necessarily need every tiny piece of the puzzle before you move forward and most decisions can be undone if they turn out to be too wrong.

You don’t need a workshop or a slide deck to chat through these with a colleague. You don’t even necessarily need to talk to anyone else – mull them over while you get a coffee at the machine or in the 10 minutes between calls when you can’t really start anything else.

The point is to tidy up and feel aligned on these questions to help you see clearly where you are and what you can do to prevent months of friction later. Perhaps just pick one and see how you get on?

Posted on: January 12, 2026 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)