Issue: 7 – Failure to review documentation before PM is assigned
If the project manager is responsible for delivering the project, it behooves them to review all documentation.
The Project Charter and other project documentation are sometimes completed before a project manager is assigned. If the project manager is responsible for delivering the project, it behooves them to review the business case, charter, etc., thoroughly, validate assumptions, and identify any gaps or areas that needs more detail. This is the time those hard communications are needed. The project manager should ensure that all of the questions are fully answered before the project is officially kicked-off. After deadlines, requirements, and budgets are set, expectations are much more difficult to change and the project manager is setup for failure.
PMBOK suggests a project manager be assigned before the project is authorized. Let’s quote the boss (PMI):
“A project manager is identified and assigned as early in the project as is feasible, preferably while the project charter is being developed and always prior to the start of planning. It is recommended that the project manager participate in the development of the project charter, as the project charter provides the project manager with the authority to apply resources to project activities.”
Well said, PMI!
In my experience I have been assigned or initially involved in a project before the charter is completed, approved, and issued. Have you had a different experience? Why did this vary from the above norm?
How should a project begin? Hopefully you were not given project details when you were assigned to the project. The project manager must define the project in his or her own terms. Nonetheless you absolutely need to start developing your own understanding of the project goals, objective and deliverables. I would begin a project by asking the executive sponsor why we are doing this project. Subsequently determine who the project stakeholders are and solicit their opinion of why the project is being established. By getting their perspective the project manager can begin to write a draft of the project objectives.
Determine the type of resources needed on the project
Only the type of resources needed on the core project and the functional teams. Now that you have a clear understanding of the project objectives, you must communicate this “vision” to the functional managers. They must understand the project before they provide resources to the project. Depending upon the project manager’s organization (consultant or employee) the core project team is established.
The initiation stage should first focus on SMARTizing the objectives. SMART is a mnemonic giving criteria to guide in the setting of objectives. The letters broadly conform to the words specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound. Now we can create the Project Charter. For more information on SMART objectives, please refer to Issue 5 in this blog series.
It is critical every project team member understands their role as well as the project vision
By the end of the initiation stage, the project executives should have approved the Project as well as the Project Charter. It is critical every project team member understands their role as well as the project vision. Only at this point can the project move forward to the Planning stage. The Planning stage is where the team will define the detailed project scope and develop the project plan.
Take a look at the Project Charter document for an idea of how project goals should be expressed early on. Another approach to this is the Project Vision document, which helps the team focus on understanding the customers of the project and the benefit the team is supposed to deliver, before the team dives into talking about more specific scope and features.
That’s it for this edition of Why Project Fail. Stay tuned for the next project issue in this series, Part-time team members on your project.
