PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Expert Guidance
Good project management begins and ends with effective communication: from a clear understanding of the business problem which needs to be solved, to well-considered solution options, and finally a decision forward made from an informed perspective of both cost, duration and required resources. The Q2PM process is executed in seven steps, designed to ensure that the promises we make and keep are the promises truly needed to solve the business problem on hand.
SEVEN-STEP PROCESS
At the heart of the Q2PM process is a roadmap of seven steps, designed to ensure that the key fundamentals of every project are covered. These include the successful identification and communication of a the true business problem which needs to be solved, the preparation of one or more solution options - including pros and cons and assumptions - and the identification of the customer's selected solution path forward. Once the necessary tasks and dependencies are known, the project management team can then prepare a roadmap schedule sharing deliverable dates and expected milestones. Finally, the project closure meeting is held in order to ensure that the promises made are indeed the promises kept, and that the customer comes away from the project with a sense that their real business problem was identified and studied and that the solution option which was delivered is in keeping with committed project scope.
STEP 01 - PRE-PROJECT EVALUATION
With this step, the Quadrant Two (Q2) Project Manager collects data and names related to the potential project in order to prepare a fact sheet about relevant people and groups who might have a stake in this effort. This is important to ensure that the project manager steps forward in the right direction, engaging the people most relevant and knowledgeable about the business problem which needs to be solved.
STEP 02 - BUSINESS CASE
Arguably, the most important part of the Q2PM process: the Business Case defines the problem which needs to be solved. This document is prepared and completed through interviews with the customer sponsor and primary subject matter experts, who explain the issues which need to be addressed, the parties who are affected and why these parties care, and what a "perfect" solution might look like. A well-prepared Business Case serves as the platform and foundation upon which solution options and a recommendation are then based. The Business Case provides the reason and justification for the project.
STEP 03 - PROJECT PROPOSAL
The Project Proposal identifies one or more solution alternatives to address the business need or problem identified in the Business Case. The Project Proposal includes a description of each solution option, including pros and cons as well as any assumptions, along with a recommended option. The Project Proposal is reviewed with the sponsors who will select a solution option to serve as the starting point for the Project Plan. The Project Proposal is a key step in ensuring that a range of solution options have been considered and vetted prior to deciding the best path forward.
STEP 04 - EVALUATION PHASE REVIEW
In this step, the Q2 Project Manager is tasked to review the prior two steps in order to ensure the team did a good and thorough job in identifying the business problem to solve, uncovering a range of viable solution options, and then presenting these to the sponsor team to help them make a decision. Once the Q2PM lead signs off that all prior steps are complete, the team may then proceed to the next step. Hand-off to step five of this process is the formal starting point for the project, which begins with a handshake between the sponsors and Q2 Project Manager over the solution option selected from the Project Proposal.
STEP 05 - PROJECT PLAN (PROJECT START)
The Project Plan is the part of the Phased Project Charter where the project manager extrapolates decisions and objectives agreed to in the Project Proposal into a formal timeline and schedule. This is also where the names of all remaining team members are identified and listed, along with their respective roles and responsibilities, and preparations are made for the forthcoming Project Kickoff Meeting.
STEP SIX - PROJECT KICKOFF MEETING
The Project Kickoff Meeting is the first formal event involving the entire project team. Everyone is invited to this meeting in order to learn about the project and to ask and answer questions as a group. This is also the event where the team will introduce themselves to one-another and share their respective job roles, expectations and responsibilities. The Q2 Project Manager will meet with each of the team members before the kickoff meeting in order to explain the project and seek agreement on the team-member's role. This is done in order to ensure that everyone is on the same page regarding the part they will play in the project before the team formally comes together to begin work. A smooth project starts sets a good precedent for all coming project meetings.
STEP SEVEN - CLOSURE MEETING
The final step in the Q2PM process is the project closure meeting, where promises made by the Q2PM team are confirmed to be promised kept. This is done by bringing the team together one last time after project execution is finished in order to go over the list of deliverables and discuss how each is complete. If some deliverables are found to be incomplete, then the Q2 Project Manager should note this and prepare a plan for remediation, with subsequent confirmation and sign-off by the project sponsor. A successful Project Closure Meeting ensures that all of the team members are in agreement that their respective tasks, as well as the objectives of the project, have indeed been met, and that the project is indeed ready to be closed, with any and all subsequent issues to be addressed via a service ticket.
