Potential Issue And Risk Identification

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

This paper discusses the importance of using a proven project management methodology to help define and manage scope effectively and to help deliver projects successfully. In an effort to establish a strong business case for using a project management methodology to help deliver projects successfully, this paper provides details as to why projects fail and succeed. Furthermore, the benefits gained by using a proven project management methodology will be discussed. The content of this paper also provides a high-level overview of the foundational structure of a proven project management methodology based on research and my personal experiences as an IT project manager. The methodology presented in this paper focuses on key process groups as the cornerstones of a good methodology. The overall goal of this paper is to make a formal business recommendation that supports using a project management methodology to define and manage the project scope and to help deliver projects successfully. The paper will touch on some of the key inputs and outputs of the identified process groups and discuss best practices commonly associated with successful projects. The internet, my personal experiences as a project manager, and A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) were used as sources of information for this paper.

Business Recommendation for Using a Project Management Methodology to

Help Define and Manage Scope Effectively and to Help Deliver Projects Successfully

Numerous sources and articles suggest that poor project planning and lack of clear requirements are leading causes of project failure. Following a proven project management methodology to implement projects can help ensure that good requirements are gathered and that the project is properly planned in an effort to help deliver projects successfully. Following a methodology can also contribute to a higher rate of customer satisfaction. Although using a project management methodology to help deliver projects doesn’t necessarily guarantee success, it certainly decreases the chances of project failure. A proven project management methodology will outline processes and provide best practices to address project initiation, planning, execution, project controls, staffing, risk management, and will properly set expectations at the start of the project.

Findings and Research

In order to help establish a strong case for using a project management methodology to define and manage scope and to help deliver projects successfully, it’s important to first review why projects fail and succeed. According to Haughey (2011), the underlying causes of project failure are usually the same. Haughey (2011) suggests that one of the main causes of project failure is poor project planning. He also identified scope creep, lack of change control, poor communication, failure to manage expectations and poor management of risks as typical causes of project failure.

According to Sarkar (2009), two of the top ten reasons why projects fail are poor planning and unclear requirements. Proper planning sets the tone and expectations for the entire project. If it’s planned poorly, chances are the project will fail or be subject to cost and schedule overruns. Sarkar (2009) emphasizes that managers need time to plan accordingly. Additionally, he points out that the project team should also be involved in planning. As it relates to unclear requirements and objectives, Sarkar (2009) suggests that many IT project requirements evolve progressively which makes it hard to establish clear goals and objectives.

Additionally, Dorsey (2005) suggests that using a development or delivery methodology is critical to the success of the project and is a key component of good project planning. He implies that there is no evidence to suggest that one methodology is better than another. He also suggests that what’s important is following a methodology to keep projects arranged in a consistent and purposeful way and thinking thru the process carefully at the onset. He emphasizes that following some type of methodology is better than not following one; which supports the basis of this paper. Following a proven project management methodology can help define and manage the project scope effectively and to help deliver projects successfully.

Without a methodology in place prior to and during the project, the chances for project failure increases. Additionally, it’s important for the project manager to include the key project stakeholders when establishing the project success criteria. P2C2 Group (2007) supports the importance of investing the time and money to define requirements, details, plans, and documentation before you develop and implement a solution. Following a proven project management methodology can help contribute to a properly planned project.

According to using the project management process (2009), over 90% of project failures are due to poor planning. Frese and Sauter (2003) support proper planning as a critical success factor for project success. They also outlined and supported the following factors that contribute to project success, which are inherent to good project management methodologies:

Defining clear requirements

Proper planning

Key stakeholder involvement

Senior management buy-in

Setting realistic expectations

If following a proven IT project management methodology provides best practices and can help contribute to project success then why wouldn’t all organizations implement and use one? Value of Project Management (2012) outlined reasons why everyone doesn’t utilize solid project management techniques and suggests the following:

The organization does not buy-in to project management methodologies. It's hard to manage projects effectively in companies that don’t appreciate good project managers. If project management is to flourish, the whole company should be in favor of the establishment of a universal project management approach.

Upfront commitment of time and energy in the planning phase. People believe they can get things done and they may not be content with using their planning skills. Frequently there’s the inclination to review the issue and then go out and try to resolve it. This is effective when the effort is small. However, it’s not as effective when the project is large. Try to keep from leaping in with both feet before you properly plan the project. The effort will be finished quicker if you try to plan it first and then manage to the plan versus letting the plan manage you.  

You may not have the appropriate skills. It’s not uncommon that organizations discover that even though they have project management processes, they lack qualified project managers. Additionally, organizations may not have a formal department dedicated to managing and delivering projects.

You may have had a previously bad experience with project management. When project management processes and methodology is discussed, managers tend to think about the costs associated with these terms. Often times they miss the connection to the value that a proven project management methodology can deliver. Some argue that a methodology involves too much effort and that it takes away from the task at hand. This can be true if the methodology isn’t applied correctly to the project size. For example, if you had to create a large project kickoff presentation that took ten hours to finish and the project was only scheduled to last forty hours. This could give you a negative impression of project management methodologies. In actuality, it would have been a misuse of the methodology.

Executive management believes that managing projects is about using tools. When discussing the term project management, it may imply that you’re attempting to introduce tools that help an individual manage projects. It’s important to note that even though some components of project management, like drafting a schedule, may utilize tools, that’s not where the usefulness of project management is. The benefit comes in the form of increased delivery success rates by following consistent repeatable processes.

Management is concerned that they’ll lose control. In order to successfully establish a project management methodology within an organization, the project managers should be given authority. Most managers within a company are reluctant to relinquish control. Even though these individuals are willing to let project managers coordinate the projects, they refuse to give up any control and want to call all the shots. The formal management of projects can’t succeed in organizations where this type of practice occurs.

Value of Project Management (2012) suggests that even though these may be grounds to be apprehensive about utilizing proper project management practices, they must be dealt with accordingly and that if the outcome of project management was that projects took longer, cost more and ended with bad results, it would not be worth the extra effort to use it. The author of this article also suggests that using proven project management methods will increase the chances that your project will be delivered on schedule, within budget and to an appropriate level of satisfaction. My professional work experiences, as a project manager, also support this author’s findings.

Additionally, Value of Project Management (2012) also supports the idea that companies that adhere to sound project management methods tend to be more successful than companies that do not. The author of this article supports the fact that proven project management practices increases the chances of success and in the long run provides benefit to the company, the effort and the project manager. However, Value of Project Management (2012) suggests that having good project management capabilities doesn’t infer that you’ll have no issues. It also doesn’t infer that there are no problems throughout the course of the project. Good project management practices provide repeatable processes that will help mitigate risks and increase the chances of implementing information system projects successfully.

Discussion and Recommendation

The previous sections of this paper outlined key factors that cause project failures and key factors that contribute to project successes and why using a project management methodology is critical to increasing the odds of project success. The project success factors outlined in the previous section of this paper are inherent to the project management processes and methodology that will be recommended in this section of this paper.

A proven project management and delivery methodology will outline processes to address project initiation, planning and requirements gathering, project controls, staffing, risk management, and help properly set expectations at the start of the project. There are many factors that can contribute to a project’s success. In my opinion, implementing and using a project management and delivery methodology is one of the biggest success factors that can contribute to project success. Therefore, in order to help avoid project failure, my recommendation to the business it to implement a delivery methodology that leverages the initiation, planning, execution, closure, and the monitoring and controlling process groups. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge [PMBOK] (2013) also supports using these process groups to manage and control projects and to help deliver projects successfully.

All the project management methodologies that I’ve worked with follow the initiation, planning, execution, and closure phases in a life cycle fashion and rely basically on the same process groups. The following information discusses each phase of the project life cycle by process group.

The PMBOK (2013) describes the initiating processes as those processes performed to define a new project or a new phase of an existing project by obtaining authorization to start the project or phase (p. 54). Haughey (2010) expands on this topic by suggesting that all projects initiate with concepts for services, products or other required outcomes. The initiation process group outlines the purpose and scope of the project. If this phase is not executed adequately, it is likely the project will fail to meet the businesses requirements. Haughey (2010) points out that the key project controls required for this process group are making sure you understand the business setting and ensuring that the required controls are integrated into the project plan. Any shortcomings should be documented along with suggestions to fix them. Haughey (2010) suggests that the first step during project initiation should be to define the project charter document, which should include:

Project Governance

Roles and Responsibilities

Project justification

Scope and deliverables

Project goals

Required Resources

Schedule with Milestones

Potential issue and risk identification

The PMBOK (2013) describes planning processes as those processes performed to establish the total scope of the effort, define and refine the objectives, and develop the course of action required to attain those objectives (p. 55). Since good project requirements provide the foundation of a good project plan and is one of the critical elements of project success, it’s important to highlight and discuss where this fits into the project management methodology in greater detail. A proven project management methodology addresses the gathering of requirements during the planning phase of the project and then leverages the monitoring and controlling process group to effectively manage the requirements throughout the life cycle of the project.

According to Warner (2010) the ability to identify and then successfully manage the scope of a project relies largely on the goals and requirements of the project.  Warner (2010) suggests that it’s critical to gather the necessary information prior to the execution phase of the project.  By clearly understanding the requirements of the stakeholders, your chances for success increase.

Warner (2010) suggests that one of the easiest ways to collect, understand and establish clear project requirements is to perform interviews with the key individuals impacted by the project.  Once the information has been collected, a project management plan will need to be created that includes details for scope management. The plan should define the processes that will be followed in defining requirements and scope, documenting requirements and scope, verifying and accepting scope, and managing change requests. According the PMBOK (2013), the project management plan is an output from the Planning Process Group.

Haughey (2010) expands on this topic by suggesting that after initiation, the appropriate level of project planning detail should occur. Planning inappropriately lessens the project's chances of success. Haughey (2010) emphasizes that project planning should include the following:

Defining the scope of work

Defining the project budget

Documenting project deliverables

Creating the project schedule

Developing a communication plan

Acquiring the project team

Drafting a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Planning for risks

The PMBOK (2013) describes executing processes as those processes performed to complete the work defined in the project management plan to satisfy the project objectives (p. 56). Haughey (2010) expands on this topic by describing execution as the methods used to finish the tasks outlined in the project management plan, to accomplish the project's goals. The execution process is comprised of directing individuals and resources, along with incorporating and executing the tasks of the project. The deliverables are generated as outputs from the completed processes as outlined in the project management plan.

The PMBOK (2013) describes closing processes as those processes performed to conclude all activities across all Project Management Process Groups to formally complete the project, phase, or contractual obligations (p. 57). Haughey (2010) suggests that closing the project is a critical part of project management and at times is ignored. He notes that a project that is not closed in a timely fashion will continue to consume both time and money. Haughey (2010) also points out that closing a project means completing all tasks amongst the process groups, discharging the stakeholders, and signing off on the deliverables with the client. He suggests that, during closure, it is important to understand if the project accomplished its goals. This is accomplished by using an executive closure summary report. It articulates how good the project did against its original goals, requirements, schedule, and cost. Haughey (2010) suggests that it's also a good practice to draft and distribute a lessons learned document. This is used to share important learning lessons that can be applied to future projects.

The PMBOK (2013) refers to monitor and control process work as the processes required to track, review, and orchestrate the progress and performance of the project; identify any areas in which changes to the plan are required; and initiate corresponding changes (p. 57). It’s not uncommon for additional requirements to surface after the initial planning phase of the project. These additional requests most likely will increase the agreed upon scope of the project. A key part to monitoring and controlling is keeping the scope under control through a formal agreed to change control process. Any changes need to be authorized before they become part of the project plan. Warner (2010) suggests that it’s important to monitor and control the scope to avoid disappointed stakeholders, higher costs, and schedule overruns.

Haughey (2010) expands on this topic by indicating that the monitoring and controlling process group involves overseeing and tracking the effort, so likely issues can be identified quickly and corrective measures can be taken. To do this efficiently, the project management plan is followed. Haughey (2010) emphasizes that monitoring and controlling includes:

Dealing with scope change thru a formal project change control process

Defining mitigation steps to deal with project risks

Establishing the project baseline and managing the deliverables against the project management plan

Managing the project tasks throughout the life cycle of the project

Haughey (2010) suggests that the monitoring and controlling process group concludes once the project has accomplished its purpose and intentions as outlined in the project scope of work. He also points out that a project could be terminated prior to finishing for a number of reasons, including changing organizational dynamics, money problems or conflicting priorities.

All the process groups and phases identified above come together to form the project life cycle and the foundation of the recommended project management methodology. It’s important to note that monitoring and controlling techniques are utilized throughout each phase of the life cycle. As the name implies, this process group and the tools used during this process are critical to managing requirements and ensuring project success. Monitoring and controlling provides quality assurance, phase evaluation, communications, change management, and stakeholder management. Figure 1.0 listed on the following page articulates how the monitoring and controlling process group interacts with the other process groups and phases throughout the life cycle of the project.

I arranged the PMBOK (2013) process groups in the following diagram to depict how the process groups would interact in a project delivery methodology and life cycle fashion:

Conclusion

As an IT project manager, I’ve followed project management methodologies that leverage the initiation, planning, execution, closing, and monitoring and controlling processes groups to successfully deliver projects in the life cycle fashion outlined above. Based on my experiences, this type of methodology is flexible enough to accommodate any type of IT project. Although it takes time and money upfront to define and implement this type of project management methodology, Value of Project Management (2012) supports that the investment and effort is more than justified throughout the course of the project by:

Better requirements and solutions through better planning

Closing projects more quickly and inexpensively

Having a higher level of predictability throughout the life cycle of the project

Implementing a quality solution the first time

Having a higher level of predictability throughout the lifecycle of the project

Increased visibility of key performance indicators

Dealing with problems quicker

Providing upfront risk management

Providing better communication to all stakeholders

Stopping bad projects before additional costs and time are incurred

There are many factors that can contribute to a project’s success. In my opinion, and based on the supporting information provided in this paper, implementing a project management methodology is a key success factor for defining and managing scope effectively and for delivering projects successfully. Therefore, I strongly recommend implementing a delivery methodology that leverages the initiation, planning, execution, closure, and the monitoring and controlling process groups. Furthermore, following proven project management techniques and methods will increase the chances that your projects will be finished on schedule, within budget and to a desired degree of quality. However, it’s important to note, as pointed out in the findings and research section of this paper, that having good project management capabilities doesn’t infer that you’ll have no issues. It also doesn’t infer that there won’t be any problems throughout the course of the project. Good project management practices provide repeatable processes that will help mitigate risks and increase the chances of implementing projects successfully.