WEEK 6 - BLOG
WEEK 6-BLOG
Risk Management in Projects
In the past, I was put on a project team by the President of a college I was once employed to. This team was designated to create promotional media intended for recruitment. Although I had prior experience consulting on multimedia projects, he assigned the project management and instructional design responsibility to a less experienced faculty member due to the deep-set culture of nepotism that existed in that country and institution. Being an expatriate on contract in a foreign country, I understood how important it was to observe not only the culture of the country but the organizational culture as well. Therefore I contributed where asked and left the leadership of the project to the multimedia designer and the appointed PM. After the deliverables were submitted for approval to the client /President, he found the multimedia production not to his liking, and we had to rework the project thus increasing the initial project scope, which took more time and budget since the multimedia designer had to make some revision to achieve the quality desired by the client and he charged by the hour. However, since the PM and I were full-time staff employed to the client, we were not being compensated for any additional time spent on completing or reworking this project. In the end, I took extra time and worked one on one on the weekend with the multimedia designer to complete the project satisfactorily while the assigned PM was home with her family.
In reflection of this experience, if I had been in the position of project manager, I would have had a storyboard instead of being dependent on the multimedia designer to formulate the concept on his own. I would have also taken an inventory of the skills of the team and brainstormed with them regarding the design and possible delivery options. While there was no evident contingency plan, the institution seemed prepared for the project overrun or slight delay. However, this scope creep or rework could have been avoided with proper communication and monitoring. Stolovitch recommends that Project Managers conduct risk management by being prepared for contingencies instead of being surprised by them.
One such contingency was scope creep or rework. Stolovitch recommends several strategies for handling various contingencies in project management, such as identifying and coding possible contingencies and their likelihood of occurrences, communication, and planning ahead for contingencies by having a reserve of resources or contingency budget. Stolovitch ( n.d., Walden University), also recommends that Project Managers can better practice risk management if they identify and plan for risks by listing and coding all project tasks according to their priorities and impact on the project’s overall success; as high, medium, or low priority. Stolovitch further recommends that the PM handle the top-priority task first while delegating the lower-priority items, although the PM still retains the responsibility for both even when they delegate the low-priority tasks (Stolovitch, Walden University). When the project runs into problems, the PM should engage the project team members to help rectify problems, but they should always remember that they are the final decision-makers (Stolovitch, Walden University). Finally, one cannot emphasize enough the importance of communication in a project and its impact on project success. Although contingencies can occur in projects, it is important to maintain communications regarding any event that can extend the scope of the project, and subsequently impact budget, resources and timeline. Stolovitch ( n.d., Walden University) reiterates the importance of communication to project success and risk management and suggests that PMs maintain a weekly status report with stakeholders, clients, and the project team. Stolovich insists that clients be kept informed of any changes to the project. According to Stolovitch ( Walden University ), scope creep is a very likely contingency in most projects and can result in increases in the budget, duration, and scope. Therefore it is very important that the project manager documents any changes that either they or the client may initiate and give detailed explanations on its possible impact on the project’s time, budget, and resources, and communicate it to the team ( Stolovitch, n.d., Walden University). In addition, Brodrovich, ( n.d., Walden University) insists that Project Managers ensure that all changes be formally authorized in writing by the stakeholders as proof that they didn’t make these controversial decisions on their own. Stolovitch (n.d., Walden University), also recommends that the PM plan at least a 20% contingency budget which they should spend sparingly. Lastly, Stolovitch advises PMs that their most important job in the project and risk management is to focus mostly on the three project criteria: timeline, budget, and client satisfaction (Stolovitch, n.d., Walden University).
Reference
https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/businesspeople-arguing-in-meeting-gm519407057-50047210
Walden University, LLC. (Executive Producer). (n.d.). Monitoring projects [Video file]. Retrieved from https://waldenu.instructure.com
Walden University, LLC. (Executive Producer). (n.d.). Practitioner voices: You can’t win them all [Video file]. Retrieved from https://waldenu.instructure.com
Hi Carol,
ReplyDeleteYour experience sounds incredibly frustrating. It is like you could see the building on fire but someone else had the hose and did not know how to turn it on. As I was reading the situation, the first thought that came to mind was that better communication between the multimedia designer, PM, and project sponsor could have prevented the disappointing deliverables and subsequent project scope creep. It seems we are of a similar mind because you also highlighted the need for and importance of communication throughout a project. Part of managing the communication throughout a project is knowing who needs to be told what information, when they need it, and how they will best receive it (Joubert, 2020). The PM for your project should have recognized that the project sponsor needed to be consulted and kept informed throughout the project, not only at the end when receiving the deliverables.
Cheers,
Keely
Joubert, S. (2020, March 31). The critical role of communication in project management. North Eastern University. https://graduate.northeastern.edu/resources/communication-in-project-management/
Hi Carol,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing your experience with scope creep. Albeit intensely frustrating, it sounds like this was a great learning experience for you. Reflecting and learning from others' mistakes is a good way to learn and grow in our own endeavors. After reading your post, I identified several missteps taken by the PM. I first wonder if the project started with a clearly defined scope. If the scope had been clearly defined and signed off on by the client, this re-work could have been avoided. Additionally, if they had been kept in the loop throughout the project's development, they could have informed the team early on that the development needed to change directions instead of at the end of the project. I am sure there are many sites out there that allow for this kind of sharing and collaboration, but one I found that might be worth checking out is Filestage. This website lets you share files with clients, including pdfs, videos, and other design files (Filestage: The World's best-rated review and approval platform 2023). Clients and stakeholders can then make comments and approve any of the files all in one space (Filestage: The World's best-rated review and approval platform 2023).
Another point I wanted to touch on was your comment, “Being an expatriate on contract in a foreign country, I understood how important it was to observe not only the culture of the country but the organizational culture as well. Therefore I contributed where asked and left the leadership of the project to the multimedia designer and the appointed PM.” I wholeheartedly understand where you were coming from in this position, I have been the same way, especially as a new employee at work. I think it is natural to lay low, learn about the culture and personalities of the other employees and only give opinions when asked. However, it is time to explore that narrative and break out of our shells. Burris and Sinha (2022) give several pointers for speaking up at a job, even if you are new. In their article, they point out that being a novice to a career or job is a great strength because you are more likely to recognize inefficiencies that other team members may be overlooking due to their tenure (Burris & Sinha, 2022). I highly recommend reviewing this article for more support on speaking up about projects, even if you are new!
Best,
Faith
References
Burris, E., & Sinha, R. (2022, January 27). Don’t let “being new” Stop you from speaking up. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2022/01/dont-let-being-new-stop-you-from-speaking-up
Filestage: The World’s best-rated review and approval platform. Filestage. (2023, June 5). https://filestage.io/
Hi Carol,
ReplyDeleteThe best way to prepare for any project contingency is through communication. The more feedback that team members give, the better it is for individuals to pursue their tasks confidently. Each person would have an idea of the possibilities due to past experiences or expertise. Hence, more discussion is encouraged to better plan for the possible diversions of a project.
Hi Carol, thanks for sharing. I like how you recalled some of our learning resources as you reflected on what could've gone better. I also agree with Joelle Wilkinson when it is stated that clear consistent communication is important in any phase of the project. Perhaps this could've looked like work samples or some sort of pre-render so that the president of the school could've reviewed everything earlier.
ReplyDelete