Effective project management is the delivery of the completed project that fulfills all the criteria set by the assignor and agreed upon by the assignee. We should stress the phrase “agreed upon,” as some clients tend to have many demands which are not part of the contract.
1. Gather all the information
Before you start doing anything, you need to ensure you have collected all relevant information. Knowing everything is crucial for success.
2. Detailed Deliverables – what are you expected to produce
What are you and your team expected to deliver, and do you have enough detailed information to make this possible? Pin this down, get it in writing and make sure all the stakeholders are aware of this aim.
3. Defining the overall goal and objectives
Once you’ve established the what not, get the why. What are the reasons for the project, and what does it need to achieve? You have to be aware what you’re getting into before you actually do.
4. Scope
What will and won’t be included in the project is the scope. Spending time going through exactly what the scope is will save you time and hassle further down the line. Part of your job is to make sure the team is starting off on the right track.
5. Select the team
No man is an island! Without a good team behind you, you will be fighting an uphill battle throughout the project. Selecting the team or team members and assigning roles is mightily important.