A Quick Guide to the PMD Pro - Project Managers Against Poverty · 2018. 3. 23. · A quick Guide to the PMD Pro 4 1. Project Management is Balanced – Projects should be managed

PMD Pro Project Management for Development Professionals

A quick Guide to the

AquickGuidetothePMDPro

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Publisher ©Copyright2018PM4NGOsPgMDProandthePgMDProsymbolaretrademarksofPM4NGOsathttp://www.pm4ngos.org.

ThisworkislicensedundertheCreativeCommonsAttribution-NonCommercial4.0InternationalLicense.Toviewacopyofthislicense,visithttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.

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Version information: Thisis“AQuickGuidetothePMDPro”compiledbyPM4NGOsBoardMember,PeterMarlow,andbasedon“ProjectManagementforDevelopmentProfessionalsGuide(PMDProGuide)”version1.9,December2017

Version1.2datedMarch2018–reformattedandlightediting

PreviousVersionsandHistory:Version1.1datedJuly2016–changedfrontcovergraphicsVersion1datedJune2015–superseded


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IntroductionChangingtheworldthroughprojectsDevelopmentorganizationsmanagetheirworkthroughprojects.TheirofficesarestaffedbyProjectOfficers,whomanageprojectteams.Thecommunitiestheyservetrusttheprojectstodeliverbenefit.However,developmentorganizationstendtofocusonthetechnicalprogrammaticareasoftheirprojectsandhirespecialistswhoarethenaskedtomanageprojectsandleadprojectteams.Itisnotascommon,however,tofindthattheyhaveextensiveexperienceandskillsintheareaofprojectmanagement.ThePMDPro-ProjectManagementinDevelopmentforProfessionals-wasestablishedtoimprovedevelopmentprofessionalsprojectmanagementcapacityandtoprovidecommonstandards,processesandtools.Whilegoodprojectmanagementprinciplesareuniversal,thePMDProbuildsonestablishedmethodologiestoprovideapracticalguidancetorunningdevelopmentprojects.ThispamphletisabriefintroductiontoPM4NGOs’GuidetoProjectManagementforDevelopmentProfessionals(PMDPro),whichisfor:

• ProjectManagersandteammemberswhoarenewtoprojectmanagement;• ProjectManagersandteammemberswhoarenewtothedevelopment

sector;• Developmentsectorprofessionalswhointendtopursueprofessional

credentialsinprojectmanagement;• Consultants/contractstaffoperatinginthedevelopmentsector.

HowtheGuideisorganizedTheGuidetothePMDProisorganizedintofourmainsections:

#1 ProjectsintheDevelopmentSector#2 PhasesintheLifeofaDevelopmentProject#3 ProjectManagementDisciplines#4 AdaptingthePMDPro

TheFivePrinciplesofProjectManagementintheDevelopmentSectorIntheGuidetothePMDPro,readerswillfindtextboxesthatrefertokeyconceptsthatthePMDProidentifiesasthe“FivePrinciplesofProjectManagementintheDevelopmentSector.Eachtextboxprovidesabriefanecdote,casestudyorobservationthathighlightstheimportanceofincorporatingtheprinciplesofthedesign,planningandimplementationofdevelopmentprojects.


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1. ProjectManagementisBalanced–Projectsshouldbemanagedinabalancedway,applyingequalrigorthroughallofthephasesofthelifeoftheproject.

2. ProjectManagementisComprehensive-Projectmanagementdisciplinesshouldbeappliedtomanageconsistentlyanddeliberatelyalltheworkoftheprojectthroughtheentirelifeoftheproject.

3. ProjectManagementisIntegrated-Allaspectsofprojectmanagementshouldbealignedandcoordinatedasameanstoensurethatallelementsofprojectdesign,planning,monitoringandimplementationrunsmoothly.

4. ProjectManagementisParticipatory–Theinclusionofavarietyofstakeholdersintheidentification,design,planning,implementationandmonitoringoftheprojecthelpstoensuretransparency,improvequality,increasehumancapacityandstrengthenbuy-inatalllevels.

5. ProjectManagementisIterative–Revisitandrepeatprojectmanagementprocessesthroughthelifeoftheprojecttoconfirmthattheprojectdesigns,projectplansandintendedresultsarestillrelevant.Thispracticealsoprovidestheopportunitytoimprovetheiraccuracyofexistingprojectestimatesandtoplanforthenextstepsintheproject.

#1 PROJECTS IN THE DEVELOPMENT SECTOR ManagingProjectsischallenging!Managingprojectsinthedevelopmentsectorisanythingbutsimple.Theoperatingenvironmentsarecomplex.Thechallengesarenumerous.Theprojectrelationshipsarecomplicated.And,thecostoffailureishigh.Inshort,thereisalotthatcouldgowrong!Tosucceed,theprojectmanagermustproactivelyanddecisivelymanagethesechallenges.

Youarenotalone!Whilethechallengesconfrontingdevelopmentprojectsareextensiveandcomplex,theyarebynomeansexclusivetoprojectsmanagedinthedevelopmentsector.Thetopthreeissuesare:

1. Incompleterequirementsandspecifications;2. Lackofcontingencyplanningformanagingrisks;and3. Failuretolearnfrommistakes.

Thecommonchallengesare:

• Deliveringprojectresultsinthecontextoftime,budget,quality,scope,riskandbenefitconstraints;

• Developingcomprehensiveanddetailedprojectplansandmanagingthemthroughtheentirelifeoftheproject;

• Managingprojectsthatareoftenimplementedviacontractors,sub-contractorsandsuppliers;and

• Identifyingpotentialrisksandestablishingprocessestoavoidandaddresstheserisksandensuringthattheintendedprojectbenefitsaredelivered.


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Developmentprojectsdohoweverhaveuniquecharacteristics:• Developmentprojectsareresponsiblenotonlyfordeliveringtangible

outputs,butalsofordeliveringlesstangibleoutcomesrelatedtopromotingsocialchangeand/orbehaviorchange.

• Developmentprojectsarelesslikelytofocusondeliveringconcreteproductsastheultimategoaloftheproject.Instead,theyconsidertheseproductsasameansthatleadstoimprovementsinthewellbeingoftheproject’stargetpopulations.

• Developmentprojectsaimtoaddresscomplexproblemsofpoverty,inequalityandinjustice.

• Developmentprojectstendtooperateinexceptionallychallengingcontexts(limitedresources,highrisks,complexprocurementnetworks,unstablepolitical/financialenvironments,unsafeconditions).

• Projectimplementationisoftenmanagedthroughacomplexarrayofstakeholderrelationships(partneragencies,governmentministries,community-basedorganizations,contractors,globalconsortia).

• Theprojectapproachisoftenasimportantastheoutcomesthemselves(includingahighpriorityplacedonparticipation,rights-basedapproaches).

• Transferringknowledgeandlearningtothetargetpopulationisapriorityduringeachandeveryphaseoftheproject.

DefiningTermsAprojectisatemporaryendeavorundertakentocreateauniqueproduct,service,orresult.Basedonthisdefinition,thepurposeofprojectmanagementistoplan,organizeandmanageresourcestobringaboutthesuccessfulcompletionofspecificprojectgoals,outcomesandoutputs.Withinthecontextofprojectmanagement,theprojectmanagerisresponsibleforensuringtheoverallsuccessoftheproject.Andyet,whiletheprojectmanagerisresponsibleforprojectsuccess,thisdoesnotmean,however,thattheprojectmanagerispersonallyresponsibleforcompletingtheprojectwork.Infact,thisisseldomthecaseinthedevelopmentsector.Instead,theresponsibilityoftheprojectmanageristoworkcloselywithanarrayofstakeholderstocompletetheworkoftheproject.Itisnotunusualforstakeholderswithinasingleprojecttohavedifferentethnicities,languages,culturesandevennationalities.Thechallengeofmanaginggroupswithinthiscontextcanbeespeciallydifficult.Programmanagementistheprocessofmanagingagroupofrelatedprojectsinacoordinatedwaytoobtainbenefitsandcontrolnotavailablethroughmanagingthemindividually.SeePM4NGOs’GuidetoProgramManagement.Portfoliomanagementoverseestheperformanceoftheorganization’scollectionofprojectandprograms.


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TheTripleConstraintProjectshavea“tripleconstraint”of:

• Scope/quality• Cost/Resources• Time/Schedule

Thiscanbebestunderstoodwhendrawnasatriangle,whichshouldalwaysstayinbalance.TheArt&ScienceofProjectManagementTheartofprojectmanagementfocusesonthepeopleelementsofaproject.Itrequiresskillsthatenableprojectmanagerstolead,enable,motivateandcommunicate.Theartisticprojectmanagercandirecttheteamwhenworkchallengesshift,realignprioritieswhenthefieldrealitieschangeresolveconflictswhentheyarise,anddeterminewhichinformationtocommunicatewhenandtowhom.Thescienceofprojectmanagementfocusesontheplanning,estimating,measuringandcontrollingofwork.Thescienceencompassesthewho-does-what-whenquestions?Akeytoasuccessfulprojectisidentifyingabalancedprojectmanagerwhoiscomfortablewithboththeartandscienceofprojectmanagement.PMDProProjectManagementCompetencyModelWhiletheclassificationofprojectmanagementskillsintothecategoriesof“art”and“science”ishelpful,itisonlyafirststepinidentifyingthecharacteristicsofasuccessfulprojectmanager.Amorecomprehensiveprojectmanagementcompetencymodelwillhelpidentifytherequisiteskillsofprojectmanagersandcanthenserveasatooltoassessskilllevels,identifyareasforimprovement,andtomapareasforcareerdevelopment.Whilemultiplecompetencymodelsexistforprojectmanagers,thePMDPromodelorganizesprojectmanagementcompetenciesintofourareas:

• Technical–theseareoftenreferredtocollectivelyasthe‘science’behindprojectmanagement.Cantheprojectmanageridentify,selectandemploytherighttoolsandprocessestoensureprojectmanagementsuccess?

• Leadership/Interpersonal–oftenreferredtocollectivelyasthe‘art’ofprojectmanagement.Forexample,howdoestheprojectmanagercommunicate,inspire,andresolveconflict?

• Personal/Self-Management–theprojectmanager'sabilitytoself-manage.Forexample,cantheprojectmanagereffectivelyprioritize,managetimeandorganizework?


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• DevelopmentSectorSpecific–theabilitytoapplythetechnical,leadership/interpersonalandpersonal/self-managementcompetenciesinthecontextofdevelopmentprojects.Forexample,cantheprojectmanageridentify,selectandemploytherighttoolsandprocessesthatareuniquetothedevelopmentsector?

Inadditiontothesefourgeneralcompetencyareas,projectmanagersshouldalsopossessthecompetencytoworkeffectivelywithinthecultureoftheirownorganization.Cantheprojectmanagernavigatehis/herspecificorganization’smanagementframework,organizationalculture,businessprocesses/systemsandhumanresourcesnetworks?Theorganization’sculturedefinesitsidentify(brand)anddistinguishesitfromotherorganizationsmanagingsimilarprojects.Whileallfour-competencyareasofprojectmanagementarecriticaltoensuringprojectsuccess,thescopeoftheGuidetothePMDProspecificallyfocusesontheTechnicalCompetencyAreaofprojectmanagers.Sections#2,#3and#4oftheGuidefocusontheprocesses,toolsandmechanismsthatcanbeusedtostrengthenthedesign,planning,implementation,monitoring,controlandclosureofprojects.Itisundisputablethatprojectmanagersshouldalsoworktostrengthentheirpersonal,interpersonalanddevelopmentsector-specificcompetencies;however,itisnotthegoaloftheGuidetoelaborateextensivelyonthoseareasofprofessionaldevelopment.#2 PHASES IN THE LIFE OF A DEVELOPMENT PROJECT BalancedProjectManagementthroughtheProjectLifeFordevelopmentprojectstosucceed,itiscriticalthatthefullarrayofprojectmanagementcompetenciesbeappliedinabalancedwaythroughtheentirelifeoftheproject.Tothisend,manydevelopmentorganizationshavedevelopedProjectLifeCyclediagrams,whichtheyusetoidentifythephasesthroughwhichtheirprojectspassfrombeginningtoend.Together,theseprojectlifecyclephasesidentifythelogicalsequenceofactivitiesthataccomplishtheproject’sgoalsorobjectives.Theexactsequenceandwordingofprojectlifecyclediagramscanvaryconsiderablybetweenindustriesandorganizations;however,theirobjectivesarethesame.Bygroupingactivitiesintoaprojectlifecyclesequence,theprojectmanagerandthecoreteamcan:

• Definethephasesthatconnectthebeginningofaprojecttoitsend;• Identifytheprocessesthatprojectteamsmustimplementastheymove

throughthephasesoftheprojectlifecycle;• Illustratehowtheprojectmanagementlifecyclecanbeusedtomodelthe

managementofprojects;• Modelhowprojectsworkwithinanenvironmentof‘constraints’,where

changestoanyoneconstraintwillresultinconsequentialchangestotheotherprojectparameters.


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ThePMDProProjectPhaseModelWhilerecognizingthatnumerousprojectlifecyclediagramsexistamongorganizationsinthedevelopmentsector,thePMDProsubscribestoitsownsix-stepprojectphasemodel(seeFigure1above).ThePMDProProjectPhaseModelwasdesignedwiththeexpressintentofensuringthatthemodelisbalancedandcomprehensive.Balanceandcomprehensivenessintheprojectmodelareespeciallyimportantwithinthecontextofthedevelopmentsector.Toooften,developmentorganizationshaveplacedanespeciallystrongemphasisonprojectDesign,MonitoringandEvaluation(DM&E);butthisemphasishassometimesovershadowedtheimportanceofotherphasesinthelifeoftheproject.Clearly,strongDM&Eisnecessary.However,itisnotsufficienttoguaranteeprojectsuccess.Aprojectmustnotonlyinvestinstrong,coherentprojectDM&E,butmustalsocommittoinvestingsimilarlevelsofresourcesandeffortinallthephasesinthelifeoftheproject.InthePMDProProjectPhaseModel,forexample,theProjectMonitoring,EvaluationandControlactivitiesarecontinuallypresentinthebackgroundoftheproject.However,theyareonlyonecomponentofthesix-phaseProjectPhaseModelthatincludes:

• ProjectIdentificationandDesign-Itisduringthisphasethattheprojectteamsidentifyanddefineneeds,exploreopportunities,analyzetheprojectenvironment,anddesignalternativesforprojectdesign.ThedecisionsmadeduringtheProjectIdentificationandDesignPhasesetthestrategicandoperationalframeworkwithinwhichtheprojectwillsubsequentlyoperate.

• ProjectSetUp-Itisduringthisphasethattheprojectisofficiallyauthorizedanditsoverallparametersaredefinedandcommunicatedtothemainprojectstakeholders.Itisalsoduringthisphasethattheprojectteamestablishesthehigh-levelprojectgovernancestructure.

• ProjectPlanning–Startingfromthedocumentsdevelopedinearlierphasesoftheproject;duringtheplanningphasetheteamdevelopsacomprehensiveanddetailedimplementationplanthatprovidesamodelforalltheworkof

Figure1


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theproject.Thisplanisrevisitedthroughoutthelifeoftheprojectandupdated(ifnecessary)toreflectthechangingcontextsoftheproject.

• ProjectImplementation–Theday-to-dayworkofprojectimplementationistoleadandmanagetheapplicationoftheprojectimplementationplan:Leadingtheteam,dealingwithissues,managingtheprojectteamandcreativelyintegratingthedifferentelementsoftheprojectplan.

• ProjectMonitoring,EvaluationandControl–Thisphaseextendsthroughtheentirelifeoftheprojectandcontinuallymeasurestheproject’sprogressandidentifiesappropriatecorrectiveactionsinsituationswheretheproject’sperformancedeviatessignificantlyfromtheplan.

• EndofProjectTransition–Thisphaseincludesimplementingallthetransitionactivitiesthatneedtooccurattheendofaproject,including(butnotlimitedto)confirmingthedeliverableswithbeneficiaries,collectinglessonslearned,andcompletingtheadministrative,financialandcontractualclosureactivities.

WhilethePMDProProjectPhaseModelgivestheimpressionthatthephasesarediscreteandsequential,inpracticetheyinteractandoverlap.Asprojectsprogressthroughthesixphases,itisrecommendedthattheprojectteamrevisitthejustificationandplanningoftheprojectthroughaseriesofformaldecisiongates(representedbytrianglesinthePMDProprojectphasemodelinFigure1).Phase1:ProjectIdentificationandDesignAllprojectsbeginasanidea–aneedoropportunitythatisassessed,analyzed,andultimatelydevelopedintoaproject,whichismanagedthroughtheprojectlifecycle.ThefirstphaseoftheprojectisthereforeProjectIdentificationandDesign.Theworkcompletedduringthisphasecanbesummarized:

• Collectingdata;• Analyzingdata;and• Identifyingtheprojectinterventionlogic.

Theoutputsofthisphase,dependontheprojectcontext,butcouldconsistofthefollowingdocuments:

• ProjectConceptPaper.Thisdocumentispresentedtointernalstakeholderstointernallyauthorizeexploratoryassessmentandanalysisactivitiesandtoreceivefeedbackonpotentialproposaldevelopment.

• ProjectLogicalFramework(LogFrame)isananalyticaltoolusedtoplan,monitorandevaluateprojects.Itderivesitsnamefromthelogicallinkagessetoutbytheplanner(s)toconnectaproject’smeanswithitsends.

• ExpressionofInterest.Thisdocumentissubmittedtopotentialdonorstoobtainagreenlightfromkeyexternalstakeholders.Thisdocumentisintendedtobedevelopedinarelativelyshorttimeperiodusinglimitedresources,andisintendedtogenerateaconversationaboutthehigh-leveldesignoftheproject,andtoreceivefeedbackfortheprojectBEFORE


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considerableresourcesaredevotedtodevelopingamoreexpansiveprojectproposal.

• ProjectProposal.Inthisstepaformaldocumentisdevelopedtoreceiveapprovalforarequestforfundingforaproject.Thisdocumentshouldbeclearandmorepreciseindescribingtheproject’sCSSQ(cost,scope,scheduleandquality).Theformatoftheprojectproposaldevelopmentprocesscanvaryconsiderably,dependingonthesizeoftheprojectandthedonorrequirements.

CollectingDataThefirststepindeterminingwhetheryouare“doingtherightproject”istocollectdata.Thepurposeofthisdatacollectionistobroadlyexploreawidenumberandvarietyofissues,providinginformationwhich,whenanalyzed,willinformprioritiesandidentifyinterventionsthatwilladdressthechallengesinatargetarea.IdentifyingProjectNeedsAspartofthisbroadexplorationprocess,theprojectteamwillneedtocollectdatathatidentifiescommunityneedsinthepotentialinterventionarea.However,thedatashouldnotbelimitedsolelytoexaminingissuesrelatedtocommunityneeds.Othertopicstoexploreshouldincludethepresentstateofserviceprovision,theexistingstrengthswithinthecommunity,anexaminationofstakeholderspresentintheinterventionareaandmore.Oneofthechallengeswhencollectingdataisthattheprocesscanbehighlysubjective.Atechniquecalled“triangulation”canbeusedtofacilitatevalidationofdatathroughcross-verificationfrommorethantwosources.OnewaytotriangulatetheprocessofneedsidentificationistouseanapproachintroducedbyAmericansociologist,JonathanBradshaw,whobelievedthatneedsassessmentsshouldexplorefourtypesofneedinacommunityandthatthepresenceofalltypesofneedswouldindicatea“real”need.

Bradshaw’sfourcategoriesofsocialneed(Figure2)included:

• Normativeneeds–comparethecurrentsituationtoasetofprofessionalorexpertstandards;

Figure2:TriangulatingNeedsUsingBradshaw’sClassification


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• Comparativeneeds–comparethecurrentsituationwiththeneedsofothers;

• Feltneeds–focusonthethoughtsandreamsofthecommunityitself;• Expressedneeds–areinferredbyobservationofthecommunity’sactions.

TypesofDataThedatacollectionprocess,however,isnotlimitedsolelytodefiningneeds.Tofullyunderstandtheprojectcontext,theprojectteamwillneedtocollectdataregardinganumberofareasrelatedtotheprojectenvironment.Threetypesofdatamaybecollected,althoughcareshouldbeusedtoselectthemostappropriateandcost-effectivetoolsandapproachestocollectinformation:

• Secondarydata–informationfrompublishedorunpublishedsources;• Primaryquantitativedata-collectingdatathroughsurveys;• Primaryqualitativedata–incontracttoquantitativedata,thequalitative

approachseekstocaptureparticipants’experiencesusingwords.Thisgivesthedatarichness,createsopennessandstimulatespeople’sindividualexperiences.

AnalyzingdataInorderingandorganizingtherawdata,therearetwobroadcategoriesofanalysis:

• CurrentStateAnalysis–usingvariousanalysistoolstounderstandthestatus,condition,trendsandkeyissuesaffectingpeople’slivelihoods.

• FutureStateAnalysis-oncethecurrentstateanalysisiscomplete,thefuturestateanalysislooksathowtheprojectwillimprovethelivelihoods,ecosystemsorinstitutionsoftheprojectparticipants.

IdentifyingtheProjectInterventionLogicNowthatthedatacollectionanddataanalysisprocessesarecomplete,thenextstepistobegintoidentifytheprojectlogic.Oneoftheprincipletoolsusedtoestablishthelogicofdevelopmentprojectisthelogicalframework(LogFrame)matrix.Thelogicalframeworkisananalyticaltoolusedtoplan,monitorandevaluateprojects.Itderivesitsnamefromthelogicallinkagessetoutbytheplanner(s)toconnectaproject’smeanswithitsends.Whiletherearemanyversionsofprojectlogicalframeworks,thePMDProsubscribestoafour-levellogicalframeworkmodelmakinguptheverticalpartofthematrix:

1. Activitiesareactionstakenthroughwhichinputs(financial,human,technical,materialandtimeresources)aremobilizedtoproducethedeliverables(training,constructing,etc.)

2. Outputsaretangibledeliverablesresultingfromprojectactivities.3. Outcomesarewhattheprojectexpectstoaccomplishatthebeneficiarylevel


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4. Goalsarethehighest-leveldesiredendresultsorimpactstowhichtheprojectcontributes.

TheverticalandhorizontallogicoftheLogFrameisshowninFigures3and4. Project

Description Indicators MeansofVerification Assumptions

Goal

Outcome(s)

Outputs

Activities

Project

Description Indicators MeansofVerification Assumptions

Goal

Outcome(s)

Outputs

Activities

ManagingProjectDecisionGatesProjectteamswanttoavoidthe“perfected,butrejected”scenario,whereorganizationshavealreadyspentthousands(andeventensofthousands)ofdollarsonprojectidentificationanddesignactivities,buttheprojectultimatelylacksthe

Figure3:VerticalLogicoftheLogFrame

Figure4:HorizontalLogicoftheLogFrame

IftheOUTCOMESoccur;ThenthisshouldcontributetotheoverallGOAL

IftheOUTPUTSareproduced;ThentheOUTCOMEScanoccur

IftheACTIVITIESareconducted;ThenOUTPUTScanbeproduced

IfadequateRESOURCES/INPUTSareprovided;ThentheACTIVITIEScanbeconducted

IfthehorizontallogicisfollowedANDassumptionsholdtrue,thentheprojectwilllikelysucceed.


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supportofkeystakeholders(insidetheorganization,inthecommunity,amonggovernmentstaff,orfromtheintendeddonors).Oneofthe“bestpractices”usedtomanagethisriskofisbysubscribingtoadecisiongateprocessthatconsistsofaseriesofauthorizationpointsatvariousstagesoftheproject,withinphasesoratphaseboundaries.Byusingdecisiongates,organizationsidentifyaseriesofpointsintheprojectthatrequireadecisiontoeitherproceedwiththenextphaseoftheproject,modifytheScope,ScheduleorBudgetoftheprojectorendtheprojectoutright.Eachsuccessivedecisiongatebuildsontheworkthatwasdevelopedinthepreviousstage.Phase2:ProjectSetupEstablishingtheProjectGovernanceStructurewithinwhichprojectdecisionsaremade.DependingonprojectsizeorcircumstancethiscouldbeanindividualProjectSponsororaProjectBoard,usuallymadeupofanExecutive,aSeniorUserandaSeniorSupplier.Arobuststructureclarifieswhohasauthorityondecisionsandtolerances,andwheretheaccountabilityliesforthesuccessoftheproject.Officiallyauthorizingthestartoftheprojectbytheprojectgoverningbody.Approvalshouldbedocumentedthroughthedevelopmentofaprojectcharter,whichprovidesahigh-leveldescriptionoftheprojectintermsofpurpose,deliverables,estimatesoftimeandcost,risks,tolerancesandhowchangeswillbemanaged.Theprojectchartershouldbeseenasa“livingdocument”beingupdatedandsignediftherearemajorchangestotheproject.AtthispointtheprojectmanagershouldsetupaRiskRegisterandaLessonsLearnedLog,andstartusingthem.Communicatingtheprojectlaunchtostakeholdersisimportanttoensureaconsistentunderstandingbeforeprojectimplementationbegins.Theprojectcharterisidealforsharingwithalargecommunity,althoughitwouldneedtobeamendedifitcontainsanysensitiveinformation.Articlesinnewspapers,pressconferencesandfieldvisitsetc.canbeusedtocommunicatewiththelargercommunity.Phase3:ProjectPlanningStartingfromthedocumentsdevelopedinearlierphasesoftheproject;duringtheproject-planningphasetheteamdevelopsacomprehensiveanddetailedProjectImplementationPlan(orprojectplanforshort)thatprovidesamodelforalltheworkoftheproject.Thisplanisrevisitedthroughoutthelifeoftheprojectandupdated(ifnecessary)toreflectthechangingcontextsoftheproject.Theplanshouldbebalancedandcovertheworkofallsixphasesoftheproject.Thereshouldbeplanningforprojectsetup,projectimplementation,monitoringandevaluation,revisionoftheplanifchangesoccur,andprojecttransition.Theplanshouldbecomprehensiveincoveringthehowthemanagementand


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coordinationwillworkfortheprojectinthesekeyareas:• Scope;• Time;• Justification;• Stakeholders;• Risks&Issues;and• Resources.

Theplanshouldbeintegrated,takingfullaccountofprojectconstraints.Theplanshouldbeparticipatoryensuringthatstakeholdersareinvolvedintheplanningprocessasfaraspossible.Theplanshouldbeiterative,beinga“livingdocument”whichevolvesastheprojectproceedsandaschangestakeplace.

Phase4:ProjectImplementationTheday-to-dayworkofprojectimplementationistoleadandmanagetheapplicationoftheprojectimplementationplan.Thistaskcanberelativelysimple,orcanbecomeextremelycomplex,dependingonthenatureoftheproject.Asinallprojectmanagement,successduringimplementationispartiallyanart(managingpeople,leadingteams,communicatingwithclarity),butitisalsoascience.Initssimplestform,theresponsibilityoftheprojectmanageristoimplementtheprojectplan.However,uponcloserinspection,itbecomesclearthattheprojectmanagermustapplyanumberoftechnicalskillstosucceedduringimplementation.Theseskillsincludemanagingissues,peopleandinternalcontrols.

• ManagingIssues.Anissueisanunresolveddecision,situationorproblemthatwillsignificantlyimpacttheprojectandthattheprojectteamcannotimmediatelyresolve.Issuesmanagementconsistsofhavingaprocessforidentifyingtheseproblemsandmanagingthemuntiltheyareresolved.Resolvingissuesisfrequentlybeyondtheauthorityoftheteam.However,evenifanissueneedstobeescalatedtothenextlevelordelegatedtoanotherpersontoresolve,itstillneedstobetrackedbytheprojectmanager.

• ManagingPeople.Therearetheprojectmanagerswhoareespeciallyeffectiveatmotivatingteammembers,communicatingvision,empoweringstaff,recognizingachievements,listening,leadingbyexample,resolvingconflictsandbuildingtrust.Thesearethe“soft”skillsandareextremelyimportanttoprojectsuccess.Therearealso“hard”skillsinvolvedinacquiringstaff,developingprojectstaff,conductingperformanceassessmentsandestablishingteamcommunicationnorms.

• ManagingInternalControls.Systemsshouldbeestablishedtoprovidereasonableassuranceregardingtheresponsibleuseofprojectassets.Areasthatbenefitfrominternalcontrolsincludehumanresourcescapacityandsystems,procurement,financial,inventory,contractsandagreements,infrastructure,securityprotocols,fleetmanagementandinformationmanagement.


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Phase5:Monitoring,EvaluationandControlEvenwelldesignedandfullyresourcedprojectswillfacechallenges.Thesecancomeatanypointinthelifeoftheproject,andtheprojectteammustworktocontinuallyrevisitthedesign,planningandimplementationtoconfirmtheyarevalidandwhethercorrectiveactionsneedtobetakenwhentheproject’sperformancedeviatessignificantlyfromitsdesignanditsplan.ThisisthepurposeoftheProjectMonitoring,EvaluationandControlPhase,whichextendsthroughtheentirelifeoftheproject.

• Monitoringisacontinuousreviewofprojectprogressattheactivityandoutputslevels.Ithelpstoidentifynecessarycorrectiveaction.

• Evaluationtendstofocusontrackingprogressatthehigherlevelsofthelogicalframework–i.e.projectoutcomes.Evaluationstendtoexplorequestionslike,“Istheprojectsuccessfulatachievingitsoutcomes?”

TheProjectImplementationPlanwillcontainaMonitoringandEvaluationPlan,whichidentifiesthesystemfortrackingandmeasuringprojectprogress,performanceandimpact.Theprojectlogicalframework(LogFrame)isthefirststepindevelopingthefullmonitoringandevaluationplanfortheproject.Theindicatorsandmeansofverificationthatisincludedforthelogicalframeworkwillultimatelybecomethebuildingblocksforthefullmonitoringandevaluationplanoftheproject.Threeevaluationapproachesthatareusedwithinthedevelopmentsectionarefinalevaluations(oftenmandatedbyafundingagencyororganisationpolicy),mid-termevaluation,andex-postevaluations.Forprojectcontrolitisimportanttorealizethatchangewilloccurduringtheprojectascircumstanceschangeandissuesarise.Projectchangesmustbe:

• Managedthroughaformalchangemanagementprocess;• Analyzedtoensurethattheimplicationofthosechangesarethoroughly

thoughtthrough;• Documentedtoillustratetheircompleteimpactonalltheintegrated

elementsoftheproject.• Communicatedtokeystakeholders.

Projecttolerancesareakeypartofbeingabletoworkautonomouslyasaprojectmanager.Havingatolerancemeanstheprojectmanagerhasacertainamountofflexibilitywithregardtoprojectconstraints.Inpractice,thismeansthattheprojectcanbeoverabitorunderabitandnothavetocontinuallygobacktoprojectboard(orsponsor)torequestapprovalforprojectchanges.Tolerancevaluesshouldbeagreedwiththeprojectboardorsponsorduringtheprojectsetupphase.Tolerancescanbeinanyofthefollowingareas:

• TimeTolerance-theamountoftimebywhichtheprojectcompletioncanbelaterorearlierthantheplanneddate.

• CostTolerance-thepercentage,oracashamount,bywhichtheprojectcanbeoverorundertheplannedbudget.


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• ScopeToleranceismeasuredasanagreedvariationfromtheproductdescription,andanypotentialvariationshouldbedocumentedintheproductbreakdownstructure.

• RiskToleranceprovidesabenchmarkforwhichrisksyoushouldbeescalatingtotheProjectBoard.

• QualityTolerancerangesthatdefineacceptableperformanceforaproduct,documentedintheproductdescriptions.

• BenefitsTolerance-therangesofacceptableperformanceoftheprojectattheoutcomeslevel.

Phase6:EndofProjectTransitionAproject,bydefinition,isatemporaryendeavor,havingadefinedbeginningandend(usuallyconstrainedbydate,butpossiblybyfundingordeliverables).Thetemporarynatureofprojectsdifferentiatesthemfromnormalbusinessoperationsofanorganization(or‘on-goingoperations’,whichisrepetitive,permanentorsemi-permanentfunctionalworkproducingproductsorservices).Inthedevelopmentfield,however,oneoftenfindsprojectsthathavebeeninoperationforyears–withonephaseoftheprojectcontinuingtheworkofthepreviousphases.Thisobservationunderscorestherealitythattheendofaprojectinthedevelopmentsectorisoftenmoreaccuratelycharacterizedasatransitionphaseratherthanasastrictlydefinedprojectclosure.Inpractice,therearefourend-of-projecttransitionscenariosthatexistfordevelopmentprojects.

• Termination.Theprojectisformallyendedandallprojectclosureactivitiescompleted(terminationcouldalsoinclude‘phasingover’ortransferringtheprojectactivitiestoalocalpartner,institutionorcommunity).

• Extension.Negotiationofaddedtimetofinishtheproject(couldbeatadditionalor‘no’cost).

• Expansion.Identificationofelementsforreplicationwithanewtargetareaorpopulation.

• Redesign.Continuationviaanewphasewithmodifiedinterventionsoractivities.

Therearefiveactivitiesassociatedwiththisphase:

• ManagetheEnd-of-ProjectStrategy.Yourprojectplanshouldincludeanendofprojecttransitionplan.Thedevelopmentsectorconsiderstransitionespeciallyimportantbecauseoftheirconcernthatimpactsbesustainedaftertheprojecthasended.OnetoolusedtoplanfortheongoingsustainabilityoftheprojectistheTransitionPlanningMatrix.SeethefullguidetoPMDPro.

• VerifytheProjectScopeandtheAcceptDeliverables.Theprojectmanagershouldcontacttheinternalandexternalstakeholderstoverifythatthescopeoftheprojecthasbeenaccomplishedandthatthedeliverablesareaccepted.Makesurethattheyaresatisfiedwiththeoveralloutcomes.

• CompleteAdministrative,FinancialandContractClosure.Iftheprojectweretobeauditedtwoyearsfollowingclosure,whatwouldhappen?Dosystemsexisttoensurethattheadministrative,financialandcontractualelementsofprojectclosurearecomplete?Thesesystemsarecriticalnotonlybecause


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theyhelpavoidproblemswithprojectaudits,buttheyalsoreducetheriskthattherewillbedisputeswithsuppliers,employees,anddonorsregardingthestatusofaccounts.

• CompleteEndofProjectLearning.AstheprojectenterstheEndofProjectTransitionPhase,itisimportanttoensurethatthelessonslearnedrelatedtotheprojectareadequatelydetailed,andarefiledandeasilyaccessible(throughtheLessonsLearnedLogestablishedinProjectSetUp)orthroughan“AfterActionReview”.Furthermore,itiscriticalthattheprojectmanagerdistributethelessonslearnedtothosewhocanbenefitfromthemotherwisethewheelwillbeconstantlyreinvented.Donorsareofteninterestedinensuringthatlearningisdisseminatedthroughoutthesectortoensurethatnewprojectsbenefitfromlearninggeneratedbyotherprojectstheyhavefunded.Nowadays,NGOsoftenpublishevaluationreports,anddatabasesexistwhichincludethousandsofevaluationreportsfrommanydifferentorganizations.

• CelebrateAccomplishments.Justasitisimportanttoacknowledgethebeginningofaprojectthroughlaunchactivities,aprojectmanagershouldalsoappropriatelycelebrateandformallyacknowledgetheendofprojecttransitionbyrecognizingtheeffortsofteammembers;acknowledgingthecontributionsofkeystakeholderstotheproject;andexpressingappreciationtoindividualsandgroupswhowerecriticaltotheprojectsuccess.Recognitionoftheprojectaccomplishmentswithintheorganizationandtotheoutsideworldmayalsohelpfacilitatepositivepublicrelationsandpreparethewayforfuturebusinessopportunities.

#3 PROJECT MANGEMENT DISCIPLINES Thereisnosingleroadmaptomanagingprojects.Eachprojectisuniquewithitsownobjectives,context;resources;relationships;andchallenges.However,successfulprojectmanagementdemandsthatallprojectteamscomprehensivelyandactivelyapplyadiversesetofprojectmanagementdisciplinesthroughtheentirelifeoftheproject.ThePMDProidentifiessixprojectinteractingmanagementdisciplines,togetherwiththetoolsandmechanismstomanagethem,thatareespeciallyimportantwhenmanagingprojectsinthedevelopmentsector.Discipline1:ScopeManagementAwell-definedprojectscopewillnotonlytelltheprojectteamwhereitisgoing,butitwillalsoexplainhowtheprojectintendstogetthere.Scopemanagementhastwocomponentscriticaltoprojectsuccess:

• Productscope–Includesalloftherequireddeliverablesoftheproject,meetingtheagreedspecification.(Whatisgoingtobedelivered?)

• Projectscope–Includesalloftheworkrequiredtodelivertheproductscope.(Howwilldeliverableswillbecreatedanddelivered?)

Thefollowingproblemsmayarise:


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• UnclearExpectations:Stakeholdersneedtobe100%clearaboutthescopesoastoensurethattheydonothaveincorrectorunrealisticexpectationsaboutwhatproducts/serviceswillbedelivered.

• InaccurateEstimates:Errorsinscopedefinitionoftenresultinscheduleslipsandhencefinallycostoverruns.

• ScopeCreep:Failuretocontroltheboundariesofprojectdeliverablesleadstoascopecreep–aprinciplecauseofprojectdelaysandpotentially“neverending”projects.

TheWorkBreakdownStructure(WBS)istheprincipletoolthatprojectmanagersusetodefineprojectscope.Thearrangestheprojectscopeinanoutlineorhierarchyof‘workpackages.’TheformatoftheWBSnormallytakesassumeseitheragraphicalorindented(written)format–it’ssometimesagoodideatocreatebothwithanappropriatelevelofdetail.ThemajorcategoriesofworkintheWBSareoftenconsistentwiththecontentsoftheprojectlogicalframework.However,theWBSwillincludealevelofcomprehensivenessanddetailthatisoftenabsentfromthelogicalframework.TheremightbeadditionalcategoriesofworkincludedintheWBSthatwerenotincludedinthelogicalframework.TheWBSisalsointendedtoprovidethelevelofspecificdetailthatisoftenmissinginthelogicalframework.Awell-constructedWBScanbeusedto:

• Guidetheprocessofactivityidentificationandsequencing;• Provideabasisfor:

o Accurateestimatesofprojectduration;o Accurateestimatesofprojectcost;o Accurateresourceestimates(vehicles,people,supplies,building

materials);• Identifyrequireddepartmental,subcontracting,supplierservices;• Communicateandagreetheproductandprojectscopewiththeproject’s

stakeholders;• Showthehierarchyofworkneededtocompleteaprojectandindicatethe

interfacesbetweenthem;• Delegatetheworkpackagestoprojectteammembers,implementing

partnersorsuppliers.Discipline2:TimeManagementDeliveringprojectsontimeisoneofthebiggestchallengesfacedinprojectmanagement.Tosuccessfullymanagetime,projectmanagersrequiretheabilitytodevelopaccurateschedulesandtoimplementthemthroughthelifeoftheproject.Thestepsinplanningprocessincludethefollowing:• ActivityDefinition–StartingfromtheWBS,theprojectteamdevelopsan

activitylist,whichcomprehensivelyrecordsalloftheactivitieswithinthescopeoftheproject(orwithinthescopeofaspecificworkpackageoftheproject)that


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needtobeperformedtoproducetheprojectdeliverables.• ActivitySequencing–Next,theprojectteamdevelopsanetworkdiagram,which

graphicallyrepresentsthesequences,relationshipsanddependenciesbetweentheWBS’sactivities.

• ActivityResourceEstimating–Estimatingthetypeandquantityofresourcesavailable/requiredtoperformeachscheduleactivity.Resourcesareoneofthecentralfactorsinfluencingtheprojectduration.

• ActivityDurationEstimating–Estimatingthetimerequiredtocompleteprojectactivities,revisitingthenetworkdiagram.Itisnowpossibletoidentifytheproject’scriticalpath(theminimumtimeneededtocompleteprojectactivities)andtheproject’sfloatorslack(theamountoftimeataskcanbedelayedwithoutimpactingtheprojectschedule.

• ScheduleDevelopment–Creatingaprojectschedulebasedonactivities,sequences,durations,resourcesandscheduleconstraints.Withinthedevelopmentsector,thepreferredtoolforprojectscheduledevelopmentistheGanttChart.Planningandimplementingprojectsismadeeasierifitisviewedassmallmanageableitemswherethedependenciesarevisuallyillustrated,parallelprocessesareapparent,andtheoverallscheduleisportrayedgraphically.AGanttchartusesbarstographicallyrepresentthescheduleofprojectactivities,includingtheirstartdate,enddate,andtheirexpecteddurations.

• ManagingtheProjectSchedule-Projectmanagersshouldmonitortheirschedulesregularlytoensuretheprojectcalendarremainsontrack.Iftheprojectschedulebeginstovary,theprojectteamwillhaveanumberofoptionsthroughwhichtheprojectcangetbackontrack.Forexample,deadlinescanbedelayed,orthescopeoftheprojectcanbereduced.Activitiescanbecompletedinparallel(“Fasttracking”)oradditionalresourcescanbefoundtoaccelerateprogress(“Crashing”).

Discipline3:ProjectResourceManagementOneofthemostimportantandmostchallengingjobsofaProjectManageristoeffectuallyandefficientlyorganizealltheresourcesinvolvedinaproject.Itgoeswithoutsayingthatthecomplexityofthistaskwilldependheavilyonthescopeandnatureoftheprojectathand.Butinallcases,itisACRITICALFACTORBEHINDSUCCESSORFAILURE.ThePMDProfocusesonthreeoftheProjectResourceManagementareas:financemanagement,supplychainmanagementandhumanresourcesmanagement.Thesethreeformthecoreofprojectsupportservices.

FinanceManagementDevelopmentsectororganizationsusuallyrelyonindividualororganizationaldonorstofundprograms–andtheyexpectdonationstobewellmanagedalthoughtheProjectManagermaynothavefullcontroloverthefinancialprocesses.Skillsneedtobedevelopedinthefollowingareas:

• DevelopingBudgets–Thekeytoaccuratebudgetsistoassuringthattheyarecomprehensive(coveringallitems)anddetailed(drillingdownforprecise


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costs).Budgetsshouldincludetransactioncostsandsharedservicescosts.Presentationofaccountsandtimeperiod(multi-year/lifetimeorannual)willusuallyfollowdonorguidelines.

• ActivityBasedBudgetingfocusesonidentifyingcostsofactivities(developedduringscopeplanning)thattakeplaceineveryareaofaprojectanddetermininghowthoseactivitiesrelatetooneanother–includingdirectandindirectwork.Proponentsseeactivitybasedbudgetingasmorerealisticthanotherbudgetingapproaches,asitinvolvesunderstandinghowmuchactivitieswillactuallycost.IfaProjectManagerisabletodevelopacomplete(bothcomprehensiveanddecomposed)listofactivitiesalongwithcostestimatesforactivities,thenabudgetwillproveaccurate.Activitybasedbudgetingalsooffersmoreopportunityforlinestafftogetinvolved,makingitmorelikelythatabudgetwillbeaccurate.

• IdentifyingCostEstimates-Estimatingwillneverbeaprecisesciencebutitcanbeaccurateenoughtosupportgoodprojectdecisions.Aphased-approachisrecommended.Threeapproachesareconsideredbestpractice:

o Topdownestimatesstartwithaglobalestimatefortheprojectcostandthenassignpercentagesforeachprojectelement.

o Bottom-upEstimatesaremadebyestimatingthecostofeachtask,takingadvicewhereavailable,andtotalingthecost.

o ParametricEstimatesusehistoricdata.• MonitoringBudgetsandExpenditures-Tobestmonitorprojectcosts,itis

preferabletomonitorthecostoftheworkcompletedduringatimeperiod.Ratherthandoasimple“pro-rata”.EarnedValueAnalysisisatoolthatcomparestheplannedandactualcostforeachtaskthathasbeenperformedandALSOcomparestherateofprogressoneachtasktowhatwasscheduledintheprojectplan.ThismeansthatinordertoconductEarnedValueAnalysistheProjectManagerwillneedamorecompletesetofdatathatcombineselementsofboththeprojectbudgetANDtheprojectcalendar.

SupplyChainManagementManagingthesupplychaincanbechallengingindevelopmentprojects.PMDProdefinesthreecomponentsinsupplychainmanagement.• ProcurementManagement–Identificationofwhatmaterialsandservicesare

requiredfromwhominaProcurementPlan.• LogisticsManagement–Planning,implementingandcontrollingtheflowof

materialsinatimelymannerandmaintainingaprojectinventory.• AssetManagement–Procureditemsaremonitored,maintainedandultimately

disposedofafteradefinedlifetime.Alowerthresholdforfixedassetsmaybedefined(USD$1000)

HumanResourcesManagementThisisbothanartandscience.Managementtasksincludesacquiringprojectstaff,identifyingassignments,documentingorganizationalcharts,developingprojectstaff,conductingperformanceassessments.


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Discipline4:RiskManagementRiskisthepotentialeffectofuncertaintyonprojectobjectives.Risksareassessedbyprobabilityandimpact.Issuesarerisksthathavebecomeareality.Risksaremanagedthroughafour-stepprocess.• Riskidentification–defineprojectriskcategoriessuchascommercial,

organizationalandpoliticaletc.Identifyspecificrisksthatfitintoeachoftheriskcategories.Notethatriskscanbeeither“negative”,whichcouldharmtheproject,or“positive”,whichcouldgivetheprojectapotentialopportunity.

• Riskassessment-Risksarerankedaccordingtotheirprobabilityandimpact.Nexttheprojectteamneedstoworkwithkeystakeholderstoidentifytheirrisktolerancelevelstoidentifywhatrisksareacceptableandwhichofthemneedtobeactivelymanaged.RisksarethenrankedbypriorityandpotentialimpactonascaleofLow,MediumorHigh.

• Riskresponseplanning–Iftheprojectdecidestoactivelymanagearisktheresponsestrategiesareavoidance,transference,reduction/mitigationandacceptance.ItisgoodpracticetohaveaRiskManagementPlan.

• Riskmonitoringandcontrol–ItisrecommendedthataRiskRegisterbeestablishedasearlyinthelifeoftheprojectaspossible.Risksshouldberegularlyreviewedatrisksreviewmeetingstoidentifyanychangeintheirstatus,oriftheyturnintoanissue.

Discipline5:ProjectJustificationManagementStrongprojectjustificationmanagementhelpsdemonstratewhyaprojectmakessolidsensetotheorganization,thedonorandthebeneficiarycommunities.Successfulprojectmanagersneedtohavetheskillsandcompetenciesto:

• Identifythejustificationfortheirprojects;• Communicatethejustificationtoalargeraudience;• Tracktheproject‘sprogressinachievingthevaluethatjustifieditsexistence.

Problem-basedorAssets-basedNeedsIdentification-Inthecontextofthedevelopmentsector,projectjustificationexercisesusuallystartwithananalysisofneed.Furthermore,astheprojectteambeginstocollectdataconcerningthepreliminaryprojectdesign,oneofthedecisionsthatshouldbemadeiswhethertheprojectwilldefineneedsbasedupona“problem-based”approachoran“assets-based”approach.

• Problem-basedApproach:Definetheproblem;fixwhatisbroken;focusonthenegative.

• Asset-basedApproach:Searchforsolutions/assetsthatalreadyexist;reinforcewhatisworking;focusonthepositive.

MovingfromProblemstoanInterventionStrategy-Muchoftheworkinjustificationmanagementtakesplaceduringthefirstphaseofproject,IdentificationandDesign.Ifatthatpointtheprojectteamchoosestopursueaproblem-focusedapproachtodefiningneeds,mostfrequentlythenextstepinthejustificationprocess


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isthedevelopmentofaproblemtree.A“starterproblem”isidentifiedandthetreeisbuiltbyidentifyingcausesandeffectsofthestarterproblem.Thenextstepistodevelopanobjectivetreethatbeginstoidentifythepotentialinterventionsthatcouldtakeplacetofixwhatisbrokenintheproblemtree.Itcanthenbedecidedwhichelementsofobjectivestreewillbeincludedinorexcludedfromthescopeoftheproject.Thesecriteriawillhelptheprojectteamandstakeholdersmakeconcretedecisionsregardingwheretheprojectintervenes,theservicesitprovides,whowillbeservedandhowtheservicesareprovided.SeethefullguidetoPMDProforexamplesofaproblemtreeandanobjectivetree.Discipline6:StakeholderManagementDevelopmentprojectsarecomplexandimpactanarrayofstakeholders-individuals,groupsandorganizationswhoareactivelyinvolvedinaproject,orwhoseinterestsmightbepositivelyornegativelyaffectedbyexecutionorcompletionoftheproject.Tosucceed,theprojectteamneedstodevelopthedisciplinetomanagestakeholderrelationships.Therearefourcomponentsofastrongstakeholdermanagementsystem.• StakeholderIdentification–ThePMDProrecognizessixcategoriesof

stakeholdersbelow.Notethatcategoriesmayoverlapandstakeholdersdochangewithtime:

o Userswilldirectlybenefitfromtheproducts/servicesoftheproject.o GovernanceStakeholderssuchastheProjectBoard,Auditors,Regulators

andFunders.o Providersactivelyparticipateintheworkoftheproject.o Influencershavetheabilitytochangethedirectionoftheproject.o Dependentsaretypicallyotherprojectswhoneedoneoftheproject

deliverables.o Sustainerssupporttheproductsaftertheprojecthascompleted.

• StakeholderAnalysisexploresstakeholders’interestsandmapsthestakeholders’influence.Twotoolsareavailabledocumentthese:VennDiagramsandaStakeholderAnalysisMatrix.SeethefullguidetoPMDPro.

• StakeholderEngagement-ConstructingaRACIchartcanassistwithmanaginganetworkofstakeholders.

o AResponsibleincludesthosewhodotheworktoachievethetask.Foreachtaskthereistypicallyonerolethatistheleadincompletingthework,althoughotherscanbedelegatedtoassist.

o AnAccountablemustapprove(signoff)theworkthattheResponsiblepersonprovides.TheremustbeonlyoneAccountablepersonspecifiedforeachtaskordeliverable.

o Consultedarethosewhoseopinionsaresought;andwithwhomthereistwo-waycommunication.

o Informedarethosewhoarekeptup-to-dateonprogress,oftenonlyoncompletionofataskordeliverable;andwithwhomthereisjustone-waycommunication.


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• StakeholderCommunication–Goodcommunicationisbothanartandascience.Thereneedstoclaritywiththe“what”,“why”,“who”,“how”and“when”ofcommunications.Severalquestionstoask:

o Whichmechanismorvehiclewillincreasethelikelihoodthatthemessagewillbeactuallyreceived,understoodandactedupon?

o Howmuchinformationwillbeincludedandatwhatlevelofdetail?o Whichmechanismismostappropriateforthetypeofmessage?o Whichmechanismdoesthestakeholderprefer?o Whatlevelofinteractionisrequired(onewayortwoways)?

Itisalsoimportanttodifferentiatebetweenregular,orongoing,communicationswithprojectteammembers,sponsors,andotherkeystakeholdersonaregularbasis.Thisinformationshouldberecordedinacommunicationsplan.

#4 ADAPTING THE PMD PRO ThissectionlooksathowtoadaptvarioustoolsandtechniquesthathavebeenpresentedinordertogetthemtoworkfortheProjectManagerandprojectimplementationteam.FundamentalsofAdapting

Simplyapplyingtoolsandtechniqueswithoutthinkingaboutcontext,resources,relationshipsandchallengeswill,atbest,contributetoaroboticand“template-driven”project.ImplementingPMDProshouldinvolveassessingavailabletoolsandtechniques,decidingwhichwillbemostusefulinaparticularsituation,thinkingthroughhowthesetoolscanbeintegratedintoorganizationalprocessesandsystems,andengagingwiththeirorganizations.

FactorstoconsiderwhenadaptingPMDProNoprojectexistsinavacuum.Projects“live”withinprogramsandportfolios.Inaddition,projectsaremanagedwithinthecontextoforganizationalsystemsanddonorstructures.Inonesense,thesearethebroaderoperatingenvironmentsforprojects.Asaresult,sinceallthesefactorsimpacttheperformanceofprojects,theyshouldbetakenintoconsiderationwhenadaptingthePMDProtoprojects.• Programconsiderations-AsstatedearlierinthisGuide,programsconsistofa

groupofrelatedprojectsthataremanagedinacoordinatedwaytoobtainbenefitsandcontrolnotavailablethroughmanagingthemindividually.Programtimescalesarelongerandtheoutcomesareusuallymorecomplexwitheachindividualprojectdesignedtomakeacontributiontogoals.Clearly,inawell-managedprogram,therewillbeconsistencyoftools,methodsandapproaches.SomeNGOshaveaProgramManagementUnitorOffice(PMUorPMO)whoseroleistoensureconsistencyofapproaches,standards,capacitybuilding,toolkits,andoperatingmanuals.Insuchsituations,ProjectManagersandtheirteamsneedtoalignwithprogramunitguidelines,toolsandapproaches.


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• Systemsconsiderations-AProjectManagerrarelygetstheopportunitytoinfluencethechoiceoforganizationalsystems.Regardless,theProjectManagermustmakesurethattheflowofinformationfromandtotheorganizationmeetstheneedsoftheprojectteam–forexampleinfinancialreportingandcurrencypolicy.

• Size,ComplexityandRiskconsiderations–Thesefactorsaretoooftengiveninsufficientattentionparticularlyinriskplanningandmanagement,andprojectgovernance.

• LearningandCompetencyconsiderations-WhiletheProjectManagerisresponsibleforensuringthatstaffmembersandimplementingpartnershavetherightcompetencies,includingknowledge,attitudesandskills,themanagershouldn’texpecttobuildcapacitiesintoaddressallweaknessesrightaway.AkeypartofadaptingthePMDProwillbeassessingthecurrentlevelofstaffandimplementingpartnercompetenciesandthenpromotinglearningtoincreasecapacitieswheregapsareidentified.Aspiderdiagramcanbeusedtoillustrategapsbetweencurrentanddesiredcompetencies.

• Performanceconsiderations-TheProjectManagerisnotonlyresponsibleforensuringthatprojectstaffbecomeincreasinglycompetentbut,ofultimateimportance,thaton-the-jobperformancecontributestotheorganization’stargetedimpacts.APMDProcoursemustnotbeseenasa“one-off”eventbutshouldbethestartofadynamicprocessthattransferslearningintoimprovedperformanceand,mostimportantly,contributestocontinuousprojectimprovement.

InSummaryAdaptingPMDPro,asdetailedabove,isindeedessential.However,onewarningmustbeheeded:AProjectManager’sjobshouldNOTbereducedtoasetofrigidrulesthatareappliedthoughtlesslyacrosseachandeveryproject,programorportfolio.Remember,asstatedearlierinthisGuide,thatProjectManagementisasmuchan‘art’asa‘science’.TherewillbecircumstanceswhereaPMtoolortechniquecouldbeusedbut,foranynumberorgoodreasons,mightNOTbethesmartestchoice.Inotherwords,beingtooenthusiasticinrequiringmandatoryanduniformadoptionofPMtoolsandtechniquesacrossallprojects,programsorportfolioscouldbeahugemistake.EachandeveryProjectManagermustlearntobedisciplinedandthoughtful--becomingproficientatanalyzingeachindividualprojectbeforecarefullyandcollaborativelyselectingandadoptingthebestfromPMDPro.Next steps Wehopeyounowhaveagoodunderstandingofthebasicsofprojectmanagementfordevelopmentprofessionals.IfyouareanexperiencedoraspiringprojectmanageryoushouldnowstudythefullguidetoPMDPro.Itprovidesimportantdetailwithlotsofpracticaladviceofhowtorundevelopmentprojectsintherealworld.It’sanessentialguideandreferencedocumentforprojectmanagers,downloadableforfreefromthePM4NGOswebsiteathttp://www.pm4ngos.org.

Documents

A Quick Guide to the PMD Pro - Project Managers Against Poverty · 2018. 3. 23. · A quick Guide to the PMD Pro 4 1. Project Management is Balanced – Projects should be managed