6 PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS

Margot Note

Author of Project Management for Information Professionals, 2015

OVERVIEW

• Key Terms

• Initiation

• Project Charter

• Statement of Work

• Planning and Implementation

• Project Schedule

• Risk Management Plan

• Communication Plan

• Change Management

KEY TERMS

• Project Constraints

• Time – planned duration of the entire project

• Cost – project budget

• Scope – project goals and objectives as stated in the documents that serve to initiate the project

• Project Roles

• Project Sponsor – authorizes project, responsible for project funding and success

• Program Manager – oversees the project at the organizational level

• Project Manager – Responsible for day-to-day activities concerning the execution of the project

• Project Stakeholders – Anyone affected by the project

PROJECT CHARTER

• A formal document that authorizes the project and guides all project decisions

• Identifies the project scope: the reason for the project and what it is intended to accomplish

• Identifies the project sponsors

• Assigns implementation responsibility and spending authority

• Identifies milestones and gives special directions and constraints

• Contains high-level risk management and communication plans

PROJECT STATEMENT OF WORK

• A formal document that defines, guides the work

• Provides a project Executive Summary

• Details the business need for the project

• Defines the product requirements

• Provides a summary schedule around project milestones with any necessary terms and conditions

• Provides an area of signing approval

PROJECT SCHEDULE

• Guides day-to-day project execution and control

• Lists activities that are in scope and linked to milestones and deliverables

• Steps to completing the activities are broken out into tasks with estimated

start/finish dates, individual task contingencies and a way to show

progress towards completion

• Each task has an identified owner responsible for ensuring the task is

completed

• Tied to budget and personnel resources with work breakdown structure

RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN

• Identifies the factors that may interfere with project success in time, cost and scope

• Details the actual nature of the risk

• Specific strategy for how to address that risk

• Mitigate

• Manage

• Avoid

• Central to communicating around issues that may impede or are actually impeding progress

COMMUNICATION PLAN

• Defines the communication requirements for the project and how information will be distributed.

• Role-based

• What information will be communicated

• How the information will be communicated

• When will information be distributed

• Who does the communication

• Who receives the communication

• How communications are archived for reference

CHANGE MANAGEMENT

• How the project aligns with the organization’s mission and the strategic plan goals and objectives

• Develops a vision in partnership with project stakeholders

• Ensures clear understanding of how the project will impact individual responsibilities

• Identifies project champions who keep project momentum when things get difficult

SUMMARY

• Keys to Project Success

• Project Charter

• Statement of Work

• Project Schedule

• Risk Management Plan

• Communication Plan

• Change Management

As information professionals often direct complex endeavors with limited project management training or resources, Margot Note’s Project Management for Information Professionals demystifies the tools and processes essential to successful project management, also advising on how to manage the interpersonal dynamics and organizational cultures that influence the efficacy of these methods. It presents, in a clear, well-structured manner, the knowledge to initiate, plan, execute, monitor, and close projects.

• Offers guidance on project management based on real-world experience

• Prepares readers without prior project management knowledge or experience

• Provides lean, easy-to-read, and jargon-free instructions on project management

• Gives guidance for information professionals working in libraries, archives, and museums

• ISBN: 978-0-08-100127-1

• Publication date: November 2015

• List price: $78.95

• Format: Paperback and e-book