A month ago, I started a new assignment as a project manager for a bank division, managing their part of an enterprise implementation project. One with plenty of senior management and regulatory visibility.......
As I was getting started, I asked the enterprise project manager for a copy of the project plan, and the schedule. Hemming and hawing, it was promised later. No problem, I managed to cadge one from one of the IT people I was working with......
Over the next couple of weeks, deliverables and deadlines not on the plan that I have swoop my way. I ask for the 'real' project plan. Hemming and hawing, it was promised later. .....Just got it, with a note from the enterprise project manager saying that they "never change the end dates, they just log progress as % complete." It's not too different from what I've already got. There's a bunch of work that hasn;t been started, a bunch that's 2 or more weeks late, and they're working on things not reflected in the plan or the schedule......A little playing in MSProject will probably confirm it, but I'm pretty certain that their July implementation date is already just a dream....I see another conversation in my future where I ask for the REAL Project Plan, not a work of fiction. Saving Changes...
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Anonymous
Ahhhh.. the old "fixed end date and percent complete tracking" trap... Sometimes it is interesting to ask how that project planning and tracking technique has contibuted to their project success rate. (I hear hemming and hawing again). As most of us have seen, about half way through duration of the project, they will be at 50% complete. At 80% of the duration, they will be 80% complete... and then it will break down from there.. successive weeks at 90%.. with a mad scramble to find a scapegoat and excuses for delaying. The environment sounds ripe for you to make some improvements in scope definition and scope management as well. Problem = Opportunity.
Good luck... Saving Changes...
Anonymous
Actually there two plan created for any project - planned and actual :-).
First, one will be created at the beginning of the project and later at the end of project.
