Generic Project Management Methodology

Generic Project Management Methodology

Simon Chun Kwan Chui 19/12/2006

I came across this while researching for my masters thesis. Nothing revolutionary about it, but it succinctly formalises a design-oriented problem-solving system. May be used as a simple checklist or as a skeleton upon which a project may be clearly fleshed out. Not necessarily a linear process.

1. Baseline

Establish a baseline of existing circumstances and processes. This may include mapping operational processes and gathering key performance data on each of those processes, creating quantitative inventories and qualitative descriptions of available resources.

2. Desired state

Establish the desired state for the object or process in question. This may involve evaluations of recognised standards and/or best practices, and may be quantitative and/or qualitative in nature. Wherever possible, establish clear and measurable outcomes that will indicate the achievement of the desired state.

3. Gap analysis

Recognize the gap between where things are and where they are wanted to be. Understand the gap and identify all possible actions to close it, along with the feasibility and resource requirements of each possible action.

4. Concept design

Working from the most promising actions identified, provide a high-level concept view of the desired state or a future state vision for what the successful project will look like. Include deliverables for each aspect of the design, defining both quantity and quality of each.

5. Detailed design

Provide a detailed view of the future state. It will describe all those elements that make the future state a reality and detail all the actions required to accomplish this.

6. Implementation plan

Develop an implementation plan and include the time frame, identified deliverables, assigned ownership and responsibility, transition strategy to manage disruptions of existing processes, and sequence of events to make the future state a reality.

7. Execution

Deploy the implementation plan.

Adapted from: Feld, W. M. (2001). Lean manufacturing : tools, techniques, and how to use them. Boca Raton, FL, Alexandria, VA: St. Lucie Press; Apics. p148.