Projects
are delivered when planned milestones are achieved. Interestingly the bigger
picture is always on the project management. The performance is measured at the
project level and reported to senior leaders. Milestones that have challenges are
highlighted with solutions being professed and worked.
However, could projects be delivered faster, if projects resources
are pulled together to delivered milestones by milestones especially milestones
on the critical path? Can projects come
more on stream if there is more focus on milestones management rather than the
level of energy being placed on project management?
The proposed methodology for milestone management:
- Just
as you appoint a project manager, allocate milestones to specific members of the project
team and designate them as Milestone Leaders.
- Identify
specific challenges relating to each milestone and what is to be done to
unblock the issues. Hold the milestone leader responsible.
- Identify
the related technical risks and non-technical risks. Put in place the
mitigation plans and ensure they are well funded. Track action. Hold the
milestone leader responsible.
- Identify
the specific resources e.g. the contributions/actions expected of the different
support teams (e.g. Finance, Contracting,
and logistics).
- On
monthly basis, celebrate success. Also,
hold accountable the action parties for failures. Encourage learning and
cascade across the project.
Can
we begin to have new project teams made up of project managers and milestones leaders?
Working
the methodology can be intriguing but it can lead:
- Faster
decision making.
- More quality information being made
available.
- Opportunity
to start glooming milestones leaders with the soft skills, experience, social
perceptiveness and behavior flexibility necessary to operate at the level of
the project manager.
The
goal is to get projects early on stream
and developing the next generation of project managers.
Caring
for the trees rather than just the forest.
Just
some thoughts.
This
piece is contributed by:
Leesi Gabriel Gborogbosi
The author, Leesi Gabriel Gborogbosi, CEO of Gabriel Domale Consulting, is an
expert in finance and strategy with emphasis on finance transformation, project
finance, strategy implementation, performance management, corporate governance,
and collaboration.
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Labels: Project Management
