Like the source of the Nile, the start of portfolio management can be hard to locate. There is not yet a generally accepted initiation point for portfolio management, so let’s try and figure out where PPM might start in a perfect world.
We tend to think of planning as a scheduling- and scope-driven activity. But as Microsoft's Sendak project proved, successful planning cannot occur without a solid business case.
It scares this writer how many project managers believe that projects start with the planning phase. It scares him even more that their employers often agree.The project starts during the justification phase of the initiative, and the project manager needs to be a part of that process.
Portfolio management needs to begin with idea creation. But if the portfolio starts with the idea creation process, how does the PMO engage people beyond the reach of traditional project execution so that their ideas are captured?
Do you ever wonder how far to go with formal documentation on a given project? PMBOK gives us an extensive set for project management standards from which to draw, but we don’t always choose to apply the full extent of these standards to every project--nor would it be appropriate to do so. Meet Project Sizing...
You've read a PM book. You've taken an introductory course. Your PMP is firmly in hand. What's next? The challenge for project managers at this point is that there isn't a really good answer. In fact, there isn't really any one answer. The most honest and truthful answer is probably, "It depends." But what, exactly, does it depend on?
The purpose of the project proposal template is the first step to gain approval of a project moving forward. Similar to a project charter, it provides the initiator of the project with an avenue to document the purpose of the project, the objectives and the basic information needed to see the project approved through to the planning stage.
The purpose of this document is to quantitatively justify the project. For smaller projects, the business case may be no more than 1-2 pages in length. For larger, more complex projects, the business case may be much larger and contain far more detail.
Why build a data warehouse? Be sure you have good justification in the form of a solid business case before taking the plunge.
Document a business case to persuade upper management to fund your project. Keep it short and succinct enough that the busy executive management audience will read and digest it. It should directly convey the information they need to know with salient, hard-hitting, supporting evidence that addresses the bottom line. This is a basic instructional framework of the information you should include in your business case. Enhance it as you wish!
This excellent project justification guide will provide sophisticated advice to maximize the impact of your business case, making it accurate, complete and persuasive. In addition, learn some handy tips, techniques and strategies to complement existing procedures, templates and spreadsheets that you already use.
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"A doctor can bury his mistakes but an architect can only advise his client to plant vines." - Frank Lloyd Wright |
