Greetings!
As a parent who has just sent my son off to University for the first time I have been amazed at the patience and organisation we've needed to help him prepare to leave the nest. When I look back on the last few weeks I can see that we have used a lot of core project management techniques which prompted the theme of this month's newsletter - managing projects. |
Considering the project environment
Sometimes when we manage projects we get so involved in ensuring that the project is planned, completed within scope, cost and schedule that we forget about the importance of stakeholders.
If
the real aim is to end up with a project plan that has been successfully implemented, then important
though these criteria are, they are not the ultimate determinants of success. Success
is dependent upon satisfying the key stakeholders, including the project team members.The
test of effective project management is therefore the degree to which the
project objectives have been accomplished on time and within budget to the
satisfaction of the team members and other key stakeholders, such as sponsors and client users.
Stakeholders
may participate in the project in a variety of ways, and
collectively their attitudes, understandings, or particular vested interests,
all contribute to the environment in which a project is created. This
environment can and needs to be managed just as surely as every other aspect of
the project life cycle.
Today a
project manager has to be aware of the cultural, organisational and social
environments of the project. Understanding this environment includes
identifying the project stakeholders and their ability to affect its successful
outcome.
This means working with people to achieve the best results and it is
essential that the project manager is aware of their cultural, organisational
and social surroundings.
PESTLE
analysis is a simple technique which can be used to consider the project in
terms of its external environment. It can help project managers and teams to
identify and understand the external factors which may impact the project now
and in the future. Pestle stands for:
Political - What current or potential political pressures could affect this project?
Economic - How might local, national and world economy trends impact upon this project?
Social- What are the social influences such as cultural norms and expectations?
Technological - How can new and emerging technology help or hinder this project?
Legal- What are the legal implications e.g. employment contracts, health & safety etc?
Environmental - How does this project affect the environment, what best practices do we need to consider?
Our advice is to always build a review of the project environment into your plan so it doesn't get overlooked.
To find our how LCP can help you to develop your managers' project skills - contact us at enquiries@lcp.org.uk.
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The top eight reasons why projects fail
Don't put your head in the sand - review these aspects and plan for them at the beginning of your project.
1. Lack of sponsorship from senior management
Having little or no commitment from senior management can lead to serious obstacles such as insufficient resources or funding.
2. Lack of user involvement
How many times have you been given a system or process that you use every day but have had no input to the design at all? Not involving users throughout the project life cycle can result in poor project definition and resistance to change.
3. Unrealistic times scales
Client and competitor pressure can lead to the need for fast delivery resulting in unrealistic deadlines that will never be met.
4. Poor project definition
Projects are often defined at a high level with vague, general requirements which makes it almost impossible to plan, execute and monitor progress.
5. Scope creep
Scope creep is where the project boundaries change and other aspects get added in making the project scope larger. Being clear about what is included and what is not can help project managers manage their projects within time and budget.
6. Lack of metholodogy
Project methodology provides structure and guidance for project managers and their teams and a lack of structure can lead to missed deadlines and ambiguity about roles and responsibilities.
7. No change control
All projects experience some change during their life cycle and it is therefore vital that there are contingency plans in place and a system for controlling and managing change.
8. Poor testing
Tight deadlines can lead to projects being implemented too soon without adequate acceptance testing by users.
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