Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion
It's 10 a.m.! Do you knowwhere your IT projects are?
Project WorldEdmonton, Alberta3 November 2009
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Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion
PresentationObjectives
Recognize common project factorsthat lead to success or failure
Build an understanding of corrective actions when a project failure factor looms
Address project success factorsin the Project Charter
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Take away ideas that will help us positionour projects for greater success
Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion
Yogi SchulzBiography
Partner of Corvelle Consulting Information technology related management consulting Microsoft Canada columnist & CBC Radio host PPDM Association board member Industry presenter:
– Project World - 4 years– CIPS Informatics - 7 years– PMI - Information Systems SIG - 2 years– Convergence - 4 years– PPDM Association - several years
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Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion
PresentationOutline
Introduction Objectives Analysis of project success
and failure factors Recommendations Discussion
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Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion
Project Successand Failure Factors
1. Project Goal2. Project Sponsor3. Project Manager4. Project Benefits5. Project Plan &
Status6. Project Budget &
Status
7. Project Organization8. Project Resources 9. Project Steering
Committee10. Stakeholder
Communication11. Change Management12. Project Technology
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Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion
Project Goal
• I've seen a crisp statement of the project goal
• I've heard a lot of debate about goals
• I’m not sure what the goal is
• Facilitate a discussion to build a clear statement of the project goal
• List a small number of objectives
• Have the project steering committee endorse the project goal
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Good
Bad
Ugly
Fix
Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion
Project Sponsor
• I know the senior executive by name
• The role is diffused among multiple individuals
• There is no project sponsor
• Appoint the manager that gains the most as project sponsor
• Provide orientation
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Good
Bad
Ugly
Fix
Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion
Project Manager
• A full-time project manager is in place
• Project manager has insufficient experience
• Project is being managed as a self-managed team
• Appoint an IT professional with a record of successful delivery as project manager
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Good
Bad
Ugly
Fix
Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion
Project Benefits
• I can articulate the benefits
• Perceptions about the reality of benefits vary
• No one is accountable for securing the benefits
• Ask the project team to list the benefits
• Quantify tangible benefits
• Link intangible benefits to key goals
• Cancel dubious projects
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Good
Bad
Ugly
Fix
Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion
Project Plan& Status
• I've created the same summary Gantt chart showing plan and progress
• I've never produced a Gantt chart
• What’s a Gantt chart?
• Lead the project team create a detailed project plan
• Use a credible software package to manage the project plan
• Insist on monthly progress reports
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Good
Bad
Ugly
Fix
Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion
Project Budget & Status
• I've produced the budget and see regular updates
• Budget and spending amounts change over time
• No budget has been established or approved
• Lead the project team to create a budget
• Produce monthly update reports
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Good
Bad
Ugly
Fix
Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion
Project Organization
• I've created a reasonably clear organization chart
• I've created more than one organization chart
• I’m not clear who is on the project team
• Create a project organization
• Define roles and responsibilities
• Fill vacancies
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Good
Bad
Ugly
Fix
Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion
Project Resources
• Most individuals on the project organization chart are full-time and are employees
• More individuals are part-time or contract staff than are full-time employees
• We’re using the virtual resource concept
• Staff the project team with mostly full-time individuals
• Contain the contractors• Minimize geographic
dispersion
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Good
Bad
Ugly
Fix
Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion
Project Steering Committee
• Key business areas are represented
• The committee doesn't exist
• Committee membership is unclear or meetings are sporadic
• Create a project steering committee
• Ensure executive membership
• Hold regular meetings
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Good
Bad
Ugly
Fix
Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion
Stakeholder Communication
• I’ve ensured effective communication to stakeholders
• Communication to stakeholders is sporadic
• I’ve not observed communication to stakeholders
• Ramp up stakeholder communications
• Formally approve project deliverables
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Good
Bad
Ugly
Fix
Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion
Change Management
• The project team is introducing new business processes
• The project team is not introducing new business processes
• The project team doesn’t believe change management is required
• Recognize that every IT project introduces changes
• Insist that change management is in scope
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Good
Bad
Ugly
Fix
Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion
Project Technology
• The project consistently uses a short list of technologies
• The project uses an extensive and changing list of technologies
• Technology buzzwords abound in discussions
• Select a set of technologies
• Pick technologies where the IT organization demonstrates experience
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Good
Bad
Ugly
Fix
Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion
Recommendations
Recognize commonproject factors that leadto success or failure
Take corrective actionswhen a project failurefactor looms
Address project successfactors in theProject Charter
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Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion
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Project Evaluation ChecklistProject Successor Failure FactorsProject GoalProject SponsorProject ManagerProject BenefitsProject Plan & StatusProject Budget & StatusProject OrganizationProject Resources Project Steering CommitteeStakeholder CommunicationChange ManagementProject Technology
Good Bad Ugly
Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion
Questions &Discussion
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Can you help us improve
project delivery?Pleasefill out
evaluationform
Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion
It's 10 a.m.! Do you knowwhere your IT projects are?
Corvelle Consulting700, 205 - 5 Ave. S. W.Calgary, Alberta T2P 2V7Phone: (403) 249-5255E-mail: [email protected]: www.corvelle.com
Yogi SchulzPartner of Corvelle ConsultingInformation technology related
management consultingMicrosoft Canada columnist & CBC
Radio hostIndustry presenterPPDM Association board member
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Corvelle Drives Concepts to Completion
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Corvelle Drives Concepts to CompletionCorvelle Drives Concepts to Completion