So, let's take look at each of the reasons and explain the detail
1. The Project Sponsor
Project Sponsor exist typically on large projects (where there is no project sponsor, replace with project manager.
Fundamentally the role of the project sponsor is to ensure that the right projects are born, properly specified and resourced and ensure that they stay on course and stay the course. The tools available to them to ensure this are the Project Charter and Project Reviews.
1. The Project Sponsor
Project Sponsor exist typically on large projects (where there is no project sponsor, replace with project manager.
Fundamentally the role of the project sponsor is to ensure that the right projects are born, properly specified and resourced and ensure that they stay on course and stay the course. The tools available to them to ensure this are the Project Charter and Project Reviews.
Taking the Project Charter, here the Project Sponsor should lead the activities to define and agree the key information about the project, namely:
1. Key Objectives - Define how this project relates to the business goals
Use the SCAMP method (or SMART, I prefer SCAMP)
2. Business Benefits
This should be a business justification statement such as:
“Improve the capacity of our production line 1 to x million bottles a week, with an average COGS of 10% less than at the start of the year and operating at an OEE of 78% by June 2010. Be focused on KPI for your industry, business, Goals … using the health analogy … blood pressure, resting heart rate and Body Fat %”
3. Constraints
From the very start of your considerations, a clear statement on the key rules of engagement are required. By this I mean:
4. Milestone
What are they:
For everyone to see and work towards ..
5. Mandatory Project Review
Let’s take this one nice and slowly, because it is all too easy to skip over it and fail to give it the degree of attention that it deserves.
You may have a project process which mandates that you conduct review at particular points/milestones in a project but this needs to be supplemented with scheduled reviews, say quarterly in the case of large projects.
All of these REVIEWS should be called out in the project charter by either
… Milestone name
… Or Date
6. Project Critical Success Factors
Are there any other Critical Success Factors which need to be captured before we start on the project? Think long and hard! For example, will this be replicated at another site and if so, a package on design will need to be transferred.
8. Sign Off
Sign Off is significant - it is saying that given our current state of knowledge, this is what we want to do now.
This does not mean that it can’t or won’t change, just that we have an agreed baseline now. If we decide to change for any reason, it will be from here and we will need to justify why.
A signed off Project Charter is a significant milestone .. Assuming you have but in the hard yards outlined above.
Do you think that if the Project Sponsor (Manager) did all this with clarity and shared it with the team, that we would end up with failures of the nature we spoke of last time ... I don't think so.
Next time I will discuss the Project Manager.
Hope you enjoyed and as always, would love to hear from you.
1. Key Objectives - Define how this project relates to the business goals
Use the SCAMP method (or SMART, I prefer SCAMP)
- Specific
- Challenging
- Attainable … in the above example we would need to do some in-depth work to prove feasibility and break the objectives down
- Measureable
- Personal
2. Business Benefits
This should be a business justification statement such as:
“Improve the capacity of our production line 1 to x million bottles a week, with an average COGS of 10% less than at the start of the year and operating at an OEE of 78% by June 2010. Be focused on KPI for your industry, business, Goals … using the health analogy … blood pressure, resting heart rate and Body Fat %”
3. Constraints
From the very start of your considerations, a clear statement on the key rules of engagement are required. By this I mean:
- “Must be financed from the Operating budget”
- “Must deliver additional capacity for 4 consecutive weeks by Week 40”
- “Must not exceed a total capital expenditure of €1.5 million”
4. Milestone
What are they:
- Decision to proceeds
- Engineering Design complete
- All FATs and PDIs complete
- Shutdown
- Start-Up
- Ramp-Up achieved
For everyone to see and work towards ..
5. Mandatory Project Review
Let’s take this one nice and slowly, because it is all too easy to skip over it and fail to give it the degree of attention that it deserves.
You may have a project process which mandates that you conduct review at particular points/milestones in a project but this needs to be supplemented with scheduled reviews, say quarterly in the case of large projects.
All of these REVIEWS should be called out in the project charter by either
… Milestone name
… Or Date
6. Project Critical Success Factors
Are there any other Critical Success Factors which need to be captured before we start on the project? Think long and hard! For example, will this be replicated at another site and if so, a package on design will need to be transferred.
- No new training required could be another example.
- Must be implemented during the 24 hour monthly shutdown may be another.
- List them out
- All the key project deliverables
- As always, be as specific as possible
8. Sign Off
Sign Off is significant - it is saying that given our current state of knowledge, this is what we want to do now.
This does not mean that it can’t or won’t change, just that we have an agreed baseline now. If we decide to change for any reason, it will be from here and we will need to justify why.
A signed off Project Charter is a significant milestone .. Assuming you have but in the hard yards outlined above.
Do you think that if the Project Sponsor (Manager) did all this with clarity and shared it with the team, that we would end up with failures of the nature we spoke of last time ... I don't think so.
Next time I will discuss the Project Manager.
Hope you enjoyed and as always, would love to hear from you.
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