MISSION CONTROLLED THE 5-STEP GUIDE TO PLANNING PROJECTS
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FAIL TO PLAN, PLAN TO FAIL (SO PLAN TO SUCCEED) Nobody launches a new project and intends for it to fail. But time and again projects do fail, for a vast range of reasons.
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For people in charge of projects, big and small, it may seem that the stakes are high, and often they are. But there are ways of stacking the odds in your favour. Among the most important is resisting the very human urge to jump straight in. Good planning is vital for success. In the following pages you’ll discover the five steps that will ensure that your planning hits the mark to deliver successful projects.
RESIST THE VERY HUMAN URGE TO JUMP STRAIGHT IN. GOOD PLANNING IS VITAL FOR SUCCESS
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STEP 1: Create the guiding light
UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE
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So your organisation has spotted a need, perhaps to improve a product or service, or even launch something new. It’s easy to get carried away and jump straight in. But you should stop and ask yourself one simple question: Why? What do I expect to happen after investing considerable time and effort on this? What does success look like? For a sense of this success, you can look back to a wet night in August 2014 in Glasgow. Despite the rain, the thousands of fans who congregated in Scotland’s national stadium, Hampden Park, showed no signs of the weather dampening their spirits. If anything, the roar of the crowds at the final events of the 2014 Commonwealth Games must have given the organisers confidence that the competition was surely a triumph.
As the track dust settled and the jubilation subsided, Scotland’s public funds watchdog, Audit Scotland, stepped in to give its assessment. And it was good. In fact, it was great. Not only were around 1.2 million tickets sold, but, in the end, the Games were also delivered under budget, with £34 million left in the pot. Audit Scotland identified many reasons for the success, but chief among them was that “a shared vision agreed by the strategic partners allowed partners to work towards a common objective”. Whether your project is a colossal celebration of sport or a small product upgrade your starting block will be the same – you’ll need to figure out what you want to achieve.
“A SHARED VISION AGREED BY THE STRATEGIC PARTNERS ALLOWED PARTNERS TO WORK TOWARDS A COMMON OBJECTIVE”
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It may seem obvious that you need to establish your overall objectives, but not everyone is doing it properly, according to survey results published by the Project Management Institute (PMI) in its 2015 report Pulse of the Profession. The PMI looked at the reasons for the projects of its member organisations failing in the previous 12 months. It discovered that the primary reason in 30 per cent of cases was the absence of an adequate vision or goal for the project. Some may call it a vision or a guiding light, but, when you boil them down, they do the same thing. It’s a statement that reflects the core of your idea, and it’s worth spending time crafting this guiding light into something meaningful that reflects the core of your idea in simple language.
This is what will win hearts and minds. But, crucially, it can also be used as a reference for decision making further down the line. Let’s say the chief executive wants the new product you’re working on to include an extra feature, but you think that it isn’t in keeping with the scope of the project. You can simply point to the vision and ask: “Does your request fit with this?”
30 OF PROJECTS FAILED, PRIMARILY DUE TO INACCURATE VISION OR GOALS Source: PMI
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PROJECT TEAM
REASON, NEED, RATIONALE
TIMESCALES
OBJECTIVES
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WHAT TO CONSIDER FOR YOUR GUIDING LIGHT ASSUMPTIONS
KEY REQUIREMENTS
CONSTRAINTS
EXPECTED OUTCOME
Create a guiding light for success Discover how to get started
STEP 2: Capture requirements, expectations and assumptions
DON’T LEAVE ANY STONE UNTURNED
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Ever heard the phrase: “There’s no such thing as a wrong answer”? Well it’s worth bearing that in mind when you’re gathering together information during the planning phase of a project. You’ll need to identify key players in the project and, where possible, get them all together physically or virtually. In reality, getting a full house may not be possible, so you may need to catch up with some people individually. At this point there should be no filter – every point is valid, every idea has a place. Encouraging a free flow of information should be your main goal. And don’t forget to capture expectations and assumptions as well as requirements. You’ll need to manage all of these during the life of the project through effective communication (more on that later).
“EVERY POINT IS VALID, EVERY IDEA HAS A PLACE. ENCOURAGING A FREE FLOW OF INFORMATION IS YOUR MAIN GOAL. AND DON’T FORGET TO CAPTURE EXPECTATIONS AND ASSUMPTIONS AS WELL AS REQUIREMENTS”
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France’s national train operator SNCF certainly knows how it feels to have missed a crucial piece of information after hitting the headlines in 2014. It launched a €15 billion makeover of the country’s regional express trains, which included a fleet of shiny new rolling stock. Any commuters waiting excitedly at platforms for the new carriages to arrive would have been disappointed. It turned out that the trains were delayed – because they were too wide for some 1,300 platforms – which then needed to be ‘shaved’ at a considerable cost to the state.
According to reports from the BBC, the problem was due to the rail operator RFF giving the wrong dimensions to the train company. The measurements were for stations built 30 years ago, but there are plenty more stations that are 50 years old, and they had wider platforms. It’s likely that this could have been avoided with one simple “I should mention...” (or “je dois mentionner”), but that means getting the right people involved. You should create the right environment to encourage people to share, so you can tap into the deep reserve of their collective knowledge and experience.
€15 BILLION FRENCH RAIL OPERATOR SNCF’S INVESTMENT IN NEW TRAINS... WHICH WERE TOO BIG FOR PLATFORMS
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PROTOTYPES
INTERVIEWS
MIND MAPPING
FOCUS GROUPS
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WAYS TO GATHER REQUIREMENTS QUESTIONNAIRES
BRAINSTORMING
GROUP CREATIVITY
FACILITATED WORKSHOPS
Gather your requirements Discover how to get started
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STEP 3: Decide on the deliverables
SORT THROUGH WHAT YOU NEED (AND DON’T NEED) So you’ve gathered a gold mine of information from the people who matter. It’s now time to dig into the information to figure out what’s precious, and what isn’t worth its weight in gold.
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In other words, what do you need to deliver? The simple way of thinking about your deliverables is to take everyone’s requirements and measure them against your vision. You’ll start by taking the wish list, prioritising it and focusing on everything you absolutely need.
And this is a chance to decide on what won’t make the cut. This list of deliverables will give you your project scope. You’ll then need to let your stakeholders know what you’ve decided and why, again using the vision to help justify your decision and to get agreement from all parties. By managing expectations you’ll avoid lengthy confusion at the delivery stage when the CEO is wondering where that exciting idea of theirs went.
“THE SIMPLE WAY OF THINKING ABOUT YOUR DELIVERABLES IS TO TAKE EVERYONE’S REQUIREMENTS AND MEASURE THEM AGAINST YOUR VISION”
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By communicating the scope to the stakeholders, this is also a chance for them to spot any gaps. Despite the best efforts from the best minds in your organisation, some things can be missed, but as you build up an understanding of how the project will develop, those missing links should become more visible. What you’ll be left with is a highly focused scope. It’s something you want to get correct up front before rushing in to kick off the project, and with good reason, according to experienced project manager Dr Andrew Makar, consultant at Tactical Project Management. “A project’s scope has a direct impact on the other two elements of the project’s triple constraint – time and resources,” he said. “If the project team can’t agree to the scope, the other two elements will keep changing despite the project manager’s best intent.”
Imagine the scenario: you’re building the house you’ve imagined for years. You’ve saved just enough to make your dreams a reality. You’ve got plans which have been approved and construction is under way, except you’ve forgotten to add something at the outset. After a bit of head scratching and a cup of tea (or ten) your contractor comes back with a new cost which is wildly more than if it was planned from the start. Your budget’s burst, your bank doesn’t want to know and you end up with a shell of a house without a roof. And you really need a roof.
“A PROJECT’S SCOPE HAS A DIRECT IMPACT ON THE OTHER TWO ELEMENTS OF THE PROJECT’S TRIPLE CONSTRAINT – TIME AND RESOURCES. IF THE PROJECT TEAM CAN’T AGREE TO THE SCOPE, THE OTHER TWO ELEMENTS WILL KEEP CHANGING DESPITE THE PROJECT MANAGER’S BEST INTENT” Dr Andrew Makar, consultant at Tactical Project Management
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PROJECT SCOPE DESCRIPTION PROJECT GOALS & OBJECTIVES
WHAT IS IN SCOPE
PROJECT DETAILS & CHARACTERISTICS
WHAT IS OUT OF SCOPE
PROJECT DELIVERABLES 10
PROJECT BOUNDARIES
SCOPE STATEMENT
PROJECT CONSTRAINTS
DELIVERABLE 1
TIME LIMITATION
DELIVERABLE 2
RESOURCE LIMITATION
DELIVERABLE 3
TECHNICAL LIMITATION CONTRACT LIMITATION
USER ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA PROCESS CRITERIA Develop a scope
Discover how to get started
PROJECT ASSUMPTIONS
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STEP 4: IDENTIFY THE RISKS
PLAN FOR THE BEST, EXPECT THE WORST As the saying goes: hope for the best, but expect the worst. It’s the ‘worst’ part of the equation that you need to spend time assessing.
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Fixating on the negative may not make you a big hit at parties, or anywhere really, but it will give you a chance to put measures in place to help reduce that risk, whether that’s having some form of insurance or backup plan. You’ll have to think about the risks from inside and outside your organisation and understand their potential impact – ranging from small knocks to the timetable to cataclysmic changes in the marketplace that makes your project irrelevant.
“IDENTIFYING RISK STILL ISN’T SECOND NATURE FOR EVERYONE MANAGING PROJECTS”
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For example, it’s worth keeping a watchful eye on the ‘enemy within’. Are there cultural issues in your organisation or even office politics that could throw a spanner in the works? The day-to-day risks could range from recruitment delays to a lack of training on new technologies. And then there are the bigger issues that you’ll need to keep in view, such as the possibility of funding drying up or suppliers not delivering on time. And you may even want to think about the impact of global catastrophes, such as Ebola outbreaks or hurricanes, if your project relies on areas of the world where these are possibilities. According to the PMI’s 2015 Pulse of the Profession report, of the projects that failed in the last 12 months 30 per cent were due to opportunities
and risks not being properly defined. You would have thought that, over time, the value of identifying project risks would have been more widely embedded, but actually the reverse is happening. The report points out that “64 per cent of organisations report the frequent use of risk management practices, down from a high of 71 per cent in 2012”. It goes on to say that: “83 per cent of high performers report frequent use of risk management practices, compared to only 49 per cent of low performers.” In other words, identifying risk still isn’t second nature for everyone managing projects.
83 OF HIGH PERFORMERS REPORT FREQUENT USE OF RISK MANAGEMENT PRACTICES Source: PMI
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PROJECT RISKS
TECHNICAL
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TECHNOLOGY
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
INTERNAL
EXTERNAL
RESOURCES
VENDORS
TEAM
PERFORMANCE
ATTITUDE
SUPPLIERS
SCHEDULE
RELIABILITY
AVAILABILITY
REGULATORY
METHODS
QUALITY
EXPERIENCE
CUSTOMER TEAM
EQUIPMENT
COMPLEXITY
KNOWLEDGE
FUNDING
TOOLS
EDUCATION
MARKET
FUNDING DEPENDENCIES CULTURE PLAN MANAGEMENT Plot out the risks Discover how to get started
ENVIRONMENT
STEP 5: Communicate clearly throughout
KEEP THE PEOPLE WHO MATTER IN THE LOOP
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For anyone in doubt about the value of crystal clear communication at the start and throughout the life of a project, here’s one sobering fact – one out of five projects fail due to ineffective communications, according to PMI’s Pulse of the Profession report. To have a fighting chance of success, the most crucial information you’ll want to communicate with stakeholders is the scope – what you are planning on delivering.
And you’ll want to keep them in the loop regularly. Their involvement can help you make the right decisions, so you can ultimately deliver a successful project. You’ll also have to make sure that you are bringing as much clarity to your communications as possible, and pitch the right level of detail to the right stakeholder.
1 IN 5 PROJECTS FAIL DUE TO INEFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS Source: PMI
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HI GH P OWER
• KEEP SATISFIED • DON’T BORE WITH MESSAGE • KEEP INFORMED
• FULLY ENGAGED • GREATEST EFFORT TO SATISFY • MANAGE CLOSELY
PROJECT STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATION PLAN
L OW P OWE R
• MONITOR (MINIMUM EFFORT) • DO NOT EXCESSIVELY COMMUNICATE
L OW I N T E R E S T Plan your communications Discover how to get started
• GIVE ADEQUATE INFORMATION • ENSURE NO MAJOR ISSUES ARISE • HELP WITH THE DETAIL OF THE PROJECT • KEEP INFORMED
HI GH I N TER ES T
THE 5-STEP GUIDE TO PLANNING SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS STEP 1.
Understand why this project is needed and create a guiding light so everyone can work toward a common goal.
STEP 2.
Identify and involve the right people and comprehensively gather their requirements, expectations and assumptions. Encourage a free-flow of information from stakeholders so you don’t miss a thing.
STEP 3.
Take the wish list from stakeholders and measure it against the vision to determine what the project needs to deliver (the scope). Agree it with your stakeholders.
STEP 4.
Take the time to find out the risks to your project. Involve your stakeholders to draw from their collective knowledge. Look at internal, external, technical and project management risks.
STEP 5.
Communicate with stakeholders with the right frequency and at the right level throughout planning and beyond to get information, spot gaps and get agreement on everything from the vision to the scope.
Create the guiding light
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Capture requirements, expectations and assumptions
Decide on the deliverables
Identify the risks
Communicate clearly throughout
HIT THE LAUNCH BUTTON Discover how to get started
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REFERENCES So you’ve read our highlights of news stories and reports in the previous pages and want to learn more? Here’s our sources: Well done to Commonwealth Games. Audit Scotland gives its assessment www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/docs/central/2015/nr_150312_commonwealth_games_third.pdf
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The Project Management Institute sheds light on the reasons for project failures, and the adoption of risk identification in its 2015 report Pulse of the Profession: Capturing the value of project management www.pmi.org/~/media/PDF/learning/pulse-of-the-profession-2015.ashx Oops. There’s trouble on the railtracks in France. New trains are too wide for platforms, reports The Telegraph www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/10845789/French-rail-company-order-2000-trains-too-wide-for-platforms.html The Project Management Institute points out the value of good communications for project success in the 2013 report The high cost of low performance: the essential role of communications www.pmi.org/~/media/PDF/Business-Solutions/The-High-Cost-Low-Performance-The-Essential-Role-of-Communications.ashx
This guide © MindGenius Ltd 2015
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PLAN FOR PROJECT SUCCESS Make the complex simple with MindGenius, an intuitive planning tool for people who manage projects. Capture and organise your project needs to create a plan that works, present it effectively to get the people who matter on board and control your project through to a successful completion. For projects, it’s the start of something special. www.mindgenius.com/plan