In many organizations, efforts are currently underway to build an effective project management methodology targeting successful project outcomes. Practical and relevant project management methodologies are an excellent way to produce consistent project results over time. The trick is to have the right amount of methodology combined with a number of other factors in order to create and sustain this desired state.
In my opinion, the primary goal of building and using a project management methodology is to generate, standardize and continuously improve the organization’s collective project management skills. This is a broad objective encompassing organizational and individual capacity, capabilities, competence, and confidence. To do this, organizations must look for and apply the most relevant and practical principles of project management to your everyday project activities.
How do you define a useful project management methodology and what is in it? In order to build and apply a practical methodology, you need to consider a laundry list of aspects for that methodology, focusing on the organizational environment as well as the people and projects within it. At a high level you should start by consider the following factors:
At a more detailed level, you will need to create a methodology template that translates what needs to be done and how to do it in a useful way. I would recommend that you start with defining the following minimum set of methodology, including a set of elements defining what folks need to do. This might include:
Subsequent blog posts will begin to take this information and discuss building a project management methodology from three different perspectives: (1) looking at the big picture by taking a methodology from the top, (2) diving into the details of a methodology and (3) looking at scaling and tailoring what you have built. We will also discuss the common challenges found in methodology definition and implementation and what we might do to address them.
Using the PMBOK® Guide to Build a Practical Project Management Process – Position Paper
This Position Paper offers an instructive and insightful approach to applying the various principles of the PMBOK® Guide (A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, 4th Edition) when building a project management process that aligns with the unique needs and structure of your organization. Download your free copy here!