Build Project Management Skills

PROBLEM: 

We don’t have project management skills in house. How do we get this project done now, while learning how to do future projects ourselves? 

SOLUTION: 

• Learn project management through workshops and shadowing;  

• Bring in an experienced project manager who also teaches and designs project management organizations.  

• Identify a core group of staff who will manage projects in future and have them shadow the experienced project manager throughout the five project phases  

• Allow staff to participate in workshops along the way to learn the methodology and design it for future projects 

• Initiate;  

• Define the problem this project is meant to solve  

• Define alternative solutions to the problem 

• Identify stakeholders 

• Define what success looks like for this project and how it will be measured 

• Plan;  

• Consider which project management methodology makes sense for the project type 

• Define the scope, schedule, establish milestones, and budget 

• Document and discuss known project risks, develop mitigation plans accordingly 

• Review the plan with the project sponsor and steering committee to decide whether to move forward 

• Execute; 

• Define the tasks that must be done to reach each milestone  

• Assign responsibilities such as managing costs, schedules, quality, risks, and change 

• Monitor and Control;  

• Validate and manage each project component  

• Document lessons learned then report them to the project sponsor and steering committee 

• Close the project;  

• Review lessons learned 

• Document the project path in a closure report for future reference 

• Celebrate! 

RESULT: 

A well-executed project, a defined and customized project management methodology, and a group of internal project managers prepared for the next project!