Project management made achievable

Many of us are already practising project management every day both at home and at work, often without even realising it, according to Ann Pilkington. Getting the spare bedroom decorated, or organising a friend’s hen or stag party are all tasks that need careful planning.

There will be a critical path – what order do things need to happen in and how long will it all take? You will be thinking about risk. For example, you don’t want a hen weekend to be spoiled if the weather puts paid to a planned outdoor activity and you’ll probably have a ‘Plan B’ up your sleeve.

A project is something that has a beginning and an end and is different to something that you do every day. An example in the workplace might be an event or the production of something like an annual report.

These are some key pointers to running a successful project:

• Make sure everyone is in agreement on what is going to be delivered. Imagine how well two days of wild partying would go down with the groom in a wedding scenario, for instance, if all he wants is a quiet weekend of culture. Make sure the project requirements are clear from the start, ensure that everyone is aware and document any changes during the project.

• Identify all the tasks that need to be done and be clear about who is going to do what. It can be a good idea to draw up a matrix so that you can spot any tasks that don’t have an owner.

• Think about devising a critical path. This sets out the dependencies between different activities and shows how long everything will take. You may find there is something that can’t be done until another activity is complete – these are the tasks that need to take priority.

• Capture any risks and decide what to do if they arise. What might be the cost to the project if you have to find a new venue for an event, or cancel it altogether?

• Check on progress and the budget regularly. Then, once the project is complete, a ‘lessons learned’ exercise can be useful to discuss what went well and what would have made the project better. This is useful training for the future.

Ann Pilkington is the Director of PR Academy, which offers the Association for Project Management Introductory Certificate in Project Management. For more information, visit pracademy.co.uk/courses/project-management-for-communicators/