| Over the last few years there has been
| |
| | even programme ). This isn't to say that
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| much emphasis on project management
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| | software project managers need to know
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| methodologies such as Prince2. The
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| | how to programme for example; but if for
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| introduction and roll out of these
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| | instance they don't understand the
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| structured techniques helps set
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| | difference between representative and
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| expectations amongst the wider community
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| | unrepresentative test harnesses for unit
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| about what the project manager will do,
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| | testing then the system integration could
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| and the manner in which communication
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| | be appallingpainful.
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| will take place.
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| | The team obviously have a vital role to
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| For instance the project stakeholders
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| | play but the team can feel inhibited from
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| will not be surprised to see a project
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| | telling their boss that he or she is
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| manager having a set of documents
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| | wrong. Even if the message is delivered
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| including
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| | it can be discounted, or confused with a
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| ¨ Business Case,
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| | lack of discipline. Independents can play
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| ¨ Project Initiation Document,
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| | a valuable role uncovering these and
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| ¨ Product flow chart
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| | other challenges that the project may
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| ¨ Product descriptions
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| | face.
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| ¨ Highlight reports
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| | Quite apart from the challenges that
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| ¨ Risk Log.
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| | arise from the need to define management
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| The development of the standard processes
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| | deliverables there are often serious
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| is obviously helpful as these, together
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| | issues with the estimates and assumptions
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| with standard templates for the documents
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| | made as part of specialist deliverables
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| used, help many project issues to be
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| | that are to be delivered through the
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| anticipated and worked around. In order
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| | project. These assumptions are of
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| to be credible the methodologies need to
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| | critical significance to the whole
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| cope with the most complex situations
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| | project and often need a detailed
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| (e.g. Building the Olympic venues for
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| | technical and business review to bring
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| London 2012)
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| | them to light. The technical staff within
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| The size and scope of some of the methods
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| | a project may not be aware their
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| can give rise to serious issues as the
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| | interpretation of the business
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| project manager seeks to decide which
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| | requirements has embedded unsafe
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| elements from the methodology can be
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| | assumptions.
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| treated as optional and tries to
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| | Examples of some unsafe assumptions that
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| downscale the approach to smaller
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| | the author has uncovered during past
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| projects. The level of detail or the
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| | project reviews are:
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| number of stages of plans is all a matter
| |
| | ¨ Expecting the client to synchronize
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| ofjudgement, as is the appropriate
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| | identifiers between systems on a regular
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| membership of a supervisory board within
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| | basis.
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| a Prince2 approach. Sometimes this
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| | ¨ Misunderstanding the speed of response
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| reduction can be triggered by external
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| | required to support call centre staff
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| time commercial and time pressures with
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| | when designing a complex integration to
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| people asking why you don't stop creating
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| | back office systems.
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| documents and get the team to concentrate
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| | Project reviews
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| on actually producing something; but it
| |
| | More recently much attention has been
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| can also be decided by the personnel
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| | given to 'gateway reviews'. In the UK the
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| available to provide the supervisory
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| | OGC have published a gateway review
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| roles and structures envisaged.
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| | process that organisations may have
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| The project manager and the team
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| | adopted. It is worth recognising,
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| The role of the project manager and the
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| | however, what these reviews do well, and
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| team in making sure that the documents
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| | what they omit. The reviews focus on
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| and controls are of appropriate quality
| |
| | 'buy' rather than 'build', and they ask
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| can also sometimes be given insufficient
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| | whether the project management controls
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| attention.
| |
| | are working and the project will deliver
|
| ¨ It is difficult to know when a risk
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| | the benefits to its stakeholder
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| log is complete. This log is sometimes
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| | community. The reviews do NOT focus or
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| compiled using brainstorming or other
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| | consider which assumptions may make the
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| collaborative techniques, but the obvious
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| | project outputs meaningless. This is
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| need to have few un-mitigated risks can
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| | assumed to be happening as part of the
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| lead to 'game playing'.
| |
| | project management process. A review that
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| ¨ Deciding on the work breakdown
| |
| | actually looks at the real deliverables
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| structure and the product
| |
| | can be valuable to make sure that the
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| interdependencies can be really
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| | project will still deliver something.
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| challenging.
| |
| | Conclusion
|
| As project methodologies have become more
| |
| | So whilst project management methodology
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| prevalent, the author has noticed a
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| | is rightly seen as a means to avoid some
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| tendency for the subject knowledge of
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| | of the more obvious pitfalls that have
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| project managers to be treated by some as
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| | been seen in projects, practioners should
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| less important. The project manager may
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| | be wary of assuming that the adoption of
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| be more of a generalist who understands
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| | a particular methodology will be a
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| the process of project management rather
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| | miracle cure for all projects.
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| than an individual who has experience of
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| | Once the views of the team and other
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| the particular challenges arising from
| |
| | stakeholders have been gathered it is
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| the activities involved ( e.g. software
| |
| | worth getting independent review to
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| development, building an airport ). There
| |
| | assess your plan and the assumptions.
|
| is little substitute for the experience
| |
| | Periodic refresh as the project unfolds
|
| that allows a project manager to judge
| |
| | can be worthwhile, depending on the
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| when a small issue is one that will
| |
| | extent of change experienced during the
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| remain small or could grow into a issue
| |
| | delivery period.
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| threatening the complete project ( or
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| |
|
