Author: Alicia Trelles-Duckett

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How To Onboard Project Resources by Danielle Garza

Guest Post by Danielle Garza

We’ve all been there before. When it has to happen it can be a frustrating process to go through, but it happens to all of us at some point: a highly visible or mission critical project in midstream needs to have one or more key project resources added or replaced. And we all know that how we handle this process on our project and with the client can mean the difference between success and failure on the engagement.

Company resources need to be replaced for a number of reasons. Maybe a key project resource was needed quickly on a new project. Perhaps an employee left the company to accept a job with a competitor. Or it may be a case where an employee was let go from either the company or possibly just the current project due to performance issues. Whatever the reason may be, leadership is now faced with the critical task of onboarding a replacement, earning client acceptance, and getting the new resource up to speed and productive as quickly as possible so the progress on the project isn’t hindered and so the project customer continued to see seamless delivery.

To ensure that this happens, some key steps should be followed. Let’s assess these in detail:

1. Find the replacement.

When it comes to identifying a viable candidate, usually there isn’t a shortage of talent – the key is to find the right talent and ensure they can be available to fill the project role for the duration of the engagement. The last thing you want is to make yet another change farther down the road.

The hope is that you’ve already informed the client that a change is in the works at this point. If not, this happens to be an appropriate time to do a quick introduction of the new project team member to the client. Give the client a summary of the new team member’s experience and background, as well as identify the key experience that makes them a qualified member of this team for this project. The goal is to instill as much confidence in the client as possible.

2. Transfer knowledge.

Secondarily, perform as much knowledge transfer as you possibly can to the new team member. The best source of information for the onboarding resource is obviously the outgoing team member, however a call on the entire project team to bring the resource up to speed during an internal team meeting will suffice. And supply the new resource with the latest project info including the latest project status report, the latest project schedule, the current issues list, and the statement of work and kickoff materials from the start of the project. They need to know the status of projects, what they will be held responsible for, and what the overall goals and objectives and high-level requirements are.

3. Educate and shadow the new resource.

The next steps should include a ‘shadowing’ period of 1-2 weeks where the new resource remains in the background on status calls with the client while they are being brought fully up to speed. This makes the transition as seamless as possible for the project client while also setting up the new resource to be as knowledgeable and productive as possible when they take over the role.

4. Move to full productivity.

Finally, what must take place is the move to full responsibility client facing. At this point they are fully independent in the new role and are representing the team during key client conversations and participating as expected during the regular weekly project status calls with the client.

Summary

The bottom line is that if leadership and the project manager follow a carefully planned path similar to what we’ve discussed here, then the transition from the old to the new should end up being handled efficiently and effectively. The goal is to keep customer confidence and satisfaction high during a transition like this, and by following a planned process that includes the steps described above rather than rushing a replacement in too fast with poor preparation, the project manager is much more likely to achieve that goal.

Danielle Garza writes articles for Tenrox cloud-based project management software.

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The Perception Of Time

An interesting development has been taking place in my international projects, regarding the allocation of time. Many of us in the business of implementing projects have heard of that very useful device, the “triple constraint”, right? Simply put, it is a framework to help us balance the competing demands of the project by having customers and performers agree on the Scope, Time and Cost components. It is good guidance in our efforts to organize and subsequently deploy the project work, and can be used iteratively at many points in the project lifecycle.

Once the scope and durations for activities have been agreed, I notice that colleagues from some countries will work linearly, sticking closely to an order of events and to a critical path, while colleagues from other countries will work on two or three activities at the same time. This latter approach makes progress reporting a bit trickier, as parts of the project will start before their immediate predecessor has been completely finished. It also means that more of my tasks remain open at 75%, or 90%, taking longer to reach the full 100% completion.

This reminds me of buying cheese in Europe. At the cheese shop in Germany, little numbers were issued on entering the shop, and customers were served in the order of these numbers. As many cheeses as the customer wanted would get duly taken out of the refrigerator, unwrapped, sliced, and wrapped again once the customer got to the front of the line.

In Spain, while customers did queue, when the one at the front asked for a pound of Gruyere, the shopkeeper would shout: “Anybody else need some Gruyere?” He might then serve two customers at a time: the one at the front of the queue and another one from the middle of the line. I cannot imagine being successful in the German cheese shop if, from the back of the queue, I were to shout: “Hey, can you slice me a pound of the Gouda while it is out?” I am sure customers and staff would have been horrified at the mere suggestion.

The perception of time and how to fill it vary greatly by culture. Some countries value planning and organized execution tremendously. In some other countries, staying flexible, re-prioritizing at the last minute, and working on two things at once seems like a better system (By the way, I do think the Spanish shopkeeper sold cheese to more customers by the end of the day).

In our international projects then, what type of project manager will we be? The one that demands work be done in the exact order we have specified? Or a flexible one that allows for the different perceptions of time that different cultures bring, as long as the work gets done…. and all the customers get their cheese?

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The Trouble With Troubled Projects

As a freelance project manager, many of the projects that come my way are troubled projects. They run the whole gamut: from projects that only require a straightforward readjustment in scope to complex projects that require protracted negotiations on scope, time, costs and constraints.

Interestingly, it is not easy to arrive at generalities or ‘rules of thumb’ to get a troubled project back on track. Each one has to be studied. I have seen very large projects which at first look to be in an insurmountable amount of trouble get back on track fairly easily. For example, after both the clients and the performers agree to change the technical approach, or maybe by re-prioritizing some scope elements.

At the other end, I have seen small projects remain troubled due to the complete inability of important decision-makers to move from their position. Even in the face of evidence that, as structured, that project cannot be successful anymore. The decision-maker perceives –perhaps correctly so- that there would be dire consequences (political, monetary) in admitting the current project will not be successful.

When the troubled project continues under an original design which is no longer viable, project teams must plow ahead and try to muscle through the implementation under very difficult conditions. Personnel will work long hours and be stressed the majority of the time. Some of them will leave the project. You can be sure the staff with the best skill set will be the first to leave, not the weak performers.

Clients will probably micro-manage and be demanding, especially since they harbor serious doubts about project outcome. The sad part is that continuing under these conditions very often results in a much more costly project –in monetary and human terms- than if we had had the courage to stop the project; renegotiate new scope/ time /cost; and restore the project to good standing. If you don’t see how to get the project back on track, it may be time to re-size it. It may cost you less in the end.

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For more resources, see the Library topic Project Management.

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Program Or Project ?

When an organization has the function of deploying multiple initiatives, the question arises: should these be managed as projects? Or should program management enter the picture?

If there is an obvious way in which the projects are related, we may opt for program management straightaway. For example: if our organization deploys a few projects per customer, the group containing the initiatives for customer ‘X’ could be deployed as a program. Or if we perform projects containing technologies ‘A’ and ‘B’, the projects requiring product ‘A’ could be treated as a program, separate from the program containing technology ‘B’.

Sometimes it is not obvious, yet we would obtain better results if a set of projects were treated as a program. Examples:

* Projects containing the same issue (say, travel to Iceland)

* Projects containing the same pre-requisite (say, a specific expert’s approval)

* Projects expected to have a similar result (say, energy-saving)

So we could say that to make a good determination, we must analyze the big picture represented by our portfolio of projects in addition to obvious categories, to see if they would benefit from coordinated management of some aspect(s).

Once the determination is made, there are steps we can take to minimize the cost or improve the benefits of the program. Here are a couple:

Set Up Good Program Governance

Projects are ‘managed’; programs are ‘governed’. Setting up program governance means establishing procedures and structure that will help the projects in this program achieve the best possible results. For example, establishing a common risk management framework to be used on all ‘energy-saving’ projects. Or specifying procedures to be followed for all projects belonging to the ‘government’ sector.

Establish High-Level Program Plan

After governance items have been agreed, a high-level plan for this set of projects with a common theme can be drafted. In planning, program management starts to look similar to project management. A series of processes will be performed in order to yield a robust plan for the program. There are myriad articles and publications on good program management, so let us just mention just a couple that may sound familiar if you have studied project management: managing the Program Scope and Program Schedule.

A) Program Scope Management – In this exercise we determine the scope of the particular program (for example, those energy saving projects). We agree what is included; how to resource; expected benefits from this program. We also interface with other departments in the organization -such as marketing- to leverage the program to even greater advantage. Ultimately, planning the program scope will yield a Program Work Breakdown Structure, or PWBS. This PWBS is very useful, because it even mentions deliverables that should be generated by all projects belonging to the program.

B) Program Schedule Management – The schedule of the program is the timetable when the different program work tasks will be executed. It describes not just when certain program components will be deployed, but for the projects belonging to this program, the timing when certain deliverables should be produced.

Hopefully this has been a useful introduction which will provide some food for thought on projects versus programs. In future blog articles we will look at other helpful techniques in the management of a group of projects, which should help you (pun alert!) to stay with the program.

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For more resources, see the Library topic Project Management.

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PRINCE2: The Most Popular PM Exam In The World – Guest Post by Simon Buehring

Why is PRINCE2® is the most popular project management exam in the world?

By Simon Buehring

During September 2012, APMG-International, the PRINCE2 accreditation body announced that more than 1 million PRINCE2 project management examinations have now been sat. This is more than any other project management method. In this article I want to explore the reasons why PRINCE2 has become so popular.

Firstly, let me explain what PRINCE2 is. PRINCE2 stands for PRojects IN Controlled Environments. It began life as a UK government framework for managing I.T. projects in the 1980’s and was known as PRINCE, but was redeveloped as PRINCE2 in 1996 when it became a generic project management framework. Since then the manual has been revised several times and is widely regarded as embodying modern best practices in project management.

Since 1996 more than 1 million examinations have been sat, approximately two thirds of which have been at the lower Foundation level and the remaining one third at the higher Practitioner level. Both examinations are multiple choice formats with candidates being tested for their knowledge of the framework at Foundation level, and their ability to apply this knowledge at Practitioner level.

Although the bulk of exams have been taken in the UK, the examination is becoming more popular in other regions, particularly in Europe. As the chart shows, for the period 2005-11, more than half of all exams were taken in the UK with a further quarter taken in the rest of Europe. Australasia was the next biggest region and North America the lowest region with less than 1% of all exams taken during the same period. So, why is the qualification so popular in the UK and Europe but less so in the US? I think the answer lies primarily in the labour market conditions of each region which is driving the requirement for job candidates to have project management qualifications.

PRINCE2, being based upon modern best practices in project management, has proven to be the project management method of choice for increasing numbers of organizations. Not only have the United Nations and NATO adopted PRINCE2, but increasing numbers of private sector companies have too. When world class businesses such as Rolls Royce, Visa and Vodafone adopt PRINCE2, it’s time to sit up and take notice. Driven by the need to remain competitive, more and more organizations are undergoing change, whether to business operations or through the development of new products. I think this is driving organizations to become more project-ized, and hence the need for more project managers and effective and proven project management methods.

Based in the UK, I am always struck by how many students are taking a PRINCE2 course and exams because they see PRINCE2 qualifications as important ingredients on their resumes. Employers are seeking increasing numbers of project managers and require the qualifications to match. The situation in North America is quite different in that most employers are likely to want candidates with the PMI’s PMP qualification rather than PRINCE2. This simply reflects the fact that the PMI’s PMP qualification and the PMBOK® GUIDE is more widely known and understood in North America, whereas PRINCE2 is better known and understood in the UK and Europe.

So, are PRINCE2 and the PMBOK simply two different choices in how to manage projects? Is the choice of which one to use simply a matter of personal preference? Well, I think that the PMBOK and PRINCE2 bring slightly different but complimentary elements and project managers can benefit from applying both. The PMBOK explains the knowledge required by a project manager to perform core project management practices such as time and cost management. However, it does not cover the responsibilities of other members of the project management team such as project sponsor, users, suppliers and team managers. Nor does it cover other important aspects such as project governance. Students who attend PMP training are often left wondering afterwards how they should actually start the project.

PRINCE2 on the other hand is a process based approach which clearly describes what needs to be done, by whom and when during a project. It doesn’t concern itself with the knowledge areas of the PMBOK and leaves it up to the project manager to choose appropriate techniques. PRINCE2 is a process framework for planning, managing and controlling any shape or size of project in a systematic manner. Having used PRINCE2 on many projects, I find its principles-based approach is extremely flexible in the way it can be implemented. Its focus on ‘management by exception’ can also save senior management time because there is no need for regular progress meetings. It is these benefits of PRINCE2 and the ease with which it can be used which I think is encouraging its adoption by more and more organizations.

So, if you’ve already studied and used the PMBOK and gained your PMP qualification, is it time to study and take a PRINCE2 exam? Yes. By attending PRINCE2 training it will help you understand how your detailed knowledge of the PMBOK can be complemented by the process clarity and project control elements of PRINCE2 and so help you deliver your project more effectively. Now, will you plan to take your PRINCE2 exam?

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For more resources, see the Library topic Project Management.

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Simon Buehring is based in the UK and is the founder and Managing Director of Knowledge Train which is a PRINCE2 accredited training company.

PRINCE2® is a registered trademark of the Cabinet Office. PMBOK® GUIDE, PMI and PMP are registered trade and service marks of The Project Management Institute, Inc.

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How Many Trackers Do You Track? Guest Post By Cristian Young

White smartwatch with a bluish screen

Time tracking. Invoicing. Success metrics. Key Contacts. Managing a project can become overwhelming quickly. And the tools we use to track these aspects of projects can quickly become too time-consuming. That inclination project managers have to track any critical or risky component requires moderation and thought. As we know, with the addition of every tracker (and data point for that matter), comes exponentially more work in maintaining it.

Track Your Trackers

Like so many approaches to successful project execution, upfront planning and risk-mitigation is critical. Rarely, however, is the risk of complex and misaligned tracking considered and discussed. At the start of a new project or phase then, the Project Manager should have the right conversations in order to craft an effective Tracking Plan. Essentially, this document will track your trackers.

Information Overload

Before exploring the components to your ‘Tracking Plan’, let’s take a minute to reflect on the dangers of tracking. Why is tracking a high-risk activity?

The rise of technology has made data and information capture remarkably easy. Oftentimes for no money at all, anyone can store gigabytes of data for almost nothing. As a result, a “Why not?” mentality has risen, when it comes to storing data. There is a danger to all this. Let’s try not waste anyone’s time (including our own) by keeping track of too much data that no one will consume.

Ask yourself:
• “Will this data help someone make a business decision?”
• “Will knowing this actively mitigate risk?”
• “Am I already capturing this information elsewhere? In another tracker or some other database?

Which Are Your SLAs?

Firstly, when you or your organization made the agreement to deliver a project, you (hopefully) agreed upon Service Level Agreements (SLAs). These SLAs are those items that, if you don’t deliver, can be deemed a breach of contract and lead to legal action. No one wants that situation, so include tracking of your SLAs in your Tracking Plan. I have unfortunately, seen too many instances of well-run projects being unable to report metrics against their SLAs. It is crucial to identify proper metrics and discuss them with the client so there are no unpleasant surprises.

Must-Haves

Consider what your organization requires from an operational standpoint. There are certain trackers you won’t be able to avoid that your company might require to operate successfully. Fine, those are needed. After addressing what your organization needs, think about the project. Would it be disastrous to not track vacations with a large deployment in December? Maybe. And after determining what your team needs to function, think, too, about what your team needs to be happy. Metrics that boost team morale can make the difference between a good project and a great project.

Mind the Gap (and the Overlap!)

Once you have defined what needs to be tracked, look for overlaps. Look for gaps. You do not want to waste time tracking the same information in several places. That sounds like a sure-fire way to have out of sync information. For those out there tracking with MS Excel, it may be worth the effort of learning how to use Macros if that means better data quality.

In summary: applying our planning expertise to project tracking will provide the framework we need to succeed. No more trackers that repeat the same information from a different lens. If a gap arises, let us be flexible, make an amendment, and improve our Tracking Plan.

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For more resources, see the Library topic Project Management.

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Cristian is currently a Consultant with SapientNitro and pursuing a Master’s degree at Columbia University. He has consulted as an IT Project Manager in the aerospace, education, non-profit, consumer products, and financial industries.

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Successful Strategies for Global Projects

No doubt installations in other geographies come with their own inherent set of challenges. Currency fluctuations; centralized versus local procurement; languages; time zones. And those are even before considering difficulties due to the particular technology being deployed, or the source of spare parts, or infrastructure in the country.

This discussion aims to introduce a technique which can help you increase the acceptance of your initiative in other geographies, as well as resolve any disagreements quickly and with much improved team spirit.

No, it is not the traditional Project Management methodology: I will not start extolling here the virtues of the “Project Charter”. The magic ingredient in international projects, as I have discovered throughout 18 years of successfully deploying such, is treating our colleagues from other countries in a manner which puts them at ease.

Notice that this recommendation goes well past the tired old adage: “Treat those from other countries with sensitivity”. That much is obvious, and we would certainly try to conduct ourselves thus. The recommendation is to approach colleagues from another geography with a demeanor they would find in their own country. In other words, if you are dealing with Brazilians, try to ‘act Brazilian’ as you collaborate with them; if you are working with a Finn, try to ‘act Finnish’.

So how do we develop a good picture of what ‘acting Australian’ or ‘acting Japanese’ might entail? Fortunately, there’s excellent research on intercultural cooperation we can consult. Fons Trompenaars’ Riding the Waves of Culture, or Nancy Adler’s International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior are some of the best books on the intercultural topic.

My personal favourite in the “intercultural” arena, as relevant today as when its first edition was published in the UK in 1991, is Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind by Dr. Geert Hofstede.

The ground-breaking contribution of Dr. Hofstede’s research is that, through thousands of surveys of IBM professionals in dozens of countries, he is able to arrive at a numerical value for certain elements or “dimensions” which make up Culture. So for example, we learn that Malaysia, on average, has the highest score (104) for “Power Distance”, meaning that as a group they are quite comfortable accepting power inequalities in society. At the other extreme, Great Britain and Canada have low scores (35 and 39 respectively), which translate into a “limited dependence of subordinates on their bosses”. In other words, British and Canadian employees (as a group) are not afraid to approach their bosses or disagree with them.

Another useful discussion centers around the topic of “collectivistic” cultures (where the interest of the group prevails over the interest of the individual) compared to “individualistic” cultures (in which the interests of the individual prevail). It comes as no surprise that the country with the highest individualism score is the USA (91), closely followed by Australia (90). At the other extreme, the countries with the lowest individualism scores are Ecuador (8) and Guatemala (6).

Personally, I have leveraged his findings to arrive at the following communication paradigms, in order to make my counterparts in other geographies more at ease as we negotiate and coordinate project milestones. It has proven a huge advantage, as the largest difficulties in technology projects are not about the technology. They are about people.

With colleagues from Latin America (Venezuela, Panama, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia) and certain Asian countries (Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia) with large acceptance of power,
• Stress clear definitions: what constitutes in-scope vs. out-of-scope
• Stress the benefit to the whole project/company
• Stress checkpoints for scope verification
• Lively exchange, having fun, yet sticking to the rules

With collegaues from Northern/Western Europe/Australia/New Zealand, which exhibit large individualism,
• Have all the facts, be decisive
• Recognize the contribution of these colleagues
• Relaxed approach, not stressing hierarchy
• Sell/negotiate work deliverables
• Stress value of the project to their particular unit

How would you know a country’s “Individualism (IDV)” or “Power Distance” (PDI) scores? The best source would be Dr. Hofstede’s book. Alternatively, ITIM International has kindly published the scores in the website http://www.geert-hofstede.com/

I hope you find these recommendations useful and that they make you successful in your next international project.

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For more resources, see the Library topic Project Management.

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‘Fusion’ Project Management

Fusion. It’s all the rage in culinary circles, right? Restaurants that prepare great dishes from pan-Asian countries, or pan-Latin American countries, or even European and Asian combinations. All with great, flavorful results.

We can bring a similar mindset to the management of our projects. By combining different methods and strategies we can craft our own ‘fusion’ project management structure, so it includes the best of different schools of thought, yet fits the project well. Although my basic methodology, as those who follow this blog know, relies on the PMBOK® from the Project Management Institute , I often supplement it with some of the following concepts:

From PRINCE2:
In PRINCE2, the project manager takes input from a ‘Project Board’ on important decisions. This Board is made up of representatives from three groups: a Customer, a Senior User, and a Senior Supplier. The combination of skills balance the decision-making very well, so I try to incorporate such a Project Board into my projects whenever possible. Say, to review the Risk Log once per month. More detail on PRINCE2 can be found at ‘prince-officialsite.com’ .

From Agile:
Certain projects see a great deal of change and re-prioritizing. Maybe a technology is new; maybe management wants to react to the market’s shifting requirements quickly. Whatever the underlying reason, when the mandate of the project is to be reactive, the team needs an Agile project management framework. SCRUM is such a framework.

It is based on a focused effort, called a “Sprint” towards fixed goals. What is important is that the scope delivered in each Sprint provide the highest possible market value. By the next “Sprint”, the scope of the project will most likely have changed again. So in some projects, we will have milestone-to-milestone scope definition, knowing full well that the Scope Document will have to be revised (again!) after the next milestone is reached. For more information on SCRUM, you can visit ‘scrumalliance.org’.

From “The Lazy Project Manager”:
Peter Taylor advocates in his book, The Lazy Project Manager, that in running our projects we should exercise “productive laziness”. This means that we concentrate our efforts where they are really going to make a difference to project goals, rather than just running around looking for things to do, sometimes of dubious importance. It also means artfully saying ‘No’ more often than we are probably accustomed to.

There is more about Peter’s methods at ‘thelazyprojectmanager.com’ . I could give more examples, but in the spirit of The Lazy PM, I think I will go for a coffee now. Thanks for reading.

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For more resources, see the Library topic Project Management.

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How to Manage Your Time as a Project Manager, by Andy Trainer

Guest Post by Andy Trainer, from Silicon Beach Training

Project managers need a great deal of technical knowledge and project experience in order to do their job. Companies looking for an effective project manager will therefore ask prospective candidates for evidence of training and of managing successful projects.

What isn’t always appreciated is the skill in time management needed by project managers. Anyone with ‘manager’ in their title will have conflicting and varying demands on their time – but a project manager will have this more than most. The levels of control required by most PM frameworks, plus the need to manage a team whilst always reporting back to the client/executive, means project managers have just that little bit more on their plates.

The purpose of implementing project management techniques is to avoid wasting time, money and resources. A project manager who is not great at time management will eventually find that the effectiveness of the project suffers as a result. With that in mind, here are our tips on how to manage your time as a project manager:

STICK TO A FRAMEWORK

There are numerous different approaches to project management, and it’s important that everyone involved is working to the same guidelines. Without this consistency, you may find that different members of the team follow different processes – and wasted time will follow. Choose your project team with this in mind, and fill any training needs before the project begins.

FOCUS ON THE PLAN

Inherent to any formal project is the project plan. The two extremes of project managers – those who are inexperienced and those who are blasé from managing projects for a long time – have a tendency to forget the importance of the project plan once it has been initiated. Always stay proactive – meet any challenges by returning to and revising the original project plan.

BE A GOOD PEOPLE MANAGER

Another sign of inexperience – or too much experience – is of focusing on the task as opposed to the people on the team. Micro-managing because you know how to do the work quickly is not a way of saving time, no matter how tempting it may be. Your role as a project manager is to manage and guide – not to do the job yourself.

KEEP YOUR MEETINGS ON-TOPIC AND PRODUCTIVE

Overly long meetings are so commonplace that it almost seems that people have accepted this nature and stopped trying to make them more efficient. Have a look at these guidelines for conductive effective meetings.

TAKE TIME MANAGEMENT SERIOUSLY

The number one sign of someone who is failing at time management is someone who claims that time spent planning is a waste of precious time. Those who say they don’t have time to take a step back to prioritise time management over doing are doomed to failure. Whilst an office manager or site manager may have their time management skills scrutinised, you’re not likely to have this as a project manager – there are many other aspects of the project that are being valued instead.

If you feel that you have too many demands on your time, take a step back and plan – in what ever way works best for you. Whether this is in the form or to-do lists or otherwise, the main thing is that you make time management a priority.

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For more resources, see the Library topic Project Management.

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Silicon Beach Training Brighton-based training provider, offering both Time Management and PRINCE2 Foundation training.

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About Project Quality

Most people involved in projects agree that it’s a good idea to monitor the quality of the project. Of course. Who could argue against it? Would anybody really oppose a job well done? The difficulty lies in how to measure project ‘quality’. On this topic, it is not so easy to agree.

Quality Management, as studied today, has its roots in the manufacturing environment. Given this background, the accepted definition for quality has become “to prove conformance to requirements”. For a manufactured product to claim high quality, it must conform to a whole series of tests, measures and specifications. Similarly, that is what quality in the project environment should try to prove: that the products or services delivered by the project are fit for use and fulfill the requirements for which the project was undertaken. There are two broad steps we suggest here so that, regardless of the content of your project, you can instill Quality into the project’s results: (1) Design measures relevant to the project and (2) Take and analyze these measures.

1. Design Quality Measures
It is a good idea to have this activity as the last step in breaking down & planning the project’s workload. As we are discussing the steps and tasks which the different project resources will need to perform for a given deliverable, it is good to keep asking “And how can I prove this work is finished?” “And how do we know that item is ready for use?” The answers to these questions can then become part of our quality measures.

We should aim to make these quality measures as quick and as unobtrusive as possible. For example: instead of having a team of experts fly across the country to test a set of installation instructions, we can have someone unrelated to the project, but local, try to follow these instructions. This option is faster and cheaper. Which highlights another good goal for our quality measures: they must be affordable and totally defensible when being presented to the project sponsor.

Another recommendation is to have many intermediate, quality ‘mini-reviews’ instead of a large quality test at the end of a phase. More things could go wrong if we wait to have a large, final quality review attended by many stakeholders. If we have kept quality tests more frequent and limited, we can have more confidence on the final work product.

2. Take And Analyze The Measures
After agreeing which relevant quality measures will be taken during the project, we need to –of course– take them. Once the results are back, we want to put in place any corrective action needed, but we also want to analyze the results and see what else can they tell us. Unfavorable quality results may mean there is someone in the project team that needs more training. Or that there are some tasks for which the time estimates were wrong. By studying the results we will be able to enact that most important activity in projects: continuous process improvement.

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For more resources, see the Library topic Project Management.

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