Project Management Methodology

Our Project Management Methodology begins with a discussion as to which subset of Project Management Tools (sometimes called "methods") should be used for the project in question.  Each method selected adds overhead and cost to the management of a project.   As a result, care must be taken that only those methods that are cost-justified for the project at hand are incorporated into this project's Project Plan.  

In addition, customers with expertise and bandwidth will often take responsibility for the development of certain plan components described below.

Any of these tools can be incorporated into classic "waterfall" style project management.

Use of these tools in an Agile environment:
In addition, any of these tools can be incorporated into the Scrum "User Stories" column on the "Task Board" and then managed within the "swim lanes."

Tools related to Project Initiation

• Organizational Strategic Plan

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Project Statement-of-Work (SOW) or Contract

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Assumptions

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Constraints

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Identification of Project Manager (and other project staff)

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Project Charter
• Finalized resourced project plan, roles and responsibilities, governance structure, communication plan, issue and risk mitigation, decision making framework for strategic, tactical, and operational levels, etc

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) Cost Estimate

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Broad Scope

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Major Deliverables

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Project Boundaries

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Acceptance Criteria

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Preliminary Scope Statement

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

Tools related to Project Planning

• Project Scope Management Plan

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Detailed Scope Statement

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) - WBS Dictionary

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Activity Definition

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Activity Sequencing

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Activity Resource Requests

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Activity Duration Estimates

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Network Diagram (of Project Tasks)

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Risk Identification

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Qualitative & Quantitative Risk Analysis

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Risk Management Planning

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Risk Response Plan

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Cost Estimates

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Cost Budgeting

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Schedule Development

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Human Resource Plan

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Staffing Management Plan

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Resource Breakdown Structure (RBS)

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Organizational Break Down Structure (OBS)

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Change Control Plan

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Quality Management Plan

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Communication Plan

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Procurement Mgmt. plan

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Process improvement Plan

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Plan Contracting (RFPs)

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Finalized Project Plan

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Kick-Off meeting
• Prepare for and conduct project kickoff events (Initial  Executive Steering, PMO, Project Team, and sub committees)

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

Tools related to Project Execution

• Acquire Project Team - On-board team members

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Provide thought leadership and facilitation of key decisions impacting project timeline and deliverables
• Provide consistency in methodology, approach, communication, and format of deliverable materials
• Participate in key project related meetings (Executive Steering, Project Steering, Decision Sessions, etc)
• Ongoing management of expectations at both the executive and project team level
• Ongoing issue and risk mitigation and offers recommendations for resolution
• Ongoing oversight of timeline, scope, and resource deployment required to meet project objectives
• Ongoing management and coordination across all functional teams

• Receive Proposals from Vendors

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Select vendor

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Work Package Execution

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Develop Project Team

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Perform Quality Assurance

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Information Distribution

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Implementation Status Documents

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Administration Closure Procedure

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

Tools related to Project Monitoring and Controlling

• Project Performance Report

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Performance Appraisals

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Scope Change Control

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Schedule Change Control

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Cost Change Control

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Quality Change Control

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Risk Monitoring

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Contract Administration

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Scope Verification

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Management of Team & Stakeholders

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

Tools related to Project Closure

• Administrative Closure Procedures

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Contract closure procedures

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Lessons Learned

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Contract Closure - Open items resolution

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Procurement Audits

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________

• Closed contracts file

Use?   _____ Yes     _____ No

Due Date: ________________

Status: _________________

Date delivered: ________________________