Scalable Project Management Methodology

Finding a scalable Project Management Methodology is so important. You can’t expect to handle the small projects exactly the same way as the big projects. On the other hand you do need guidelines as to what is acceptable and what is not acceptable.

Implement a Scalable Project Methodology

Project Managers generally make one of two mistakes – they either over manage, swamping the project in so much paperwork and rules that the “five day project” lasts three months. Or, they totally under manage the project, dooming the project to failure before it’s even gotten underway.

To avoid this, a Project Manager needs to focus on the principles of Project Management rather that the rules and regulations of Project Management. Of course, a broad Project Management Methodology needs to be decided upon as part of the “corporate governance” of your organization. The emphasis here being on the word “broad”.

To give an example:

It would be rather silly to implement all the communication protocols, change control forms, testing procedures and so on if you were going to roll out ten new PC’s at your head office. Meeting minutes would probably do the trick. But, if you were going to roll out a new software program, critical to the functioning of you company, across all your fifty national branches, you would be foolish to only rely on meeting minutes.

Under certain circumstance, bureaucracy can spell the demise of a project . On the other hand, some of the bigger projects would be doomed without it.

The important thing is to keep the four phases of a project clearly in mind for all projects, no matter how big or small.

These four Project phases are:

1. Concept Phase
2. Scope and design phase
3. Implementation Phase
4. Commissioning and Handover phase