Starting Up: Ideas and Opportunities for Projects
CHECKLIST : IDENTIFYING CUSTOMER NEEDS
Establish the current reality:
? What happens now?
? Is there an accepted process?
? Is the process or procedures written down anywhere?
? Who owns this process?
? Is responsibility at each step clearly defined?
? Is responsibility shared at any point in the process?
? How do the process procedures interface with other processes?
? Where are the decision points in the process?
? Who has authority to take decisions at each step in the process?
? Why is a change necessary now?
? What are the difficulties now that have promoted the need to change?
Identify needs and requirements:
? What changes are identified?
? Are these just a 'quick fix' or are they a quantum leap?
? What does the customer believe is needed?
? Do all customers agree?
? Have the fundamental needs been separated from wishes?
? Are predetermined solutions being proposed already?
? Has the end users' perception of needs been identified?
? Have the needs been listed as primary, secondary and hopes?
? Has this list been prioritized and agreed with the customer?
? Can you turn the information into a clear statement of needs?
? Can you use the needs analysis to derive a statement of requirements?
? Does the customer agree with your statement of requirements?
CHECKLIST : THE PROJECT KICK-OFF MEETING
Background
? Why is the project necessary?
? What is the overall problem or opportunity being addressed?
? Has the current situation been explored and understood?
? Has a statement of requirements been derived from the needs list?
? Is this an old problem?
? How long has it existed?
? Who wants to change things?
? Have previous attempts (projects) been made to address this problem?
? What information exists about past attempts to fix things?
? What assumptions have been made?
Context
? How does the project align with current organizational strategy?
? Does the project form part of a programme of projects?
? Will the project form part of a chain of linked projects or a programme?
? What is the timescale of the project?
? Is there a business-critical date by which it is necessary to get the results?
? Will the results be of value to another customer or another part of the organization?
Approach
? Have all the needs been identified and analysed?
? Has a statement of requirements been agreed?
? Are there predetermined solutions?
? What are these solutions?
? Is there a best option and a least worst option?
? Is there enough time to explore more than one option?
? Are there known checkpoints for project review?
? What specialized skills are expected to be required for the project work?
Objectives
? Are the project's primary deliverables known?
? What does the customer need, want and hope to get from the project?
? Can these deliverables be clearly defined and specified?
? Does the end user agree with these deliverables?
? What does the end user need, want and hope to get from the project?
? What are the project's perceived benefits?
? Have these benefits been quantified?
? Has a project budget been fixed?
? Is capital investment necessary?
? Has a capital expenditure request been initiated?
? Is time used for project work to be measured and costed?
? How were the costs derived?
? Has a cost-benefit analysis been carried out?
? Has a financial appraisal been carried out to establish payback?
Constraints
? Have the project's constraints been identified?
? Is there a time constraint for all or part of the deliverables list?
? Are there any financial constraints (eg manufacturing cost, project cost)?
? Is there a financial payback constraint?
? Are there any known technical constraints (eg new or untried technology)?
? Are there known resource constraints?
? Is the project team to be located together on one site?
? Is part of the work to be carried out at another site?
? Is part of the work to be carried out by sub-contractors or suppliers?
? Is there a preferred list of approved sub-contractors and suppliers?
? What existing specifications and standards are to be applied to the project?
? Are there any legal constraints that might affect the project work?
? Are there any security implications?
? Are there any operational constraints (eg access to production areas/ test equipment, etc)?
? Are there any health and safety constraints?
CHECKLIST : KEY LEADERSHIP ACTIONS DURING PROJECT SELECTION
? Identify your project sponsor.
? Identify your customer.
? Confirm needs and expectations.
? Identify the end users of the project's outcomes.
? Start to build a relationship with these people.
? Determine the project's constraints.
? Agree a date for a kick-off meeting.
? Select your core team.
? Hold an initial team meeting.
? Explain the project's background and context.
? Explain the overall objectives of the project as you know them at present.
? Confirm the team's understanding of the objectives.
? Share your own enthusiasm for and commitment to the project.
? Listen to what the team members have to say.
? Answer their questions if you can.
? Promise answers to questions you cannot answer now.
? Explain the project phases and the process you intend to use.
? Empathize with their concerns about other commitments
? Explain your intention to have separate one-to-one meetings with each team member.
? Agree dates for the first of these meetings.
? Set up an initial programme of team meetings, say for the next four weeks.
? Explain the kick-off process and confirm their attendance at this meeting.
? Open the project file.
? Prepare for the kick-off meeting with the team.
? Hold the kick-off meeting and record outcomes in the file.
Organize your project file into sections for the different stages of the project; for example:
? Business case and amendments by the PST.
? Project definition:
o project organization;
o stakeholders;
o project brief.
? Project plans and schedules:
o project risk management;
o responsibility charts;
o schedules;
o work plans.
? Project execution and implementation:
o project status reports;
o changes to project plans;
o action plans for corrective action;
o cost control data;
o supplier and sub-contractor data;
o records of meetings.
? Project closure:
o closure checklist;
o handover checklist;
o acceptance process;
o follow-on and post-project responsibilities;
o project evaluation data;
o completion report.
CHECKLIST : IDENTIFYING CUSTOMER NEEDS
Establish the current reality:
? What happens now?
? Is there an accepted process?
? Is the process or procedures written down anywhere?
? Who owns this process?
? Is responsibility at each step clearly defined?
? Is responsibility shared at any point in the process?
? How do the process procedures interface with other processes?
? Where are the decision points in the process?
? Who has authority to take decisions at each step in the process?
? Why is a change necessary now?
? What are the difficulties now that have promoted the need to change?
Identify needs and requirements:
? What changes are identified?
? Are these just a 'quick fix' or are they a quantum leap?
? What does the customer believe is needed?
? Do all customers agree?
? Have the fundamental needs been separated from wishes?
? Are predetermined solutions being proposed already?
? Has the end users' perception of needs been identified?
? Have the needs been listed as primary, secondary and hopes?
? Has this list been prioritized and agreed with the customer?
? Can you turn the information into a clear statement of needs?
? Can you use the needs analysis to derive a statement of requirements?
? Does the customer agree with your statement of requirements?
CHECKLIST : THE PROJECT KICK-OFF MEETING
Background
? Why is the project necessary?
? What is the overall problem or opportunity being addressed?
? Has the current situation been explored and understood?
? Has a statement of requirements been derived from the needs list?
? Is this an old problem?
? How long has it existed?
? Who wants to change things?
? Have previous attempts (projects) been made to address this problem?
? What information exists about past attempts to fix things?
? What assumptions have been made?
Context
? How does the project align with current organizational strategy?
? Does the project form part of a programme of projects?
? Will the project form part of a chain of linked projects or a programme?
? What is the timescale of the project?
? Is there a business-critical date by which it is necessary to get the results?
? Will the results be of value to another customer or another part of the organization?
Approach
? Have all the needs been identified and analysed?
? Has a statement of requirements been agreed?
? Are there predetermined solutions?
? What are these solutions?
? Is there a best option and a least worst option?
? Is there enough time to explore more than one option?
? Are there known checkpoints for project review?
? What specialized skills are expected to be required for the project work?
Objectives
? Are the project's primary deliverables known?
? What does the customer need, want and hope to get from the project?
? Can these deliverables be clearly defined and specified?
? Does the end user agree with these deliverables?
? What does the end user need, want and hope to get from the project?
? What are the project's perceived benefits?
? Have these benefits been quantified?
? Has a project budget been fixed?
? Is capital investment necessary?
? Has a capital expenditure request been initiated?
? Is time used for project work to be measured and costed?
? How were the costs derived?
? Has a cost-benefit analysis been carried out?
? Has a financial appraisal been carried out to establish payback?
Constraints
? Have the project's constraints been identified?
? Is there a time constraint for all or part of the deliverables list?
? Are there any financial constraints (eg manufacturing cost, project cost)?
? Is there a financial payback constraint?
? Are there any known technical constraints (eg new or untried technology)?
? Are there known resource constraints?
? Is the project team to be located together on one site?
? Is part of the work to be carried out at another site?
? Is part of the work to be carried out by sub-contractors or suppliers?
? Is there a preferred list of approved sub-contractors and suppliers?
? What existing specifications and standards are to be applied to the project?
? Are there any legal constraints that might affect the project work?
? Are there any security implications?
? Are there any operational constraints (eg access to production areas/ test equipment, etc)?
? Are there any health and safety constraints?
CHECKLIST : KEY LEADERSHIP ACTIONS DURING PROJECT SELECTION
? Identify your project sponsor.
? Identify your customer.
? Confirm needs and expectations.
? Identify the end users of the project's outcomes.
? Start to build a relationship with these people.
? Determine the project's constraints.
? Agree a date for a kick-off meeting.
? Select your core team.
? Hold an initial team meeting.
? Explain the project's background and context.
? Explain the overall objectives of the project as you know them at present.
? Confirm the team's understanding of the objectives.
? Share your own enthusiasm for and commitment to the project.
? Listen to what the team members have to say.
? Answer their questions if you can.
? Promise answers to questions you cannot answer now.
? Explain the project phases and the process you intend to use.
? Empathize with their concerns about other commitments
? Explain your intention to have separate one-to-one meetings with each team member.
? Agree dates for the first of these meetings.
? Set up an initial programme of team meetings, say for the next four weeks.
? Explain the kick-off process and confirm their attendance at this meeting.
? Open the project file.
? Prepare for the kick-off meeting with the team.
? Hold the kick-off meeting and record outcomes in the file.
Organize your project file into sections for the different stages of the project; for example:
? Business case and amendments by the PST.
? Project definition:
o project organization;
o stakeholders;
o project brief.
? Project plans and schedules:
o project risk management;
o responsibility charts;
o schedules;
o work plans.
? Project execution and implementation:
o project status reports;
o changes to project plans;
o action plans for corrective action;
o cost control data;
o supplier and sub-contractor data;
o records of meetings.
? Project closure:
o closure checklist;
o handover checklist;
o acceptance process;
o follow-on and post-project responsibilities;
o project evaluation data;
o completion report.
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