Programme & Project Office manual

ENABLE’S PROGRAMME & PROJECT OFFICE MANUAL

Whenever there is a substantial programme or project to deliver, there will be a Project Office administering the operations.  This manual covers from initial terms of reference and setup through full monitoring and reporting on the process of delivery including finance, risks, quality, change, resourcing and problem management.

 

The Project Office’s mission is to support the management of projects, delivering the required business solutions on schedule and within budget.  It is the central support function, these actions often being handled directly by the Project Manager.

 

The Project Office Handbook describes the essential project processes to deliver your internal projects or to provide these services to your client.

The emphasis throughout is on practical and proven approaches, providing a series of checklists of things to consider rather than slowing you down with masses of theory.  In bringing this wide range of material together in one publication we provide you with a document that will grow in usefulness as your experience grows.

 

The Manual contains descriptions of the main project control functions to be found in a Project Office.  The objectives for each function are defined and the associated processes are summarised under the following headings:

 Project Planning

Resource Management

Quality Management

Risk Appraisal and Management

Problem and Issue Management

Configuration Management

Change Management

Contract Management

Project Accounting

 

These functions are critical to successful project management and will form an integral part of the project life-cycle.

 

The concluding section on 'Project Office Implementation and Handover 'details how to set up your Project Office either for internal use or to manage your client’s requirements.

 

EXCERPT FROM PROJECT OFFICE MANUAL – RISK APPRAISAL AND MANAGEMENT

 

Risk is the likelihood that the project’s objectives for timescale, cost or quality will not be met. The purpose of Risk Management is to apply the appropriate controls to contain risks within acceptable limits.

 

Project Managers should never lose sight of the fact that one of their primary functions is to manage risks on behalf of the client.  Effective Risk Management is based on four processes:

 

  1. RISK IDENTIFICATION - early identification of elements within the Project that will potentially put the schedule, performance and/or the cost of the Project in jeopardy.
  2. RISK QUANTIFICATION – assessing the likelihood of a risk occurring and the impact of its occurrence.
  3. MITIGATION PLANNING – providing the capability including making a provision within the budgets for the mitigation of identified risks by taking;
          - direct action if the risk occurs,
          - indirect action by addressing the impacted areas,
                                                           i.e. damage control,
         - pre-emptive action to prevent/reduce the impact;
  4. RISK MONITORING - to continually review project risks and plans for their mitigation.

It should be second nature for every Project Manager to ask themselves "What are the risks of taking or not taking this action?"  Every time they consider moving outside the agreed plan they should ask, "How will this affect my Project's timescales, costs or ability to deliver?" 

Risks have to be looked for; a good Project Manager should actively seek them out and tackle them - not wait for risks to become issues. Deal with risks early - the earlier a risk is exposed the easier it is to manage and contain.

 

The Project Office Risk Management function can be some or all of originator, communicator, monitor, facilitator and passive agent of the Risk Management processes.  Overall responsibility for the management of the risks within a project rests with the Project Manager.

 

Whilst internal risks are within the Project Manager's control, external risks relate to dependencies on the Client, the Project environment, sub-contractors and suppliers. Both types of risk need to be identified……..


THREE GREAT MANUALS IN ONE PACKAGE

Many projects start as an idea and progress too rapidly to a point where the emphasis is on producing something… anything… fast.  Enthusiasm overtakes pragmatism.  This is the when the Project Office is required to impose and manage the control processes for the programme.

 

Based on comprehensive processes and accurate management information, your Project Office built using this toolkit continually analyses problems, risks, issues and progress.  

  

The materials in this toolkit are a result of extensive experience of project and programme delivery.  Your Project Office will provide proactive support to the team supporting all aspects of the project or programme life cycle.

  
The service begins with the Definition stage, which comprises an analysis of the requirements for a Project Office and a review of any existing facilities, procedures and systems. Terms of Reference, Acceptance Criteria and a detailed plan for Project Office implementation are agreed.

 

The Implementation stage involves the creation (or adaptation) of standards, processes, operational procedures and support systems to enable the Project Office to provide proactive, management support to the programme, project or business. This stage concludes with a detailed review of the Project Office against its agreed Acceptance Criteria.

  
In the Operation stage, the Project Office Management team ensures that the Project Office’s processes and support systems are effectively managed for the benefit of the project or programme.

By using this Project Office toolkit support is provided to senior business managers, programme and project managers and direct assistance to the project team to ensure that the programme or project meets its objectives.

 

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