Steps for Successful Project Management

1. Demonstrate project need and feasibility.
    • A document confirming that there is a need for the project deliverables and describing, in broad terms: the deliverables, means of creating the deliverables, costs of creating and implementing the deliverables, benefits to be obtained by implementing the deliverables (the project Charter).             
2. Obtain project authorization.
    • A "go/no go" decision is made by the sponsor.
    • A project manager is assigned.
    • A "project charter" is created which:
        ○ Formally recognizes the project
        ○ Is issued by a manager external to the project and at a high enough organizational level so that he or she can meet project needs
        ○ Authorizes the project manager to apply resources to project activities
3. Obtain authorization for the phase.
    • A "go/no go" decision is made by the sponsor which authorizes the project manager to apply organizational resources to the activities of a particular phase
    • Written approval of the phase is created which
        ○ Formally recognizes the existence of the phase
        ○ Is issued by a manager external to the project and at a high enough organizational level so that he or she can meet project needs
Planning

4. Describe project scope.
• Statement of project scope
• Scope management plan
• Work breakdown structure
5. Define and sequence project activities.
    • An activity list (list of all activities that will be performed on the project)
    • Updates to the work breakdown structure (WBS)
    • A project network diagram
6. Estimate durations for activities and resources required.
    • Estimate of durations (time required) for each activity and assumptions related to each estimate
    • Statement of resource requirements
    • Updates to activity list
7. Develop a project schedule.
    • Project schedule in the form of Gantt charts, network diagrams, milestone charts, or text tables
    • Supporting details, such as resource usage over time, cash flow projections, order/delivery schedules, etc.
8. Estimate costs.
    • Cost estimates for completing each activity
    • Supporting detail, including assumptions and constraints
    • Cost management plan describing how cost variances will be handled
9. Build a budget and spending plan.
    • A cost baseline or time-phased budget for measuring/monitoring costs
    • A spending plan, telling how much will be spent on what resources at what time
10. Create a formal quality plan.
    • Quality management plan, including operational definitions
    • Quality verification checklists
11. Create a formal project communications plan.
    • A communication management plan, including:
        ○ Collection structure
        ○ Distribution structure
        ○ Description of information to be disseminated
        ○ Schedules listing when information will be produced
        ○ A method for updating the communications plan
12. Organize and acquire staff.
    • Role and responsibility assignments
    • Staffing plan
    • Organizational chart with detail as appropriate
    • Project staff
    • Project team directory
13. Identify risks and plan to respond.
    • A document describing potential risks, including their sources, symptoms, and ways to address them
14. Plan for and acquire outside resources. (optional)
    • Procurement management plan describing how contractors will be obtained
    • Statement of work (SOW) or statement of requirements (SOR) describing the item (product or service) to be procured
    • Bid documents, such as RFP (request for proposal), IFB (invitation for bid),etc.
    • Evaluation criteria -- means of scoring contractor's proposals
    • Contract with one or more suppliers of goods or services
15. Organize the project plan.
    • A comprehensive project plan that pulls together all the outputs of the preceding project planning activities
16. Close out the project planning phase.
    • A project plan that has been approved, in writing, by the sponsor A "green light" or okay to begin work on the project
17. Revisit the project plan and replan if needed.
    • Confidence that the detailed plans to execute a particular phase are still accurate and will effectively achieve results as planned.
Executing

18. Execute project activities.
    • Work results (deliverables) are created.
    • Change requests (i.e., based on expanded or contracted project) are identified.
    • Periodic progress reports are created.
    • Team performance is assessed, guided, and improved if needed.
    • Bids/proposals for deliverables are solicited, contractors (suppliers) are chosen, and contracts are established.
    • Contracts are administered to achieve desired work results.
Controlling

19. Control project activities.
    • Decision to accept inspected deliverables
    • Corrective actions such as rework of deliverables, adjustments to work process, etc.
    • Updates to project plan and scope
    • List of lessons learned
    • Improved quality
    • Completed evaluation checklists (if applicable)
Closing

20. Close out project activities.
    • Formal acceptance, documented in writing, that the sponsor has accepted the product of this phase or activity.
    • Formal acceptance of contractor work products and updates to the contractor's files.
    • Updated project records prepared for archiving.
    • A plan for follow-up and/or hand-off of work products.