A guide to project methodologies

readers are to do with a desire to know which best practice project management methodology is recommended for projects in Zimbabwe, hence the direction of this article today.
Project management best practices have been captured, explained and evangelised for more than 20 years.
The first formalised methodology came in 1987 through the Project Management Institute (PMI), with its Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). Today, PMBOK is still the broadest and deepest reference of generally accepted best practices, arranged around key processes that are leveraged across market segments and departments. Adding to this “how to” process is UK-born Projects in Controlled Environments (PRINCE2), which evolved from the first edition of PRINCE that addressed a standard for IT project management in the UK. This is a generic project management method, which has an equally deep set of processes and standards focusing on end to end project delivery. The following is an overview of how to use these two instructional and impacting methodologies.
A Guide to the PMBOK
Currently in its fourth edition since 2004, the PMI’s PMBOK is the broadest and most widely used standard reference of industry best practices for project management. It identifies generally accepted and fundamental practices and guidelines that are applicable to a wide range of markets – construction, software, engineering, automotive, etc – and crossing multiple departments, from IT to operations to services. In fact, many government and financial organisations in the US and the UK require their managers be PMI certified. The PMBOK can be used in any industry, and CA has observed that different industries will leverage different aspects of the reference guide to suit their specific needs. The PMI also issues the “The Standard for Programme Management” and “The Standard for Portfolio Management”, which are complementary to one another.
The PMBOK outlines five key process groups to aid in project delivery:
1. Initiating: Setting up the project for success by identifying the right team and scope, as well as determining the relationship between the project and its alignment with the organisation’s overall charter.
2. Planning: Developing the relevant resources, timelines and milestones, and mapping project delivery to business priorities (i.e., risk management, communications, quality, cost/budgeting, duration and sequencing, external dependencies).
3. Executing: Assigning the project team and distributing information to ensure the proper activities are undertaken. This process also includes ensuring quality assurance methods are in place to address change management, organisational updates, possible changes to the plan, etc.
4. Controlling and Monitoring: Ensuring the resulting product maps back to the original plan, and risk from uncontrolled external actions is mitigated.
5. Closing: Making sure you have delivered everything expected of the project. Once you close, you need to review the project vis-à-vis the plan and likewise ensure contract closure.
The PMBOK has 44 processes arranged into nine supporting knowledge areas. Each process has identified inputs and outputs along with referenced tools and techniques.
The role of the project management organisation (PMO) is to address all process groups and selective processes to address their unique requirements. It should act as the guardians (via education, collateral, templates, standards) to support rollout and increase expertise of their people.
Train your team members to minimise culture shock.
If imposed without a broad understanding of benefits, implementing a structured, highly articulated approach to project delivery according to the PMBOK could be a culture shock resulting in unnecessary resistance.
In order to gain broader end-user adoption you should provide relevant documentation detailing the processes and standards, along with the tools and techniques, required for implementation.
Proper training is critical for achieving a successful business change.
For training and certification purposes, there is a PMI support accreditation in the PMBOK called the “Project Management Professional” (PMP). To obtain this, candidates are required to show an appropriate educational background and experience in the project management field.
They will also be required to pass an exam to demonstrate their knowledge. To retain the credential, a continuous certification requirements (CCR) programme is in place.
Beyond the initial PMI certification for staff members, you should designate a few key players in your PMO and key business stakeholders for procedure-level training. This advanced training should be mapped to some or all of the key PMBOK process groups and will be essential to ensure consistent delivery.
It is sad to report that in Zimbabwe at the moment there are not more than 10 known PMP qualified project managers compared to over 4 000 worldwide currently.
Ensure Roles for Enforcers and Supporters
After training, organisations employing PMBOK should create roles for both top-level “enforcers” of the identified approach, along with “support” staff for consistent delivery according to the identified standards and procedures. It should be noted that continuous development should be contributed to or undertaken by the following roles:
Enforcers: The enforcers are the custodians of procedures and standards, and are responsible for their development under change management. While the enforcers’ initial charter will be to effect business change, as the PMO becomes more mature and accepted the role will transition to one of ensuring the necessary procedures and standards are in place for continued maturation.
Supporters: The support or advisor roles champion and promote the adopted framework throughout the user community through education, mentoring, and issue and change management. Each resource will have a solid understanding of the end-to-end processes and standards but can also specialise in a particular area such as execution.
A Guide to PRINCE2
Initiated by the UK Office of Government Commerce (OGC) in 1989, the current version of this best-practice methodology, PRINCE2, has been in place since 1996 and is planned for an update in 2011-12. This process-based approach is a generic project management method, although widely applied by IT organisations, and has been used worldwide for its ability to be scaled and tailored to provide a standard and consistent approach for organisations.
Specifically, the PRINCE2 methodology is a framework of processes that assist the project manager by using a set of common components to reduce risk and avoid failure. To achieve this, three techniques are employed: Product based planning, quality review and change control.
Next week’s article will be dedicated to elaborating how projects can be successfully managed using the PRINCE2 best practice methodology in Zimbabwe. The Project Management Institute of Zimbabwe (PMIZ) offers free career guidance services for project management practitioners and students in various local and internationally recognised project management qualifications.
l Peter Banda is the Secretary-General and Chief Executive of PMIZ.
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