Finalizing the Project Plan

This last (but not least) step of the Vision phase builds the project plan that will deliver performance improvement of the “Process-in-Focus.” Here, the organization appoints the senior team, executive champion, project manager, and the project team members for the next two phases: the Understand phase and the Renew phase. The team undergoes training and gains commitment to the plan.

Techniques

The techniques of finalizing a project plan are based on common sense and time-proven approaches to ensuring a common understanding and assurance of support:

• Personal commitment-based project management

• Deliverable-based project planning

• Negotiation

Lessons Learned

Make sure that the commitment of all key participants is solid before starting. Build a core team of a project manager, a process owner/project champion, an acceptor, and advisors, who can support one another throughout the initiative. This group must have business experience, must have a common interest in the solution, and must be able to get along.

Assign crystal-clear responsibilities for producing deliverables before the work starts, and make sure that everyone accepts those responsibilities. Create a customer/supplier chain of deliverables inside the project. Don’t manage by activity; manage by responsibilities for personal results.

Balance the results of the project (expectations, scope, and quality) against the constraints required to deliver results (time and resources), understanding which methods and tools will be employed. Always strive to balance these two competing forces. The moment the balance seems lost and the ability to deliver becomes questionable, change the balance to regain confidence. There is no other magic than to do this diligently.

Build the plan backward. Start with the envisioned project end, and select the approach to renewal by picking the appropriate steps to the end from the Process Management Framework, including management checkpoints (go/no go). Then work back through

• Deliverable end products
  
  
• Approach (work breakdown structure or project process)
  
  
• Phase deliverables
  
  
• Milestones and checkpoints for risk analysis and management review
  
  
• Project responsibility structure and reporting relationships
  
  
• Communication plan and control mechanisms
  
  
• Activity definitions
  
  
• The estimate of resource types and amounts
  
  
• The schedule
  
  

Plan to iterate this approach until all is in balance but start at what and move on to how, who, and how much. Get signed acceptance of the plan: its results, approach, and commitment to provide the resources needed.

The team composition should be cross functional with representatives from all affected business areas to assure that all aspects of the business process and its impact on other parts of the business are taken into account. The team also should include representation with project management, method, and technique experience to guide the way. Train team members together as a team to gain commitment to one approach and to build commitment to and confidence in each other.