thomson reuters forum on legal project management & process improvement

© 2013 All Rights Reserved

Thomson Reuters Forum on Legal Project Management & Process Improvement

St. Louis, MOJune 6, 2013

James R. Buckley, QLex Consulting

2© 2013 All Rights Reserved James R. Buckley | [email protected] | (310)489-9266

Project management & process improvement: What is there to fear?


The context for LPM


Introduction

· The problem: Significant legal matters are filled with complexity and uncertainty Failure to adequately manage these issues impairs productivity and

inflates costs Such losses erode relationships and reduce effectiveness

· Why project management? Not a business school fad, but a tested management system Out-of-the-box tools for managing complexity and tackling

uncertainty/risk


The delivery of Legal Services is driven by two factors

· Level of legal spend· Nature of fee arrangement· Legal management approach

Low(Immaterial) Uncertainty

(in legal solution)

Sign

ifica

nce

(to c

lient

)

High(Unknown)

High(Material)

Low(Known)


Legal management approaches in this space

Repetitive

Emphasize Project

Management

Emphasize Knowledge

Management

EmphasizeProcess

Improvement

Specialized ExtraordinaryLegal Work

Strategic

Mandatory

Operational

Business Needs

Sign

ifica

nce

High(Material)

Low(Immaterial)

Uncertainty High(Unknown)

Low(Known)

• Segmented by business need (significance) and character of the legal work• Mapped against uncertainty• With management strategy overlay


The LPM Framework


Basic building blocks

Objectives

Work Plan

Results

Stakeholders

The LPM Framework


Focus on the “Iron Triangle”

· Develop the business case for legal solution, especially in terms of a cost/benefit analysis

· Identify the interests of relevant stakeholders· Document key constraints (the “Iron Triangle” plus . . . .)· Document key assumptions and risks · Define scope, time, and resource dimensions

Quality

Scopeof Work

Resources Time

Adapted from: Project Management Institute

Work Plan =

The “Iron Triangle”

These factors define what we call the “Shared Understanding”


Elaborated building blocks

TimeCost

Work

The“IRON

TRIANGLE”

Objectives

Results

Stakeholders

The LPM Framework


LPM in Action


Intake/Engagement Launch Monitor Revise/

Refine CloseAfter-

Action Review

P L A N

LPM approaches the work plan in an iterative way

· The team’s execution of the work plan is regularly monitored– To see if the plan is being followed– To assure that objectives are being addressed– To see if constraints are being honored– To see if the assumptions hold true– To see if the stakeholders remain satisfied

· As necessary, the team re-engages with stakeholders– To revisit objectives, constraints and assumptions– To revise/refine the objectives and/or plan


Mapping LPM to the complex litigation context


Refine Close After-Action Review

P L A N

Dispute arises

Pleading stage

Trial court management

Discovery

Law & Motion

Trial Prep

Trial

Appeal

Settlement

Settl

emen

t


Mapping LPM to the complex transactions context

NDA/ Letter of Intent

Draft Definitive Agreements

Operational transition plan

Due Diligence

Satisfy Conditions of Closing; Obtain Consents

Closing Prep

Closing

Post-closing matters

A B O R T

A B O

R T


Refine CloseAfter-

Action Review

P L A N

A C C O U N T A B I L I T Y a n d T RA N S PA R E N CY


In closing . . .

· Make conscious and rational choices about risk

· Reduce costs

· Increase predictability

· Improve accountability

· Starting with a clear business case for the legal work

· Tightly relating work to objectives· Improving efficiency and

eliminating unnecessary work

· Better planning and tracking· Improving communication with

stakeholders

· Clarifying responsibility and roles of legal team members to stakeholders

To By

Use Legal Project Management . . .


LPM Tools Sampler

1. Stakeholder analysis2. Early Case Assessment/Strategic Case Assessment3. Project Charter4. Description of Work5. RASCI Chart (scope + people)6. Timeline Tool (scope + time +people)7. Assessment Snapshot8. Status Meeting Agenda9. Task-based budget (scope + $)10. Trial-outline based schedule (scope +time)11. MS Project (scope + schedule + resources)12. Project operation plan13. Project monitoring plan14. Project communications plan


Legal Project Charter

1. What is the business goal?

2. Who are the stakeholders? 1

3. What is the importance of this matter to the business? 2

4. What is the timing for this matter? 3

5. Complete the Description of Work (or revise or restate it)

1 Possible stakeholders: Internal: Business unit; corporation; corporate staff function; within Legal Department, employees. What are their roles? External: business partners, vendors, customers, government, regulators, community, press

2 Importance might be strategic, operational, financial, non-core, discontinued operations. 3 How urgent is it? What timetable has been imposed by others? Are they realistic? What is the expected date of

completion. If conflicts in timing cannot be reconciled, how has this been communicated to relevant stakeholders?


Description of Work

1. Who is doing what?

2. By when?

3. For whom?

4. What constraints do we have to work within?(Limits on time, resources and the actual work)?

5. How and when do we know we are done?

6. How well did we do?

7. What are we explicitly not doing and has that been communicated to those who need to know it?


WHO

WHAT Name 1 Name 2 Name 3 Name 4

Activity/ Step 1

Activity/ Step 2

Activity/ Step 3

Activity/ Step 4

Activity/ Step 5

Activity/ Step 6

R = Responsible A = Accountable S = Support C = Consulted I = Informed

APPENDIX 6. RASCI Chart: Links “who” with “what” (resources + scope)7


Time Line and Preliminary Staffing Plan

Activities2011-2012

StaffingMonth1

Month2

Month3

Month4

Month5

Month6

Month7

Month8

Month9

Month10

Month11

Month12

Month13

Month14

Step 1 Full Team

Step 2 AA, BB, CC, DD, EE

Step 3 AA, BB, CC

Step 4 BB, DD, EE

Step 5 AA, BB, CC

Step 6 BB, DD, EE

Step 7 Full Team

Step 8 BB

Step 9 AA, BB, CC

Legend: Start time End time Duration Predecessor end time Dependency start time

8


Legal Project Management Assessment Tool9

thomson reuters forum on legal project management & process improvement

Documents

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