How to Achieve Your Project Management Goals
Project management is a process for planning and controlling projects that is different from general management procedures. It differs, in part, because it aims to deliver sudden and revolutionary changes within an organization during a finite time period. Projects tend to require organizations to allocate more resources than would be required for general management processes. Successful projects are those that achieve predetermined goals and objectives within time, cost and quality standards set by project managers.
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Instructions
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Define project goals. The best project goals are described as SMART -- an acronym for specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely. The project's goals and objectives will define all of the project team efforts. A project team that aims for clearly defined outcomes and results has a greater chance of success.
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Appoint a project manager. The best project managers are leaders with a record of success and typically come from the ranks of senior management. They have the ability to motivate and garner respect from team members. Top qualities identified for project managers are those with integrity, enthusiasm and empathy who have the ability to inspire a shared vision, communicate effectively, delegate tasks, work well under pressure, problem-solve and team build, according to the U.K.-based Project Smart.
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Break down the project into stages. This will serve as the general road map for achieving the project goals and objectives. By approaching the project as distinguishable phases of controllable action units, project participants are better able to plan and estimate work requirements. During this initial planning stage, project managers work with team members to establish the specific tasks that need to be completed, assign responsibilities for specific work tasks and identify necessary resources.
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Plan and monitor the project budget. Establish estimates for each identifiable cost, which will be based on the specific needs of your project. Generally, however, cost include those associated with staff wages, equipment, supplies and administration. Project monitoring starts with developing a standard system for recording financial transactions during the course of the project. Review variances between budget estimates and actual costs, which may indicate the existence of a project problem.
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Set timescales. This involves estimating time durations for each stage or phase of the project. For each project phase, estimate both the time required for each unit of work and set out the time sequence for work units. Critical path analysis and the program evaluation and review technique are a couple time management tools. CPA is a scheduling and monitoring technique for project activities. PERT estimates the least, most likely and longest possible times required to complete a task. This information is used to calculate and chart time estimates for project stages and activities.
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Monitor overall project performance factors. Evaluate data related to costs, timescales and performance quality on a frequent basis. Develop progress reports based on reporting data, feedback sessions and other performance information sources. Project control tools include milestone charts, which illustrates the project phases and allows project teams to chart its steps toward achieving project objectives.
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Comments
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Anonymous
Nov 22, 2011
So, in a nutshell accomplishing Project Management goals starts with describing the actual project goals followed by breaking down the project into phases. A special attention should be paid to planning and monitoring the allocated budget. As the author wrote: setting up a strict Time Management is mandatory, and one should always keep an eye on general project performance aspects. But what about goals of meeting project requirements?
