DORA LUZ MejiaCEO| IT ExploreEnvigado, Antioquia, Colombia
How do you manage when you need to start very fast the project and the time to deliver is very limited and you do not have time enough to build the vendor sow? do you use a some kind of light sow? any advice? Saving Changes...
Drew CraigSr. Agile & Product Coach| VanguardPhiladelphia, Pa, United States
Interesting scenario. Speaks to value of starting with a template SOW (containing process/standards) to accelerate completion by simply filling in items specific to the project. Another option is writing SOW for a periods of the project, say 3-months increments. This is also an accelerator for legal. Is a MSA already in place? Can it point to an existing? Typically, not the writing of SOW, but the approval and vetting process can talk the extra time to get to approval/execution. Edit: had not finished last sentence thought
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1 reply by DORA LUZ Mejia
Jul 27, 2019 12:50 PM
DORA LUZ Mejia
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thanks Andrew. MSA is in place. I like an option with an interactive SOW to start with a basic commitments and complete once the project will progress
s the client internal? both internal and external
Is it a client we have done many projects with? yes both my internal client and my vendor are both with a long relationship but also with a good track of failed projects because the same situation.
How was project closure, if it is a known client?
What is in the contract? in the RFP? nop, we only have one single vendor.
Dora,
I think you have your answer in a lesson learned "a good track of failed projects because the same situation"
You should make a SOW that will prevent the situation from repeating itself. Saving Changes...
DORA LUZ MejiaCEO| IT ExploreEnvigado, Antioquia, Colombia
Jul 27, 2019 8:34 AM
Replying to Drew Craig
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Interesting scenario. Speaks to value of starting with a template SOW (containing process/standards) to accelerate completion by simply filling in items specific to the project. Another option is writing SOW for a periods of the project, say 3-months increments. This is also an accelerator for legal. Is a MSA already in place? Can it point to an existing? Typically, not the writing of SOW, but the approval and vetting process can talk the extra time to get to approval/execution. Edit: had not finished last sentence thought
thanks Andrew. MSA is in place. I like an option with an interactive SOW to start with a basic commitments and complete once the project will progress
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1 reply by Drew Craig
Jul 27, 2019 6:07 PM
Drew Craig
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Great. Glad I could offer a potential option!
Saving Changes...
Drew CraigSr. Agile & Product Coach| VanguardPhiladelphia, Pa, United States
Jul 27, 2019 12:50 PM
Replying to DORA LUZ Mejia
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thanks Andrew. MSA is in place. I like an option with an interactive SOW to start with a basic commitments and complete once the project will progress
Great. Glad I could offer a potential option! Saving Changes...
Gordon AlexanderSenior Principal - Global Programme Director| IndepndentChelmsford, Essex, United Kingdom
Hi Dora, this is a very common question when there is an urgent need to get started to meet a deadline, sometimes arbitrary and can turn out to be not as critical as it first seems. This would depend on whether its a legal requirement or a date where a contract will rollover if its not completed or other elements. First risk to view is how relevant the completion date is.
I wont reiterate the comments from Keith and Sergio as I agree with them, so adding to their comments:
1) Does your Vendor act as a vendor or a partner? if it's a partner type relationship then they will understand the ambiguity and help you drive this to clarity in the first weeks after the SOW is signed, highlighting any risks or change and R&R that is required.
2) Have you carried out a number of projects with this vendor? if yes and the Roles and responsibilities are the same as other projects where it comes to areas such as requirements definitions, analysis etc then use that as a reference. If this is not the case it is critical that this is defined in the SOW, without the R&R you can get to the point where you have the discussion that goes like this:
You: Has this piece of work completed
Venor: We are waiting for the meetings to be set up
You: This was what you needed to drive
Venor: that wasn't clear in the SoW!
Much longer conversation but keeping to the relevant point.
I like your comment, maybe the sponsor do not need a PM and I am in the wrong project..
I wouldn't say that it doesn't need a PM although I don't really know anything about the project. It sounds like it does require a PM who can plan right-to-left as well as left-to-right in terms of the schedule timeline..
Jumping into a project that is already in trouble is certainly more stressful than developing a solid plan up front, and managing to the plan. Instead the PM has to figure out what needs to be done immediately, and the plan has to catch up with the work. That front-loads a lot of work, cost, and risk.
In my own career, I am often assigned to urgent projects that start by developing a recovery plan. In most cases, I find these more a leadership than a technical challenge. The PM must quickly assemble a team, and get them pointed in the same general direction. Once the right people are fully engaged, they will invariably come up with a better plan than mine. The key is getting them engaged early so they will create their own plan and take ownership of it. Saving Changes...
Kimberly McCoyProject Manager| TekSystems - ContractorZanesville, Oh, United States
With any project, no matter how constraint the times are, I always try to do an SOW. These helps to capture the deliverables and ensure they are agreed upon by all parties. Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
I can think of two ways to handle the situation, Dora.
You can have an adaptive SOW which would go through iterations and increments as more details are found and captured.
The second option would be to have multiple SOWs. The first SOW could be a simple agreement to prepare the fuller SOW.
I've tried both options. I preferred the first one since it is more agile in nature. Most clients prefer a more predictive approach and therefore want the second option. Saving Changes...
Love can sweep you off your feet and carry you along in a way you've never known before. But the ride always ends, and you end up feeling lonely and bitter. Wait. It's not love I'm describing. I'm thinking of a monorail.
