Project Pointers

by Marta Brockmeyer, Ph.D.
June 2004 Issue 5

Welcome to Project Pointers!

For those new readers, this Newsletter is intended to be a simple, quick tool for managing the many stacks on your desks.  You may wish to review the previous Project Pointers because they describe in more detail the common project example being developed and continued in this piece. Issues 1-4 may be accessed at martabrockmeyer.com. If you prefer to begin with this issue, the Newsletter will still be helpful. For returning readers, you will know that we are now ready to move on to other project management topics.

In the previous issue, we looked at the Task Analysis Form and the Weighted Average Technique, both helpful for estimating project resource use. In our ongoing project example, Marilyn Cramer is in charge of a volunteer recognition luncheon. She now wants to look at the schedule in a different way.

Gantt Charts

Marilyn selects the third project management tool for also tracking time and tasks. The Gantt Chart is probably the most popular, frequently-used tool because it shows what is occurring during a project, day by day. It is especially helpful for showing simultaneous activities.  If a schedule problem arises and time becomes the driver, the Gantt Chart offers a quick picture of consequences—what may be falling behind and what will be delayed.

The Project Gantt Chart (Page 4) covers the length of the planning period for the luncheon project.  Sometimes, it may be more meaningful to include the entire year even if the actual project will take less than twelve months.  The Work Breakdown Structure (Issue 3) project task numbers and names are listed in the left columns. Each of the twenty WBS boxes is represented,  although not in the same order. The order of the tasks reflects individual preference and there is no magic formula. But it makes sense to list them as close as possible to chronological order. Of course, some tasks are occurring at the same time and it’s easy to see this on the form.

A project is an organized, temporary endeavor that creates a unique product or service.

This is the chart for the entire project.  Just as an individual creates Task Analysis Forms which reflect the many layers of work under each large project task, each person can have an individual Gantt chart. It’s also possible to use a Gantt Chart for tracking multiple projects. This becomes especially important when sharing resources. If Sally Crookshank is marketing the event while working on several other public relations projects, she might use one Gantt chart to show the timelines for all of her projects. She could then predict peak work periods and see the relationship between the various projects if one ran late or was completed early.

The above tools may appear to be more trouble than they’re worth, but each one requires a relatively short amount of time to complete. The actual planning is the challenging part—filling out the papers is easy. So since the planning has to occur anyway if the project will succeed, invest a few more hours to capture it on paper, providing backup for the project team. Clear, written information is the best protection against misunderstanding and conflict. The forms can be updated easily and provide both a project history and road map to completion.

Working as the Project Manager

It’s tempting to focus exclusively on charts and outlines because they give the appearance of security-- that the project will automatically succeed if everything is on paper. But  project management tools are only as good as the people who use them. Project success is largely related to the skillful application of interpersonal skills, including genuine respect for all stakeholders. The person who is charged with coordinating, monitoring and completing the project is usually called the project manager.  This person may have a position in the nonprofit organization which does not typically place her or him in a leadership role. So it is important to remember that the project manager role is not necessarily related to a person’s placement on an organizational chart. During the course of the project, the manager operates in a unique role which can be both exciting and stressful.

The person selected must have content knowledge about the work and have excellent people skills. This combination of talents is unusual because most people tend to be better at one or the other. For example, people who work in technical areas sometimes fail in leadership roles because they have such poorly developed interpersonal skills. And people with extraordinary people skills are not effective if they do not understand the nuts and bolts of the work required to complete an assignment.

To work effectively, the project manager needs the right work conditions:

1. The resources must be available for the project. Sometimes, a figure is published and approved, but the project manager is unable to spend the money. This creates a frustrating situation which, unfortunately, is not uncommon in nonprofits. If you’re asked to lead a project, immediately clarify your actual spending authority in specific terms.
   
2. A  project manager must have a written scope of work. For smaller projects that fall somewhere between a good idea and execution, you may be assigned to a project without knowing its intent or goals. Following the initial discussions, you should write a summary, then take it to your boss or client for review.  As planning continues, the scope will be revised several times. The final written scope should be a clear, specific project description which everyone understands and supports.
   
3. The project manager’s role must be understood by everyone associated with the project. Your boss or client must let others know that you have staffing authority. When you begin asking people to either serve on the project team or help with specific activities,  you must be able to do so with the knowledge that your requests are appropriate and even expected.
   
4. The project manager also needs time.  In many situations, the person who leads a large effort will be relieved of some normal functions. But for smaller nonprofit initiatives, you may be asked to coordinate an effort on top of other activities. In this situation, a written scope and the goodwill of colleagues is even  more important.
   
5. Accompanying the need for dedicated time, flexibility is essential.  In your new role as project manager, you must have the authority to make changes. If you’re required to check with six people for every change in schedule or budget, the actual work will move slowly. As with scope and budget, the authority to make changes should be clarified in the beginning and may require only a few direct questions. For example, what types of decisions might require the Board of Directors’ involvement? What type need to be reviewed by the Executive Director? The department heads?
   
6. Finally, a good project environment depends on solid communication structures. These should be in place before the project actually begins. While the scope is being developed and refined, you should already be thinking about how to communicate project progress. Too often, this communication planning does not happen until a problem has occurred. The types and frequency of project information dissemination are very important and should be listed on a published schedule when possible. Most people absorb information when it is presented in a variety of ways over time. So using a combination of newsletters, meetings, memos and formal presentations may be far more effective than only sending a weekly update by email. And, of course, the quality of the content is as important as the delivery methods.

All of these conditions help you succeed--but not alone. In the next Project Pointers, we will be discussing ways to create a solid project team. Happy summer!