SWAT TEAMS

The SWAT team concept is taken from the police response teams that deal with emergency situations. These teams are called special weapons and tactics—hence, SWAT. In project management, SWAT teams are used to create and set up the infrastructure for a new project under the aegis of a project manager. These teams develop and implement plans (e.g., work breakdown structure, schedule), and then a normal project team replaces the SWAT team.

The benefits of using SWAT teams are threefold. One, they can get a project up and running early. Two, they can clarify assumptions and issues early. Three, they can shorten the life cycle of a project. The downsides are that SWAT team members can burn out, and using a SWAT team decreases ownership among the permanent replacements.

for Using SWAT Teams

• Identify specific goals and deliverables for the team.
• Ensure that ownership by client and replacement project team members exists.
• Ensure that the SWAT team documents its efforts.
• Create a smooth transition when passing the project infrastructure from the SWAT team to its successor.
• Ensure that the replacement team understands the output of the SWAT team.