Jim Vaughan, in the IT Project Management Blog, also asks (from a much more informed perspective of course) why so many projects with a project plan are failing? His explanation is that too many project managers will open up their slick & sophisticated PM tools and start entering tasks, since the task list is the first thing they will see. This process is a more bottom-up approach (or inside-out, as he says).
His solution to this problem:
...is not the tool but rather the methodology that the PM chooses to use for the development the project plan. The best way that I have found to do this is to gather the technical experts together in a large room with a blank wall. Together, under the leadership of the project manager, using sticky notes, create the WBS from the top down on the blank wall. From there the data can be entered into the tool of choice. This methodology will produce a much more effective plan.
Agreed, that working together with the experts will lead to much more accurate and reliable project plan, but let's not discount the advantage that a powerful project management and collaboration system can give the project leader in setting up and maintaining the plan throughout the project. With web based project management software where all team members can log in and collaborate on each task in the project, the project plan will no longer be something that one person maintains in their own little bubble (like I used to, back in my MS Project days). With a system that allows team members to estimate their tasks in ranges and add new tasks once issues crop up or new challenges arise, the project plan will continuously be relevant.
So, take Jim Vaughan's good advice in building your next project plan, but make sure when you do that you are using a project management tool (albeit somewhat slick) that will allow you to keep your experts engaged and connected throughout the project.
4 comments:
"...keep your experts engaged and connected throughout the project."
Very true! Far too many PMs hide behind their charts and projections hoping reality matches the schedule. I completely agree that engaging the experts is a must.
Thanks for the post.
Think about a Plan as the Strategy for the successful completion of the project. This strategy describes the process flow for increasing the maturity of the products or services.
The Plan is different from the Schedule. The Schedule is the sequence of the work needed to increase the maturity of the product or service.
http://www.slideshare.net/galleman/deliverables-based-planning-in-a-nut-shell-v2-3
Is a short overview of "deliverables" based planning.
I favor the point that having a right planning methodology, rather than using right technical tool, is critical success factor for projects. Tools are important, certainly, but using a tool without methodology is dangerous, too, if that tool distract project team from focusing on real project problems,
I have a post in my blog about project planning, http://pmreviews.org/2010/06/18/do-you-really-plan-your-project/ , there I suggest one more reason while sometimes beautiful plans cannot help projects go well.
nobody else on my team could easily view or work with my project file because they didn't have project installed and weren't comfortable working with it anyway.
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