If you missed the first episode (there has to be a better word, maybe chapter?) please click here:
Controlled environment projects have some common sense principles that underpin everything and this helps ensure that all projects can use the control method. The principles are based on experience and have been proven in many projects in various countries and industries around the world.
They are also equally relevant for decentralised environments.
Before we get into the story here is a brief summary of the seven PRINCE2 principles:
Ensuring continued business justification.
This could be described as common sense because without it we would be wasting our money. Projects should have a business case and it should be reviewed and updated as the project progresses.
Learn from Experience
Learn From Experience, if we don’t do this, we make the same mistakes over and over and it doesn’t matter how much data we push into our artificial intelligence systems we end up insane. This principle is much harder to do than it sounds.
Define Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships
Define Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships, this is again, common sense, if we do not do this, we will have a project where nobody knows what they are supposed to do, which is basically chaos. Worse than that, is the fact that we would have nobody funding the project, nobody to use what we produce and nobody to produce anything anyway.
Manage by Stages
Manage By Stages is not quite so much common sense as the other principles, that is, until we realise that PRINCE states we have a minimum of two stages in a project. A first stage where we plan before implementing that plan in the other second and final stage. So from a common sense perspective don’t try to manage a project without a plan, duh.
Manage by Exception
Manage By Exception is also common sense when we look at the alternatives, micromanagement and abandonment. Basically we trust people to do what they are supposed to do within agreed limits and we are there to support them if they need help.
Focus on Products
Focus on Products could be described as common sense too, because if we do not focus on products we start to focus on the people and what they are doing, we focus on activities and looking busy. The real reason we focus on products though, is because it’s easier to get the right level of quality by doing this, much easier
Tailor to suit the project
The final, common sense principle, is to Tailor PRINCE to fit the project. Overall PRINCE has 29 management products (which most people call documents). If we do not make PRINCE flexible and tailor it, even the smallest, simplest project, produces 29 documents just for the management of the project, and nobody wants that.
Principles and the decentralised GHSTAT project.
You will recall that my name is Ashley and I’m the project manager who has been appointed to oversee the construction of a community police station somewhere in Africa.
Continued Business Justification
The programme manager has provided me with the business case for the project so we can assume that they know what sort of cost/benefit return on investment will be delivered. The programme manager has been heavily focussed on future investment opportunities for the NGO too. Once the building work commences and the local people are heavily invested in the project themselves, things should be easier to justify even if the NGO struggles to gain additional funding.
Learn from experience.
As I am the project manager, whilst not an experienced local contractor, I have delivered construction projects in the past so I can draw on that experience. I have never worked in Africa before so I have done some research and searched the NGO’s knowledge base for the sort of issues they have had to deal with in the past. The most important aspect seems to be the need to work with the local community and not to impose my values on them.
Defined roles, responsibilities and relationships.
The three PRINCE2 interest groups are Business, User and Supplier. The Business is the programme manager from the NGO. The User is closer to what lots of projects describe as a Customer. This will include the local community and the police force, while the Suppliers would mostly include the local building professionals who will be doing the construction. I have not yet found a local supplier, that s part of the early stages of the project so this principle will eventually be fulfilled when I arrange the working arrangements.
Manage by Stages.
The project will be split into three stages, stage one for the contractor selection and the groundwork. Stage two will be to actually build the police station. Stage three will equip it and hand it over to the police department. That will make sure that this principle is implemented too, this is easier than I thought.
Manage by Exception.
As mentioned earlier am the project manager and the NGO expects be to take responsibility for the project myself and I have been provided with a budget and the usual tolerance of 20% overspend allocated. Going under budget is not usually considered favourably in NGOs because their donors need to see results.
Time is critical for this project too because the programme manager needs to demonstrate that they can deliver results with positive outcomes.
I will be managing this project in a decentralised manner, which means I won’t be micro-managing anyone, but I will be there to make sure everyone knows what is expected of them, and if they have any problems I will be there to assist immediately.
Focus on Products.
The quality of the police station needs to comply with the local regulations, but also provide a welcoming workplace environment for the officers. Those two factors will be my focus throughout the project, if things take a little longer to achieve those quality objectives, then that’s something we all have to accept.
Tailor to suit the project.
The documentation will need to comply with the NGO guidelines however the plans can vary depending on the circumstances.
It is however vital to demonstrate that procurement rules are followed. These are rules are being developed by the programme manager as they negotiate with local authorities and businesses.
I do have experience with other countries and I know I need to develop a good working relationship with the local building inspectors which is one of my first tasks to do once I arrive in the region.
Next Up: Chapter 3 - People
People are at the heart of projects, this should not need to be stated but it is important to understand that this is true for both controlled and decentralised environments.