Reasons for Budget Overruns
- Software versions not specified or incompatible
- Negligence of service level issues e.g. resilience, disaster recovery, business continuity
- Lack of time for sufficient testing
- Attempts to retrofit security and access restrictions
- Lack of firm control over scope creep - authority and accountability required
- Insufficient built-in contingency
- Lack of regular checkpoints and/or failure to spot early warning signs
When Projects Go Right
- Everyone working from the same page with a clear vision
- Setting of expectations that are challengeable yet achieveable
- Infrastructure and software dependencies taken into account
- Support and commitment from business especially senior management
- Consideration of security, training and support, mobile working, regulatory issues, data storage
- Availability of sufficient resources and skills with flexibility to deal with overcommittment of individuals
- Balance internal politics and sensitivities
- Clear lines of reporting upwards
How not to Project Manage
- Assuming they know what you do - need to make your contributions clear
- Assuming judged on past success - need to have had failures in order to learn
- Assuming estimates are correct - need to research past costs and timings
- Assuming you must always be right - do not need to the know-all guru
- Assuming planning is a shared responsibility - planning, planning, planning!
Project Communications
- Define the audience(s), appropriate levels of info and frequency
- Define how the comms plan will be measured and reviewed
- Time comms to co-incide with project checkpoints/milestones
- Consider variety of comms methods depending upon cost, immediacy, privacy and accessibility
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