PRINCE2 or not PRINCE2

PRINCE2 or not PRINCE2 A guide to effective project management in the higher education sector

Good Practice Series number 41

This is one of a series of Good Practice Guides published by the AUA. Front cover image by Flickr user Nogwater, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0) licence. Š AUA 2015 www.aua.ac.uk AUA National Office The University of Manchester, Sackville Street Building, Sackville Street, Manchester M60 1QD Tel: 0161 275 2063 Email: aua@aua.ac.uk

Written by Dr. Christopher Sarchet

Contents

About the Author

About the Author

3

Introduction

4

Project management methodology: ‘PRINCE2 or not PRINCE2?’

6

Business Caseˡ* (Outcomes* and outputs)

9

Sponsorship or Project Executive*

10

Methodology

11

Resources, planning and management

15

Start and End dates

17

Communications and Engagement

17

Identifying dependencies and actions as appropriate

19

Flexibility

19

Conclusion

20

References

21

Glossary of terms

22

Christopher’s special interest is the professionalisation of administration in higher education and particularly the improvement of the management of change.

Before working in higher education Christopher worked for the Civil Service, Local Government and the Kings Fund as administrator, political advisor and facilities manager.

Christopher has 20 years practical experience of management in higher education both at faculty and central organisational levels at two post ‘92 universities. During this career he has managed and developed customer centred services for faculty administration (including provision of services for the Business and health faculties), fee collection, registration, assessment, and graduation.

He has been responsible for managing:  Reorganisations  Introducing new software systems and processes  Development and implementation of new policies and processes  A review of Undergraduate and Postgraduate Curriculum  A Review of Research  The development of Student and Staff Charters He has Participative Process Review practical experience having worked with SUMS to develop the approach to be taken in a University. He is a Project and Programme management professional (Qualified PRINCE 2 Foundation and Managing Successful Programmes Practitioner) with practical experience of their use in a higher education institution.

Author Contact Details: Strategic Programme Office, London Metropolitan University 166-220 Holloway Road, London, N7 8DB Tel: 0207 133 2496 email: c.sarchet@londonmet.ac.uk Cartoons by Dr Christopher Sarchet _________________________________________________________________________________ 1 The use of PRINCE2 manual references can be off putting for some in the higher education sector and this is explored in this Guide. Henceforth an asterix will be used to signify a PRINCE2 reference or term when it is used for the first time. Please see Glossary if confused.

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He is a qualitative researcher and completed a professional doctorate in Business Administration in 2009. His practical thesis ‘Managing in the middle, the practice of managing change in English universities’ led to him establishing the AUA Managing change in higher education themed network (he is the Convenor).

He is a Fellow of the AUA and works as the Director of the Strategic Programme Office at London Metropolitan University.

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register. It should be said that these projects and the people tasked with completing them were not required to follow the restrictions imposed by the demands of modern governments, quality standard authorities or suffer the ‘trial by media’ that can have such an impact today.

Introduction Modern project management has principally developed in the past hundred years to deliver a wide range of benefits including:  complex infrastructure developments such as the Hoover Dam;  defence hardware such as the Polaris inter-continental ballistic missile;  information systems such as the National Health Service patient record system;  and events such as the 2012 London Olympics.

Over this period project tools and techniques have been developed to assist leaders and managers and these really commenced with the development of the Gantt Chart in 1917. This tool has become the personification of project management to some and can, as with many tools and techniques, take over a project if the project manager and the team are not careful. There are software tools that can be used to provide the Chart and manage stages within the project.

There are also project management software packages that can be used to help deliver projects and these are now becoming integrated with other packages that help provide wider possibilities for project managers e.g. cloud based systems. It will not come as a surprise that despite all these developments, including the many changes made to improve programme and project methodologies, many initiatives still fail to realise their benefits.

Within the United Kingdom a review of computing system developments in the mid -1970s led to the development of a project methodology that has evolved into PRINCE2. This initiative came about due to the realisation that public sector information technology projects were not delivering on time, within budget, to scope or of a sufficient quality. Since the launch of PRINCE2 there have been further developments including Agile and the recognition that any project methodology should be adapted to the environment in which it is deployed.

Prior to the twentieth century major projects were completed without the use of PRINCE2, Agile or a Gantt chart. The pyramids of Giza, Stonehenge, the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal and the Suez Canal were all completed without reference to a business case, project management, a ‘scrum²’ or the development of a risk ___________________________________________________________________ 2 A ‘Scrum’ is a process framework for Agile, a widely-used term that refers to a team collaboration on a complex task

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Now there is real pressure to succeed placed upon the person(s) responsible for delivering a project and this is compounded by the need to ensure stakeholders are satisfied throughout the life of the project. Add to this the particular challenge of leading and supporting a project in the higher education sector and you have a real challenge. Nevertheless successful project management in higher education is achievable and can be a very rewarding enterprise if you are flexible, cunning, have good organisational and communication skills and can persevere. This Good Practice Guide provides the learning from the practical experience of managing projects in the University Sector in the United Kingdom and has been informed by colleagues attending the Managing Change in Higher Education themed network events on project management.

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Project Management Methodology If your institution has adopted a project management methodology and it has a track record of success then you should use it. One project management method and its adaptation is not necessarily better than another and one that has a track record of success and is known to the institution is particularly valuable. PRINCE2 has the added benefit of being a well-known project methodology and has the advantage of being updated and adapted from the learning from its practical use as part of its continued development (this is always a useful guide to potential success). Additionally PRINCE2 has been used in the higher education sector in the United Kingdom in a wide variety of institutions to achieve a variety of benefits including:    

infrastructure (i.e. buildings and services); new processes; introduction and development of new Information Technology (IT) systems; and customer care initiatives

Despite this positive suggestion there is, as with any business methodology used in the sector, a health warning. This provides the rationale for this Good Practice Guide.

A business methodology should only be used (and the associated terminology) if it is defined, understood and has practitioners who know what they are doing. The learning from experience here is that many in the sector may claim they have a working knowledge of project management or, indeed, expertise and yet misunderstand terms and processes. This is in part due to the plethora of terms that can be used and appear to have the same meaning for people e.g. aims, benefits*, deliverables, milestones, objectives, outputs, outcomes, targets etc. The advice here is for the project manager or person responsible to draft a guide that can be used to help ensure clarity is maintained (see Section 5, Methodology). This Guide has been put together with the objective of using terms in a consistent manner but if in doubt please check the glossary (see page 23).

From experience it is useful to bear in mind that the tenets of success for change are also pertinent for the success of project management. These have been identified and refined by John Kotter since the publication of his book, Leading Change (1996). He thereafter founded Kotter International which has a useful website that provides the latest guidanceᶟ: ______________________________________________________________________ 3 http://www.kotterinternational.com/the-8-step-process-for-leading-change/

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   

There is a sense of urgency; A group is available that has power and ‘energy’ to lead and support change; There is a strategic vision to guide the change; There are people who are willing to drive the change; 7

   

Obstacles to the change can be removed; Short term goals can be achieved and celebrated; Use measures to increase speed of change e.g. reinvigorate with new initiatives during life of the project; Clearly define success and new behaviours.

There are also the benefits of the learning from the experience of project managers who have worked in the sector to bear in mind and this includes:  Ensuring the business case and the benefits (outcomes and outputs) are clearly defined;  Sponsorship is clear;  Ensuring the methodology does not take over and become too administratively burdensome;  Resources, planning and management (including appointing a project manager who ideally has experience of delivering projects in the higher education sector);  Clarity of start and end dates;  A clear communications plan and the means to provide reports on progress (this to include an engagement process to support the project as the higher education environment requires a collegial⁴ approach to decision making);  Identifying dependencies and actions as appropriate;  And a willingness to be flexible and yet strong when required (part of a good project manager’s skill set).

This learning’s order has been changed many times during consultations with the Managing change in higher education network and during the process of drafting the Guide. It has been developed on a priority basis. Nevertheless it should be noted that the list is not a finite one and not necessarily a universally agreed one as colleagues in the sector may add other issues such as, for example: risk management; change control; and training. These colleagues may well also order them in a different priority order.

The ability to critically self-reflect on project methods and, more importantly, personal skills and ask for feedback is a useful attribute to have and one that improves performance. However there is a problem and that is having the time and space to do this formally is problematic. The opportunity to review and learn from evaluating projects in the sector identifying lessons learnt is limited. This is because the project manager is invariably working on more than one project and pressures of work and ______________________________________________________________________ 4 A Collegial approach to decision making is one where the college i.e. the community is engaged.

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time limit this important aspect of process improvement. The formality of ‘Closing a project*’ in PRINCE2 terms is also not always followed as handover and review as a formal process may not be conducted as in the ‘manual’.

From the experience of using PRINCE2 in modern universities⁵ for projects ranging from developing a new process for timetabling (and inputting new software) to reviewing the undergraduate offer there are serious lessons that can be learnt and I have included them in throughout this Guide to help colleagues. The ability as a project manager to receive criticism for being a project manager and accept cynical comments concerning a particular method and whether it can be applied to achieve change or, indeed, anything is a very useful attribute to have when working in the higher education sector. Not everyone will be a PRINCE2 zealot and an effective project manager should be able to ‘step outside the manual’ and be prepared to be called a PRINCE2 ‘nerd’.

An important point to note at this point is that the learning added throughout the guide based upon practice are my reflections on the programmes and projects.

Other stakeholders* that have been involved in these activities will hold different views as to the issues identified and the reflections on learning. That is an additional challenge for any project manager* working in any sector and that is it is not always clear what can be claimed to be a success and reviews can be very subjective and even emotive. This makes the task of assessing benefits achieved problematic.

Business Case* (outcomes* and outputs) Establishing the business case i.e. the rationale for the project, its outcome, benefits* and products (henceforth to be called outcomes and outputs) is an important activity that should not be underestimated in terms of its importance.

Time spent on this aspect of the project will be rewarded as stakeholders will have different views on the outcomes and the outputs throughout the life of the project and, of course, outputs and the environment will change. It is important to be clear at this point about terminology. An outcome might be to increase the National Student Survey (NSS) institution average satisfaction with course from 85% to 90% in three years while an output for this project may well be to develop a web based timetabling system and process for the University for the coming ___________________________________________________________________ 5 Modern university is an institution in the United Kingdom that has been granted university 9 status post 1992.

academic year (thereby improving course organisation and management which forms part of the Survey). The outcome and outputs need to be documented and recorded and specifications agreed with the Sponsor and key stakeholders (both users* and suppliers* of outputs).

Ideally the process of agreeing outputs should include a ‘signing off’ as the output may include a specification or scope and in these circumstances it is always better to agree these to avoid the dreaded ‘scope creep’ (where a project appears to grow in terms of its expected outcome and objectives during the project). In the case of a technical specification it is important to involve experts as a project manager may not have the skill to write a software specification for an information services department, professional or supplier. The ‘signing off’ or approval in this case is very important as the delivery of a new software solution can be problematic especially if there are a number of options available on the market. The ‘signing off’ protects staff involved in the process, especially the project manager.

When scoping the outcomes and outputs ensure you and the sponsors are not overly ambitious and remember the value of piloting and evaluating prior to a full implementation. Choosing where a pilot will be conducted is an important process as departments, staff and students may be in short supply. A cautious approach may be sensible as a key process may materially impact upon services and student and staff satisfaction. A mistake can lead to damage that may take years to repair and people have a long memory.

Sponsorship or Project Executive* An important project management pre requisite regardless of sector is to have a senior member of staff to sponsor or lead the project (the Executive). Ideally this person should have project management knowledge and experience. They do not need to have led or project managed a project before although they should be conversant with the project method to be employed, the terminology and the pre requisites for project management success. This can be provided in a briefing provided by the project manager (see section 5). The more senior the better in terms of hierarchy as this will ‘open doors’ for the project manager* and ensure the project is given prominence when it comes to resources and their application i.e. ensuring the project’s products /outputs are given due priority when it comes to dependencies (e.g. are the outputs included in the work plans for professional 10

support departments and if not then can they be persuaded to include them).

A key part of any project is communication and the leadership for this activity can be provided by the sponsor supported and managed by the project manager. The gravitas that a senior member of staff can bring to communications should not be underestimated although there is a warning here as a miscommunication can put impact upon project. An example here concerns convincing staff on the benefits of changing a process e.g. saving staff time so they can work on more important administration as opposed to a sponsor who suggests that it is part of a staff cost cutting exercise. Effective communication can be augmented with the use of professionals e.g. press office and internal communications professionals.

The project to review the undergraduate offer in a modern university had, as its sponsor, the Vice Chancellor. This proved to be particularly useful as staff were keen to be involved and resources were provided without hesitation. An unforeseen drawback was the suggestion from some colleagues that the process of review was a facade as the Vice Chancellor had a pre conceived view of what he wanted and could have saved time by just imposing this on the institution. As always there are pros and cons with any method or organisation.

Methodology As previously acknowledged above, see section 2, there is not ‘best in class’ project methodology that has a better track record for success in the higher education sector than any other. The methodology adopted should be one that has a track record of success for the institution and/or has been adapted for use in the University. One area that needs to be considered however is the fact that as with any change methodology the method can take over and be an administrative burden if care is not exercised. Staff and students can also be put off by over use of project and business terms with acronyms being a real problem. If this is not carefully managed the process can be all consuming and it can appear that a ‘club’ of project nerds and cognoscenti are the only ones who know what is going on.

A useful exercise that can be conducted is the provision of a programme or project methodology briefing/document for the institution. The production of this document should be considered even if you are using an established method.

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The focus of the briefing document and the methodology should be on the end i.e. the emphasis should be firmly on simplicity and decreasing administrative needs and clarifying the process. Ideally there should be sections that include (with some suggested text):

d. e. f. g.

Management by defined stages Management by exception Focus on outputs (products) Ensure method is developed to suite institution.

The use of the cloud for managing the ProjectDover projects has been established to limit the bureaucracy, increase effectiveness and improve communications.

Effective project management requires⁷: a. b. c. d. e.

f. g. h.





Executive summary: The purpose of ProjectDover is to provide a methodology adapted from good practice to deliver the University’s Student Experience improvement programme.

Background: The methodology is based upon PRINCE2 (PRojects IN Controlled Environments) which is a process-based method for effective project management and Managing Successful Programmes (MSP).



ProjectDover: Programme and project organisation and process

a.

Outline the Programme Board structure, membership and meeting schedule.

Provide the business case, outcomes and outputs (with a clear indication of the means to measure them), a clear identification of resources to be used, time spans (i.e. start and end dates), risks and issue resolution process⁸. (a and b form what is known as the PRINCE2 Project Initiation Document⁹)

b.

___________________________________________________________________

As with PRINCE2 the principles⁶ are: a.

A focus on continued business justification b.

Learn from experience c.

Defined roles and responsibilities ____________________________________________________________________ 6 The seven PRINCE2 principles.

Clearly defined outputs and the methods/means to achieve them (How and What); A timeline with start and finish dates as well as milestones for outputs that can be measured and evaluated (When); Resources that include project management, budget and necessary support for achieving objectives; An institution wide understanding of the project management outcomes, outputs and methods including terminology; An effective issue and risk management methodology that may enables issued and risks to be identified and mitigated (this may be by escalating to relevant senior manager and/or Programme Board); A regular review and reporting method to monitor progress; A communication plan to facilitate delivery; And a post project review process to identify good practice and issues for improvement to systems and processes.

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7 The themes of PRINCE2: the aspects of project management that need to be addressed throughout the project e.g. How benefits, risks, scope, quality and cost are established and managed.

8 This effectively is the PRINCE2 ‘Initiating a Project Process’.

9 The project manager should consider the seven PRINCE2 processes here: Starting a Project; Directing a Project; Initiating a project; managing a stage Boundary; Controlling a Stage; Managing Product Delivery; and Closing a Project. The advice here is to keep it simple.

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Provide templates that will be used (see figures 1 and 2).

Provide information on communication and engagement plan.

Provide contact details of project office (i.e. where to get further information).

For those unfamiliar with PRINCE2 who are tasked with being involved in a project using the methodology the recommendation is to refer to the AXELOS website ˡ⁰and review the PRINCE2 publications under ‘Case Studies and White Papers’. This will provide the enquirer with the benefits of the method and the knowledge that it comprises a set of seven principles, seven processes and seven themes. The review of the methodology recommended here will enable the project manager to consider how the institution will use them and the process model for managing a project. If you are going to use the method then a PRINCE2 course may be more useful (i.e.

Foundation or Practitioner level). The briefing outline suggested on pages 13 to 15 highlight the important elements that may be useful for a methodology that can be used in a higher education establishment in the United Kingdom for projects that are not software or estates developments i.e. they could be used for engaging with academic departments to help them achieve project outcomes such as a review of undergraduate education or improving the student experience.

Access to the resources required to deliver the project is very important. An assessment of the budget required with the input of expertise depending on the outputs is a necessary part of the planning process. This may include judgements on estimated costs that should include some tolerances as it is better to overestimate budgets rather than underestimate them. An important aspect to include is the cost of staff and this should include the cost of project support including the services of the project manager and accommodation e.g. office accommodation as well costs of room hire for meetings etc. The services of an experienced project manager should be included in the resources and ideally the experience includes a track record of delivering projects in the higher education sector.

“There’s only two things you can start without a plan: a riot and a family, for everything else you need a plan” Groucho Marx The resources and their deployment in achieving the delivery of outputs requires careful planning, agreement and monitoringˡ². A project will not be successful without a planning stage and this may include the development of the Project Initiation Document or its equivalent (see a and b on pages 14 and 15) and a Gantt Chart. The complexity of documentation depends on the project. An example of a useful Gantt Chart is provided in Figure 1. It should be noted that a project

Many observers have reported that the higher education sector has problems with the use of business methods and terminology as it is not always felt to be applicable by some staff. Issues raised concern the suggestion that the sector is not a business and students are not to be viewed as ‘customers’ or ‘consumers’. The unwary project manager needs to be aware of this issue when meeting with stakeholders.

Redefining terms and ensuring there is an understanding and an appreciation of the sector’s differences and, indeed, the institution’s culture is an important issue to be addressed. An effective project manager should be able to interpret terms and use appropriate language to help guide all staff in the right direction. In some respect this is emotional intelligenceˡˡ and an effective project manager will conduct homework to ensure such issue do not arise. It may be better to call some meetings groups rather than ‘scrums’ even if they serve the same purpose.

Resources, planning and management 10 https://www.axelos.com/case-study-and-white-paper-search 11 Emotional intelligence is a term used to describe the ability to recognise emotions and use information to guide thinking and behaviour.

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12 This forms party of the PRINCE2 ‘Starting Up a Project’ process.

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term of the project. It is important to keep a record of issues and risks during this exercise as they may arise during this phase and the means to address them may also be identified.

Figure 1 Example of high level Project Gantt Chart

manager may require different levels of Gantt Chart for different purposes i.e. a high level Gantt Chart may be useful for meetings where as a more detailed one may be useful for planning purposes. There have been projects where sponsors request a Gantt Chart to reassure them that planning is taking place and the project is on track.

Time spent planning and agreeing the plans is invaluable and will be repaid over the

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In the project plan ensure there are regular meetings of the project team and include meetings with the project sponsor. A set agenda for these meetings is good practice where reports are provided and issues and risks that arise are discussed. Regular reviews of progress should also be factored in where fundamental questions concerning the expected outcome and outputs should be asked i.e. will the project still provide the expected outcome and is the output on track and to plan AND still expected to provide the benefit. Add to this a general overview of how well the project is performing, a health check which can be provided in the form of a traffic light system: Red/Amber of Green.

In managing a programme or project it is important to establish the means to report on progress and identify issues that need to be addressed. An effective tool that can now be employed is a cloud based reporting tool with open access to all with editing rights to enable progress reports to be made (an example is provided

Figure 2 Example of cloud based project management report tool

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in Figure 2). This enables information on the project to be accessed by all stakeholders* thereby improving communication and engagement.

Start and End dates Clarification and agreement on the start and end dates is not always as simple as it sounds. There will be some stakeholders who will want the outcomes and outputs of a project within an unrealistic period. A new process such as application for a course on line may be needed within a matter of weeks when the work required to ensure the process conforms to system development and compliance legislation may require more careful planning, development and testing. There will always be tensions when it comes to development and delivery. A wise project manager will advise testing and piloting new systems and processes prior to widespread launch to ensure issues which are unforeseen can be addressed. This will impact of delivery and end dates but may be worth considering as a rushed new process will create problems in terms of perception of quality if delivery dates are rushed and staff or students receive a poor service as a result. A new timetabling system that has not been sufficiently tested may have teething problems that are unforeseen i.e. important course information missing because the data fields are not large enough and this will seriously affect the student experience and student satisfaction.

Communications and Engagement Change and project management require effective communication and engagement.

This is especially so in the higher education sector. The learning from experience suggests that you can never get this aspect absolutely right as there is no right way other than to develop a plan that is based upon openness and honesty and ensure that you reflect back on your understanding to get clarity. It is better to ask than to persevere under a misunderstanding as this will inevitably cause problems in the future. A statement attributed to George Bernard-Shaw has particular resonance here (although there is no evidence to suggest he wrote or said it!): “The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.�

objective of transferring administration from academic staff to professional support staff was in the evaluation stage. The project manager was bewildered when he received a response to a survey that indicated one of the key members of staff involved responded by indicating he had never heard of the project.

There are warnings here as some stakeholders will never be satisfied with the communication and engagement process if it means that they do not get what they want. Some staff may also use the process for overtly political ends as they request the openness and honesty to include responses to the issues they raise. They may even engage in the process to ensure time runs out and the project never delivers as planned. This can be particularly so when a project concerns restructuring. It is not unknown for disaffected staff to attempt to derail the proposed changes by requesting more consultation and/or demands of stakeholders to be taken into account that suggest changes are unrealistic and not practical.

An issue here that is quite pertinent to project management is version control and the need to ensure documents have a relevant reference number and date. As with all things this should not necessarily takeover the administration as some templates that have been created will be horrifying to some members of staff. A common sense approach is required e.g. V1.0 and date will suffice and email trail evidence of the list of stakeholders that have received the version rather than a complicated template table that can be off putting and bureaucratic.

Identifying Dependencies and Actions as Appropriate Dependencies for a project include all the relevant aspects that will impact on the outcome and outputs. An example would be a new customer/student relationship management system which will have dependencies identified that includes: the specification for the timetabling system’s requirements; IT resource to support development; Business analysis support; And procurement process requirements.

These dependencies will impact the project in terms of delivery as an assessment of dependencies may require a revision of the timescale for development and implementation if, for example, the procurement requirements require a tender process to be conducted.

A project that was established as a pilot in a modern university in England with the 18

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Flexibility “As we know there are known knowns. There are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns. That is to say, we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, the ones we know we don’t know” Donald Rumsfield (former United States Secretary of State for Defence) .

Project management in a higher education institution is challenging, interesting and a very rewarding activity. There is plenty of evidence to suggest that projects can be well managed and deliver significant outcomes whether they be new campuses, new processes or revised organisational structures. The satisfaction gained from seeing a

Flexibility is an important personal attribute for anyone who has the responsibility for delivering or supporting a project especially as there are always ‘unknown unknowns’ that may become known later! A good project manager will plan or provide for these and input change as required.

The project support required may also be anything from arranging meetings, taking notes to drafting work plans or specifications and ensuring the project runs to time.

Projects can be highly complex beasts that require a wide variety of skills and tools to ensure they are being choreographed to the score required. The analogy of a musical here is useful as the musicians and performers (among the myriad of resources) all have to come together in harmony and to time in order for the performance to be staged as planned. This will provide an outcome that is the performance and the audience may have a wide variety of views as to the quality of the show. This makes the exercise a complex one as there is no single way to ensure a success and there is interpretation and flexibility required as inputs and outputs are delivered. A rehearsal may suggest a change in plan is required and the project manager may need to address this and alter their ideas and the will of others.

The ability to stop and reflect upon the current phase of the project and issues needs to be built into any project as working environments and their needs change over time and a project commenced with an output that is a response to a need may change. The art that is required here makes this a difficult one to define and teach.

This is an acknowledged problem as project management, leadership theory and practice may be identified. These subjects may be taught although it is the skills and personal attributes required that may be more practically difficult to learn and acquire.

Conclusion 20

project through to completion and it receiving positive feedback is really rewarding.

Some institutions will use off the shelf project methodologies for projects quite successfully while others will adapt and/or use other change methodologies to achieve their objectives.

From experience the most important and difficult project management task in higher education is the identification of a project’s benefits and the means to measure them.

A diligent approach that seeks agreement on this important process 21 (known as ‘benefits realisation*’) will be rewarded when the project has

been completed. This is problematic as, for example, a project that aims to improve retention of students, will experience problems when an attempt is made to attribute any improvement in the metrics directly to the project. The project manager should use the institution’s planning and/or registry staff to help this process.

The advice is for individuals who wish to be successful is to develop themselves with critical reflection on their abilities and skills. A project manager who is an expert in administration and IT, is an effective communicator and is a completer/finisher will be well placed to succeed if they continually review and check progress and press senior managers for clarifications when required. Ensure you ask for feedback at every opportunity on your abilities and skills.

Finally, make sure you use the Managing change in higher education network to see if colleagues have managed similar projects and even ‘google’ issues and themes when appropriate. There is now so much more information available at the end of a ‘Qwerty’ keyboard search.

References

Glossary of Terms Term

Definition/Meaning

Agile

Closing a project

A project methodology that focusses on unpredictable occurrences and their management The positive outcomes that a project is being undertaken to deliver One of 8 PRINCE2 processes

Gantt Chart

A type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule or timeline

Initiating a Project Process Outcome Output

The activities project manager must lead to establish the project on a ‘sound foundation’.

The totality of what the project was set up to deliver e.g. Improve Student Satisfaction by x% in three years A Product in PRINCE2 terms eg new timetabling software

PRINCE2

(PRojects IN Controlled Environments)

Product

Output from a project: please note maybe a source of some confusion here as the methodology that is provided in this Guide using Outputs rather than products and PRINCE2 identifies management products (those developed as part of the management of the project) and specialist products (those that make up the final deliverable).

Governance control of programme or project -

Benefits

Axelos https://www.axelos.com/case-study-and-white-paper-search Project/ Programme Board Project Executive

Kotter, JP (1996), Leading Change, Harvard Business Review Press Kotter International http://www.kotterinternational.com/the-8-step-process-forleading-change/

Project Initiation Document (PID)

Office of Government Commerce (2005), Managing Successful projects with PRINCE2, TSO Information and Publishing Solutions

Project Manager Scrum

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Senior member of staff who chairs the project board ultimately responsible for the project The PRINCE2 document that includes an overall project plan and defines the six project performance targets of: time; cost; quality; scope; risk; and benefits.

Member of staff responsible for the day to day business of the project A Scrum in project management is a team based activity used to develop a complex task. A Scrum is used to build a product or output and is usually a team with fixed time points.

Stakeholder

Parties with an interest in the project or its outcome.

Supplier

The group(s) responsible for the supply of the product(s) of the project.

The person(s) who will use the final product (or deliverable in PRINCE2 speak).

User