Develop a project management process
Develop a project management process
1. Initiate the project by determining its purpose and scope, estimating a timeline and budget, and identifying the team who will complete the project.
The Initiating process group is responsible for conceptualizing the ideas and goals for the project. Appoint a project manager who will oversee the planning and keep the rest of the team on track for the duration of the project. In this phase of visualizing the broad concepts for the project, the project manager and key stakeholders determine how feasible the project will be to see through to completion. For example, this might look like a brainstorming session during a collaborative meeting between a project manager and a client bouncing ideas off one another for how and why you should begin a new project together.
2. Plan a detailed outline that will map out the project from start to finish. Determine the budget, resources, tasks, and strategies necessary to carry out the project.
In the Planning process group, the project manager creates a roadmap that explains how each member of the team will work together to complete the project. Establish a plan for the project manager to provide progress updates and keep the key stakeholder informed during the entire process. For example, this stage might include your project manager planning and organizing the necessary steps and tasks to complete the project in a project management software like Asana or Trello, or a collaborative calendar system like Google Calendar to track and outline the project.
3. Execute the plan by staffing the team, delegating tasks, and managing the team's workflow.
The Executing process group involves your collaborative team coming together and executing on the agreed-upon plan for the project. The project manager might recruit members of their own marketing team, hire third-party contractors, collaborate with an outside agency, or a mixture of these. Start out with a briefing to align the whole team working on the project and ensure everyone is informed before you begin working on the project.
4. Monitor and control the progress of the project by having the PM manage and course-correct any concerns to keep the team on track to complete the project within the set timeline and according to the project budget.
In the Monitoring and Control process group, the project manager employs the use of status reports and data collection to track and monitor the group’s progress. This stage in the process, the project manager requires a great deal of organization, management, and problem-solving to navigate unforeseen issues and challenges.
5. Close the project management process by gaining approval from the key stakeholders on the final delivered product generated by the team. Perform post-project maintenance tasks such as drawing up a final project report.
During the Closing process group, close contracts for all third-party collaborators that worked on the project and archive the documents and reports created during the project.