Project Initiation And Setting Up For Project Management Success

Great generals, like great sports coaches, don’t just rush the field and hope for the best. Their strategies are precisely planned. Whether the conquest is for territory or trophies, clear objectives, and a good map, raise the prospect for victory. Likewise, focused planning and reliable communication are a powerful combination in any arena, pointing new projects toward success.

Taking the time to create four introductory documents can raise your field advantage: Project Charter, Stakeholder Register, Stakeholder Analysis Matrix and the Stakeholder Management Strategy. These documents are produced by project managers during the initiation phase of a project, before other detailed planning. They form the foundation of the project’s progress, allowing you to work out exactly what you are going to do and set some guidelines for the rest of the project.

Project Charter

The Project Charter formally authorizes a project. This document gives you permission to start work. It also identifies the project manager and other key team members, a.k.a who is “leading the charge.” The Project Charter also describes the mission for the project. This high level detail might also include a justified business case. It should spell out the scope of the work and its execution, such as:

•    Objectives
•    Performance requirements
•    Quality standards
•    Information systems and technology
•    A general cost estimate
•    An estimated schedule of core milestones
•    Identified project risks

The Project Charter will be an important reference throughout the project’s life cycle.

Stakeholder Register

This straightforward document is simply a register of the people and teams who are included in or affected by the project. It is essential to create a complete, detailed list of stakeholders to ensure good flow of communication throughout the duration of the project, keeping all the troops in step.

The Stakeholder Register should contain:

•    The stakeholder’s name
•    Their position in the company
•    Their role or interest in the project
•    Contact information

There is flexibility here to group stakeholders by category, such as; board members, community or government liaisons, and regulatory authorities. Since this is an essential reference, you may also choose to include information about each stakeholder’s major requirements and expectations.

Stakeholder Analysis Matrix

This is your map. The Stakeholder Analysis Matrix is an immediate visual key, usually laid out as a 4-by-4 grid showing their relative ‘Power’ (influence) and ‘Interest’ in the project.
Creating your matrix identifies who really holds the power on the project. Ideally, all parties are interested and influential in a positive way, but don’t be surprised if there are some stakeholders polarized at opposite ends of this spectrum. It’s better to know the situation up front!

Stakeholder Management Strategy

Once you have your complete register and matrix, the Stakeholder Management Strategy is your impetus to think creatively and plan best practices for interacting with involved individuals. How can you engage an authority who considers this project a low priority? Does the project face a particular challenge or adversary? While you may not need to formally create a strategy for every project, it can be your “plan of attack” for creating solid, supportive relationships and minimizing discontent.

This information can also be part of your communications plan, just keep in mind, even “confidential” documents are meant to be read by somebody. Keep your notes polite and professional in case the object of your “potential crisis” has access to this information.

While it is easy to get caught up in the excitement of a new project, careful planning at the outset often plays a significant role in how your project crosses the finish line. Creating a template can jumpstart future initiatives, saving even more time in the long run. It’s a relatively simple way to cover your contingencies so you can focus on what is really important once the project is underway – success!

Annette Jepson writes and researches on technology and business applications. She is currently working on the Lean BPM solution provided by JobTraQ.