Tips in Managing a Successful Project

Projects are temporary undertakings with a definite beginning and end. There are four phases in any successful project: defining, planning, implementing and completing. Successful project management requires a balance of strategy and tactics because it is a composite of financial, technical and human elements. As an information technology consultant, project manager and process improvement analyst employed by global and multinational corporations for several years, I saw through many of my projects to completion, aided by various project management models and tools. Fine. My projects proceeded and completed on time and on budget, but not after working for so many late hours, continually stressed out and feeling harassed.

But how about those instances when even after toiling until the wee hours, I still brought a project late and over-budget? Assuming that there were valid reasons like changes of requirements and new government-related policies, somehow I still found myself analyzing, and often, answering questions like: I did my best with resources I had but how did that project get four months late? Why did I not take that action during the initial project phase? Or, why did I take that action when I should not have? And so on. Familiar?

Following, I’d like to share some tips that saw me through to completion in managing a successful project on time and on budget.

• Define clearly the scope of your project. Your project should be clearly defined in the project plan. State the project objectives that should satisfy the project or business requirements. Be clear on the limitations and scope of the project. Be clear also on assumptions, risks and issues involved.
  
• Identify properly the required resources. Identify and determine all major tasks and required resources, facilities and equipments, time and costs. Ensure that the right people are identified (customers, sponsor, other stakeholders including senior management and customer support) to ensure resources and authority are available. List down existing resources and those you still have to source. Emphasize the correct skill set of the human resources. Plan the use of your resources and set time and cost for each. Establish clear responsibilities, authorities, expectations and measures.
  
• Sustain a balance of ‘process’ and ‘people’ factors. Often, as project manager, we are so busy focusing on the process that we fail to give enough attention to the people players of our project. These people players, aside from our team, are our customers, the project sponsor, and all other stakeholders. The customers and stakeholders need regular updates on progress and the impact on any changes. The sponsor is significant and can break through bureaucracy, obtain resources and assist in high-level commitment. Apparently, your team members have an interest in the success of the project. Develop a work process in place. Aside from policies, you also need standards and procedures to fully identify, define and control the components of your process.
  
• Use tools and techniques. This is necessary to assist in the planning, scheduling and allocation of resources, monitoring and controlling the project progress, and maintaining records and reports. Some techniques and tools are: brainstorming, task breakdown structure, task sheets, time sheets, and other project control tools like monthly reports, milestone reports, Gantt Charts, among others.
  
• Keep responsible team members. By all means, try to keep your best people. Unexpected departure of a team member in the middle of any project life is often disruptive. Your team must have been selected and trained; performance expectations and monitoring explained to them; and responsibility matrix completed which includes checkpoints and deadlines for individual tasks and project steps. Inspire and recognize individual and team efforts. They want to ‘feel’ and ‘see’ how their contributions have made a difference. Empower them!
  
• Apply constant review and evaluation of the project and address all setbacks right away. Set evaluation mechanisms and underscore expected deadlines. In cases where changes in requirements occur, manage the change and don’t let the change manage you.
  
• Communicate regularly with the relevant players. Who are these people in your project? They are your customers, sponsor, project team, and stakeholders. As a project manager, you have to manage communication among all players. This is vital to avoid delays and unnecessary misunderstanding. Without clear and adequate communication, any project for that matter will be rendered ineffective.
  

During the post-implementation review, your project is evaluated for customer satisfaction, timing and resource effectiveness, and your team’s performance. When your project is successful - on time and on budget – have fun. Celebrate.