Project issue management

Anish,

Without an issue management system, Stakeholders can contact you as the "keeper" of the log that way you actually have continuity of the issues. send an updated log out weekly or as updates are available.

One of the less glamorous duties that we have is being the BAD GUY to follow up with people .. directly on their responsible issues. Tactfulness is an excellent skill to have (LOL). Particularly in a weak matrix organizational environment where our authority is limited. When the Project is completed successfully, guess what, you have ownership !

Larry

Your project management plan should state how issues should be identified and managed.

Some of the things I find useful

1. Allow individuals to capture new issues. Not only does it avoids one person being responsible to enter issues, but it also ensure that the issue is described as correctly as it should be. If you use SharePoint, implement your issue log as a List. Otherwise, go with a Excel spreadsheet, with Sharing turned on, on a network drive.

2. Allow only one person to update the issue. Once captured, the issue should be managed. It is easier to manage issues consistently by having one person designated for updates.

3. Prioritize issues. It is important to focus on the most important issues. It is also important to report on your unresolved high priority issues to your stakeholders.

4. Escalate early. If you cannot get a resolution with a few days, the issue must be escalated to precipitate the process. Holding on to it with no resolution will not help.

Your project management plan should state how issues should be identified and managed.

Some of the things I find useful

1. Allow individuals to capture new issues. Not only does it avoids one person being responsible to enter issues, but it also ensure that the issue is described as correctly as it should be. If you use SharePoint, implement your issue log as a List. Otherwise, go with a Excel spreadsheet, with Sharing turned on, on a network drive.

2. Allow only one person to update the issue. Once captured, the issue should be managed. It is easier to manage issues consistently by having one person designated for updates.

3. Prioritize issues. It is important to focus on the most important issues. It is also important to report on your unresolved high priority issues to your stakeholders.

4. Escalate early. If you cannot get a resolution with a few days, the issue must be escalated to precipitate the process. Holding on to it with no resolution will not help.

Absolutely the Project Management Plan! Thank you, Standard and certifiable advise Mr Parent. I need t o be more diligent about that one.

Anish - he makes an excellent point. If ever questioned we already have it in writing in PMPlan. Let me add -- always simplify

Anish,

All the replies from the other colleagues above are very relevant and useful. I would just add one point to help in tracking issue resolution. When you log an issue you have to enter a target close date for this issue. A good practice is to enter the actual close date and compare the time difference to a reference criteria. For example, an issue not resolved within 2 days after its targeted close date, must be escalated or a special action ^lan toward the resolution must be in place. Closing an Issue within a predefined timeframe around the target close date is a quality criteria that must be defined in the Project Management Plan. When the issue resolution is late repetitively or if there are to many "late" issue, the Project Manager or the PMO must raise log a Quality Issue that for sure, won't be ignored or forgotten.