A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to obtain a particular result. This can be something as simple as building a house or as complex as developing a new line of mobile phones.
Typically, projects require a formal framework for their management to ensure they are successful and deliver on expectations. This may be a process, a template or a set of procedures that can be re-used with each project and that automatically mitigates risks and improves efficiency.
The Project Overview:
A project overview is a written statement that describes the project’s purpose, scope and expected outcomes. It can also include a summary of the project’s risks and opportunities.
The project overview is a great tool for project managers and other team members to check in on the project’s progress at any point. It can help them track key metrics such as how close they are to meeting their milestones and how long a task is taking.
Project Benefits:
The next section of the project overview should describe the project’s business benefits and why it is worth doing. Typical benefits may be a cost savings, a reduction in operational errors or improvements in customer experience. The description of these benefits should be clear and measurable.
If possible, provide references to any project appraisal or cost-benefit analysis that was performed. These may be included as appendices to the project overview.
Issue Management:
Regardless of how well planned a project is, issues can arise from time to time. Issues should be identified and addressed as early as possible to avoid delays or other negative consequences on the project’s overall outcome.
A good issue management process is vital to any project’s success, as it minimizes the impact of any unavoidable problems on the project’s schedule, budget and other aspects of the plan. It should be developed and documented as part of the project’s initial planning stage, so it can be used as a guide to help manage the issues that come up throughout the life cycle of the project.
This section should include a process for identifying and assigning responsibilities to resources, organizational reporting structure and transition plans. It should also include procedures for handling any staff issues that come up. It should also outline a process for ensuring all personnel on the project have the necessary training and skills to perform their tasks effectively.