Resolve Complex Project Challenges

1. Scope creep
Clear requirements, create schedule with clear steps, involve SH in planning, use Gantt charts to
plan and track, communicate with SH about deadlines and budgets and how scope change can
be affected

2. Poor Communication
With well-developed written and verbal communication skills, a project manager can effectively
give instructions, gather information and update stakeholders.
Update the team
Give frequent feedback
Develop, manage, and monitor communication
Transparent about project progress

3. Poor budgeting
Plan budget ahead using realistic estimates
Compare with similar projects
Use expert judgement
Reassign resources if needed

4. Insufficient Risk analysis

Research possible issues that might encounter
Develop control measures
Creating plans
Minimizing the risks

5. Stakeholder disengagement
Involve in project planning process
Communicate with SH frequently
Directly ask feedback

6. Unrealistic deadlines
Prioritize tasks
Lead and lag in the tasks
Discuss deadlines with team and SH
Using PMIS to plan and manage schedules and deadlines

7. Scheduling conflicts
Coordinate your needs with other project manager
Resource time off
 Stakeholder Management

1. Identify SH
Information regarding their interests, involvement, interdependencies, influence, and potential
impact on project success.
Power/interest grid, power/influence grid, impact/influence grid
Salience model – describes stakeholders on the basis of power, influence, urgency, and
legitimacy.

2. SH Engagement
Process of developing approaches to involve project stakeholders based on their needs,
expectations, interests, and potential impact on the project.
Stakeholder engagement assessment matrix - comparison between the current engagement
levels of stakeholders and the desired engagement levels required.
Unaware - Unaware of the project and potential impacts.
Resistant - Aware of the project and potential impacts but resistant to any changes that may
occur as a result of the work or outcomes of the project.
Neutral - Aware of the project, but neither supportive nor unsupportive.
Supportive - Aware of the project and potential impacts and supportive of the work and its
outcomes
Leading - Aware of the project and potential impacts and actively engaged in ensuring that the
project is a success.

3. SHE Plan
Process of communicating and working with stakeholders to meet their needs and expectations,
address issues, and foster appropriate stakeholder involvement.

4. Monitor SHE
Process of monitoring project stakeholder relationships and tailoring strategies for engaging
stakeholders through modification of engagement strategies and plans.
Data analysis – alternative analysis, RCA, Stakeholder analysis (position of SH groups at any
particular time in the project)
 Resource Assignment

1. Plan resource management

Process of defining how to estimate, acquire, manage, and use team and physical resources.
WBS Dictionary
Resource breakdown structure
Assignment Matrix (RACI)
Acquiring resources
Training and development

2. Estimate activity resources

Process of estimating team resources and the type and quantities of materials, equipment, and
supplies necessary to perform project work.
Bottom-up estimating
Analogous estimating
Parametric estimating

3. Acquire resources
Process of obtaining team members, facilities, equipment, materials, supplies, and other
resources necessary to complete project work.
Decision making – multicriteria decision analysis (availability, cost, ability, experience,
knowledge, skills, attitude, international factors)
Pre-assignments – resource that are determined in advance.

4. Develop team
Process of improving competencies, team member interaction, and the overall team
environment to enhance project performance.
Forming – meet and learn about project and their roles
Storming – starts working, high conflict
Norming – working together
Performing – high productivity
Adjourning – close project
Interpersonal team skills
Recognition and rewards
Training
Individual and team assessments

5. Manage team
Process of tracking team member performance, providing feedback, resolving issues, and managing team
changes to optimize project performance

Five techniques of resolving conflict:

Withdraw/avoid. Retreating from an actual or potential conflict situation; postponing the issue to be
better prepared or to be resolved by others.
 Smooth/accommodate. Emphasizing areas of agreement rather than areas of difference; conceding one’s
position to the needs of others to maintain harmony and relationships.
Compromise/reconcile. Searching for solutions that bring some degree of satisfaction to all parties in
order to temporarily or partially resolve the conflict. This approach occasionally results in a lose-lose
situation.
Force/direct. Pushing one’s viewpoint at the expense of others; offering only win-lose solutions, usually
enforced through a power position to resolve an emergency. This approach often results to a win-lose
situation.
Collaborate/problem solve. Incorporating multiple viewpoints and insights from differing perspectives;
requires a cooperative attitude and open dialogue

6. Control Resources
Process of ensuring that the physical resources assigned and allocated to the project are available as
planned, as well as monitoring the planned versus actual utilization of resources and taking corrective
action as necessary.
Data analysis – alternative analysis, cost-benefit analysis, performance reviews, trend analysis
Problem solving (identify, define, investigate, analyze, solve, check)
 Financial Reporting

Financial reporting shows a company's financial information and performance over a specific period of
time. It is an essential tool that helps you find out how much money you have within the project, your
costs and their origins.

1. Budget Information

2. Project cost and specific cost categories

Divide the costs into categories in your financial report. Design, materials, labor, transportation etc

3. Received to date/outstanding
The two main ones are: received to date and outstanding. Monitoring them is crucial as late payments are
a massive challenge for the whole construction industry.

4. Invoices
 Financial Framework

Gather information on approved project budgets, actual costs, orders raised, work undertaken and
therefore money owed to each supplier.

Track budgets, forecasts, orders raised, expenses incurred against each purchase order, and therefore
committed amount remaining on each purchase order.

Update SAGE

Approve invoices for payment and monitor progress through accounts payable to ensure that suppliers
get paid.
 Identifying Key Milestones

1. Project Approval
2. Start and end of each phase
3. Project Charter approval
4. Securing financing, equipment, resources.
5. Assembling Project Team
6. Approved project plan
7. Kick off meeting
8. Critical task completing
9. Key project deliverables
10. Project Completion
11. Acquiring site
12. Appointing consultant
13. Completing design stage
14. Appointing contractor
15. Functional group completion
16. Securing permits
 Review Project Progress

Reviewing the current status of the project allows you to track the progress of the project against the
project plan, which simply means comparing where you are now versus where you planned to be, and
then determining what you need to do if the project is veering off track.

There are five areas you’ll want to track:

Risk – new risks, expected risks

Schedule – planned vs actual, milestone checks
Scope quality - what is completed, what will be completed, what to complete
Staff effort
Spending – Variance analysis

For each section track what is versus what was supposed to be at any point in time and then decide what
to do about any deviations from the plan.
 Proposal Writing

A project proposal is a document or set of documents that clearly communicates and defines your project
and ideas.

Solicited (with RFP) and Unsolicited proposals

1. Executive summary – introduction to your project

2. Explain Project Background – Present Problem in detail
3. Present a solution
4. Define deliverables and goals
5. List required resources
6. State conclusion
 Project Charter

A project charter is a reference document that defines project objectives, and it can’t be created until the project
proposal is approved.

A project charter should only include three elements:

Project Objectives, Scope, and Responsibilities

Once your charter has been approved, you should then create a project plan. Your project plan builds on your
project charter to provide a more in-depth blueprint of the key elements of your project.
 Business Case Development

A business case is a formal document that explains the benefits and risks of a significant business investment,
including ROI

Business cases are prepared during the project initiation phase and their purpose is to include all the project’s
objectives, costs and benefits to convince stakeholders of its value.

1. Identify the Business Problem

2. Identify the Alternative Solutions

3. Recommend a Preferred Solution

4. Describe the Implementation Approach

Key elements:

1. Executive Summary
2. Project Definition
3. Vision, Goals and Objectives
4. Project Scope
5. Background Information
6. Success Criteria and Stakeholder Requirements
7. Project Plan
8. Project Budget
9. Project Schedule
10. Project Governance
11. Communication Plan
12. Progress Reports
13. Financial Appraisal
14. Market Assessment
15. Competitor Analysis
16. SWOT Analysis
17. Marketing Strategy
18. Risk Assessment