“The problems with not having a formal project management method start when the real problems start, and we all know that projects always have problems. This is not a reflection on the people doing the work it is merely an inherent part of what projects are. They are doing something new and different, and breaking new ground will never be easy.
That is exactly why formal project management methods require you to clarify roles and responsibilities, establish a risk and issue plan, define the project scope.
- The accumulated knowledge of experience on large and complex projects shows that there will be situations when no one is taking clear responsibility for an issue, where progress stalls because critical decisions are not being taken because there is a disagreement and it is not clear who has the authority to make the required decision.
- Risks will always be present in projects and they will occur, to a lesser or greater extent, on all projects so some planning in advance on how the risks can be mitigated and formal management of those risks will minimise their impact. And, similarly issues will arise, for instance a particular task has over-run the time allocated to it to the point where it is having a detrimental effect on the success of the whole project. In situations like this being prepared will ensure a better decision is made on how or if to move forward.
- Project scope will always be hard to define completely and accurately at the outset yet it still needs to be defined in terms of the business case and reviewed and modified in terms of the business case to avoid scope creep. To do this you need the formal process of change control.” –Paul Naybour for APM.org, excerpted from the article, “Formal vs informal project management“, click here to read the article in its entirety.
Well said and we agree! PMO Advisory is excited to offer courses throughout the year designed for project professionals interested in Portfolio (PfMP), Program (PgMP), Project (PMP & CAPM) Risk (PMI-RMP) Management, and Agile (PMI-ACP) certifications.
