Project management is an approach to planning and controlling the work of a team to accomplish a specific goal. It focuses on establishing a plan, identifying the resources needed to achieve that plan, and taking action to meet established milestones while monitoring and controlling the work. While JCVA tailors the services we provide to each client, there is a framework we do use:
1. Initiate
At the beginning of the project, the project brief is defined and clarified. This means leveling off with the client and everyone involved about what exactly it is we are trying to achieve. This stage is where context is studied and sets out what happens in the proceeding ones.
2. Plan
Once the vision and goal of the project have been set, the planning stage happens. In this stage, everything is planned and mapped out well. Contracts and services are awarded and the design is also decided at this stage. As the saying goes: if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. For a highly technical project with lots of moving parts, planning is everything.
3. Execute
At this stage, the plan is set in motion and contracts are administered. A lot of this stage depends on the previous stage. However, this is where lots of hiccups can happen. Leadership is important in steering the wheel of the project to make sure that every part of it is moving forward in compliance with plans and specifications.
4.Monitor & Control
This phase is one of the more tedious parts of project management. Even with a seemingly simple project, a lot has to be monitored, adjusted and controlled. This is the stage where one ensures that the project is moving exactly as planned.
5. Close
Closing is as important as the beginning of the project and any project manager wants to finish strong. Essentially, this stage is about close-out, proper turnover, and ultimately delivering what the client originally envisioned his project to be.
Having a framework sets the roadmap of a project so it is important that it exists and is applied. This road, however, becomes more valuable with the people involved and applying it. While skills are learned from books and classrooms, great project management skills are acquired through experience.
Our team has the breadth and depth of experience to handle any kind of project. Email us at info@jcvassociates.ph and visit www.jcvassociates.ph to know more about our consultancy offerings.
Comments