IT Project Management Lite
A quick start tool and guide to managing IT projects.
- Organizations want reliable project reporting and clear, consistent project management standards, but many are unwilling or unable to allocate time for it.
- Many IT project managers are given project management responsibilities in addition to other full-time roles – without any formal allocation of time, authority, or training.
- Most IT project managers and stakeholders actually want clear and consistent standards but resist tools and procedures they believe are too time consuming and inflexible.
- Standard project management procedures must be “light” enough for project managers to adapt to a wide range of projects without increasing the total time required to manage projects successfully.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Most IT project management advice is focused on the largest 10-20% of projects – projects with large enough budgets to allocate time to project management. This leaves most IT projects (and most people who manage IT projects) in limbo between high-risk ad hoc management and high-cost project management best practices.
- Project management success doesn’t equate to project success. While formal methodologies are a key ingredient in the success of large, complex projects, most IT projects do not require the same degree of rigorous record-keeping and planning.
- Consistent, timely, and accurate reporting is the “linchpin” in any sustainable project and portfolio management practice.
Impact and Result
- Maintain timely and accurate project portfolio reporting with right-sized tools and processes.
- Establish clear and consistent project management standards that make better use of time already spent managing projects.
- Enable project managers to manage their projects more successfully with a set of flexible and lightweight tools and templates.
Member Testimonials
After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve. See our top member experiences for this blueprint and what our clients have to say.
Client
Experience
Impact
$ Saved
Days Saved
New Hope Corporation Ltd.
Guided Implementation
10/10
$5,000
10
Cross-checking that we are on the right track with our tools. Being introduced to new tools that are more streamlined which save us heaps of time... Read More
The Task Force for Global Health
Guided Implementation
10/10
$31,833
20
Great overview of how a PMO should operate. Relevant information for me to start planning.
Workshop: IT Project Management Lite
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Preparation
The Purpose
- Define goals and success criteria.
- Finalize agenda.
- Gather information: update project and resource lists (Info-Tech recommends using the Project Portfolio Workbook).
Key Benefits Achieved
- More efficiently organized and executed workshop.
- Able to better customize and tailor content to your specific needs.
Activities
Outputs
Discuss specific pain points with regards to project manager allocations
- Understanding of where efforts must be focused in workshop
Review project lists, tools and templates, and other documents
- Assessment of what existing tools and templates may need to be included in zero-allocation workbook
Map existing strategies to Info-Tech’s framework
- Revisions that need to be made based on existing strategies
Module 2: Make the Case and Assess Needs
The Purpose
- Assess current state (including review of project and resource lists).
- Discuss and analyze SWOT around project and portfolio management.
- Define target state.
- Define standards / SOP / processes for project and portfolio management.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Gain perspective on how well your processes match up with the amount of time your project managers have for their PM duties.
- Determine the value of the time and effort that your project teams are investing in project management activities.
- Begin to define resource optimized processes for zero-allocation project managers.
- Ensure consistent implementation of processes across your portfolio.
- Establish project discipline and best practices that are grounded in actual project capacity.
Activities
Outputs
Perform and/or analyze Minimum-Viable PMO Needs Assessment
- Current state analysis based on Minimum-Viable PMO Needs Assessment
SWOT analysis
- Overview of current strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
Identify target allocations for project management activities
- Target state analysis based on Minimum-Viable PMO Needs Assessment
Begin to define resource optimized processes for zero-allocation project managers
- A refined Minimum-Viable Project and Portfolio Management SOP
Module 3: Establish Strategy
The Purpose
- Select and customize project and portfolio management toolkit.
- Implement (test/pilot) toolkit and processes.
- Customize project manager training plan.
- Evaluate and refine toolkit and processes as needed.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Ensure consistent implementation of processes across your portfolio.
- Establish project discipline and best practices that are grounded in actual project capacity.
- A customized training session that will suit the needs of your project managers.
Activities
Outputs
Customize the Zero-Allocation Toolkit to accommodate the needs of your projects
- Customized Zero-Allocation Project Management Workbook
Test toolkit on projects currently underway
- A tested and standardized copy of the workbook
Tweak project manager training to suit the needs of your team
- A customized training session for your project managers (to take place on Day 4 of Info-Tech’s workshop)
Module 4: Train Your Zero-Allocation Project Managers
The Purpose
- Communicate project and portfolio management SOP to Project Managers.
- Deliver project manager training: standards for portfolio reporting and toolkit.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Equip project managers to improve their level of discipline and documentation without spending more time in record keeping and task management.
- Execute a successful training session that clearly and succinctly communicates your minimal and resource-optimized processes.
Activities
Outputs
Project Manager Training, including communication of the processes and standard templates and reports that will be adopted by all project managers
- Educated and disciplined project managers, aware of the required processes for portfolio reporting
Module 5: Assess Strategy and Next Steps
The Purpose
- Debrief from the training session.
- Plan for ongoing evaluation and improvement.
- Evaluate and refine toolkit and processes if needed.
- Answer any remaining questions.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Assess portfolio and project manager performance in light of the strategy implemented.
- Understanding of how to keep living documents like the workbook and SOP up to date.
- Clearly defined next steps.
Activities
Outputs
Review the customized tools and templates
- Finalized workbook and processes
Send relevant documentation to relevant stakeholders
- Satisfied and informed stakeholders
Schedule review call
- Scheduled review call
Schedule follow-up call with analysts to discuss progress in six months
- Scheduled follow-up call
About Info-Tech
Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.
We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
What Is a Blueprint?
A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.
Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.
Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst
Get the help you need in this 3-phase advisory process. You'll receive 6 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.
Guided Implementation 1: Assess Needs
- Call 1: Scoping call
- Call 2: Discuss results of Minimum-Viable Needs Assessment and PM time allocations
Guided Implementation 2: Develop a Strategy
- Call 1: Determine scope and next steps to devising your zero allocation strategy
- Call 2: Develop SOP to establish standards for portfolio reporting
Guided Implementation 3: Execute Strategy
- Call 1: Customize the Zero-Allocation Project Management Workbook to suit the needs of your PMs
- Call 2: Evaluate performance since implementation and review results of Quarterly Assessment; identify areas for further optimization
Contributors
- Gary Kern, CIO, Mutual Bank
- Jim Tom, CIO, Public Health Ontario
- Bob Horton, Senior Project Manager, Office of the CIO, Government of the Northwest Territories
- Curtis Naphan, PMO Manager, Office of the CIO, Government of the Northwest Territories
- Dave Forest, Director of IT, The Mackie Group
- Stephane Viau, Director, Business Solutions and Innovation, Canadian Red Cross
- Sarah Woods, HR Systems Project Manager & Learning Facilitator, Borough of Poole
- Chris Burford, Project Manager, Project Solutions Group, 1199SEIU Benefit and Pension Funds
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