Project Management Issues
Some overall thoughts and guidelines, and the documents that are associated with these activities…links to standard templates will follow…
Turn a Profit- it is not good for your career, or your company’s future, to be associated with a project that loses money- don’t work for a Client that doesn’t want or expect you to want to turn a profit- not making an adequate return can affect the performance of the project team, and can impact the motivation to do a good job. It’s only human nature, you work hard, you expect to be paid a decent wage. At a corporate level, that means turning a profit.
- Profit Analysis
Understand how you will do your work- this may be your second most important task…
- Project Procedures Manual
- Scope of Work
- Contracting Plan
- Procurement Plan
Understand who you are working with- your team/ the client team/ the CM team- some people see this as who are you working for, as in “he works for me…”
- Project Organization Chart
- Project Directory
- Project Staffing Plan
Communicate- I’ll say it three times…”Communicate, Communicate, Communicate…” Document decisions, philosophies, approaches, progress, options, etc., etc., etc…It is so much easier to review why you did something if you have records of what you did…figure out all the different people you need to communicate with…
- Telephone Conversations
- E-mail
- Project Meetings
- Meeting Minutes
- Monthly/ Weekly Reports
Understand what you are responsible for- the corollary to this is the sense of accountability in all members of the project team, not just the design team
- Scope of Work
- Contract Summary
- Project Schedule
- Project Budget
- Engineering Schedule
- Engineering Budget
- Deliverables List
Don’t do Engineering for free- “There is an unlimited market for Free Engineering…”- great quote, unfortunately too true…monitor both the initial scope, and all changes to this scope…
- Scope of Work
- Change Order Log
- Change Order
Nothing goes out unchecked- it’s never worth it- delay the project- schedule the time- whatever it takes- never issue anything unless it’s been checked
- Quality Plan
- Interdisciplinary Review
Have a kick-off meeting- sets goals, align people, get their buy-in, wake them up, make them aware a project is about to start… Review your project drivers- budget/ schedule/ risk/ other-
Understand your schedule drivers- long lead equipment, trades, end-user review cycles
- Project Goals
- Project Milestones
- Project Mission Statement
- Project Execution Plan
- Project Schedule Summary
Manage the flow of Information- Understand what information is required from the Client/ End Users- have a plan for what you will do if you don’t get it.
- Needs List
- Action Items List
Maintain a “State of Control”- be able to explain the current and maybe more importantly, the future status of the project
- Project Controls
- Project Reports
- Project Milestones