Your project team is the single biggest factor in the successful completion of your project. When everything is stripped away, a project is nothing more than teams of people doing some work, and the quality of the final products will only be as good as the people producing them. So how do determine who to pick for your project, and what can you do to ensure the people … [Read more...]
What is a Project Sponsor?
The project sponsor is a very important part of the project management organizational chart. In fact, every project has a sponsor. The project sponsor is one, and only one, level above the project manager. They do not manage the day to day operations of the project but they ensure the resources are in place, promote the project, and hold overall responsibility for the … [Read more...]
Project Management Plan – The 12 Core Components
Projects don't manage themselves. Professional project management requires the development of a plan that outlines how it will be managed. According to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (section 4.2), the project management plan fulfills this purpose. Although it includes any and all items that define the management of the project, there are certain … [Read more...]
How to Use a RACI Chart to Simplify Responsibilities
A RACI Chart (pronounced "racy") is a visual representation of the responsibilities of a project. RACI stands for Responsible - Accountable - Consulted - Informed. It is an excellent way to communicate what the responsibilities of each member of the project team are. In a RACI chart, each project task is assigned to each project member within the project … [Read more...]
Project Management Tools of the Trade
Carpenters have hammers, plumbers have wrenches, and programmers have computers. But does a project manager have any tools which help them perform their work better, quicker, or cheaper? Absolutely! In fact, if you don't use these tools you will be at a serious disadvantage to other project managers. And if you do, your career will see an order of … [Read more...]
The 5 Parts of Strong Resource Management
Resource management is the effective utilization of an organization's resources to accomplish a given task or project. In project management, resource management is one of the most important skills of a project manager. Because a project has a fixed (usually) schedule and budget, the utilization of the project's resources can play an integral role in the success … [Read more...]
Guide to Project Resource Management
One of the most important jobs of the project manager is that of project resource management. Like a carpenter using a saw, like a pilot landing an airplane, like a programmer writing code, ask any project manager and they will tell you that managing the project resources is the day to day work they spend most of their time on. Project resources include everything … [Read more...]
Project Resource Management According to the PMBOK
Managing the project resources is how the project manager spends most of their time. From ordering supplies, to training team members, to paying bills, the project resources are a seemingly bottomless pit of active management. Meanwhile, the project team is one of the most important components of project success - Having confidence that your team is going to … [Read more...]
Project Human Resource Management According to the PMBOK
With most projects, success can ultimately be attributed to the project team. Using the right people for the job and managing them well can be one of the biggest skills of a project manager. You can't put a value on knowing your project team is going to get the job done right, on time, and under budget. The Project Management Body of Knowledge contains processes to … [Read more...]
The Generic Project Organization Chart
Although projects span a huge spectrum from big to small, innovative to routine, and technical to repetitive, there is in fact a standard project organization chart within which all projects fall. With the exception of a few variable parts all project fit into a standard mold. According to project management theory, each member of a project is, in fact, very well … [Read more...]