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Table of Contents
Helpful Reminders ........................................................................................................................................3
Being the Project Manager ...........................................................................................................................4
The Roles of a Project Manager................................................................................................................4
Being a facilitator..................................................................................................................................4
Systems Approach.................................................................................................................................4
Being a Communicator..........................................................................................................................4
Being a Virtual Project Manager...........................................................................................................5
Being a Convener ..................................................................................................................................5
The Responsibilities of a Project Manager................................................................................................5
Acquiring Resources..............................................................................................................................5
Fighting Fires.........................................................................................................................................5
Leading and Making Trade-offs ............................................................................................................5
Being a Negotiator ................................................................................................................................6
Step One: Meet with the Assigner of the Project.........................................................................................6
Learn about the Project ............................................................................................................................6
Step Two: Create a Project Charter ..............................................................................................................6
What is the Project’s Purpose?.................................................................................................................7
What are the Project’s Objectives? ..........................................................................................................7
What is the Project Overview? .................................................................................................................7
What are the Project Milestones and Turnaround Times? ......................................................................7
What is the Project’s Estimated Budget? .................................................................................................7
Who are the Project’s Personnel and Stakeholders? ...............................................................................8
What are the Potential Risks?...................................................................................................................8
What is the Evaluation Criteria? ...............................................................................................................8
Step Three: Convene the Project Launch Meeting.......................................................................................8
Meetings during the Project .....................................................................................................................9
Step Four: Sort out the Project.....................................................................................................................9
The Work Break Down Structure............................................................................................................10
The RACI Matrix ......................................................................................................................................10
Mind Mapping.........................................................................................................................................10
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The PERT or CPM.....................................................................................................................................10
The Gantt chart.......................................................................................................................................11
Step Five: Budget the Project......................................................................................................................11
Top-down Budgeting...............................................................................................................................11
Bottom-up Budgeting .............................................................................................................................11
Step Six: Monitor and Control the Project..................................................................................................12
Monitoring the Project ...........................................................................................................................12
Data Collection and Reporting................................................................................................................12
Meetings: Informing the Project Team...................................................................................................13
Controlling the Project............................................................................................................................13
The Control System.............................................................................................................................13
Step Seven: Evaluating and Terminating a Project.....................................................................................14
Evaluating the Project.............................................................................................................................14
Project Audit .......................................................................................................................................15
Audit Report........................................................................................................................................15
Terminating the Project..........................................................................................................................15
Project Final Report ............................................................................................................................16
Final Note....................................................................................................................................................17
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Helpful Reminders
Roles of a PM
o Facilitator
o Systems Approach
o Communicator
o Virtual Project Manager
o Convener
Responsibilities of a PM
o Acquire Resources
o Fight Fires
o Lead and make Trade-offs
o Negotiate
Important Forms and Documents
o Project Charter
o Work Breakdown Structure
o RACI Matrix
o Mind Mapping
o PERT / CPM
o Gantt Chart
Helpful Tips
o “Never let the boss be surprised”
o Never agree to goals that aren’t flexible
o Create any clauses for amendments to the project plan
o The project charter must be signed by all stakeholders
o Have senior management at the launch meeting
o Notify members of the goals and purpose of each meeting so they can be prepared
o Keep meetings focused on their tasks
o Meetings should not go beyond their designated time frame
o Make sure there is open and honest communication between members
o Reports should only be given to those that they directly relate to
o Beware of micromanagement and scope creep
o Watch out for projectitis
o Find the things you enjoy
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Being the Project Manager
The Roles of a Project Manager
As project manager you will have the responsibility of starting, managing, and completing a
project. You will need to fill various roles and needs in order to succeed. There are many things that
you will need to know but the most important will be covered in this helpful guide. Firstly, there are
three important roles that you will have as a project manager and it is important to know the function of
each one in order to fully understand your role. The roles of a project manager include being a
Facilitator, using the Systems Approach, being a Communicator, a Virtual Project Manager, and a
Convener.
Being a facilitator
A facilitator means doing the work. It’s stepping in and helping where help is needed and
getting things done. It isn’t sitting and watching other people work. It’s working with those people and
helping them accomplish the tasks that are necessary to complete the project. A facilitator must ensure
that workers have the knowledge, skills, resources, and time to accomplish their tasks. A facilitator
must also ensure that things run smoothly. This means that they must deal with conflict. They must
also use the systems approach.
Systems Approach
As a project manager you will need to have the view like the systems approach. The systems
approach looks at a project as one piece of a larger group of projects all working together to pursue the
goals of the organization. This is used when dealing with the multiple departments that the project will
be working with. Each department is working together to pursue the goals and completion of the
project. Working this way allows for you and members of your project team to understand that what
they are doing is important. It also lowers the chances of sub-optimization. Sub-optimization is when
departments optimize their projects instead of working together to optimize the whole group project.
This may mean that one group is working very well on their time line but they are causing another group
to fall behind or experience problems.
Being a Communicator
It is the project manager’s responsibility to make sure that everybody knows what’s going on.
They must make sure that information is communicated to the people that will be affected by it. They
must also make sure that every one that is a part of the project knows what’s changing. They will need
to oversee communication between departments otherwise the project can quickly fall into sub-
optimization. Most importantly, the project manager must communicate with their boss. The boss
reports to those higher up and any information that the boss gives those important figures must be
accurate. If the boss tells the higher ups something other than what can be done, then there will be
major consequences. Ultimately, the most important thing to remember when communicating with the
boss is to “Never let the boss get surprised.” As long as all things are communicated, the project will run
smoothly and you will be able to handle conflict and problems better.
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Being a Virtual Project Manager
Projects are not all the same. Many times a project will be on such a large scale that managing it
will need to be done virtually. This requires managing communications through emails, phone calls, etc.
Communication is extremely important for large scale projects since not everybody can see the project’s
progress. Most likely you are starting a small project and you will have direct communication. However,
it is important to know the problems of virtual projects since they can be problems of small projects.
Virtual communication lacks many of the advantages of direct communication. We do not get to see
gestures, facial expression, or body language when we communicate virtually. Thus, things can be
misinterpreted or misunderstood. As a project manager working on a virtual scale it is important to
word your communication so that your team members can understand what you are saying. This will
avoid any problems or conflicts that may arise from inadequate communication.
Being a Convener
A project manager is responsible for arranging and leading meetings about the project. They
must report to senior management and communicate with the project team. One of the most
important meetings that the project manager must head is the launch meeting, the very first meeting
for the project. The project manager is responsible for taking minutes and making sure all meetings stay
on track. They must also send out invitations to people important to the meeting. In the invitation
there should be a written agenda about the purpose of the meeting and the information the people will
need to know to come to the meeting prepared.
The Responsibilities of a Project Manager
Acquiring Resources
As project manager you will be responsible for making sure that your project gets the resources
that it needs. You will also make sure that resources are allocated to the important tasks required for
your projects. Resources may include personnel with certain skills or abilities, money, and other items.
You will need to figure out what resources you will need and how you are going to get them.
Fighting Fires
As project manager you will need to manage conflict or problems such as crises. Crises could be
equipment failure, bad weather, or any other event that would cause the project to fall behind
schedule. A project manager must be able to handle these problems quickly to ensure that the project
does not fall behind.
Leading and Making Trade-offs
It is important to remember when you are managing a project and encounter problems that you
cannot everything. You must be willing to make trade-offs. You will make trade-offs between the
project deadline, budget, scope, and sometimes risk. It will be up to you to decide which ones you will
pursue and which you will have to let go. It is also extremely important to communicate what’s going on
and what you’re thinking of doing with the client and the boss. Trade-offs will have to be made, the
project manager must choose the one that best fits the organization and allows the project to be
successful.
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Being a Negotiator
Although it is not one of the major roles of a project manager, being a negotiator is extremely
important for the success of a project. A project manager will have to deal with multiple problems that
can come from different areas of the project. To effectively deal and solve problems a project manager
must be a good negotiator. Depending on the organization and the number of ongoing projects, a
project manager may have to negotiate resources to their project. They may also need to negotiate
resources in their own project depending on the situation. The main goal of negotiating is to end with a
win-win outcomes. Thus, both parties are happy in the end. Negotiating win-win resolutions is key to
effectively facilitating a project.
Step One: Meet with the Assigner of the Project
Learn about the Project
The most important step to starting a project is to meet with the person who wants the project
to happen. This person will be able to explain what they want the project to be, what it will include, and
all other information that will be important to you and your endeavor in managing the complex start of
the project. Make sure to ask this person any questions that you may have. You will want to learn as
much about the project as you can. If you come across any questions later, be sure to ask them. For
now, the most important things that you will need to know from the assigner are the three goals of the
project. The three goals of the project are to meet the project deadline, stay under the project budget,
and meet the “scope” of the project.
These are the most important things to find out. The answers to these goals will ultimately determine
how complicated the project will be and whether or not it will be a success. One key thing to remember
is to never agree with goals that are not flexible. Flexibility will be key to the project’s success. It will
allow you to deal with problems that may arise without causing the project to fail. If the goals for the
project are set in stone and inflexible, do not take the project. Projects that are not flexible are likely
to end in unavoidable failure that will be blamed on you. To ensure project success you may have to
stand up against the boss and negotiate for flexibility.
Step Two: Create a Project Charter
To create a project charter you will need to know eight things about your project. The eight things you
need to know and be able to explain in the project charter are as follows:
The project’s purpose
The project’s objectives
An overview of the project
The milestones and turnaround time
Estimated project budget
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Personnel and stakeholders
Potential risk
Evaluation criteria
What is the Project’s Purpose?
What is the reason for the project? What makes the project important? The purpose of the
project should fit in within the company’s plan. Know the company’s plan and how the project is going
to help this plan. Know why the company is pursuing the project. The project must benefit the company
in some way. The benefits of the project should be described and any expected profitability should be
mentioned as well. This section is used to communicate the reasons for the why the organization is
pursuing the project to the project team members. It is important that they understand that what they
will be doing will is important to the company.
What are the Project’s Objectives?
The project’s objectives are basically the project’s mission. They’re what the project is meant to
accomplish. This includes what will be done in the project. The project’s objectives can also be summed
up in the project’s scope, deliverables, and outcomes. Overall, it is a description of what the project will
be doing and what will be included in it.
What is the Project Overview?
The project overview is a brief summary of the project’s purpose, objectives, and significant
milestones or events in the project schedule. This information is for senior management. Though brief,
it should be very detailed about the project’s scope, deliverables, and milestones. It should also report
any limitations that the project may face and identify the standard operating procedures for hiring
consultants, contractors, equipment, and etc. It should be in clear and concise. Overall, it must be able
to explain the project to upper level managers so that they can know what the project is and what it will
be doing.
What are the Project Milestones and Turnaround Times?
Project milestones are important completions or points in the project that are used to help
show the progress of the project. These include level one tasks. Level one tasks are the major tasks in
the project that need to be completed in order for the project to be finished. This is basically the
project’s main schedule. The turnaround time is the time needed to complete each milestone or task in
the project. The milestones and their times are listed in the project Work Break-down Structure or WBS.
What is the Project’s Estimated Budget?
The project budget will include any expenses that are known to be associated with each task. It
will also include descriptions of any overhead or fixed expenses. These expenses will become the
project’s budget. Another part of this section will include any cost monitoring or cost control
procedures. These procedures should be described in detail so that anyone reading the charter will
know how the costs of the project will be observed.
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Who are the Project’s Personnel and Stakeholders?
The project’s personnel includes anyone who will be working on the project. This can also
include specific departments. It can contain individual notations for managerial responsibilities. It will
also include managerial and informational accountability requirements for each worker. The description
can include specific requirements, training, education and other contract requirements for certain
individuals. The projects stakeholders includes any person or party that may have an interest in the
project. Stakeholders can be anyone from sponsors, workers, staff, the community, or individual
people.
What are the Potential Risks?
The potential risks are any risks that may affect the project. This is not limited to any certain
type of risk. However, risks should be reasonable, rational, and professional. Keep your risks to actual
things that may occur or disastrous events that can occur but their odds of occurring are extremely rare.
Risks should be divided into major and minor categories. Examples of risk are but are not limited to
equipment failure, a person with special skill calling in sick, or bad weather. All in all, it is better to be
prepared for anything that can happen, but it is unreasonable to develop a full out risk analysis for every
risk. Contingency plans for certain risks should be explained in detail in this section. Contingency plans
can help soften the impact that issues or crises have on the project. These plans should be explained for
highly probable risks. You do not need to have a plan for every possibility. Ultimately, it is up to you to
decide where you are comfortable with your planned out risk and unknown risk.
What is the Evaluation Criteria?
Evaluation Criteria is the description of how you will determine whether or not the project was a
success and if you did a good job. This can include any monitoring that will be done, how it will be done,
and what exactly will be monitored. There should also be a description of work standards for the
project. Compliance with these standards should be monitored by departments or even by certain
individuals. This monitoring should also be described in the evaluation criteria. Lastly, the place where
all the information on the monitoring of the project and work performance should be stated.
The project Charter is just a small summary of the project. It will help create the project plan.
The project plan will need to have all of these things in greater detail and others as well. It is important
to remember to create any clauses for amendments to the project plan. These will help ease the
problems caused by changes to the project. It is also important to create contingency plans for risks
that are very likely and will have a big impact on the project. Most importantly, to be complete the
project charter must be signed by all stakeholders.
Step Three: Convene the Project Launch Meeting
The project launch meeting is the meeting between upper level management and the project
manager. Other key members such as the project team can also be at the meeting. The most
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important thing needed at this meeting is a senior manager. A senior manager shows members of the
project that the organization cares about the project and assures them that their work will be
important. Managers from other departments will can also be there to add their support or offer
information crucial to the project. They will supply the people that will end up working on the project
with you. Overall, the project launch meeting is the time for you to ask all questions you may have
about the project. It is where you will be told all the expectations that the organization, client, and
stakeholders have for the project. However, the meeting is not to be used for serious planning or
brainstorming. This will be done in the meetings after the launch meeting. It is also important to have
participative decision making. Everyone should give input on the project and ask questions. Overall, the
meeting has three goals that need to be accomplished. These goals are as follows:
The project’s scope is fully understood and temporarily fixed.
Functional managers understand their responsibility and have committed to develop the task
and resource plan.
Benefits to the organization that are outside the scope of the project are noted.
The members of the project team and functional managers of different departments should
leave the meeting knowing what the project is going to be and what it will include. If they are not
committed to the project or do not understand what will be going on, then there will be problems. This
will take time away from the project and cause it to start later.
Meetings during the Project
As project manager you will need to convene a variety of different meetings during the project.
The first meeting you will need to convene will be the meeting to figure out all of the tasks the project
will require. When conducting meetings, you will need to send out invitations to all the people you
want at the meeting. You will also need to let them know what the meeting will be covering so they
can come prepared. Another part of making sure they are prepared will include asking them or
checking in with them to see if they have read the information about the meeting. During the meeting
it is very important that the group does not get off track. Overall, meetings should be held to make
decisions and inform people about any changes to the project and what needs to happen. Project
meetings should have a goal and they should not last any longer than the time set for them to finish.
Lastly, in all meetings it is critical to have open, honest communication between members.
Step Four: Sort out the Project
There are many forms and helpful charts that you should know about if you are going to manage
a project, even a small one. These forms will make the process of working, monitoring, and planning
easier for you. Some of these important forms include the following:
Work Breakdown Structure
RACI Matrix
Mind Mapping
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PERT or CPM
Gantt Chart
And many others
These are all meant to help you organize all the information pertinent to the project so that you
can understand what needs to be done, monitor the work being done, and figure out the quickest way
the project can be completed. There are also programs that can assist you with creating these forms
such as Microsoft Project.
The Work Break Down Structure
The Work Breakdown Structure, also known as the WBS, is the first form you will need to
complete. This would be best to complete with the project team members in the meeting(s) following
the launch meeting. A WBS includes a breakdown of all the tasks, subtasks, and potential tasks of the
subtasks. This way all the things necessary for the project to be completed are accounted for. These
tasks should be broken down into a hierarchy, meaning the larger task is listed first and then the next
and so on. Major tasks are listed as level one tasks. The next tasks listed as level two and so on until all
tasks have been accounted for. The WBS can be detailed by how long the tasks will take and any other
information that is deemed necessary. These are known as modified WBS’s which can become very
detailed about each task.
The RACI Matrix
The RACI Matrix, or Responsible-Accountable-Consult-Informed Matrix, is similar to the WBS
since it lists all of the tasks needed to complete the project. However, the RACI Matrix organizes the
members of the project team by their responsibilities and tasks. This Matrix allows for people to know
who to talk to if they have questions about a specific aspect of the project. It will also help you know
who to inform about any changes to the project. It is very important to have an inform category on the
matrix to make sure that people are being notified of things before they become problems.
Mind Mapping
Mind mapping is a whole-brain approach to looking at the project. It allows for creativity and
thoughts to flow freely. It is the visual approach to organizing a project. It also helps the entire team
work together. Mind mapping consists of drawing out all the tasks required for the project and any
other tasks that may be important.
The PERT or CPM
The PERT, Program Evaluation and Review Technique, and the CPM, Critical Path Method, are
two ways that map out the paths for a project. They start at the beginning of the project and create a
pathway through all of the tasks necessary until the project completion. The path is constructed out of
nodes and arrows and there are two ways to set them up. The first is an AOA, which means activities
are located on the arrows. The second is an AON, where the activities are on the nodes. Either way
they both show the same thing. It just depends on which one you like better. Mapping out the project
like this allows you to see the project’s critical path, or the longest consecutive set of activities to reach
project completion. The critical path time will be the time required to finish the project. The map can
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also be created on programs that will calculate the amount of time that the project will take. This will
be helpful in seeing which tasks will require the most time and important. The map can also be detailed
in whichever way is most beneficial to you.
The Gantt chart
The Gantt chart is a table that shows the tasks of a project in the order that they start. Activities
are shown as bars measured against a horizontal time scale. This allows the duration of each task to be
seen in relation to others. It also shows tasks that being worked on and where they should be in
completion related to the estimated progress at a specific date. The chart can be hand drawn or created
in Microsoft Project. The Gantt chart is easy to read and can be updated to match any changes in the
project. It can also be detailed depending on how much information you’d like to see. However, if they
are shown publically, the times on the Gantt chart should not include the times estimated with delays.
If they do, it could cause workers to put tasks off until a later date and cause the project to run late if
actual problems do arise later.
Overall, there are many other tools that you can use to help organize and monitor the project.
These are just a few that are important and widely used. Each organization may have programs or
charts of their own. It is important to know what resources you have available to you and what is
expected from you when preparing the information.
Step Five: Budget the Project
The budget is very important to the project. It will determine how the project will go since it will
be the source of most resources. The budget is a plan for allocating the organizational resources for the
projects activities. Budgeting is forecasting the resources that the project will need, in what quantities,
who will need them, and how much they will cost. Budgeting can encounter many problems and it is
easily influenced by the organizational culture. An important point to remember, when working with
the organization you will need to understand your organization’s accounting program. How the
accounting department accounts for the costs of the project may hinder or help your budget and your
ability to make sure that the project is meeting its budget requirements. Budgeting costs can be a
complex process but there are two different ways to find estimates.
Top-down Budgeting
In top-down budgeting, costs and estimates are decided by the top management. They are
based on collective judgements and experience. The level one tasks are budgeted first and then the
lower ones until all tasks have been budgeted. There are sometimes errors in small tasks but the overall
budget allows for those problems.
Bottom-up Budgeting
Bottom-up budgeting involves starting from the bottom and then building the budget up. The
estimates for each task are made by the people responsible according to the RACI matrix or WBS. This
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process is more detailed with small tasks. A problem with this is that some people will overestimate
their tasks. This will lead to the project overestimated and it getting rejected by clients or the
organization.
Overall, the best procedure to budget the project should include both forms. This allows for the
benefits of each method and avoidance of the disadvantages. The budget for the project is a very
important piece and it could have a big impact on the project if it changes or is not accurate. Therefore,
it is important that it is worked on with great care and detail.
Step Six: Monitor and Control the Project
Once the project has been planned and all of your charts and information are ready then the
project will commence. Part of your job as project manager will be to monitor and control the project as
it progresses. Monitoring the project will involve collecting, recording, and reporting information on the
project that is important to you and other stakeholders. Controlling the project will involve using that
data to bring actual performance into agreement with your project plan.
Monitoring the Project
One thing you will need to monitor will be whether or not the project is meeting its goals. You
will need to monitor this until the project is completed. It will be helpful to design a project monitoring
system. This system should identify special characteristics of your project’s goals; scope, cost and time,
in order to achieve them. It should also check the progress of the project at each milestone or phase of
the project.
Data Collection and Reporting
After the monitoring program you will need to collect the data and organize it so that it will be
useful. There are many different data collections that can be used depending on what you are
monitoring. Some are:
Frequency counts – tally the numbers of occurrences of a specific event
Raw numbers – actual amounts compared to expected or planned amounts
Subjective numerical ratings – subjective estimates of quality offered by specialists of the topic
Indicators and surrogates – numbers that are different than the norm but are related to a
certain variable
Verbal characterizations – other variables that are difficult to measure *these are useful as long
as everyone understands what the characterization means.
Once you have collected data on where the project is it is important to report the status of the
project. This will be done using reports. However, not everyone needs to see the reports. Reports
should only be given to those that they directly relate to. Reports will also vary in frequency. Try to
avoid sending periodic reports unless the data is collected in a periodic fashion. Be careful not to
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overload people with reports. The project milestones, changes to the project or the projects scope,
problems or need for information should dictate the timing of reports. Reports are very important and
there are three different reports that you should know about. These include:
Routine reports – reports that are sent out at the same time periodically
Exception reports – reports for special decisions or unexpected situations in which affected
team members and outside managers need to be informed and the change documented
Special Analysis reports – reports that inform people about the results of a special study in the
project concerning a particular opportunity or problem
Meetings: Informing the Project Team
After reports have been made they must be distributed to the project team. Reports can be
given through meetings. These meetings are to review the reports and implement plans based on their
results. Crisis meetings will also be important during any monumental problem that occurs to the
project. These meetings should be kept on the sole goal of addressing the crisis.
Controlling the Project
Controlling the project will involve reducing the differences between the plan and the actuality
of the project. The purpose of controlling is to ensure that the project will meet its objectives.
Controlling will involve monitoring human behavior and determining what to control. Controlling has
two objectives:
Steward the organization’s assets
Regulate the results through altering the projects activities
These objectives are to make sure that the project meets its goals. You will need to control the
project’s human, physical, and financial resources. When it comes to controlling people, however,
beware of micromanagement. Micromanagement causes dysfunction in the project team and leads to
low self-esteem. It does not help the project. Also, beware of scope creep. Scope creep is when team
members, the client, and sometimes even upper level management want to take the project in a
different direction then it is was originally intended for. Overall, there are many tools out there to help
you keep control of your project. One tool used to help control a project is a control system.
The Control System
A control system is meant to correct errors. However, correction of errors can cost the project
its resources. The faster the control is increased the more cost to the project. You will need to find a
balance between control and cost that will work for the project. This system is also used for any
changes to the project. Overall, control of the project is important but it should only be exerted to the
degree required to achieve the objectives of correcting the behavior. As PM you have three ways in
which you can exert control. These three ways are:
Process reviews – analysis of the process of reaching the project objectives rather than results
Personnel assignments – reviewing work based on past project activity
Resource allocation – Allocating to more productive or important tasks.
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When controlling a project it is important to remember to focus on reaching the long term
objective and not get caught up in short term objectives. You will need to choose which objectives you
will want to pursue over others. It is also important to know the necessities you will need in order to
control a project. These necessities are:
Sensors – measure any aspect of the project
Standards – levels of quality or quantity set for the project
Comparators – mechanisms that compare the output of the sensor with the standards
A decision-maker – a person to decide if the difference between what the sensor measured and
the standard is large enough to warrant attention
Effector – an operation on the input or the process to fix the problem
When dealing with problems it is best to intercept them as soon as possible. This will stop them
from having big impacts on the project and keep the project running smoothly. Some other tools that
may help you when controlling a project are trend projections, critical ratios, schedule ratios, cost ratios,
control charts, and benchmarking. It is important to remember that any change takes time and not all
change will be accepted. However, with persuasion you can succeed in slowly changing your project for
the better.
Step Seven: Evaluating and Terminating a Project
Evaluating and ending a project can either go relatively fast or take a long time. The process will
affect the organization and its future projects. So, evaluating and terminating the project correctly is
key to ensuring the continuation of more projects.
Evaluating the Project
Evaluating determines the value of the project and appraises the progress and performance
related to the project’s initial or revised plan. It also appraises the project against its goals and
objectives. The primary purpose of evaluation is to give feedback to senior management for decision
and control purposes. However, in order to start evaluating you need to define the criteria. Evaluation
criteria can consist of many things and here are just a few:
Particular areas – departments, tasks, deliverables
Original criteria for selecting and funding the project
Any special reasons for the project
The projects “success date”
Achievement of budget and schedule goals
Performance and effectiveness
Increase market share
Presence in a new market
And many others
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Measuring the project against its criteria is relatively easy. The only complications are between
actual numbers or expenses, earned values, and technical issues. Groups can also fight for responsibility
of earned profit. Decisions on measurement and responsibility should be decided at the beginning of the
project to avoid this issue. Another part of evaluating the project includes the project audit.
Project Audit
The project audit is a thorough examination of the management of a project, its methodology,
procedures, records, properties, inventories, budgets, expenses, progress and etc. It is not a financial
audit but can focus on any issues of interest to senior managers. These audits can be performed during
and after the project. Later audits are less helpful to the project team. These audits can be performed at
any level and to any depth. There are three levels typical for audits. These are:
General audits – constrained by time and cost, limited to a brief investigation of project
essentials
Detailed audits – issued after the general audit to find things that need to be investigated
Technical audits – performed by a person or team with special technical skills
These audits are helpful depending on when they are done. The main resource for these audits
is the project team. However, team members may not trust auditors. So, team members should always
be notified of an audit and when it’s going to occur. The last part of the audit is the audit report.
Audit Report
The audit reports should be carefully checked and verified. A decision must be made on what is
included in the report. The report should be given in a constructive tone so as to not discourage project
team members. It should be arranged to show the comparison between the planned results and the
actual results. Negative comments should be avoided and any significant deviations should be
highlighted. Overall, the audit should include the following information:
Introduction
Current Status
Future Project Stakeholders
Critical Management Issues
Risk Analysis and Management
Final Comments
Terminating the Project
The process for ending the project will have a large impact on the quality of life in the
organization. Many workers may develop projectitis. Projectitis is an attachment to the project and a
feeling of uncertainty about what comes after the project. This can cause workers to slow down and
prolong the project. It is important to make sure that the project is completed within the time that it
needs and not any longer. A project can only continue as long as the organization is willing to fund it. A
project should be terminated when:
It has met its goals and objectives
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The project qualifies against a set of factors generally associated with success or failure
Projects fail when they are no longer required for a certain task, they have insufficient support
from senior management, they are named with the wrong project manager, and when there is poor up-
front planning. Terminating a project should be decided by a broad panel of reasonable senior
executives. The rationale of the decision should be explained to all the project team members. More
than likely one member will get upset over the termination. Having a rationale decision makes the
process and explanation of termination more smooth and successful. The more care and planning, the
better the results of termination. It is important to have a designated termination manager who has
experience with ending projects. They should be neutral to the project so they aren’t distracted by
feelings of attachment to the project. In the end, there are four types of project terminations. These
include:
Project extinction – activity on the project suddenly stops
Termination-by-addition – the project is successfully completed and made into a new
department of the organization
Termination-by-integration – output of the project becomes a standard part of the operating
systems of the sponsoring firm
Termination-by-starvation – when the project is not ended but its budget is squeezed
After the project is terminated there is one last document to complete before it is done. This
document is the project final report.
Project Final Report
The project final report is a history of the project. It explains what went right and what went
wrong, who served and in what capacity, what was done and how it was managed, and the lessons
learned. The final report is not meant for you but for future projects. It is an example to look back to
and learn from. Material that should be included in the report includes:
Project performance
Administrative performance
Organizational structure
Project teamwork
Project management techniques
Lastly, the final report should include recommendations for improvement and whether or not
they were accepted or rejected. It should also be noted why they were rejected. It should end with a
collections of thoughts, reflections, and commentaries on the project.
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Final Note
Overall, being a project manager involves more than this brief summary. It is a complex and
detailed job that requires time and patience. In the end, it is like any other job. It will have good things
and bad. With all of the requirements and stress that can come with this job my final advice for you is to
remember to enjoy it. It may be a long complicated process but each project will be unique and every
job has good aspects. Find the ones you enjoy and focus on them. This will help you work through all of
those tough times. Finding what you enjoy in your job will ensure good times. – Ashley Goeke
