When projects are behind schedule, multiple efforts are made from different directions. Several things could be broken, but continuous efforts also fix many things. However, those things usually don’t get captured or reflected properly under the general RAG status.
It’s important that when the efforts begin to turn around a red project into green we take stock of where the project is on all fronts which will help to track if your future efforts are making things better or worse.
1. Baseline the Current State
Start by gaining a complete understanding of the current project status and compare it with the original plan. This involves gathering critical metrics and data about the project from multiple stakeholders :
- Scope: Rarely do projects stick to the scope they start with. Find out the deviation and the percentage of deviation and if the timeline and budget increased accordingly. Is the entire scope that is developed/being developed part of the signed-off scope?
- Schedule and Delays: Identify how far behind the project is compared to the original timeline. Also, capture the cause of the delays.
- Project Cost: Are all the costs (efforts, software, etc.) accounted for? Find out any cost overruns. Compare the project budget against the scope delivered to get a clear cost-benefit analysis.
- Speed & Quality: Check any existing metrics or determine relevant metrics to ascertain how fast are things getting delivered and what is the deliverable quality (e.g. scope delivered vs. no of bugs). Assess the quantity and severity of issues that need resolution.
- Team Composition: Check the team composition against the planned staffing for the project. Does the project have the right number of team members and do they have the right skill set?
2. Take Inventory
Take stock of all the resources and liabilities that the project has to understand how much fuel you have and what your burn rate is:
- Human Resources – How many team members are there, their productivity, performance, exhaustion level, determination, team bonding, etc. Some things you can measure, some you will have to gauge through your experience.
- Requirements – Number of requirements
- completed,
- under development,
- development-pending,
- unclear,
- on hold,
- in testing, etc.
- Budget – How much budget has been exhausted, and what’s remaining? Will you get through till the end with the remaining budget or more will be needed?
- Stakeholders – Gather the list of all stakeholders, supporters, and detractors with their current influence and interest in the project. Tap the ones who have a larger interest in seeing the project succeed.
3. Publish the Findings
Not only is it important that you know clearly how bad the things are. It’s equally important for all stakeholders to know the real picture. Most stakeholders have a partial view of the project and it’s important to showcase all aspects of the project to everyone. This might create a panic situation for some stakeholders but at the same time this knowledge will help everyone demand and contribute accordingly
- Reprioritizing requirements
- Adding team members or other resources
- Revising timelines
- Adjusting project scope
Ensure you obtain sign-offs on the findings to confirm alignment and understanding across all parties.
4. Identify Priorities & Take Actions
Once you have the right picture in front of you, it will give you insights into which levers to pull, where to pay more attention, what can be left alone, etc. to streamline things.
- Identify key problem areas that require immediate attention.
- Determine which aspects of the project can continue without intervention.
- Develop a roadmap to streamline efforts and track improvements.
Most importantly, with all the information you have, you can make the right comparisons, see improvements as you fix things, and do course corrections if needed. The improvement report should be shared from time to time with all stakeholders. This approach reduces panic, fosters confidence, and builds momentum as the project gets back on track.