Forming a Project Team

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Forming a Project Team


What is a Project?

• A project is a one-off and special arrangement used by any endeavour(business, organisation, department etc.) to effect a necessary change – a project approach is used where existing day-to-day practices (operations/’business as usual’) are not appropriate.

• Projects are seen to ‘deliver’ something into the endeavour’s current situation such that it: solves a problem, addresses strategic/tactical objectives, addresses an opportunity or executes mandatory or ‘must-do’ work. The ‘deliverables’ are used to effect the change leading to benefits.

“A unique, transient endeavour undertaken to achieve a desired outcome” APMBok, 5th Edition

2 © Maven Training 2011

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What is a Project?

• Project type change is typified as:

• Unique – one-off in the current time-frame

• Temporary – they start and end (whereas business as usual is continuous)

• Deliver change – ‘deliver’ something different to business as usual

• Cross-functional – need resources, skills, decision-making effort from and affect a wide range of individuals, groups and stakeholders not normally connected

• Having (increased)uncertainty – by definition a change has more risk than no change


Who should be involved in your Project?

In designing and forming a project team it is useful to consider the different ‘interests’ in the change…

• BUSINESS interests

• Desire the change to meet a need (solve a problem, deliver strategy, exploit an opportunity, meet compliance)

• Commission/approve, govern/direct, resource/fund and expect value (benefits)

DELIVERABLE OUTPUT PRODUCT

USERS

PR

OV

IDE

RS

B

USI

NES

S



Who should be involved in your Project?

• USER interests

• Operate/use the deliverable

and directly/indirectly deliver the value the

business interest is seeking

• Need to support, maintain or ‘own’ the deliverable

• Are impacted by the change

• PROVIDER (Supplier) interests

• Technical specialist resources, skills to make the deliverable

• Supplies capacity and capability to do the ‘work’

• Design and build deliverable to satisfy user interests

DELIVERABLE - also known as the project’s OUTPUT, or PRODUCT


What ‘roles’ need filling?

Each of the ‘three interests’ needs appropriate representation; a common project management team model is shown on the right

BUSINESS INTEREST - SPONSOR/PROJECT BOARD EXECUTIVE

• Ultimately accountable, yes/no to key go/no-go decisions, has authority/seniority to direct programme on behalf of ‘sponsoring group’, leads team, approves all defining and managing documents, plans and strategies, aligns with strategy, overall benefit realisation. One individual.



• Represents and states needs/requirements of user community, approve ‘design’ and accepts deliverables, ensures benefits can be, and are, realised for the SPONSOR, support SPONSOR in decision making. Can be one or more individuals (to represent varied USER groups)


USER INTEREST - SENIOR USER(S)


• Commits Project Team resources to work for Project Manager and who creates deliverable to meet SENIOR USER ‘fitness for purpose’ requirements, technical design authority, supports SPONSOR in decision making. Can be one or more individuals (to represent varied PROVIDERs)


PROVIDER(Supplier) INTEREST - SENIOR SUPPLIER(S)


PROJECT MANAGER

• ‘Agent’ of SPONSOR to manage change on their behalf, facilitates others, plans, delegates and monitors work, organises and handles day-to-day work (proactive and reactive). One individual.



Who should be appointed to project roles?

Overarching considerations for any appointment to a role are: • Availability (at the time the project requires them)

• Competence – knowledge, skills (technical and ‘soft’), behavioural

• Viewpoint/perspective – will this support or conflict with the role?

• Credibility – especially for Project Board roles

• Appropriate authority – at the level appropriate to their role, either this comes with their business as usual ‘job’ or is given to them by the project – in the latter case it is important that others they work with can, and will, respect this temporary status

Other considerations for appointing the right individuals: • The nature of the project

• The nature of the environment



Appointing roles – the nature of the project

• An appropriate and complete project mandate/Project Brief is essential input to the design of and appointment of individuals to project team roles.

• Understanding the objectives, scope, expected deliverables / output / product, desired outcome / benefits and risks, interfaces with other change (projects, programmes) and users affected will highlight: • Project importance and hence levels of authority (and experience) required

• Capacity/capability demanded and that available (what competence is needed, and where do we resource the roles from – in-house or bought-in?)

• Novelty or uncertainty of the work –guidance or ‘assurance’ roles may be required to supplement appointments unfamiliar with the nature of the project

• Scale and complexity – may require breaking down roles into sub-roles to manage this more easily, or changing roles over time as the project evolves

• Project management style/method – use of standard or special management methods demands that knowledgeable and experienced individuals are used



Appointing roles – the nature of the environment

• Your organisation is unique – some of the factors listed below may drive team design and hence appointment of roles to your project: • Project management maturity and experience – is capability/capacity

available?, using embedded staff or hiring in?

• ‘Connectedness’ of the project – if part of a programme or wider portfolio, roles might be filled from higher level programmes/portfolio structures (and this could be demanded by your organization)

• Customer/client base– internal/external? Multi-customer? Representation for users needs to be appropriate for those who are ‘down-stream’/remote

• Language/geography – some roles may need to be equipped, or positioned, to work locally/remotely from the ‘action’ and with necessary competence to engage with users/suppliers appropriately with local language/style

• Governance and corporate standards – demands for compliance with and consistent application of governance/standards may demand role appointments to assure these, or to have experience of working with them

• Culture – how we ‘do things around here’ – may dictate decisions for appointments to meet ‘style’ of users, business and supplier interests



Checklist one- key characteristics of board roles

• Board roles are primarily aimed at DIRECTION of the project, characteristics of appointees should include:

• Willing and able to take on accountability for the success/failure of the project from their perspective (‘interest’)

• Have appropriate authority – give direction, approve strategies and plans, commit resources (in their ‘interest’ area)

• Provide unified direction and delegate to the Project Manager

• Work together with other board ‘interests’ to seek consensus, and pragmatic and realistic agreements and solutions

• Adequately represent the needs of those in their ‘interest’

• Leadership. influence and negotiation

• Act as the ‘voice of the project’ to upward and outward stakeholders



Checklist two - key characteristics of other roles Project Manager role is focused on MANAGING the project

• Can exert authority given by SPONSOR

• Works with board – ‘leads up’, appropriate reporting, offers challenge and options

• Delegation – to Team Manager and Team Member roles

• Organised – planning, monitoring (cost, time, scope, quality, risk and benefits); maintains information and data records

• People skills

• Communication – influence, negotiation, conflict management

• Problem solving and time management

• Attention to detail whilst maintaining ‘big picture’ perspective

• Proactive ands reactive behaviour

• Represents project ‘customer’ (even when externally resourced

Project Team roles are focussed on DELIVERY

• Can exert authority given by Project Manager

• Technical and specialist knowledge and skills - related to the deliverable(s) in their work

• Plans, monitors and manages delivery resources ‘down stream’ where appropriate

• Many characteristics are similar to Project Manager’s

— Organised around their or their resources work

— People skills

— Communication

— Problem solving and time management

— Proactive and reactive behaviour

• Represents ‘supplier’ interests whilst working for the Project Manager and the project’s objectives



When you train with Maven


During the course

Course materials including models, games, puzzles, slides, activities and sample examination papers.

Experienced trainers who know how to manage projects and how to use the techniques and can provide lots of worked examples to help you see how the technique actually works and its benefits.

Guidance and activities to help you feel confident in sitting your examination.

After the course

Use www.maventraining.co.uk/knowledge-centre to stay up-to-date with issues relating to project, programme and portfolio management.

http://www.maventraining.co.uk/knowledge-centre�




For further information about Maven Training please contact:

Melanie Franklin

Telephone: 020 7403 7100

e-mail: [email protected]

website: www.maventraining.co.uk

mailto:[email protected]�

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Forming a Project Team