Express – Managing Projects

Comprehensive bundles of tools and templates to help you get to action quickly on your most important projects.
 Join Now

If you're already a member, click here to log in.

Major Business Pain Points

  • You have more than one project on the go and more project requests coming in all the time – all of which need to be prioritized and managed.
  • You also have to live with the consequences of your project decisions.
  • The literature on project management is overwhelming, and often leads to heavy, expensive processes.
Express – Managing Projects-Pain Points

Recommendations

Key Points

  • Organize your projects quickly and easily.
  • Use the Project Management Toolbox to develop a method for monitoring and controlling incoming project requests, manage your projects right, and monitor the portfolio to focus your limited resources on the right projects.

Approach

Express – Managing Projects-Recommendations

Use this toolbox to:

  • Develop a process to collect and prioritize projects.
  • Create an affordable project management process.
  • Track project portfolio progress and report it effectively.
 Subscribe to Premium

Methodology and Tools

Project Management Toolbox

Section 1: Establish a process to prioritize projects
Section 2: Implement processes to manage projects
Section 3: Design processes to monitor the portfolio

  • Express – Managing Projects Implementation Guide

1. Prioritize: Collect project requests

Understand what constitutes a project and establish transparent rules for collecting proposals.

a. Collect project proposals from the organization
b. Assess the feasibility of the collected projects
c. Establish a prioritization process with senior management

  • Project Request Process
  • Guide to Defining a Project
  • IT Cost-Benefit Analysis Tool
  • QA Checklist for Feasibility Studies Guidelines
  • Project Prioritization Process Template

2. Prioritize: Identify high priority projects

Once project proposals are submitted and collected, establish a process to identify the highest priority proposals. Maintain an inventory of proposed projects, rank proposals using metrics that matter, and clearly identify which proposals the organization should tackle first.

a. Design a project prioritization process
b. Rank your projects
c. Obtain approval from senior management

  • Project Prioritization Process Template
  • Project Prioritization Tool
  • Project Re-Prioritization Master Tool
  • Email Approval Template
  • Approval Template

3. Prioritize: Adjust project rankings

Whether IT experiences a shift in capacity or the goals of the organization change in response to market pressures, IT managers must adjust project priorities to reflect the environment in which it operates.

a. Refresh project priorities
b. Re-evaluate priorities in light of new developments
c. Review proposed adjustment with stakeholders

  • Project Prioritization Resource Alignment Master
  • Master Tool Frequently Asked Questions
  • Project Prioritization List Maintenance Guidelines
  • Guide to Understanding Triggers for Re-Prioritization
  • Change Approval Form

4. Manage: Plan a project

A successful plan can help you save time and money and mitigate the risks inherent in any new venture. Immerse yourself in the project only once you have a process for organizing, coordinating, and directing how the project team plans to reach its objective.

a. Assess project details
b. Create the plan

  • Light Project Management Process Guide
  • Capture Basic Project Information Template
  • Project Manager
  • Project Planning and Monitoring Tool

    5. Manage: Manage a project

    Once your organization agrees on a project plan, use this toolkit to implement the plan and successfully deliver on project outcomes.

    a. Review the project plan
    b. Execute the plan
    c. Communicate project progress

    • Project Team Meeting Agenda Template
    • Project Planning and Monitoring Tool
    • Project Kick-off Meeting Agenda Template
    • Project Sponsor Meeting Agenda Template
    • Project Milestones Report Template
    • Project Meeting Follow-up Template

    6. Manage: Close a project

    Project closure is often overlooked, but it is essential to successful project management. Use these tools to understand what loose ends you need to address once you have delivered your most important project outcomes.

    a. Wrap up the project

    • Project Debrief Report Template
    • Project Acceptance Form
    • Performance Feedback Form

    7. Monitor: Monitor the project portfolio

    Provide a comprehensive guide to monitoring the project portfolio from start to finish.

    a. Understand portfolio monitoring
    b. Enlist key stakeholders
    c. Monitor project progress

    • Portfolio Monitoring Process Guide
    • IT Steering Committee Charter
    • IT Steering Committee Meeting Agenda
    • IT Steering Committee Challenge Assessment Tool
    • Email to Project Managers Template
    • Portfolio Monitoring Dashboard

    All resources on this page are provided to Cyber Leadership Hub members under license from third parties including Info-Tech Research Group Inc, a global leader in providing IT research and advice.