The governance and management framework should be defined to provide direction and working methods to those individuals involved in the project. Governance and management frameworks, as well as controls, should be proportionate and appropriate to the work to be done and its expected degree of complexity.
The project manager, in consultation with the project sponsor should define the way in which the project is to be initiated, directed, monitored, controlled and closed, while conforming to the governance requirements. Typically, this should include:
a) project life cycle;
b) project organization, roles and responsibilities;
c) processes and methods for undertaking the management activities;
d) processes and methods for delivering the project’s outputs and outcomes.
The project management approach can be described in a single document, a single overarching document with a set of subsidiary documents or a set of subsidiary documents covering specific practices, such as a risk or quality management plan.
NOTE The names of documents describing the management approach can differ. Example names include “project management plan”, “project initiation documentation”, “project definition document”, “project implementation plan”, “project charter” and “project terms of reference”. Subsidiary documents for specific project management practices are sometimes referred to as “management plans”, e.g. “risk management plan or strategy”, “quality management plan or strategy”, “scope management plan or strategy”.
Project governance and management approach refers to the set of principles, processes, and practices that guide the planning, execution, monitoring, and control of a project. A well-defined approach helps ensure that projects are delivered on time, within budget, and with the expected quality. Tailor the governance and management approach to the specific needs and characteristics of the project, industry, and organization. Regularly review and adapt the approach as the project progresses and circumstances change. Here are key components of a project governance and management approach:
- Project Governance:
- Define Roles and Responsibilities: Clearly outline the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders, including project sponsors, project managers, team members, and other relevant parties.
- Decision-Making Structure: Establish a clear decision-making hierarchy to ensure timely and effective decision-making throughout the project lifecycle.
- Risk Management: Identify and manage risks at both the project and organizational levels. Establish a risk management plan and mechanisms for ongoing risk assessment.
- Project Planning:
- Scope Definition: Clearly define the project scope, objectives, and deliverables. Ensure that all stakeholders have a shared understanding of what the project will achieve.
- Work Breakdown Structure (WBS): Break down the project into smaller, manageable components to facilitate better planning, resource allocation, and monitoring.
- Timeline and Milestones: Develop a realistic project schedule with well-defined milestones. Use tools like Gantt charts to visualize the project timeline.
- Resource Management:
- Resource Allocation: Allocate resources effectively based on the project’s requirements. Consider the availability and skills of team members, as well as any external resources needed.
- Communication Plan: Establish a clear communication plan to ensure that relevant information is shared among team members, stakeholders, and other parties.
- Quality Management:
- Quality Standards: Define quality standards and criteria for project deliverables. Implement processes for quality assurance and control throughout the project lifecycle.
- Testing and Validation: Plan for thorough testing and validation of project components to ensure that they meet the specified quality standards.
- Monitoring and Control:
- Performance Metrics: Define key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure project performance. Regularly monitor and assess progress against these metrics.
- Change Control: Establish a change control process to manage and assess any changes to the project scope, schedule, or budget.
- Stakeholder Management:
- Stakeholder Engagement: Identify and engage with stakeholders throughout the project. Understand their expectations and concerns and communicate effectively with them.
- Issue Resolution: Develop mechanisms for identifying and resolving issues promptly to prevent them from escalating.
- Closure and Evaluation:
- Project Closure: Plan for a systematic project closure, including documentation of lessons learned, final reporting, and handover of deliverables.
- Post-Implementation Review: Conduct a post-implementation review to assess the overall success of the project, identify areas for improvement, and capture lessons learned for future projects.
- Agile and Adaptive Approaches (Optional): If applicable, consider incorporating agile or adaptive project management methodologies to enhance flexibility and responsiveness to changing requirements.
- Documentation: Maintain comprehensive documentation throughout the project lifecycle, including project plans, risk registers, status reports, and other relevant documents.
- Continuous Improvement: Encourage a culture of continuous improvement by regularly reviewing and updating the project management approach based on lessons learned and industry best practices.
The governance and management framework should be defined to provide direction and working methods to those individuals involved in the project.
Defining a clear governance and management framework is crucial for providing direction and establishing working methods for everyone involved in the project. By establishing a comprehensive governance and management framework, you create a solid foundation for effective project execution, minimize misunderstandings, and promote a consistent and structured approach across the project team. Regularly review and update the framework to adapt to changing project dynamics and organizational needs. Here are some key considerations when developing such a framework:
- Documented Policies and Procedures: Clearly document policies and procedures that outline how the project will be governed and managed. This documentation serves as a reference for all team members and stakeholders.
- Roles and Responsibilities: Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of each team member, including project sponsors, project managers, team leads, and other key stakeholders. Ensure that there is a shared understanding of who is accountable for what.
- Decision-Making Protocols: Establish decision-making protocols, including the levels of authority for different stakeholders. Define how decisions will be made, communicated, and documented throughout the project.
- Communication Plan: Develop a communication plan that outlines how information will be shared among team members, stakeholders, and other relevant parties. Specify communication channels, frequency, and the types of information to be communicated.
- Change Control Procedures: Clearly articulate procedures for requesting, evaluating, and approving changes to the project scope, schedule, or budget. This helps manage scope creep and ensures that changes are properly assessed.
- Risk Management Guidelines: Document the approach to identifying, assessing, and managing risks. Specify how risks will be documented, tracked, and mitigated throughout the project lifecycle.
- Project Planning and Execution Guidelines: Provide guidelines for project planning and execution, including the development of project plans, work breakdown structures, and schedules. Ensure that these guidelines align with the organization’s overall project management approach.
- Quality Assurance and Control Procedures: Clearly define the quality standards and processes for ensuring that project deliverables meet the specified criteria. Document procedures for quality assurance and control activities.
- Performance Monitoring and Reporting: Outline the key performance indicators (KPIs) that will be monitored throughout the project. Specify how progress will be reported, including the frequency and format of status updates.
- Escalation Procedures: Define escalation procedures for issues or conflicts that cannot be resolved at the project team level. Specify the hierarchy of escalation and the criteria for escalating issues to higher levels of management.
- Stakeholder Engagement Guidelines: Provide guidelines for engaging with stakeholders, including communication strategies, feedback mechanisms, and methods for managing stakeholder expectations.
- Training and Onboarding: Develop training and onboarding materials to ensure that all team members are familiar with the governance and management framework. This is particularly important for new team members or stakeholders joining the project.
- Continuous Improvement Mechanisms: Include mechanisms for continuous improvement, such as regular reviews of the project management approach, lessons learned sessions, and feedback loops. Use these insights to update and enhance the framework as needed.
Governance and management frameworks, as well as controls, should be proportionate and appropriate to the work to be done and its expected degree of complexity.
The principle of proportionality is essential in developing governance and management frameworks and controls for projects. Tailoring these frameworks to match the specific characteristics and complexity of the project ensures that resources are used efficiently, and the approach is practical and effective. By applying a proportionate and appropriate approach, project teams can strike a balance between maintaining control and avoiding unnecessary bureaucracy. This approach increases the likelihood of project success by aligning governance and management practices with the specific demands of each unique project. Here are key considerations for maintaining proportionality:
- Project Size and Complexity: Adapt the level of governance and management controls based on the size and complexity of the project. Smaller and less complex projects may require lighter processes, while larger and more intricate projects may necessitate more robust controls.
- Risk Profile: Assess the project’s risk profile and align controls accordingly. High-risk projects may require more rigorous risk management processes, while low-risk projects may have simplified risk controls.
- Strategic Importance: Consider the strategic importance of the project to the organization. Critical or high-impact projects may warrant more extensive governance and controls, while less critical projects may have a streamlined approach.
- Resource Availability: Evaluate the availability of resources, both in terms of personnel and budget. A proportionate approach ensures that resources are not overburdened with unnecessary controls, especially in resource-constrained environments.
- Regulatory Compliance: Align governance and controls with regulatory requirements relevant to the project. Ensure that the framework addresses necessary compliance standards without introducing unnecessary bureaucracy.
- Project Duration: Adjust the level of governance based on the project duration. Longer projects may benefit from more detailed planning and controls, while shorter projects may require a more agile and streamlined approach.
- Organizational Culture: Consider the organizational culture and adapt the governance framework to align with how the organization typically manages projects. An approach that fits the organizational culture is more likely to be accepted and effectively implemented.
- Stakeholder Sensitivity: Be mindful of stakeholder sensitivity to governance processes. Strive to find a balance that meets the organization’s need for control while ensuring that stakeholders are not burdened with excessive administrative tasks.
- Flexibility and Adaptability: Design the framework to be flexible and adaptable. Proportionality does not mean a one-size-fits-all approach; instead, it involves creating a framework that can be adjusted based on the evolving needs and circumstances of the project.
- Continuous Monitoring and Adjustment: Regularly monitor the project’s progress and the effectiveness of the governance framework. Be prepared to make adjustments as the project evolves and new information becomes available.
- Documentation Precision: Tailor the level of documentation to the project’s needs. While documentation is essential, the extent and detail should be proportionate to the project’s size, complexity, and risk factors.
- Agility and Iteration: Incorporate agile principles and iterative feedback loops into the governance and management approach. This allows for adjustments based on lessons learned and changing project dynamics.
The project manager, in consultation with the project sponsor should define the way in which the project is to be initiated, directed, monitored, controlled and closed, while conforming to the governance requirements.
The collaboration between the project manager and the project sponsor is crucial in defining how the project will be initiated, directed, monitored, controlled, and closed. This partnership ensures alignment with organizational governance requirements and sets the stage for a successful project. Here’s a breakdown of each phase and the roles of the project manager and project sponsor:
- Initiation:
- Project Manager:
- Develops the project initiation documentation, including the project charter, which outlines the project’s purpose, objectives, scope, stakeholders, and initial high-level plan.
- Conducts a preliminary assessment of risks, assumptions, and constraints.
- Collaborates with the project sponsor to ensure a shared understanding of project goals and objectives.
- Project Sponsor:
- Approves the project charter and provides high-level guidance on project priorities.
- Confirms alignment between the project and organizational strategy.
- Participates in the development of the project initiation documentation and ensures it aligns with organizational goals.
- Project Manager:
- Direction:
- Project Manager:
- Develops detailed project plans, work breakdown structures, and schedules.
- Assigns responsibilities and tasks to team members.
- Manages day-to-day project activities, ensuring the team is on track to achieve project objectives.
- Project Sponsor:
- Provides ongoing support and guidance.
- Helps in resolving strategic issues and aligns project goals with broader organizational objectives.
- Approves major project decisions and changes that may impact project direction.
- Project Manager:
- Monitoring and Control:
- Project Manager:
- Establishes and monitors key performance indicators (KPIs) and project metrics.
- Implements regular project status reporting.
- Manages risks and issues, taking corrective actions as necessary.
- Project Sponsor:
- Receives and reviews project status reports.
- Supports the project manager in addressing escalated issues.
- Ensures that the project remains aligned with organizational priorities.
- Project Manager:
- Closure:
- Project Manager:
- Develops and executes the project closure plan, including documentation of lessons learned, completion of final project reports, and handover of deliverables.
- Conducts a final project review with the project team.
- Project Sponsor:
- Reviews and approves the project closure documentation.
- Ensures that project outcomes align with the initially defined success criteria.
- Participates in the celebration of project success and acknowledges the contributions of the project team.
- Project Manager:
Throughout these phases, adherence to governance requirements is essential. The project manager and project sponsor should work together to ensure that the project’s approach aligns with organizational standards, policies, and procedures. Regular communication and collaboration are key to a successful partnership, allowing both parties to leverage their respective expertise for the benefit of the project and the organization.
The governance and management framework should include project life cycle.
Incorporating the project life cycle into the governance and management framework is essential for providing structure and guidance throughout the various stages of a project. The project life cycle represents the phases a project goes through, from initiation to closure. Here’s how the project life cycle can be integrated into the governance and management framework:
- Initiation Phase:
- Governance:
- Define the criteria for initiating a project, including the development of a project charter and initial feasibility studies.
- Establish approval mechanisms, ensuring that projects align with organizational goals and priorities.
- Management:
- Develop the project charter and initial high-level plans, collaborating with the project sponsor.
- Identify key stakeholders and conduct an initial assessment of risks, assumptions, and constraints.
- Governance:
- Planning Phase:
- Governance:
- Set standards and templates for project planning documentation.
- Ensure alignment between project plans and organizational strategies.
- Management:
- Develop detailed project plans, work breakdown structures (WBS), and schedules.
- Establish communication plans, risk management strategies, and quality assurance processes.
- Governance:
- Execution Phase:
- Governance:
- Define controls for monitoring and controlling project activities.
- Establish reporting mechanisms for tracking progress against project plans.
- Management:
- Execute project plans, assigning tasks to team members and managing day-to-day activities.
- Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and implement corrective actions as needed.
- Governance:
- Monitoring and Controlling Phase:
- Governance:
- Set standards for project monitoring and control processes.
- Define escalation procedures for addressing issues and changes.
- Management:
- Implement regular project status reporting, tracking performance against KPIs.
- Manage risks and issues, making adjustments to project plans as necessary.
- Governance:
- Closing Phase:
- Governance:
- Define criteria for project closure, including the completion of closure documentation and final reviews.
- Ensure that project outcomes meet established success criteria.
- Management:
- Execute the project closure plan, documenting lessons learned and conducting final reviews.
- Handover deliverables and conduct a final project review with stakeholders.
- Governance:
- Continuous Improvement:
- Governance:
- Establish mechanisms for continuous improvement throughout the project life cycle.
- Regularly review and update the governance framework based on lessons learned.
- Management:
- Incorporate feedback and insights from each phase to enhance project management practices.
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement within the project team.
- Governance:
By integrating the project life cycle into the governance and management framework, organizations ensure a systematic and consistent approach to project management. This alignment helps to optimize resource utilization, enhance project outcomes, and facilitate the achievement of organizational goals. It also allows for better control and monitoring of projects at each stage, contributing to the overall success of the project.
The governance and management framework should include project organization, roles and responsibilities.
Defining the project organization, roles, and responsibilities is a fundamental component of a comprehensive governance and management framework. This clarity ensures that everyone involved in the project understands their roles and contributes effectively to project success. Having a well-defined project organization and clear roles and responsibilities is crucial for effective communication, accountability, and collaboration. This clarity contributes to the overall success of the project and ensures that everyone involved understands their contributions to the project’s objectives. Regularly reviewing and updating this information helps adapt to changes in project dynamics and organizational needs. Here’s how project organization, roles, and responsibilities can be incorporated into the framework:
- Project Organization:
- Governance:
- Define the overall project structure, including reporting lines, communication channels, and the relationship with other organizational units.
- Clarify the link between the project team and broader organizational structures.
- Management:
- Establish the project team structure, considering factors such as skill sets, expertise, and resource availability.
- Clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the project team members.
- Governance:
- Roles and Responsibilities:
- Governance:
- Define overarching roles such as Project Sponsor, Steering Committee, and any other governance bodies responsible for project oversight.
- Specify the authority and responsibilities of governance bodies in decision-making processes.
- Management:
- Clearly define individual roles within the project team, including the Project Manager, Team Leads, and Team Members.
- Outline the responsibilities of each role throughout the project life cycle.
- Governance:
- Project Sponsor:
- Governance:
- Clearly define the role of the Project Sponsor, emphasizing their responsibility for project success and alignment with organizational goals.
- Establish communication channels and decision-making processes involving the Project Sponsor.
- Management:
- Collaborate with the Project Sponsor during project initiation to align project goals with organizational objectives.
- Provide regular updates to the Project Sponsor on project progress, issues, and key decisions.
- Governance:
- Project Manager:
- Governance:
- Outline the authority and responsibilities of the Project Manager in decision-making and project control.
- Establish reporting lines and communication channels between the Project Manager and governance bodies.
- Management:
- Develop and execute project plans, ensuring that the project stays on schedule and within scope.
- Manage day-to-day project activities, assign tasks, and monitor team performance.
- Governance:
- Team Members:
- Governance:
- Define the general responsibilities of team members and their reporting structure.
- Establish communication protocols for team members to share progress, challenges, and insights.
- Management:
- Clearly communicate individual responsibilities and expectations to team members.
- Foster a collaborative and productive team culture by ensuring each member understands their role in achieving project objectives.
- Governance:
- Stakeholder Engagement:
- Governance:
- Identify key stakeholders and establish mechanisms for their involvement in decision-making processes.
- Clarify the roles of stakeholders in providing feedback, approvals, and support.
- Management:
- Engage with stakeholders regularly to gather feedback and communicate project progress.
- Establish clear channels for addressing stakeholder concerns and expectations.
- Governance:
- Documentation of Roles and Responsibilities:
- Governance:
- Document the roles and responsibilities of key project stakeholders, including governance bodies, sponsors, and project team members.
- Ensure that this documentation aligns with organizational policies and standards.
- Management:
- Use documented roles and responsibilities as a reference throughout the project.
- Update documentation as needed when roles change or project requirements evolve.
- Governance:
The governance and management framework should include processes and methods for undertaking the management activities.
The inclusion of processes and methods for undertaking management activities is a critical aspect of a robust governance and management framework. These processes provide a structured approach to managing various aspects of the project and ensure consistency, efficiency, and effectiveness. Here are key areas where processes and methods should be integrated:
- Project Initiation Process:
- Define a structured process for initiating projects, including the development of project charters, feasibility studies, and initial risk assessments.
- Specify the criteria for project approval and authorization to move forward.
- Project Planning Process:
- Establish a comprehensive planning process that includes the development of project plans, work breakdown structures (WBS), schedules, and resource allocation.
- Define the methodology for risk management, quality planning, and communication planning.
- Execution and Implementation Process:
- Outline the methods for executing project plans, including task assignment, team collaboration, and resource utilization.
- Specify how changes to the project scope will be managed and controlled.
- Monitoring and Controlling Process:
- Develop processes for monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs) and project metrics.
- Define procedures for status reporting, issue tracking, and change control.
- Establish methods for risk monitoring, assessment, and response.
- Communication Management Process:
- Define communication channels and methods for various stakeholders.
- Specify the frequency and format of project status updates.
- Establish protocols for addressing project-related issues and conflicts.
- Quality Management Process:
- Establish processes for defining and ensuring adherence to quality standards.
- Outline methods for quality assurance and quality control throughout the project life cycle.
- Risk Management Process:
- Define a systematic approach to identifying, assessing, and managing risks.
- Establish risk response strategies and contingency plans.
- Specify methods for ongoing risk monitoring and reporting.
- Change Management Process:
- Develop a change management process that outlines how changes to scope, schedule, or budget will be evaluated, approved, and implemented.
- Specify the roles and responsibilities of individuals involved in the change management process.
- Issue Resolution Process:
- Establish a structured approach to identifying, documenting, and resolving project issues.
- Define escalation procedures for issues that cannot be resolved at the project team level.
- Project Closure Process:
- Develop a structured process for closing out projects, including documentation of lessons learned, final reporting, and handover of deliverables.
- Specify the criteria for project closure and approval.
- Continuous Improvement Process:
- Implement mechanisms for continuous improvement, including regular reviews of project performance and processes.
- Establish methods for capturing lessons learned and applying insights to future projects.
- Documentation and Record-Keeping Process:
- Define processes for maintaining comprehensive project documentation, including project plans, status reports, risk registers, and change logs.
- Specify record-keeping methods for compliance and auditing purposes.
- Training and Development Process:
- Develop processes for training and onboarding team members on the project management approach.
- Specify methods for ongoing skill development and knowledge transfer within the project team.
Each of these processes should be documented, standardized, and communicated to the relevant stakeholders. Regular reviews and updates to these processes ensure that they remain relevant and aligned with organizational goals and industry best practices. The goal is to establish a structured framework that guides project management activities, facilitates effective decision-making, and contributes to successful project outcomes.
The governance and management framework should include processes and methods for delivering the project’s outputs and outcomes.
Including processes and methods for delivering both project outputs and outcomes is crucial for a comprehensive governance and management framework. Here’s how you can integrate processes and methods to ensure successful delivery of project outputs and the realization of desired outcomes:
- Requirements Definition Process:
- Develop a process for clearly defining and documenting project requirements.
- Establish methods for eliciting, analyzing, and prioritizing both functional and non-functional requirements.
- Project Planning and Design Process:
- Define a structured approach for planning and designing the project, taking into account the identified requirements.
- Specify methods for creating project plans, work breakdown structures (WBS), and design specifications.
- Execution and Implementation Process:
- Establish processes for executing the project plans and implementing the designed solutions.
- Define methods for task assignment, team collaboration, and resource allocation during the implementation phase.
- Quality Assurance and Control Process:
- Develop processes for ensuring the quality of project outputs.
- Define methods for quality assurance activities, including reviews, inspections, and testing.
- Establish controls to monitor and address any deviations from quality standards.
- Verification and Validation Process:
- Establish processes for verifying that project outputs meet the specified requirements.
- Develop methods for validation to ensure that the delivered outputs meet the intended purpose and contribute to the desired outcomes.
- Change Management Process:
- Define a structured change management process for handling modifications to project outputs.
- Establish methods for assessing the impact of changes on both outputs and outcomes.
- Risk Management Process:
- Develop processes for identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks related to project outputs and outcomes.
- Establish methods for continuous monitoring of risks throughout the project lifecycle.
- Stakeholder Engagement and Communication Process:
- Define processes for engaging and communicating with stakeholders regarding project outputs and outcomes.
- Specify methods for keeping stakeholders informed, gathering feedback, and managing expectations.
- Delivery and Deployment Process:
- Develop processes for the delivery and deployment of project outputs.
- Specify methods for transitioning the outputs from development to production or implementation environments.
- Monitoring and Evaluation Process:
- Establish processes for monitoring project outcomes during and after the project’s completion.
- Define methods for evaluating the success of the project in achieving its intended outcomes.
- Benefits Realization Process:
- Develop processes for tracking and realizing the anticipated benefits and outcomes.
- Establish methods for measuring and validating the actual impact of the project on the organization.
- Documentation and Knowledge Transfer Process:
- Define processes for documenting the project outputs, including technical documentation and user manuals.
- Establish methods for transferring knowledge from project teams to operational teams or end-users.
- Closure and Handover Process:
- Develop processes for closing out the project, including documentation of project outcomes and handover of responsibilities.
- Specify methods for conducting final reviews and transitioning ongoing activities to relevant stakeholders or operational teams.
- Continuous Improvement Process:
- Implement mechanisms for continuous improvement related to project delivery processes.
- Establish methods for capturing lessons learned and applying insights to enhance future project deliveries.
By incorporating these processes and methods into the governance and management framework, organizations can ensure a systematic and structured approach to project delivery. This approach enhances the likelihood of achieving project goals, delivering high-quality outputs, and realizing the desired outcomes that contribute to the overall success of the organization. Regular reviews and updates to these processes ensure their relevance and effectiveness in different project contexts.
The project management approach can be described in a single document, a single overarching document with a set of subsidiary documents or a set of subsidiary documents covering specific practices, such as a risk or quality management plan.
The project management approach can be documented in various ways, depending on the preferences of the organization, the size and complexity of the project, and the specific needs of the stakeholders. Here are three common approaches to documenting the project management approach:
- Single Overarching Document: In this approach, the entire project management approach is documented in a single comprehensive document. This document serves as the primary reference for all aspects of project governance, management, and execution. It typically includes sections on project initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, controlling, closure, roles and responsibilities, communication, risk management, quality management, and other relevant areas.
- Advantages:
- Simplicity: A single document provides a straightforward and easily accessible reference point.
- Coherence: All aspects of the project management approach are presented in a cohesive manner.
- Considerations:
- Length: Depending on the project’s complexity, the document might become lengthy, and stakeholders may find it challenging to locate specific information.
- Advantages:
- Single Overarching Document with Subsidiary Documents: In this approach, a single overarching document provides an overview of the project management approach, while subsidiary documents cover specific practices in more detail. Subsidiary documents can include risk management plans, quality management plans, communication plans, and others. The overarching document serves as a guide, and stakeholders can refer to subsidiary documents for more in-depth information on specific aspects of project management.
- Advantages:
- Balance: The overarching document offers a high-level view, while subsidiary documents provide detailed guidance in specific areas.
- Modularity: Subsidiary documents can be updated independently as project requirements evolve.
- Considerations:
- Coordination: Ensure that there is proper coordination between the overarching document and subsidiary documents to maintain consistency.
- Advantages:
- Set of Subsidiary Documents Covering Specific Practices: Alternatively, the project management approach can be documented through a set of individual, specialized documents. Each document focuses on a specific aspect of project management, such as risk management, quality management, or communication. These documents collectively form the project management framework.
- Advantages:
- Specialization: Each document can be tailored to address specific practices in depth.
- Ease of Updates: Subsidiary documents can be updated independently, facilitating ongoing improvements.
- Considerations:
- Integration: Ensure that there is a mechanism to integrate information from subsidiary documents to present a holistic view of the project management approach.
- Advantages:
The chosen approach depends on factors such as project size, complexity, and stakeholder preferences. In practice, a combination of these approaches is often used to strike a balance between comprehensiveness and accessibility. Whichever approach is chosen, clarity, consistency, and alignment with organizational standards are essential for effective project management.
The names of documents describing the management approach can differ. Example names include “project management plan”, “project initiation documentation”, “project definition document”, “project implementation plan”, “project charter” and “project terms of reference”. Subsidiary documents for specific project management practices are sometimes referred to as “management plans”, e.g. “risk management plan or strategy”, “quality management plan or strategy”, “scope management plan or strategy”.
The naming conventions for documents describing the project management approach can vary across organizations and industries. The choice of document names often reflects the specific terminology and standards embraced by the organization. Here’s a brief overview of some commonly used document names:
- Project Management Plan (PMP): This is a comprehensive document that provides an overarching view of how the project will be planned, executed, monitored, and closed. It typically includes sections on scope, schedule, budget, risk management, communication, and other key aspects of project management.
- Project Initiation Documentation (PID): Often used at the initiation phase, the PID outlines the purpose, objectives, scope, and high-level approach of the project. It may also include initial risk assessments and stakeholder identification.
- Project Definition Document (PDD): Similar to the PID, the PDD provides a detailed definition of the project, including its goals, scope, deliverables, and initial plans. It serves as a foundational document for project planning and execution.
- Project Implementation Plan: This document focuses on the specifics of how the project will be implemented. It may cover resource allocation, task assignment, and the detailed steps for carrying out project activities.
- Project Charter: The project charter is a formal document that authorizes the existence of the project and provides the project manager with the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities.
- Project Terms of Reference (TOR): Similar to a project charter, the TOR defines the objectives, scope, and boundaries of the project. It outlines the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders and may include high-level plans.
- Management Plans (Subsidiary Documents):Subsidiary documents often focus on specific project management practices and are sometimes referred to as “management plans” or “strategies.” Examples include:
- Risk Management Plan or Strategy: Outlines how risks will be identified, assessed, and managed throughout the project.
- Quality Management Plan or Strategy: Describes the approach to ensuring the quality of project deliverables.
- Scope Management Plan or Strategy: Defines how project scope will be defined, validated, and controlled.
These names serve as common examples, but organizations may choose variations based on their internal standards, industry practices, or specific project requirements. It’s essential for project managers to communicate clearly and ensure that stakeholders understand the purpose and content of each document, regardless of its name. Additionally, adherence to consistent naming conventions contributes to clarity and understanding within the project team and among stakeholders.
