How to create and deploy a project management method to deliver organisational success
How to create and deploy a project management method to deliver organisational success
In our previous article we talked about the importance of a consistent project management method, the benefits of it and some of the common mistakes that are made. When you embed a consistent project management method at your organisation, you provide a framework for effective project execution. And you help foster a culture of continuous improvement. In this article we’re going to explore how you can create and deploy a project management method that works for your business.
How to create a project management method that works
As an organisation, it’s vital to create a project management method that’s aligned to your needs, context and objectives. Laying the foundation for successful project delivery and performance is dependent on this. Here are some of the things you should do:
Identify a sponsor who holds authority in the organisation to support the project management method. This sponsor should be someone who can advocate for the importance of project management, and can promote buy-in from stakeholders across the business.
Define integration needs by assessing the project management method with existing processes and systems. Consider the areas where integration is crucial for alignments across projects, and then define those integration points to ensure smooth operation and minimal disruption.
Understand project types and scales through analysis of projects that have been undertaken before, considering the size, duration, industry and complexity. Then tailor the project management method to accommodate the requirements of those project types, e.g. marketing campaigns, product launches or IT transformation. Don’t forget to think about scalability and how the project management method can be applied from small-scale projects to large-scale programmes.
Agree assurance requirements with key stakeholders to monitor and evaluate project performance. Make sure you’re defining the criteria for assessing success and mutually agree on the level, scope and frequency of assurance activities, such as, reviews, audits and evaluations.
Describe management information needs that are required to support decision-making by specifying the format and frequency of information required by project and programme managers, sponsors and other stakeholders. Key performance indicators that are well-defined will help to track progress and measure success.
Understand the context i.e. your organisation’s culture, vales and priorities that can influence the project management method and how it might be implemented. Consider factors outside of your organisation too, for example, market conditions, regulatory requirements and trends that may impact project delivery and success.
Review best management practice with research and review of the industry-standard project management frameworks and methods. This will help you identify the proven approaches and techniques that enable project success. It’s also useful to benchmark against leading organisations to gain insights into what works. Remember to adapt these techniques to your specific needs, culture, and objectives.
Understand organisational capability with assessments for project management maturity and readiness for change. Identifying strengths and weaknesses, and gaps in project processes and skills will help you develop a plan of action. Enhancing your organisation’s project management capability through training, mentoring and knowledge-shares will drive future success across the business.
How to deploy the project management method with success
Now that you know how to create a project management method that works, you might be wondering how to get it started. Let’s get into that! Here are eight important techniques to follow, to ensure you deploy your project methods properly, and enable success every time:
Agree a strategy by collaborating with key stakeholders to develop a comprehensive plan that includes defining overarching goals, objectives and success criteria for the deployment. Identify the timeline, resource requirements and scope for implementing the project management method.
Define meaningful metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure how effective and efficient the project management method is. Remember to ensure that metrics are aligned to the strategic objectives so define clear benchmarks and targets for each metric to track and asses progress and performance.
Agree a deployment plan that outlines the activities, milestones and dependencies involved in adopting the project management method. Ensure that there are realistic timelines, taking into account dependencies and constraints. Don’t forget to allocate responsibilities and resources for training, communication and change management too.
Mobilise the team of people who have the expertise and authority to drive the project management method. Team members should have clear roles and responsibilities that are aligned with the deployment plan and strategic objectives. It’s also vital to foster collaboration and support within the team culture to encourage innovation and continuous improvement.
Communicate effectively with a comprehensive plan to engage stakeholders, generate buy-in and build awareness for the project management method. It’s important to tailor communication strategies to different audiences, addressing their needs and interests – a blanket email for all stakeholders isn’t ideal. Remember to use different communication channels too – meetings, newsletters and presentations reach different stakeholders effectively.
Deliver training and coaching to equip team members, project managers and other stakeholders with the skills and tools needed to implement the project management method. Offer these training sessions with a blend of classroom workshops, e-learning modules and one-to-one coaching to accommodate the diverse learning styles.
Learn lessons with established mechanisms that capture and analyse lessons learned by encouraging feedback and reflection from stakeholders. This will help you identify successes, challenges and opportunities to refine and optimise the project method for future projects and programmes.
Define a compelling vision for why this is essential for the success of the organisation by communicating the benefits and expected outcomes. Highlight the positive impact this will have on project delivery, organisation performance and employee experience. You should inspire stakeholders to get involved and support the deployment efforts.
Conclusion
These steps will help you provide confidence in project outcomes, and help your organisation effectively deliver projects using a project management method that’s aligned with your organisation’s needs and strategies. A consistent project management method increases the success of projects because it provides structure that mitigates risk, facilitates effective communication and optimises resources, along with many other benefits. When you lay the foundation for success carefully, project delivery and organisational performance thrives.
Sometimes this is easier to do in theory. Not to worry, we’ve got the practice.
We won’t take your problem away from you and build a method in insolation; our approach is to help you develop the method. This way, you retain the knowledge to maintain the project management method after we leave. We help you develop a method based on best practice that works for the different types of projects you deliver, whilst being aware of your context, your policies and your governance arrangements.
We also can help you establish and deliver a change initiative - advising and supporting you through the change and taking a role that adds most value to you. Want to talk? Email us at info@firewoodltd.com.