Project Management Frameworks

Selecting Your Methodology

Every company currently without a project management framework needs to identify, select, tailor, or build one before managing a project. Some structure is necessary. If management wants their company to be successful in a project-based world, they should start moving. They should think about the following objectives before deciding on a project management methodology:

• The overall company strategy—how competitive are we as a company?

• The size of the project team and/or scope to be managed.

• The priority of the project.

• How critical the project is to the company.

• How flexible the methodology and its components are.

Best Project Methodology Practices

To ensure a project's success throughout the entire methodology, project managers and project office managers should adhere to the following recommended best practices when selecting, building, or tailoring a project management methodology:

• Use standard-proven processes and techniques.

• Draw on best industry practices and trends.

• Use best practices to reduce common pitfalls.

• Look at implementation time and cost reduction.

• Minimize excess templates and administration.

• Consult industry leaders and subject matter experts (SMEs).

• Acknowledge the best path for project implementation.

• Recognize what should and should not be implemented.

The following summarizes four key principles in methodology design that should be reinforced:

1. Use larger methodologies for larger teams.

2. Use denser methodologies for more critical projects.

3. Weight is costly.

4. Interactive, face-to-face communication is most effective.

Methodology Utilization

When using any project framework methodology, ensure that it doesn't become bureaucratic and so administrative in detail that it actually stifles any sense of creativity or overrides common sense. For example, you have a project that must be completed within four months. You have to design and deploy a new product. As project manager, you understand that you cannot spend all your time creating elaborate documentation and hold meetings to create new processes. Time is against you; therefore, it would be wise to first adopt the correct methodology. Developing the organization's project management framework is one of the core foundations of any business to ensure project success. This framework should include:

• A total project management approach from start to finish.

• The key phases that the company would possibly use.

• Inclusion of quality gates or checkpoints during each phase.

• Necessary review points between each phase.

• Preproject and postproject phases (e.g., sales, operations).

• Project templates.

• Project processes per phase (i.e., change control, risk).

Using a proven project framework based on industry best practices and tailoring that approach to fit your organization's culture and practices are the keys to success. In the following section of this chapter, we review different types of methodology frameworks used by industry today.

Rational Unified Process (RUP) Project Framework

The Rational Unified Process, or more affectionately referred to as RUP, is a customizable project methodology framework aimed primarily at software development. It is a complete software development process framework that comes with several out-of-the-box examples. Processes derived from RUP vary from lightweight—which address the needs of small projects—to more complex heavyweight projects. To date, projects of all sizes have successfully used RUP.

This methodology enhances team productivity and delivers software best practices to the project team through a set of components, which in turn consist of guidelines, templates, and best practices from thousands of development projects. From large-scale enterprise to agile projects, RUP allows organizations to develop projects more rapidly and deliver quality even when using this process.

The components of the RUP framework

4 phases

8 iterations (minimum)

9 workflows

57 activities

270 activity steps (approximately)

114 artifacts

38 roles (up to 38 people)

PRINCE2 Project Framework

PRINCE2 is an acronym for Projects in Controlled Environments (second version) and is now the United Kingdom's de facto standard for IT project management. The Central Computing and Telecommunications Agency (CCTA) originally developed this structured project management methodology, which now forms part of the Office of Government Commerce (OCG)—a government agency—for the development and implementation of IT projects. In fact, this methodology is now so popular that many companies hire only PRINCE2-certified project managers. More and more companies are moving toward adopting this as their standard project approach. Companies such as British Rail, Nat West, Hitachi, BT, London Underground, and Royal Mail, among many others, benefit from using PRINCE2. Some of the many features of this methodology are:

• A defined project management structure.

• Flexible decision-making points.

• A system of plans for resources and technical issues.

• A set of control procedures.

• A focus on products—deliverables to the client.

• A focus on project deliverables throughout the project.

This methodology can readily be applied to non-IT projects as well; therefore, even the construction industry can use this methodology. It is a project management methodology specifically designed to be generic and independent of any particular project type and complexity. This makes PRINCE2 methodology even more interesting to consider. It is nonproprietary, easy to use, and, with some basic training, an excellent approach. Similar to the Dynamic Systems Development Methodology (DSDM). its use is dramatically on the increase in both the public and private sectors. A feature in PRINCE2 not seen in other methodologies is the concept of assuring progress from three separate but linked perspectives. Most organizations that adopt PRINCE2 choose it primarily for its wide applicability and use the pieces that actually "work for them."

System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) Methodology

Many projects follow the classic waterfall approach, and it is fairly straightforward to conceptualize. No rocket science is needed here. You simply have to focus on the logical progression of what needs to happen on the project. The SDLC is in essence a waterfall methodology. Successful companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Adventis, American Express, and Nokia use and adhere to an SDLC approach.

Simple approach

Phases	Phase Description	Critical Plans
Discovery	Researches and refines organizational objectives for the project.	Strategy/roadmap
Design	Provides the design and solution to the organization.	Blueprint design
Construction	Constructs the product against the design blueprint.	Project plan
Implementation	Implements the tested solution into the organization.	Test/deployment
Follow-up	Ensures that solution is rolled out smoothly and irons out issues.	Maintenance