What is a Project Management Plan and Why Should We Care?

So, by now we should all know that a project is defined as an effort with a finite beginning and a finite end.  This means we give life to it and it lives and ultimately it dies.  Basically, projects, like anything that comes to life and later dies, have a life cycle.

The question ultimately becomes though, which life cycle to use.  There are many of them out there and they are all meant for different purposes.  While some are universal and can be used for multiple industries, others are specific to a particular industry.  This can become a big problem when you try to put a square peg in a round hole by using the wrong one and thinking it is universal.

I have seen this happen many times.  For example, I have seen CMM, which is the Capability Maturity Model developed by the Software Engineering Institute (SEI), being used to construct buildings.  Often, the people who do this ultimately ask me why their projects fail.  The life cycle was designed by the Software Engineering Institute.  Does that say anything about construction to you?

Now, I won’t name names, but this was a Fortune 500 company.  The problem is, somebody made a decision to use CMM without really understanding what it was meant to be used for.  Maybe it was the buzz word at the time or maybe the person read a book.  Whatever it was, this process was designed for a specific purpose and it wasn’t construction.

You have to start with the end in mind to be successful.  That’s the whole point of the project management plan.  If you need to dig a hole you don’t get out your laptop and start shoveling.  This is the equivalent of using CMM for construction.

The job of a project manager is to execute the project management plan.  Now, I know that many people don’t really have a choice about the life cycle they use because management has made a decision and chosen a direction.  However, it is your job to educate them if it is the wrong decision.  You have to manage up sometimes.

You are the person ultimately responsible for your project and if your hands are tied you need to say so.  If it is wrong and you know it is wrong it is your fault if you don’t say something.  I have gotten my ass in trouble a lot of times, and probably will again, for saying things people don’t like and not being politically correct, but if it is my ass on the line I’m going to say something.

Project life cycles are a way to complete projects successfully and you always have to consider whether or not you are using the right tool for the right job.  This is only possible if you build a project management plan.

I wrote my first book on this very concept and you can find it in our Marketplace on this website.  It is designed to be a project life cycle education and selection tool and I hope you find it useful.

Your path to business success.