The document provides guidance on planning and starting a new project. It discusses establishing the project framework by understanding the organization, project management office, product lifecycle, project environment, and structure. It also covers getting to know the stakeholders, technical team, testing team, and production handover process. The document ends with suggesting creating an action plan that includes understanding the project mandate, setting up documentation and meetings, defining roles, and gaining stakeholder buy-in.

1. Ready Get Set Go
Approved

2. When you commence with a
project it is important to
establish how the project will
be planned, controlled and
rolled out.
• Familiarize yourself
with your new
assignment
1
• Your project team2
• Your action plan3

3. Getting Familiar

4. THE ORGANISATION
Culture
Management
PhilosophyMarket
People
Company website
Who is who?

5. THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE
Strategy
Governance
Process
and
Procedures
Project
Delivery
Project
Operations
The PMO Centre of
Excellence
 Alignment of strategy into the PMO.
 The project roadmap and prioritisation
 Support of the project teams
 Documentation and templates
 Best practice and project processes
 Communication management strategy
 Project management support
 Resource management and allocation
Does the PMO provide
guidance on

7. UNDERSTANDING THE PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE
Business
Roadmap for
calendar year
It begins with defining the
company’s vision and
mission
Planning the
Product
Roadmap
Defining the
concept
Defining the business
rules and product
specifications
Developing and
Launching the
Product
Develop the Product
Project Initiation Project Planning Project Execution Project Closeout
Launch the final product
End of Product Lifecycle
Conduct Analysis and
Research
Findings are documented
Document is reviewed by
nominated stakeholders
Stakeholders approve
and sign off concept
Hold workshops to define
the business rules and
userability of the product
to be launched
Findings are documented
Document is reviewed by
nominated stakeholders
The business rules and product
specifications are approved by
the Business Owners and
nominated stakeholders
Document distributed to
Development team
Identify concept
for production
Team is appointed
to proceed with
the marketing plan
TIME
S
A
L
E
S
Introductory
stage
Growth
Stage
Maturity
Stage
Decline
Stage
Defining the
Marketing Plan
Concept is aligned to the
marketing strategy and
financial planning for
calendar year
Findings are documented
Document is reviewed by
nominated stakeholders
The Marketing strategy and financial
planning for the concept are approved
by the Business Owners and
nominated stakeholders
Business rules and
product specifications
commence
The objectives will outline
· Who we are as a company
· What do we want to achieve
· How do we want to achieve this
· The timeline to meet these objectives
These objectives
are communicated
to the business
units
Teams
Managers
Customers
Results
in
Product Life Cycle

8. THE PROJECT ENVIRONMENT
Formal
Not so formal

9. THE PROJECT STRUCTURE
Agile
Waterfall
Iterative What approach is used for project
management?
Or is the project customised using PMBOK and Prince2

10. The Project Team

11. THE IT PROJECT ORGANOGRAM
ProjectTeam
Stakeholders
Technical
Testing
Production
Getting to know your

12. STAKEHOLDERS
Identify your stakeholders
Strategic clients
Strategic Partners
Employees
Suppliers
the stakeholder matrix

13. STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT
When you start a project go and where possible meet the
stakeholders. Get to know them, let them know who you are as a
project manager. Find out their concerns, their expectations and a
good cup of coffee always helps.
Without a doubt good stakeholder management is a testimony to
your influence in an organization, and a key component to a
healthy project delivery.

14. THE TECHNICAL TEAM
Providing the
right skills
Able to fit into the
project overall
Understanding
their role
On starting a project you will appoint a technical team and having
the right technical team is a vital component to ensure your project
is delivered successfully. Make sure the various skills sets fit well
together and provide the right level of expertise.

15. THE TESTING TEAM
It works
The test team is the final factor to deliver a successful project.
Important to select the right team. Work with the technical lead to
establish the right test resources

16. • Governance
• Social Media
• Reporting & web analytics
• Testing & usability testing
• Tweaking
• Content quality
• Optimisation
• Performance
• Specification
• Accessibility
• User experience
PRODUCTION AND ON-LINE
Agree with Production and On-Line what their roles are
during the project and how will the finalised project be
handed over on Go live?
Take me where I want to go

17. Your Action Plan

18. YOUR ACTION PLAN – A PERSONAL NOTE
I have always at the beginning of the project sat down and
asked myself what will make this project work and noted my
thoughts and proceeded to brain storm them with the team. I
know 100% that when I get buy-in from the get go it helps
build the team but more importantly as a project manager
you are ensuring the best possible result for your project.
For me by applying the principles of project management
and best practice has stood the test of time and allowed
business objectives, strategies and visions to be delivered
efficiently and effectively.

19. ON STARTING A PROJECT – MY 10 POINT PLAN
1. Go back to the beginning. How did it start? Was the project approved at
executive level.
2. Obtain the approved mandate for the project
3. Setup the project folders
4. Setup the project kick off meeting
5. Prepare the kick off presentation
6. Discuss the roles and responsibility with the team
7. Get the stakeholder’s buy in at the kick off meeting
8. Finalise the governance, documentation and project process
9. Setup how the cloud will be managed – drop box, Google Docs
10. Finally have fun and oh yes coffee helps

20. FINAL THOUGHTS
Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is
success.
- Henry Ford (1863-1947) (American industrialist and pioneer of the assembly-line production method).