Project Sponsors and PMOs must ensure that project teams understand the connection between the commissioned project and the value it provides the business. This ensures that project managers understand that a project’s success will be assessed on more than regular reports, or being “on time” and “on budget”. Rather the success of the project is about the benefits to the business of the project, and the return to the business of the resources invested. With this context, Project Managers are encouraged to look outwards, make recommendations based on a synthesis of project performance and business context, and communicate relevant information better. Without it, the business risks ill informed project delivery and additional supervisory effort by PMOs.
The Project Charter is the document that describes the scope and objectives of a project, and PMOs should use this document to connect the “what” and the “why” of the project. A project charter that describes the scope as delivering product A with an objective of within budget and no escalations encourages the project team to focus inwardly on the project. The project team has no point of reference as to why the project is being conducted, and its possible that product A could be delivered on time, on budget, with no escalations but fails to deliver the best returns for the business. In this scenario, the project team is heavily reliant on user requirements or specifications documents, and diligent project managers will organise resources to deliver what is asked for. In this scenario, in order to ensure the returns for the business are protected, PMOs need to continually synthesise business requirements and the broader business environment with the project performance and status. Its likely that project reports will need to edited or rewritten before being presented to the Executive.
Conversely, if in the project charter the scope is described as deliver product A in order for the business to do X the project team, from the outset must look outside the boundaries of the project product while delivering. Project Managers are thus empowered to challenge user requirements or specifications in understanding how that contributes to the business goal of X. Project Managers can also be expected to synthesise project status reporting to include project attributes as it pertains to the business goals. For example, reporting that product A is on budget and on schedule but that there is a risk that the product won’t meet the business capabilities due to a recent regulation change.
By providing the project team with the context of the project, or the “why” the project is being commissioned, leaders are providing the project team with context. This form of empowering project teams returns more creative and helpful project solutions, reducing work required by PMOs in translating between project and business during the life of the project.
Image credit Nataliya Vaitkevich via pexels.com