How minimal can you make your project management and still have a successful project? Focus on communication, keep it simple, and celebrate at the end. Minimum viable project management is most suitable for short projects that will take under a month. If you have a more complicated project, this is a fine skeleton but you'll want to add more structure, such as a formal project plan. 1 Analyze needs 2 Create list of tasks and dependencies 3 Estimate timelines (and budgets if appropriate) 4 Assign tasks to self and/or others 5 Communicate the plan and make any revisions 6 Monitor and report progress (scope/quality), estimate if the project will meet the deadline and budget, and modify the plan as needed 7 Deliver results and celebrate!

1. MINIMUM VIABLE
PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
Jennifer Berk, February 2014

2. What is a project?
A temporary endeavor to produce a unique
result. Generally involves limited time, scope,
quality, and/or budget, and tradeoffs between
those resources.
Contrast with a semi-permanent operational
process, which happens over and over in the
same way.

3. Minimum Viable Project
Management
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Analyze needs
Create list of tasks and dependencies
Estimate timelines (and budgets if
appropriate)
Assign tasks to self and/or others
Communicate the plan and make any
revisions
Monitor and report progress (scope/quality),
estimate if the project will meet the deadline
and budget, and modify the plan as needed
Deliver results and celebrate!

4. Traditional PM Processes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Project_development_stages.jp

5. Analyze needs



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

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Why are we doing this project?
What business objectives will we achieve?
What concrete deliverables will we produce?
What does this project not include (out of
scope)?
What quality level is appropriate for this
project?
Who is involved, both customers of the project
(stakeholders) and participants?
What deadline and budget limits must we

6. Create list of tasks and
dependencies
Simple projects: checklist
 Complex projects: Work Breakdown Structure
Make sure you know what tasks have to finish
before other tasks can start.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:WbsConstruction.png

7. Estimate timelines (and
budgets)
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
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For each task, estimate how long it will take.
See what different people can do at the same
time.
Lay out any sequences of tasks with
prerequisites.
List and/or diagram a full project timeline.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Project_network.png

8. Assign tasks
Who would do a good job on this particular
task?
 Do they have time to work on it?
 Are their skills better used on other tasks?
 (For bonus development points) Have they
done too much of this kind of task lately?
Should they get to learn or practice something
different instead? What task assignment
makes the team better off overall?
This often changes after asking the team what
else they’re working on!


9. Communicate the plan
This is usually the hardest part.
 What tasks does each participant need to
complete? What are the scope, quality, and
deadline requirements for each task?
 Do all stakeholders understand the
deliverables they’ll receive, the project
timeline, and any risks/constraints that could
affect the deliverables or timeline? Do they
know when to expect progress updates and
how to interpret them?

10. Do, monitor, report, and modify
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Do the project tasks!
Monitor progress on each task to know if
you’re on time / on budget.
Measure quality along the way, if possible.
Communicate progress updates regularly to
participants and all other stakeholders.
If you estimate you will miss your deadline,
budget, scope, or quality requirements, modify
the plan and communicate it again.
Overcommunicate early!

11. Deliver results and celebrate!
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Communicate your results to stakeholders via
concrete deliverables and discussions.
Make notes on how to improve the next
project, based on your experiences and others’
feedback.
Thank project participants and tell them how
their work was received and what impact it
had. Be as specific as possible about their
contribution. Celebrate!

12. Minimum Viable Project
Management
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Analyze needs
Create list of tasks and dependencies
Estimate timelines (and budgets if
appropriate)
Assign tasks to self and/or others
Communicate the plan and make any
revisions
Monitor and report progress (scope/quality),
estimate if the project will meet the deadline
and budget, and modify the plan as needed
RECAP!
Deliver results and celebrate!

13. Traditional PM Processes
RECAP!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Project_development_stages.jp