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Project Management Detail
A Project has a life-cycle, under-pinned by a plan, which is the path and sequence through the various activities defined to produce its products. Project Management is a controlled implementation of the project plan under the direction of the organisation’s senior management. Traditionally, a successful project is one that has delivered its products/services according to the project plan, meeting overall business objectives. Nowadays, project success is seen more and more in terms of delivering projected business benefits or the capability required for benefits delivery within the business. A properly managed project will usually have the following characteristics:
- Senior level sponsorship from within the organisation;
- Strong leadership, accountability and governance arrangements;
- A dedicated project manager;
- A project plan and adequate resources to implement the plan;
- Clear processes for the management of risks, issues, stakeholders, communications and benefits;
- Effective project assurance arrangements (including an assessment of product quality); and
- Well defined reporting structures and clearly understood project scope.
The following are some of the key documents usually associated with a properly managed project:
- A business case justifying the investment and/or proposed changes;
- A project initiation document (PID) setting out the project objectives and the means for achieving them;
- A project plan setting out the main products/services and all associated resources and activities;
- Standards for reporting progress and highlighting issues;
- Registers for recording risks and issues and managing their escalation;
- End project and lessons learned reports (together making up the Project Evaluation Review (EPR); and
- A post project review (PPR) report, independent of the project, reporting estimates against eventual outturns including the extent to which projected benefits have been realised.
Project management methods have been developed to help apply a structured approach to managing projects and to aid successful delivery. In government, PRINCE2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) is an accepted standard. PRINCE2 is now used widely in the private sector both in the UK and internationally for all types of project. A PRINCE2 approach should always be applied to government projects.
Main Project Management roles and responsibilities are illustrated below.
| Roles | Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Project Board | Consists of representatives from both User* and Supplier** sides (representatives with authority to make decisions and commit resources). Chaired by the SRO, the Board has overall accountability for project success |
| Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) | Chair of the Board with overall accountability for the project. Key decision maker responsible for continuation of the business case, project structures and plans, controlling & monitoring progress, problem referral and resolution, formal closure and post implementation review |
| Senior User* | Board member responsible for providing user resources, ensuring project products/services meet user expectations & deliver expected benefits |
| Senior Supplier** | Board member representing the interests of those designing, developing, facilitating, procuring and implementing. Is responsible for the quality of products/services supplied |
| Project Manager | Responsible for day-to-day project management. Given authority (by the Board) to run the project within agreed constraints and for delivery of products/services capable of achieving expected benefits |
| Project Team | Responsible for the production of products/services defined by the project manager within time/cost/quality constraints set by the board. Report directly to the project manager |
| Project Assurance | Owned by the Board but often delegated, must be independent of the project manager. Provides assurance that the project is being properly managed and includes frequent checking of the quality of the project’s products/services |
| Project Support | Role can include administrative help for the project manager and Board but may extend to administration of planning, control and configuration systems. Depending on skills and experience may extend to advice, guidance and limited support on a range of project areas |
