Collaborative post – may contain affiliate links
Getting your project right from start to finish comes down to planning. There are a few stages that every project will go through and that you should be aware of. Project management is not just about managing people, it is about taking care of all the little details too. You will use all your skills and tools to manage people, techniques, hiring, and more to bring your project to fruition.
Initiation
In the early stages, your project might be quite messy. The goals will be defined at a broader level. Plenty of research will take place to see if the project is possible. Some feasibility testing will take place too.
The critical decision-makers, like stakeholders and board members, will also need to do their own due diligence at this point to decide if the project will go ahead. If everything appears to be in order, there will be a project initiation document arranged that will outline the purpose and requirements of all parties involved.
Project Planning
Now is where it starts to get really interesting. Most project managers find this a very enjoyable stage. A guide will now be developed for all key players to follow. A few of the most opted for methods are CLEAR and SMART. Here is a quick breakdown:
SMART – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely
CLEAR – Collaborative, Limited, Emotional, Appreciable, Refinable
By now, the complete scope of the project is clear. All of the roles and responsibilities are cemented, and everyone is now accountable. The following will need to be written up:
- Work Breakdown Schedule
- Milestones
- TimeLine
- Communication Plan
- Risk Management Plan
Execution
All of the deliverables are on paper and completed. Most of the work will now take place in this phase. There will be many meetings, performance updates, status updates, and hiring too. Many moving parts mean it will be all hands on deck.
The team will be developed now. The first people in will likely be contractors and surveyors like Thurlow. You might also need designed, extra assistance and more skilled workers too.
- Resources being assigned
- Execute the project management plans
- Procurement if required
- Tracking
- Status meetings
- Continuous updates of the project status
Execution and performance will overlap.
Performance
This section will have already been running for some time, but now it will be time to take note of the progress that has been made and the performance of all. This is a phase that focuses intensely on KPIs. These KPIs were outlined in the first stages. Here are a few of the way that project performance will be checked:
- Quality deliverables
- Project Performance
- Effort and Cost tracking
- Project Objectives
Adjustments will take place here as required.
Closure
All hired contracts will now come to an end, and there will likely be a celebration of the success of the project. An evaluation of what went well and what needed adjustments will be made, and a final report will be drafted. Typically there will be a follow-up plan and a structure in place to keep the project secure.
Growing Forward 