Unit 511 – Managing Projects in your organisation

Unit 511 Resource Pack – Page 1

Unit 511 – Managing Projects in your organisation

1.1 Assess the usefulness of project management tools and techniques for managing a project within own organisation

1.2 Plan the implementation of a project within own organisation

1.3 Communicate the project plans with appropriate colleagues and stakeholders, gaining agreement where necessary

1.4 Implement the project plan, monitoring progress against agreed targets

2.1 Use feedback from others to critically evaluate own ability to plan and implement a project, identifying strengths and weaknesses

2.2 Create a self-development plan to improve own performance in managing projects


Unit 511: Managing projects in your organisation

Task The purpose of this unit is to develop understanding and ability to be able to manage projects as required by a practising or potential middle manager. It is recommended that you discuss the assignment with your line manager to explore and agree how the task could be used to support the needs of your employer, as well as evidencing your learning as part of completing your ILM qualification.

The nominal word count for this assignment is 2500 words: The suggested range is between 2000 and 3000 words, however individuals have different writing styles, and there is no penalty if the word-count range is exceeded. Guidance This resource pack is designed to support you in writing your assignment and contains a structured response to the theory, research, tools and techniques you need to know about to successfully complete the Unit.

You can copy and paste text from this resource pack, as long as you reference this resource and provide the section or page number it came from.

You can also search the internet for more materials if you wish to expand your thinking and learning, however, keep this to a minimum to ensure you don’t spend too much time in the research and not enough time in the writing!

You are also expected to provide your own personal examples and experiences from your project implementation to the questions this Unit poses to demonstrate and evidence your own understanding of what the theory means. Therefore you are combining both the theory and practice to the responses required.

Please use the structure of the assignment format in the assignment template to populate your responses to each of the question this Unit asks you to undertake.

It is also essential you read the assessment criteria as this often goes beyond what is expected in the question itself. Make sure all your responses meet the assessment guidance in the assignment template. They are also highlighted in this resource pack to reinforce what is expected of you to pass this Unit.

A useful read if you have not managed projects before is ‘Project Management Step by Step: How to Plan and Manage a Highly Successful Project’ (2nd edition) by Richard Newton (available on Amazon for about £11.70)


Section 1: Be able to manage a project in an organisation Let’s begin with some context and background…

What is a project? A project is defined as a sequence of tasks that must be completed to attain a certain outcome. The term Project refers to “any temporary endeavour with a definite beginning and end”.

What is project management? Project management is the application of processes, methods, skills, knowledge and experience to achieve specific project objectives within agreed parameters.

What is the project management process? • Agree the terms of reference/specification for the project • Plan the project • Communicate the project plan to your project team • Agree and delegate project actions • Manage and motivate - inform, encourage, enable the project team. • Check, measure, monitor, review project progress - adjust project plans, and inform the project

team and others • Complete project - review and report on project performance; give praise to the project team • Project follow-up - train, support, measure and report results and benefits

What are the key considerations in managing a project? Getting the balance right

The project scope, its purpose & aims

The budget within which the project needs to be delivered

Schedule and timescale for project completion

Quality: the specifications, outcomes required and success

criteria that represent what is deemed to be a quality project

The project manager’s role is to ensure that they get the balance right between all these 4 aspects. If one is out of kilter with the other as the project progresses, then it puts pressure on the other 3 areas. For example: • If the scope changes as the project is implemented, then this may impact on timescales and

budget. • If the budget spend is reduced, then this can have an impact on the quality • If the timescales in which the project is meant to be delivered is shortened, then you may need

more resources (and budget spend) to complete the project in a shorter time period.

For the project manager this requires strong leadership, communication skills and time management to lead the project team towards successful completion of the project within agreed timescales; within budget; the expectation of the project and quality standards the stakeholders expect.


Assignment 511 questions

Assess the usefulness of project management tools and techniques for managing a project within own organisation (20 marks)

Assessment criteria: A range of objective criteria are used to assess project management tools and techniques as to their usefulness for managing a project within own organisation recommendations

For this response you are asked to describe 3 project management tools. This resource pack gives you 3 classic tools that can be used for managing a project.

For each tool you are required to assess their usefulness (their advantages and disadvantages) and then decide which tool you will use to manage your own project.

Tool 1: PRINCE2: Projects in Controlled Environments PRINCE2® methodology tries to simplify the project by segregating it into several parts and then integrating each part setting proper logic. The PRINCE2® methodology starts with some basic questions. These questions help to include all visible and invisible matters together:

• What we have planned to do? • What is the expected date of starting the project? • What arrangement does this project need? • Is it possible to accomplish everything with the current availability of in-house resources or

some external help is necessary? • How much time the whole project can take? • If more time is required, then how much further can it be stretched? • What will be the maximum cost of the whole project?

These questions form the foundation of a project. Many unknown or primarily suppressed aspects come out one by one while answering these questions. Hence, in the PRINCE2® methodology, a project always starts with these questions.

The PRINCE2® methodology attributes a proper structure for every project. It defines it step by step so that everyone involved understands their roles, responsibilities, and limitations. PRINCE2® makes everything logical and organized. The pillars of PRINCE2® Framework PRINCE2® methodology provides a framework to channelise the resources, ideas, energy, money, and time. There are three pillars of the PRINCE2® framework:

• A project should have a planned and controlled start – A project should be well-planned with all the above-mentioned questions answered before starting it.

• A project should have a planned and controlled middle – While work-in-progress, the project should follow a predetermined path.

• A project should have a planned and controlled end – When the mission is accomplished it is necessary to reconcile everything systematically.


PRINCE2 is a process-driven project management method based on seven phases:

1. Starting up a project (SU) 2. Initiating a project (IP) 3. Directing a project (DP) 4. Controlling a stage (CS) 5. Managing stage boundaries (SB) 6. Managing product delivery (MP) 7. Closing a project (CP)

Phase 1: Starting up a project (SU) The primary process includes activities that are necessary to make sure that it is a worthwhile and viable project. The activities involved in this process are the following ones: • Appointment of the project and executive

manager • Appoint and design the project management team • Capture previous lessons • Prepare an outline business case • Choose the project approach and accumulate the

project brief

• Plan the initiation stage • Initiating a project (IP) • Directing a project (DP) • Controlling a stage (CS) • Managing stage boundaries (SB) • Managing product delivery (MP) • Closing a project (CP)

Phase 2: Initiating a project (IP) This process includes the project board. In this process, authorisation is given to manage a project and provide ad hoc direction when needed. The activities include the following:

• Authorise initiation • Authorise the project • Authorise stage or an execution plan • Provide ad hoc direction • Authorise project closure


This process is all about the planning. It is a time-consuming part of project management and the most important one too. The activities in this step include the following: • Agree on tailoring needs • Preparing the risk management approach • Preparing the change control approach • Preparing the quality management approach • Preparing communication management

approach

• Set project controls • Create a project plan • Formulate the Benefits Management

Approach • Assemble the PID or project initiation

documentation

Phase 3: Directing the project (DP) The project manager has the responsibility for the following areas:

• Project definition • Project approach • Business case • Team structure • Role descriptions • Quality management approach

• Change control approach • Risk management approach • Communication management approach • Project plan • Project controls

Phase 4. Controlling a stage (CS) This process includes making sure that the management stage stays within its tolerance / cost / time / quality. It starts when a stage is authorised to move forward by a project board and its activities are carried out by a project manager.

1. Authorising a work package 2. Review status of work package 3. Get completed work packages 4. Review management stage status

5. Report highlights 6. Assess and capture issues and risks 7. Escalate risks and issues 8. Take corrective action

Phase 5: Managing Stage Boundaries (SB) This is performed by the team and each member of the team report to the project manager on their progress. Three major activities in this process are as follows:

• Accepting what needs to be done and agreeing who is responsible for what • Getting on with the tasks • Reporting back to the Project manager on the work delivered.

Phase 6: Managing Product (or service) Delivery (MP) The Project Manager needs to know about and manage the stage boundaries, updating and reviewing and communicating to key stakeholders the project progress and if any has changed and why. The activities performed by the project manager are as follows:

• Planning the succeeding management stage • Updating the project plan • Updating a business case • Report Management stage • Create an exception plan

Phase 7: Closing a Project (CP) The project closure jobs are very small and visible to senior management; therefore, they have a vast role in project success. The five activities in Closing a Project process are as follows:

• Prepare and agree planned project closure • Hand over the outcomes of the project and its recommendations • Evaluate the project • Provide feedback to the project team


PRINCE 2: 7 Processes; 7 Principles; 7 Themes

Advantages and disadvantages of PRINCE 2

PROs CONs

• It is product-based and divides projects into different stages making it easy to manage

• It improves communication between all team members and with external stakeholders.

• It gives stakeholder a chance to have a say when it comes to decision making

• It’s complicated and detailed if you haven’t had specific training on Prince2 principles and processes!

• Doesn't cover soft skills

• Requires senior management buy-in to be successful

• Requires experience to apply it well.

• Has reputation that it's documentation-heavy


Tool 2: AGILE: Scrum methodology Agile is more flexible than PRINCE 2 and promotes more leadership within its team or teams.

Agile project management divides responsibility among more than one team member. The Scrum is a project's product owner, ScrumMaster and the rest of the team. • Agile scrum methodology is sprint-based project management

system whose goal is to deliver the highest value to stakeholders • A sprint is a short, time-boxed period when a scrum team works to

complete a set amount of work within the project which is then reviewed and moved forward.

• Sprints operate at the very heart of scrum

How the roles in SCRUM work: The product owner (project sponsor/stakeholders/line manager) is responsible for the business aspects of the project. A good project owner can balance competing priorities, is available to the team, and is empowered to make decisions about the product or service the project is aiming to deliver.

The ScrumMaster (project manager) serves as the team's coach, helping team members work together in the most effective manner possible. A good ScrumMaster’s role provides a service to the team, removing impediments to progress, facilitating meetings and discussions, and performing typical project management duties such as tracking progress and issues.

The team itself assumes agile project management roles, determining how to best achieve the product goals (established by the product owner and scrum master). Team members collaboratively decide which person should work on which tasks, what technical practices are necessary to achieve stated goals etc.

AGILE methodology: How the phases work using the sprint-based project management approach


The advantages and disadvantages of SCRUM PROs CONs

• Removing mistakes or rectifying them is considerably easy with scrum methodology.

• Easy visibility of all stages of the process

• Easy to cope with the changes required by clients as methodology consists of short sprints with constant feedback.

• Allows for success with limited documentation

• Requires the scrum master to have belief in their team.

• Strict governance can lead to the failure of the entire project.

• Requires strong commitment from all members of the team. In case some members are not up to the task, it can lead to grave problems

• Mostly suited for small teams that have great cohesion, experience and understanding.

Tool 3: Gantt Charts Gantt charts are the most commonly used planning and charting technique. ... In short, they are a type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule in a timeline format. They show us the start and finish dates of the work to be done, as well as the inter-dependencies between the tasks that make up the work as a whole.

Each activity is represented by a bar; the position and length of the bar reflects the start date, duration and end date of the activity. This allows you to see at a glance:

A Gantt chart enables you to visually plan the project so that you and the team can see:

• The start date of the project schedule • What the project tasks are • Which team member is working on each task • When tasks start and finish • How long each task will take • How tasks group together, overlap and link with each other • Task dependencies, milestones and the critical path of your project • The finish date of the project

The vertical axis of a Gantt chart shows the tasks that need to be completed, while the horizontal axis represents the project timeline. As you input tasks, their start dates, their end dates and their dependencies, bars on the stacked bar chart will populate, which represent task durations.


How To Create A Gantt Chart • Step 1: Begin with a project or initiative in mind. ... • Step 2: Assess the current plan for this project in place. ... • Step 3: Determine which tasks are dependent on one another. ... • Step 4: Compile your task time frames in a Gantt chart layout.

Most Gantt diagrams are created in Excel or with project management software.

An example of a simple Gantt Chart that breaks down the project into jobs/tasks and reviews the progress of the project tasks after each phase is completed.

Advantages and disadvantages of Gantt Charts PROs CONs

• Easy to schedule the tasks

• Easy to understand, clear and visual representation of time frames.

• Creatively shows your project plans.

• Complexity in Preparing and Managing the Chart

• Do not show well what resource has been assigned to which project task

• Do not depict multiple scheduling possibilities or intricate task-dependencies.

In summary • PRINCE2 is a predictive and detailed, plan-based approach that required training on its

use.

• Agile (SCRUM) uses short-term, incremental objectives that are not determined by master plans and makes it more adaptable as it transfers responsibilities to the team.

• Gantt charts are simple and easy to track progress.


1.2 - Plan the implementation of a project within own organisation (20 marks) Assessment criteria: The implementation of a project within own organisation is correctly planned making full use of the capabilities of an appropriate project management tool and techniques

Having decided which tool to use, you now need to start the planning stage of your project.

There are 5 phases to a project’s life cycle:

The steps to start your planning are:

1. What project will be most relevant for you and the team?

2. Research similar projects & identify learning / tips

3. Write the project definition (project charter and this may change but is your starting place)

4. Create your project scope and objective

5. What will the project achieve with specific outcomes?

6. List essential & desirable criteria to achieve project success

7. Use creative thinking (brainstorming) to develop possible strategies to achieve the desired objective

8. Evaluate your strategies and choose a course of action

9. Decide on your best strategy and project management tool

10. Start the planning (phase 2)


A check list to help you get started with your Project Plan

A project plan is a reference document that details the anticipated approach to the project. Before you start writing your project plan, you and your stakeholders need to clarify the specific objective and scope of your project. Once you’ve clearly defined these elements, you can start gathering information. Then you should take these steps:

Meet with the project sponsor/stakeholder To create an effective plan, you’ll need to have a crystal-clear understanding of your sponsor’s expectations. So meet with them and take comprehensive notes. Get an appreciation for their level of knowledge about the product. Discuss deliverable dates and scheduled absences that may interfere with those dates. During this meeting, establish the method of communication your team and the sponsor will be using, and how often the communication will take place.

Identify your team Once you feel you have a detailed understanding of your sponsor’s needs and expectations, you can identify and gather all the people you need to successfully execute the project. Identify groups or departments responsible for each project phase, then identify specific people within those groups for the completion of specific tasks and subtasks.

Seek team input Seek input from your team about all of the information you’ve gathered so far, such as deliverables, client expectations, and cursory budget estimates. Based on your team’s input, you’ll be making modifications to the project plan. In fact, you’ll be making changes throughout the formulation and execution of the plan. Since project plans are dynamic, living documentation of your journey, they can change as the project’s lifecycle evolves. Once you’ve identified with all stakeholders involved and communicated with them, you can start drafting your plan.

Project Plan Draft Your draft may go through several iterations, each one digging a little further until all aspects of the plan are adequately addressed. The final version of the plan should leave no foreseeable questions unanswered. Once you’ve completed your draft, you’ll need to show it to your team, and seek feedback before moving on to the final plan.

For now, start with a piece of paper and some high-level bases to cover. Your first project plan draft will be very basic; it can be written out on a piece of paper, drawn out on a whiteboard, or entered into a word document. Start with the necessary components of your plan for the first draft, such as the goal, scope, process, deliverables, resources, limitations, dependencies, deadlines, and stakeholders.

• Goal: What is the goal of the project? • Scope: What parameters are we working within to achieve the goal? • Process: Identify the process for implementing the plan: the what, who, how, when, and

where. • Deliverables: Define what’s going to be delivered, according to client expectations. • Resources: Identify all the necessary resources that must be used to create and deliver the

final product, including human resources. • Limitations and Dependencies: What factors will inhibit our ability to complete the project,

and how do we mitigate those factors? • Deadlines: Record all deadlines and determine whether they’re hard or soft. • Stakeholders: Record how much time the client may need to review and approve any

component of the project.


Create the Formal Project Plan Once you have a rough draft, you may want to move your plan into project management software. Or if you prefer, you can use online templates to track your project. Whatever method you choose, make sure it’s robust enough to include every necessary detail of your project plan.

With your team, start transforming the outline into a comprehensive plan, and make sure you include all necessary details within each phase and task. Most project management teams take advantage of related software to help them fill in all the data points of a plan. Managing a project through dynamic project planning software allows a team to continually reassess how the project is being executed in real time, while identifying gaps and weak points.

A completely formalised plan addresses all necessary project considerations, such as stakeholder input, project integration, the allocation of human resources, a communications plan, risk assessments, scheduling, cost assessment, and quality control.

Stakeholder Input: Identify the responsibilities, priorities, and conflicts, of each stakeholder.

Project Integration & Scope: Consider the entire project from a holistic viewpoint and integrate all its pieces.

People Resource Allocation: Identify the skills needed to complete the project and a plan for acquiring them.

Communications Plan: Identify the go-to method for communication with all stakeholders and the expected frequency of communication.

Assessing Risk, Limitations, and Dependencies: Determine how to mitigate potential risks, limitations, and dependencies.

Scheduling: All phases, tasks, and subtasks should be scheduled using start-by and complete-by dates.

Assessing Cost: Determine the overall budget and the cost controls of each resource and phase of the project.

Quality Control: Identify a method to ensure that the highest level of quality is maintained throughout the process.

Depending on the project, these components can be addressed by creating sub-plans within the formal plan, or they can be explained via entries on a project plan template. At the very least, your project plan should include:

• A schedule that identifies phases, tasks, and subtasks, • Parties responsible for those tasks, and the start and end dates. • Tools for project plan management that allow you to add detailed notes about each task, as

needed.

Present Your Plan to your Stakeholders Having written your project plan, distribute it to all internal stakeholders. Give them time to thoroughly read and ingest it, then meet with them to verify their understanding, incorporate their feedback, and answer any questions they may have.

Present your formalised plan to your overall sponsor and seek their feedback. Answer the following questions during the process. Have their expectations been met? Do they have any upcoming events that could interfere with the timing of the project deliverables? Are they satisfied with the agreed-upon mode and frequency of communication?


What skills are needed to plan and manage a project? Project management skills refer to the core abilities that are necessary to successfully bring a project from start to finish. For example, a project manager must be organised, knowledgeable and able to multitask. They must also be a good communicator, strong leader and effective problem-solver.

The role of a project manager is to have responsibility for initiating, designing, planning, executing, monitoring and completing projects. They manage teams, facilitate commitment and motivate team members, manage the expectations of key stakeholders and communicate the status of project milestones. They build a comprehensive work plan and manage the budget for projects.


20 Key skills to lead and manage a project

1. Communication: Project managers must have strong communication skills to be able to convey messages to clients and team members. They need this skill to effectively share their vision, goals, ideas and issues. They also need communication skills to produce presentations and reports.

2. Leadership: Strong leadership skills are critical for project managers. They allow leaders to oversee and coordinate tasks as well as motivate and encourage the team and define the road map to successfully complete the project.

3. Organisation: To ensure processes are running smoothly and in line with common goals, project managers must have strong organizational skills. While this includes the ability to multitask, it also includes prioritizing tasks, compartmentalizing projects and documenting everything for easy access and future reference.

4. Negotiation: A project manager must be effective at negotiating terms with suppliers, clients and other stakeholders. You must also employ negotiation skills when working with your team as well to bring everyone in line with strategic goals or manage interpersonal conflicts within the team.

5. Team management: A project manager must be able to bring a team together and move them in one direction, aligning their personal goals with those of the organization. Team management skills include the ability to effectively delegate responsibilities, handle conflicts, evaluate performances and coach team members to help them improve their skills.

6. Time management: Every project is subject to deadlines, which means there are numerous tasks that need to be accomplished in a short amount of time. Project managers must be able to create a project timeline and maintain those deadlines throughout the project lifecycle.

7. Risk management: While they are not generally apparent, risks are inevitable during a project, which is why a project manager must have the experience and ability to pinpoint what could go wrong and implement a risk mitigation strategy. They must be able to ask their team hard questions and continually confirm timelines, decisions and dependencies. They should also know how to use professional risk management tools that allow them to analyse potential risks to develop risk mitigation strategies.

8. Problem-solving: A project manager must be able to gather information, weigh the associated pros and cons and then formulate the best solution. Strong problem-solving skills will allow project managers to have a structured approach to solving problems to achieve a positive result.

9. Budget management: One of the most important responsibilities for the project manager is to create a viable budget and control it throughout the lifecycle. Experience to be able to effectively identify where costs are being overrun and what changes need to be made to control the costs. The ability to track costs, put together spreadsheets and decide what the budget should or should not be spent on.


10. Motivation: To keep their team happy and motivated when deadlines are rapidly approaching, a project manager must have motivational skills. Tactics include using positive reinforcement, praise and team-building activities. They must be able to cultivate a positive, fun and collaborative working environment.

11. Technical writing: Involves drafting potential deliverables, circulating memos, targeting product releases or sending news updates.

12. Adaptability: Project managers must be able to adapt to upcoming product trends, new technology, user demographics and more. This is a particularly important skill at the material level, as they must lead entire teams in the right direction.

13. Technologically savvy: Being tech-savvy and having hands-on experience with the latest technology can allow you to increase the speed of your team's productivity. By knowing how to adapt to current technology trends, you may be able to increase output and your team's ability to get things done effectively.

14. Reporting skills: A project manager must be able to gather information throughout the lifespan of a project and report them for future evaluation. This is particularly important if a project begins to experience problems. Project managers need reporting skills to coordinate with managers, clients and team members to set expectations, objectives and convey information regarding deliverables.

15. Active listening: Active listening is vital to allow project managers to connect with team members, develop better relationships with clients and manage the expectations of key stakeholders. Active listening allows them to fully understand the perspective of the person they are speaking to and empathise with them.

16. Research skills: Research skills allow the project manager to fill any gaps in knowledge that may allow them to complete the project more efficiently or more successfully.

17. Interpersonal skills: Interpersonal skills include self-confidence, relationship management and collaboration skills. The ability to collaborate well as part of a team allows the team to work together more productively and complete the project more efficiently. Relationship management skills are also essential, to develop and nurture relationships with clients, vendors and team members. Self-confidence can also improve the confidence of the team, increasing morale and allowing for improved performance.

18. Project management methodologies: The ability to apply frameworks and methodologies, such SCRUM or use of Gantt charts throughout the lifecycle of a project.

19. Policy knowledge: For a project to run smoothly, its key to have an adequate grasp of policy knowledge, including health, safety, environmental and operational practices.

20. Conflict management: Strong conflict management skills are essential for project managers, who must keep their teams operating efficiently and working well together. Conflict management and resolution skills are also important for fixing stalled workflows, project discrepancies or addressing other internal or external setbacks.


1.3 Communicate the project plans with appropriate colleagues and stakeholders, gaining agreement where necessary (20 marks)

Assessment criteria: The communication needs of appropriate colleagues and identified project stakeholders have been formally and objectively determined, and the project plans are communicated appropriately to fulfil those communication needs using a fully-developed formal project communication plan

There are two main groups of people with whom the project manager needs to ensure clear and effective communication, the stakeholders and the project team

There are 3 types of communication methods that are essential to know as a project manager: • Interactive communication • Pull communication • Push communication

Interactive communication Interactive communications are the way in which we communicate through the exchange of ideas, messages and information from the sender to the receiver. This can be non-verbal or verbal and delivered through people or via electronic means.

Push Pull communication

Push Pull communication styles are often referred to as approaches to the way in which we can influence or persuade others. The 2 different styles are appropriate for different situations.


Push Styles Push is more about moving, convincing or forcing someone to a change rather than motivating him or her to want to make the change. Push styles tend to involve logical reasoning, threatening punishment, or offering rewards or incentives. They seek to increase the ‘forces' and rationale for change. They can often be referred to as the ‘stick and carrot' approach. Push styles can be effective in achieving compliance but may not achieve commitment. They may bring about quick results but can also generate a lot of resistance.

Pull Styles Pull is generally about motivating the individual to want to change. They tend to involve personal disclosure, involvement and showing the possibilities that will result from change. They tend to work on decreasing the forces or rationale against change. Insincere pull styles can however be seen as manipulative and dishonest. Pull styles can be effective in gaining commitment and high quality but they may be slower in achieving results.

There are pros and cons for both Push and Pull styles and it is important to understand the uses of each and when either can be applied in your role as a Project Manager. It is also important to remember the Mehrabian formulae in interactive, pull and pull forms of communication.

Consider your communication approach in relation to the 7-38-55 communication rule


Reflecting back on Developing your styles as a leader, consider how your preferred leadership style has an impact on the way in which you implement the project.

S1 style: Directive in describing the project objective

S2 style: Coaching in developing the team to achieve the project plan and processes

S3 style: Supportive approach with team players in helping them to achieve their actions and designated responsibilities

S4 style: Delegative approach to ongoing tasks where people are competent and confident to deliver what is needed to achieve the project objectives


What do I need to communicate?

• Explain why they are part of the project and for what they are responsible

• Communicate targets, deadlines, milestones & success criteria

• Be clear about who, when, what & how decisions will be made

• Regularly provide update on progress & actions achieved

• Provide succinct progress reports to sponsors

• Be open about mistakes quickly & resolution actions

• Flag risks when they occur & mitigation strategies

• Listen to your team (pull) & seek their views/ideas

• Focus on your project team, supporting their actions to achieve project team objectives

Communication plan example


1.4 - Implement the project plan, monitoring progress against agreed targets (20 marks) Assessment criteria: Explicit evidence is provided of implementing the project plan and monitoring progress against agreed targets

One of the most important aspects of a project manager’s job is measuring progress on each task. It helps employees stay focused and meet goals, and it helps project managers stay on top of what’s happening in the workplace.

The first step of effective leadership is helping others stay on task, keeping team members engaged and holding everyone accountable. Here are just a few effective ways of tracking project progress as a project manager.

Create a Project Outline Working with team members to create a project outline can be a great way of tracking project progress. Each member of the team can give input for setting up realistic project goals and learn what’s expected of them individually and as part of a group. Taking the time to sit down with the team and hash out a comprehensive outline—including team goals, milestones, and key project indicators (KPIs) is a great first step.

Establish Goals and Milestones When considering how to track the progress of a project, it’s good to consider a each team member’s specific skill set first. Measuring progress can look very different from person to person and project to project. The more familiar a project manager is with each employee’s skills and limitations, the better sense he or she will have of how to hold them accountable. Setting up tailored goals and milestones with each member of the team also goes a long way toward team satisfaction. It’s important to stress each team member’s role and how it will contribute to the success of the team as a whole. Keeping the big picture in mind is always important, even while implementing smaller goals and points of progress.

Check in Regularly When considering how to track the progress of a project, never underestimate the importance of checking in. Having a quick, informal chat at the beginning of each work session can establish trust between project managers and workers, and help to distinguish a key difference between workers feeling cared about and checked in on versus feeling judged or checked up on. Communication is always key in making sure a project runs smoothly. If a team member is having trouble reaching a target/objective or performing time-sensitive tasks, it’s best to check in and try to get to learn the reason why, rather than continuing to implement structures that aren’t motivational or helpful.

Ask How You Can Help There are many ways a project manager can help the team feel less stressed or overwhelmed by tasks. For example, suggesting tools that are available to help team members with their organisation skills is always a great option.

https://www.floridatechonline.com/blog/business/key-performance-indicators-in-project-management/

http://www.clarizen.com/project-planning-what-are-typical-project-milestones/

http://www.clarizen.com/project-planning-what-are-typical-project-milestones/

https://hbr.org/2012/05/checking-in-versus-checking-up


Establish Clear Deadlines Keeping the end goal in sight is always helpful for measuring progress. Being clear about deadlines can help the team stay on track and complete tasks without getting overly stressed or overwhelmed. Tracking project progress becomes far easier once everyone knows what the project timeline is. Some project managers prefer to work with one final deadline, while others like to establish a deadline per milestone or goal. Whatever the preferred method, so long as each deadline is clearly set and team members have a sense of what they’re working towards, keeping track of each project task should be a simple matter of sticking to the schedule.

In summary Monitoring your project progress involves keeping track of lots of moving parts with multiple team members handling various aspects of the project at the same time.

You have to monitor elements such as the budget, scope, schedule, resources and tasks to be completed.

Section 2: Be able to evaluate own ability to manage a project

2.1 Use feedback from others to critically evaluate own ability to plan and implement a project, identifying strengths and weaknesses (12 marks)

Assessment criteria: A wide range of colleagues and project stakeholders have provided comprehensive and objective feedback on all aspects of planning and implementation and this has been used to critically evaluate and identify strengths and weaknesses in own ability to plan and implement a project

As project manager, one of your personal development aims is to get specific feedback from your sponsor, stakeholders and team about what you are doing well and gain objective evidence and observations about where you could improve in managing your project.

Develop a set of questions that help you identify and formulate the answers you are looking to get feedback on. It may be that you want to see how you're doing on the whole as a project manager.

Questions that may be useful in gaining specific feedback include:

1: Do we have a structured project approach? Getting feedback about the quality of the project approach is critical to get teamwork properly structured, aligned and productive. It is also best practice to get regular feedback from stakeholders and identify potential communication loopholes. Here are 3 typical elements on which you can get insights quite easily:

• Clarity of the project scope (what we do and what we don’t) • Definition et communication of key project milestones • Transparency on project progress tracking and status updates


2: Are we able to make decisions? Many initiatives are crippled by poor decision-making. Actually being able to structure and organise the decision-making process is one of the key skills of successful project managers. You want to check whether decision-making is running smoothly on your project, check whether:

• The relevant stakeholder and decision-maker onboard • Project meetings are efficiently managed and structured • Team members and stakeholder feel that decisions are made on-time

3: Are we going to deliver the next milestone on time? Most projects are following a top-down approach - from agenda-setting to progress reporting - with indirect communication flows. Therefore, it is important to directly ask teams directly whether:

• The team will deliver the desired outcomes with high-quality standards on time • The team has all the required skills and capabilities to achieve its objectives • The project team is making continuous progress

4: Are we good at implementing the decisions we make? Following-up with the decisions that have been made is often a weak point on projects. Being sure that no ball is dropped in the process is key to meet the expectations and keep project teams engaged. Therefore, on a regular basis, ask whether:

• Key decisions are properly documented and communicated (through meeting minutes for example)

• Project decisions are always well prioritised • Execution risks are properly identified and are attached with mitigation actions

5: Do we have a clear project vision? Last but not least, having a clear project vision is the cornerstone of project success. It is one of the key aspects of transformational leadership. Managers need to make sure that the vision is clear, shared and advocated by every stakeholder:

• Does everyone understand the short- and long-term objectives of the project? • Are the expected outcomes of the project clear? • How the team is going to achieve the desired project objectives is clear to every team member

In summary Getting regular feedback from the team on those critical project aspects is often much easier than we think. Actually, team members are personally committed to project success. They are willing to make suggestions to make teamwork better. Managers just have to open the dialogue and involve them directly.


2.2 - Create a self-development plan to improve own performance in managing projects

Assessment criteria: An appropriate and comprehensive self-development plan to improve own performance in managing projects is created that prioritises and ranks self-development objectives based on the critical evaluation

Based on your own personal analysis and the feedback regularly received from the questions posed in 2.1, you can start to create your own self-development plan in how you can be even more effective and improve your own performance in managing projects.

Your actions may include activities such as:

peer coaching; having a mentor; the programme’s group action learning sessions; a reflective journal; line manager support, HR support; other training sessions you attend in addition to this programme…

My Personal Development Plan

Activity Timescales Resources Support Expected Outcome

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End of ILM Module 511 Resources

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Unit 511 – Managing Projects in your organisation

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