Marcus UdokangProject Manager| Aivaz ConsultingCalgary, Alberta, Canada
As project managers there are many questions to ask before and during a project. There are too many to mention. But, these are the top 5 questions I try to ask before starting a project.
1) What product/service is the project delivering? What's the objective/business goal of the project?
2) What are we not delivering?
3) What's the deadline of the project? What are the milestones and constraints?
4) What criteria determines project success?
5) Who is responsible for each deliverable? Who are the stakeholders involved?
What would you consider to be your top 5 questions to ask before starting a project? Saving Changes...
I would also include asking about risks. Who the stakeholders are, what is in the risk register, are there any escalations, any expectations from stakeholders, does the timeline of the project include vacations/leaves, what is the project delivering - these would be my questions if a project is given to me. Saving Changes...
Peter RapinSubject Matter Expect; Project Delivery| Independent ConsultantOntario, Canada
Lots of question but one significant question remains - who has got the answers?
They all need answers however most have to be asked of oneself and then determine where the honest answer lies keeping in mind there may be multiple and opposing answers to many. Some may also take time to ferret out the appropriate answers, meanwhile the project has to advance. Saving Changes...
Marcus UdokangProject Manager| Aivaz ConsultingCalgary, Alberta, Canada
Much appreciate all the responses. These are fabulous.
1) Are there any legal or regulatory issues to consider?
2) Do we know how we want to achieve this project or is there uncertainty about how this can be done?
3) Does this project make sense given the current business environment / needs etc? (Sadly, I've seen a lot of projects greenlit that make no sense in a larger scheme of things)
4) Who are the key stakeholders?
5) Do we have actual budgetary approval to start this project? Saving Changes...
George FreemanThought Leader | Author | Architect| Florida, United States
There are also questions that are not necessarily wise for one to ask, but for which one should endeavor to seek the answers for nonetheless, such as:
- Is the sponsor using the the project in-part to accomplish a personal political goal under a functional guise?
- Who among the stakeholders has the most to lose if the project has objective-success, and who has the most to gain?
- Who influences the influencers on the project?
- Who are the knowledge rationers on the project?
- Which resources have been offered to you, with no impact to your budget?
-What are the unstated risks on the project, that is, the ones that cannot be put on a register?
- Is failure an option?
This list can be as large as the list of official questions that we should ask. Bottom Line: It’s important to recognize that projects often have hidden corridors, thus, it’s up to the astute project manager to understand the political landscape of their project, else find themselves at a greater risk of suffering unforeseen consequences. Saving Changes...
Milena IlievaProgram Manager Global accounts| VMWareVienna, Austria
Markus,
A lot of good questions are posted here, which cover pretty much all and I do not want to repeat what was covered.
From my side, at the beginning of a project, I would want to be clear who is the sponsor, discuss and agree with him/her on the way of working, his goals, escalation, etc and what is the business case - what are we delivering, time, budget, etc.
Project organisation - key experts, depending on the project specifics (their availability, role description, expertise); project governance - who is in the project steering board, and its role, how is controlling done - reports, steering meetings. Is there project financial controller assigned, if it is a P&L project, etc
All project related documents - starting with tender documents, offer, contract, any other related to the project, which I will need for the project planning, controlling and acceptance.
In the first meeting, I would restrict my questions to:
1. How does the success look like?
2. How much time do we have?
3. Who are the Stakeholders?
4. What lifecycle approach would you prefer?
5. What is the approximate range of the budget? Saving Changes...
Mark PaleschPresident| Palesch Consulting Group IncCa, United States
1. Have we obtained formal approval & alignment from all initial key stakeholders & decision makers to move forward?
2. Has an official Project Sponsor been assigned?
3. Are their any other current projects or future initiatives planned that may impact my project?
4. Will the project operate under a "Projectized", "Matrix" or "Functional" organizational structure? Saving Changes...
