I am so lost- Project Executive summary and Project overview
Anonymous
Can anyone point me into the right direction? I have to write these up and can not find any guidelines and I am so lost I got my Project definition but need help on the other. Saving Changes...
Dear Anonymous, welcome to project management. You have probably solved you presentation problem by this late date, but as a friendly word of advice - remember the basics of all newspaper stories: who, what, where, when, how.
As you develop the project overview - you start with the executive summary. What is the project. How is it being done and how much will it cost. When is it being delivered and when can return on the investment happening. Who is performing the work, and where will it be delivered. Answer those questions at a high level for the executives. When you then start writing the project overview - you'll have the necessary components to expand to define the project in detail.
I would recommend starting with what is being delivered - always best to understand the objectives, the mission if you will. Then talk about who will be developing each deliverable . Then talk about the schedule - the When - both at the deliverable level as well as at the whole project level.
I hope this advice is in time for your presentation. Remember content is probably more important than format - but have a nice format - readable, NOT complex. Good luck Saving Changes...
I always like to start by focusing on the business and strategic goal that is being served by the project. Leading with that information helps senior executives to put the project in its proper context. It sets the stage for them.
I also like to come up with a one-sentence statement of purpose:
* Action verb
* Quantifiable result
* Quantifiable cost
* Business relevance
For instance, "To train 20 people so they can competently manage their department's projects, at a cost of less than $10,000." That might be the statement of purpose for a class in project management.
You can find more thoughts on this topic in my series on project charters. A good executive summary and a project charter should be very similar.
http://www.alexsbrown.com/category/projects/charters Saving Changes...
Rob MartinConsulting (Contract)| Microsoft (Thailand)Lam Luk Ka, Pathum Thani, Thailand
This is a fairly fundamental piece of your project to get it off on the right foot. Without a decent charter / overview you have no idea of what is really wanted, required or expected.
The link Alex provided is very helpful. It'd be nice to see how you got on with it.
