Workstream: All / Implementation Phase: Implementation
Develop Solution
As the CoP moves into the implementation stage, the CoP leadership should make every effort to maintain momentum and inject energy into the project. The CoP leadership should also invest considerable effort in tracking project performance. Tracking the project performance includes the following:
Describing the current position or status of the project;
Indicating what has been achieved in the reporting period; and
Forecasting future project status and progress based on current knowledge and trends.
The exact details and format for the reporting process will be individual to the project. However, typically different levels of progress reporting need to be defined for different levels of the project organization. Likewise, the reporting should be tailored to the needs of the audience. At higher levels of the organization, summary reporting may be appropriate and could, for example, concentrate on reporting at a milestone level. At a detail level (e.g., team member to team leader) this reporting should usually include the following information:
Tasks worked on during the reporting period;
Tasks completed during the reporting period;
Effort expended on these tasks during the period;
Forecasted effort required to complete tasks;
New tasks uncovered during the period; and
Significant issues affecting completion of tasks
Reporting should be issue and exception oriented. Issues that cannot be resolved within the project should be identified in the performance reports so that the appropriate party can resolve them. Similarly, deviations from the current plan that impact parties external to the project need to be highlighted.
The purpose of the monitoring and reporting described above is to identify any adverse variances or trends as early as possible. Any shortages (e.g., lack of time, skills, resource, or budget) are likely to impact the achievement of the integrated project plan. Modification to the integrated project plan at some level is inevitable during the project. The process definition for integrated project plan management should define the process for amending the integrated project plan.
Managing the integrated project plan requires a continual process
of evaluation. An evaluation of the progress report needs to be
performed for each project management key. This evaluation has
as its primary focus the successful completion of the integrated
project plan.
