Library of PM Templates

Project Management Guide

What if Your Projects Always Succeeded?

Do your IT projects succeed as a matter of course? Is it normal for them to come in on time, on budget, in scope, and actually delivering value to your organization? If you answered "no," you’re not alone. There is no shortage of examples of IT projects gone wrong. We are constantly reminded of the problems, to the extent that it sometimes seems as if "IT project" and "overrun" are synonymous.

This does not have to be the case. If you make the decision to manage your projects overtly and consistently rather than relying on a fervent hope for the best, you can join the growing group of satisfied managers who sleep soundly at night, not staring at the ceiling agonizing how to explain or minimize the latest fiasco.

The problem is how to manage projects consistently. Many organizations have sent their project managers on courses, often with good results, but they have found that project success seems somehow to depend upon the diligence of each project manager rather than becoming something that the organization is entitled to expect as a matter of routine.

The Project Management Guide is based on the observation that project managers benefit by following clear roadmaps to managing projects. When they are able to make use of templates, checklists, and forms, it is less likely that they will overlook things that need to be handled. Project managers can learn from the behavior of professional pilots: before pilots take off or land, they run through a written checklist of activities. It does not matter how experienced they are or how good their safety record, every pilot is required to use the checklists. That’s because airlines, like other organizations, have come to recognize that items committed to memory sometimes get lost in the bustle of activities. So it is with planning and running projects. When we do things consistently and well, we succeed.

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What is the Project Management Guide?

The Project Management Guide (PMG) is a complete system for managing information systems and technology projects. It consists of a set of 32 templates, checklists, and forms, along with manuals that describe how to use them and assistance in implementing them.

The PMG includes over 330 pages of documentation in four manuals:

	The Overview and Implementation Manual gives an overview of the PMG and the terminology that it uses. It also provides an implementation plan and a set of worksheets to help you customize the PMG for your organization.
	The Component Description Manual presents all of the 32 PMG components, the templates, checklists, and forms, and describes the contents of each along with helpful ideas on how to best use the components.
	The Process Description Manual describes the processes to manage projects and the processes for each of the 32 PMG components. The processes describe when to use a component, the conditions under which it is used, how to use it, and what it is used for.
	The Component Samples Manual presents a complete set of samples of the 32 PMG components as they could be used in an actual project.

The PMG contains the following templates, checklists, and forms. They are presented in the normal sequence in which they would be used in a project.

Project Stage	Component
Initiation	Handover form Project binder Classification worksheet Scope definition checklist Project charter Satisfaction criteria
Planning	Work breakdown structure Activity definition Assumptions checklist Constraints checklist Cost estimate worksheet Cost management plan Schedule management plan Staffing requirements form Scope management plan Risk assessment checklist Risk management plan Communications management plan Quality management plan Project plan
Execution	Time sheet Status report Corrective actions checklist Scope change request form Deliverable review form Formal acceptance signoff form
Close-out	Handover form Satisfaction criteria Lessons learned checklist Performance appraisal form Archives index
All stages	Issues log Meeting agenda Meeting minutes

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What are the Features of the Project Management Guide?

	The PMG components have fields. Each component opens with a dialog box asking for information such as the project name, the company name, and the customer name. The values that the project manager enters will be transferred onto the document, checklist, or form. For some components, there are nine separate fields.
	The fields have memory. Once the project manager fills in the fields and accepts them, those values will populate all future dialog boxes for all of the components so that the project manager does not have to re-enter the values. Of course, when the values are changed, the PMG remembers the new ones.
	Not all projects are equal; some need more management than others. Recognizing this, the PMG introduces the concept of the project "class," a measure of a project’s strategic importance, complexity, risk, and size, and allows project managers to vary the degree of management that each project requires.
	The PMG can be customized. Your company’s logo can be placed on components, and a set of worksheets guides an organization to set up the PMG as it wishes.
	The PMG uses consistent terminology. IT projects can be confusing with multiple meanings for the same term, such as "phase." The PMG defines terms that can be used to introduce consistency and clarity in an organization.
	The PMG can be applied immediately. An organization can begin to realize its benefits in just two weeks.
	On-site consulting is available. We can provide consulting to customize the PMG for your organization, implement it, train your project managers, and give them one-on-one counseling on how to apply the PMG in their current projects.

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How do we Evaluate the Project Management Guide?

Simply use the form on our "Contact Us" page. We will e-mail you a free copy of the Overview and Implementation Manual along with pricing information and purchase options.

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Free Sample Template

Would you like to look at a template? Simply check the "Send me the Project Charter template" on the "Contact Us" form to receive your template by e-mail. Please note that all templates use macros for the following purposes:

	To drive the opening dialog that allows the user to enter variable information onto the document.
	To allow the user to enter numbered headings.

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