IRT PROJECT LEADERSHIP GUIDELINES
Projects in IRT are expected to be managed or led following certain minimum standards. The project
leader must help the members of the team share a vision, in the form of the project specification, and
participate creatively and enthusiastically in the achievement of the goals, or tasks, associated with the
vision. The project leader must be an effective communicator, willing to resolve conflicts when they occur,
and have the necessary skills to keep the team focused and on track. By exhibiting these leadership
qualities and following standard project management techniques, it is more likely that the project will be
successful. These standards are important as well to insure consistency across projects, provide a means
to transfer project leadership when needed, and allow for uniform archival of project data.
Following is a list of project management practices and procedures to be used for all projects in IRT.
1. Identify the project
A project, unlike a process, is unique; it is not something you do over and over in the same basic way. If
there is work to be done that has a definable beginning and end, requires the cooperative efforts of
people or special resources, and needs a leader or facilitator, it can be defined as a project.
2. Select the project team
The size and composition of a project team will vary by project. Typically the team membership will
include the appropriate knowledge expert(s) from IRT, customers with a stake in the outcome, interested
or knowledge experts from other departments, and possibly vendors. While the team may be smaller or
larger, a team of 6 – 8 individuals is often good for group dynamics and cross-functional perspectives. A
project leader may be well served by identifying specific individuals and inviting them to participate in the
project, rather than requesting volunteers from the department or university at large.
3. Write the project specification
The project specification is a paragraph that provides an overview of the project, with enough detail so
that all members of the project team have a clear understanding of the purpose of the project. It must
contain the measure(s) to be used to determine successful completion of the project. It should not include
any specific tasks to be performed in the project.
The project specification can be created using different methods. One method is for the project team to
write the specification using only a simple scope statement (See Exhibit 1 for a sample Scope Statement)
as a starting point. Another method is for the project leader to draft a project specification that the team
will refine and finalize in its initial meeting (See Exhibit 2 for a sample Project Specification). This second
method has the advantage of saving a fair amount of meeting time and has worked well other IRT
projects.
4. Conduct the kick-off meeting
The initial meeting of the project team should have an agenda that includes the following activities:
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introduction of team members
determine the norms, or rules of engagement, for the team (see Exhibit 3 for a sample of norms)
introduction of the project management techniques and tools that will be used during the course
of the project
explanation of the project planning process (see Exhibit 4)
review and finalize the project specification
The frequency and duration of project meetings should be determined as the team develops its norms.
5. Create the task list
The task list, or work breakdown structure, is a list of the tasks that need to be performed in order to
complete the project. Creating an affinity diagram is the recommended method to generate the task list.
Team members take a pad of post-it notes and record the tasks they believe are necessary to complete a
project, then group similar tasks in this methodology. A task is defined as the smallest level of an
individual or team output not how the task is performed.
This must be done in a team meeting, preferably the second or third meeting, with the entire team
present. The team should devote at least a two-hour meeting for the first work breakdown effort. The final
task for every project should be "Celebration". Creating a task list should be viewed as an iterative
process. Once the team has determined the task list is complete it must identify a start date and
estimated duration for each task. Task lists from previous projects may be reviewed to avoid omitting
necessary tasks and to help in estimating durations. Even after the task list is "finalized", additional tasks
will immerge as the project progresses.
6. Develop the Gantt Chart
This is the method used to track progress of the project. A Gantt Chart is a detailed document that
displays the task list in sequence order, with expected duration for each task identified. Typically the
project leader will develop a draft of the Gantt Chart following the creation of a task list, and present to the
team for review and approval. This may be done by using paper and pen or by project management
software, such as Microsoft Project. If the task list has been entered into project management software,
the software can automatically generate the Gantt Chart.
7. Allocate resources
This process assigns individuals or groups the responsibility for completing all the tasks for the project
and identifying other resources (such as budget) as appropriate. Necessary resources are recorded on
the Gantt Chart. A result of this is individual work sheets for all that are performing tasks on the project,
and a budget report to the budget manager.
8. Post Project Review Meeting
When the project has been completed a meeting should be held to assess the results of the project.
This would be held 1 - 3 months after implementation. The meeting would include the project team
members, the customers, management, and other interested parties. The result of this meeting is a
document from the project team to the community at large. There would be two distinct items to focus on
during the meeting:
A. The Delivered System
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Does it meet customer needs?
Are there ideas for subsequent projects to build upon this?
Would this be appropriate to deliver to other parts of the organization?
Is this a system that we can technically support going forward?
etc.
B. The Process
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What parts of the process were most effective?
How well did we function as a team?
What is the biggest lesson we learned from this project?
How should we adapt our standard process based upon what we learned during this
project?
etc.
Summary
These are the steps to be generally followed for all projects. Obviously, all projects are different. Smaller
projects may not require the same attention to detail as a larger project. Some projects may require the
use of critical path charting, a change control process, and risk analysis.
Training on project management skills, as well as Microsoft Project, is available through the Management
Center. Dave Naugle, Randy Sauter, and Ann Burke are available as mentors and for assistance in
working through the project management process.
Exhibit 1 -Sample Scope statement
"The E-mail Project Team has proposed that the university migrate from its existing shared file e-mail
systems to Microsoft Exchange Server for faculty and staff and to a POP or IMAP mail system for
students. After review from the Provost's Staff and the ITAC, we are proceeding with implementing this
proposal. The E-mail Implementation Team is charged with insuring that this migration is smooth and
successful".
Exhibit 2 – Sample Project Specification
Migrate the university's existing e-mail systems to Microsoft Exchange Server. This is to include
identifying appropriate client software for all constituents. This project also includes the development of
training strategies for technical staff as well as training for the end users. Pilot groups representing
faculty/staff and students will be identified for testing the new system. Beta testing will begin in January,
1998 and will include co-existence with current systems. Full implementation for the entire university will
be phased in over the remainder of 1998.
Exhibit 3 – Sample Norms
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Team leader will take all meeting minutes.
Meetings will begin no later than five minutes after the appointed starting time. There will be no
catch up.
Our normal meeting time is Thursday from 10:00 to 11:30. We will meet on a weekly basis until
such time the group determines it can meet less frequently.
We will attempt to make decisions by consensus, however that is defined. Decisions made will be
clearly identified as such and can only be revisited by written notification to the team prior to a
meeting.
No blaming, history is history.
We will revisit the norms as needed.
We will have treats sometimes.
Exhibit 4 – Sample of Project Planning Process
Event Time Responsibility
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Kick-off meeting 10/2 - 2 hours Team
Create task list 10/6 - 2 hours Team
Review task list 10/16 - 1.5 hours Team
Initial Gantt chart by 10/23 - 6 - 8 hrs Project Leader
Resource allocation 10/30 - 1.5 hours Team