SUMMARY OF KEY PROJECT MANAGER ACTIONS & RESULTS
,Below is a list of actions which project managers should take in order to successfully complete a project. Beside each action is a description of one or more specific results that the action should produce. Place a check mark (
) beside each action and result that will be essential to your project’s success.
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INITIATING |
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ACTION |
RESULTS OF SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE |
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1. Demonstrate Project Need and Feasibility |
• A document confirming that there is a need for the project deliverables and describing, in broad terms: the deliverables, means of creating the deliverables, costs of creating and implementing the deliverables, benefits to be obtained by implementing the deliverables |
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2. Obtain Project Authorization |
• A “go/no go” decision is made by the sponsor • A project manager is assigned • A “project charter” is created that: – formally recognizes the project – is issued by a manager external to the project and at a high enough organizational level to meet project needs – authorizes the project manager to apply resources to project activities |
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3. Obtain Authorization for the Phase |
• A “go/no go” decision is made by the sponsor that authorizes the project manager to apply organizational resources to the activities of a particular phase • Written approval of the phase is created that: – formally recognizes the existence of the phase – is issued by a manager external to the project and at a high enough organizational level to meet project needs |
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PLANNING |
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ACTION |
RESULTS OF SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE |
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4. Describe Project Scope |
• Statement of project scope • Scope management plan • Work breakdown structure |
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5. Define and Sequence Project Activities |
• An activity list (list of all activities that will be performed on the project) • Updates to the work breakdown structure (WBS) • A project network diagram |
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6. Estimate Duration for Activities and Resources Required |
• Estimate of duration (time required) for each activity and assumptions related to each estimate • Statement of resource requirements • Updates to activity list |
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7. Develop a Project Schedule |
• Project schedule in the form of Gantt charts, network diagrams, milestone charts, or text tables • Supporting details, such as resource usage over time, cash flow projections, order/delivery schedules, etc. |
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8. Estimate Costs |
• Cost estimates for completing each activity • Supporting detail, including assumptions and constraints • Cost management plan describing how cost variances will be handled |
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9. Build a Budget and Spending Plan |
• A cost baseline or time-phased budget for measuring/monitoring costs • A spending plan, telling how much will be spent on what resources at what time |
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10. (Optional):Creat e a Formal Quality Plan |
• Quality management plan, including operational definitions • Quality verification checklists |
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11. (Optional): Create a Formal Project Communications Plan |
• A communication management plan, including: – Collection structure – Distribution structure – Description of information to be disseminated – Schedules listing when information will be produced – A method for updating the communications plan |
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12. Organize and Acquire Staff |
• Role and responsibility assignments • Staffing plan • Organizational chart with detail, as appropriate • Project staff • Project team directory |
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13. (Optional): Identify Risks and Plan to Respond |
• A document describing potential risks, including their sources, symptoms, and ways to address them |
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14. (Optional): Plan for and Acquire Outside Resources |
• Procurement management plan describing how contractors will be obtained • Statement of work (SOW) or statement of requirements (SOR) describing the item (product or service) to be procured • Bid documents, such as RFP (request for proposal), IFB (invitation for bid), etc. • Evaluation criteria—means of scoring contractor’s proposals • Contract with one or more suppliers of goods or services |
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15. Organize the Project Plan |
• A comprehensive project plan that pulls together all the outputs of the preceding project planning activities |
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16. Close Out the Project Planning Phase |
• A project plan that has been approved, in writing, by the sponsor • A “green light” or okay to begin work on the project |
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17. Revisit the Project Plan and Replan, If Needed |
• Confidence that the detailed plans to execute a particular phase are still accurate and will effectively achieve results as planned |
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EXECUTING |
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ACTION |
RESULTS OF SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE |
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18. Execute Project Activities |
• Work results (deliverables) are created • Change requests (i.e., based on expanded or contracted project) are identified • Periodic progress reports are created • Team performance is assessed, guided, and improved, if needed • Bids/proposals for deliverables are solicited, contractors (suppliers) are chosen, and contracts are established • Contracts are administered to achieve desired work results |
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CONTROLLING |
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ACTION |
RESULTS OF SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE |
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19. Control Project Activities |
• Decision to accept inspected deliverables • Corrective actions such as rework of deliverables, adjustments to work process, etc. • Updates to project plan and scope • List of lessons learned • Improved quality • Completed evaluation checklists (if applicable) |
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PLANNING |
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ACTION |
RESULTS OF SUCCESSFUL PERFORMANCE |
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20. Close Out Project Activities |
• Formal acceptance, documented in writing, that the sponsor has accepted the product of this phase or activity • Formal acceptance of contractor work products and updates to the contractor’s files • Updated project records prepared for archiving • A plan for follow-up and/or hand-off of work products |
Phases, Processes, and Action Items: Pulling It All Together
So far we have described five generic project phases that may be used as a baseline to organize nearly any project. In addition, we have described five processes that project managers need to perform in order to complete these project phases.
But how do these elements fit together? The following table makes the connections clear. Here’s how to use it:
1. Figure out which phase your project is in (refer to the left column).
2. Decide which project management processes you need to complete (refer to the middle column).
3. Identify the relevant Action Tools that can help you perform the process (refer to the right column).
4. Turn to Part III and locate the relevant Action Tools.
5. Skim through them and decide how you can put them to work for you. Make additions or deletions as appropriate to accommodate your particular industry or organization.
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IF… You are in this generic project phase |
…AND You want to perform this process |
…THEN Refer to these Action Tools |
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Phase I: Determine Need and Feasibility (Define goals, concept; analyze need, market; define strategy; do benefit/ cost analysis) |
Initiating Phase I Planning Phase I Executing Phase I Controlling Phase I Closing Phase I |
• Demonstrate Project Need and Feasibility • Obtain Project Authorization |
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Phase II: Create Project Plan (Make a record of all planned deliverables, work processes, resources, scope, etc., and get it approved) |
Initiating Phase II |
• Obtain Authorization for the Phase |
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Planning Phase II Controlling Phase II |
• Describe Project Scope • Define and Sequence Project Activities • Estimate Duration for Activities and Resources Required • Develop a Project Schedule • Estimate Costs • Build a Budget and Spending Plan • (Optional): Create a Formal Quality Plan • (Optional): Create a Formal Project Communications Plan • Organize and Acquire Staff • (Optional): Plan for and Acquire Outside Resources |
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Closing Phase |
• Organize the Project Plan • Close Out the Project Plan |
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Phase III: Create Deliverables Specifications (Describe deliverables in detail; get description approved) |
Initiating Phase III Planning Phase III
Controlling Phase III Closing Phase III |
• Obtain Authorization for the Phase • Revisit the Project Plan and Replan, if Needed • Execute Project Activities • Control Project Activities • Close Out Project Activities |
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Phase IV: Create Deliverables (Create prototype pieces; full-blown, fully integrated deliverables; get them approved) |
Initiating Phase IV Planning Phase IV Executing Phase IV Controlling Phase IV |
• Obtain Authorization for the Phase • Revisit the Project Plan and Replan, if Needed • Executive Project Activities • Control Project Activities |
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Closing Phase IV |
• Close Out Project Activities |
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Phase V: Test and Implement Deliverables (Test, refine, produce, and install deliverables) |
Initiating Phase V Planning Phase V
Controlling Phase V Closing Phase V |
• Obtain Authorization for Phase • Revisit the Project Plan and Replan, if Needed • Execute Project Activities • Control Project Activities • Close Out the Project Activities |