Executing Process – Deliverables, Deliverables, Deliverables!
Background
Project Management Institute’s (PMI) A Guide to The Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), Third Addition describes the Executing Process Group as the group of processes that “integrates people and other resources to carry out the project management plan for the project” (p. 41).
Challenge
A common objective of Program and Project Leaders is getting the work done (through others). In other words, “delivering the deliverable(s)”. So, what happens when the project team stalls and the required deliverables are not being produced? This is not an uncommon challenge of today’s Program and/or Project Leader.
Helpful Hints
As a Program or Project Leader, you need to get underneath why the deliverable(s) are not being produced. Here are some potential areas you may want to investigate to unclog the log-jam:
- Does the program / project team have a clear vision of the final deliverable(s) / intermediate work product(s)?
- Are the right people talking to each other?
- Are one of the teams delayed by required dependency (from another team/supplier)?
- Missing scope definition? (surprised by an unknown dependency)?
- For technology projects (software), is an infrastructure defect causing another one of your teams delays?
Remember, if the deliverables are not being produced, the program/project is not “earning value”. Check into some of these areas the next time your program/project team gets stuck.
References
Project Management Institute (2004). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (3rd ed). Newtown Square: Project Management Institute.