Learning Activity 11-4: Post-Project Review Preview
GOALS
The goal of this activity is to illustrate the applicability of lessons learned during a project and the value of the project review process.
MATERIALS
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Handout 11-3: Post-Project Review Preview
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Handout 11-4: Quick and Dirty Assessment of Project Management Lessons
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PowerPoint slide 7-9 for half-day workshop
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PowerPoint slide 8-15 for one-day workshop
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PowerPoint slide 9-26 for two-day workshop
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flipchart paper.
TIME
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approximately 25 minutes
INSTRUCTIONS
Indicate that the five-phase project management cycle shown in the first slide allows teams to improve the way they deliver projects with each new project they begin. This continuous improvement is only possible if project teams gather lessons learned throughout the project and formally review and document these lessons at the end of every project. Project closure has a number of other important activities, but none as important as that of making sure that the next project builds on the collective project experience of its team members .
Explain that the workshop will discuss the project closure in detail later but that the review process is so valuable that you ‚ d like participants to experience first-hand the power of project reviews.
Distribute Handout 11-3 and ask each participant to complete all pages for the last project in which they participated either as a team member or a project manager. Ask participants who might be new to the organization to use any kind of project with which they have been associated, whether it was work-related, school-related, or related to a community activity, such as a picnic or other event. Ask participants to spend no more than a minute or so on each page and to limit the entire time in completing the form to five or six minutes ‚ pointing out that in a real project review they would take greater pains to be thorough in answering each question.
Next, have participants each spend two or three minutes sharing their project history and lessons learned, using Handout 11-3 as a guide. (Caution: Make sure they understand that the handout is not to be read aloud but used as a reminder to help them share their stories.)
Once they have shared their stories, distribute Handout 11-4, indicating that the handout will be used later. For the moment, use the handout to create a shared flipchart page on which each team will quickly brainstorm ‚“do ‚ s ‚½, ‚“don ‚ ts ‚½, and ‚“gotchas ‚½, referring to the explanation of the three terms on Handout 11-4. Remind them that in brainstorming, quantity is preferable to quality. (Be prepared to defend this premise if necessary.) The team with the greatest total number of items in all three categories will be the winner of the round.
Rotate through the teams, having each team read its ‚“do ‚ s ‚½, then ‚“don ‚ ts ‚½, then ‚“gotchas ‚½ ‚ leaving out any item another team has already mentioned.
Instructions: Complete the following information for the last project in which you were involved, either as a team member or as an observer of the project.
The Project Itself
Write a brief description (50 words or less) of the project its goals, its timeline, its approximate budget, and team members involved.
All in all, would you say that the project was successful? Why or why not?
How close was the project to meeting its scheduled completion date?
How close was the project to being completed within budget?
Did the project meet its stated objectives? Why or why not?
Project Management Issues
Did the project have a sponsor? If so, what was his or her role during the project?
What tools and techniques were used in planning and tracking the project?
Did the scope of the project change after the project was under way? If so, what was the overall impact of the change of scope? How were changes approved?
How was project status communicated during the course of the project?
How were risks managed for the project? Were they identified ahead of time? Did any unforeseen occurrences hinder the progress of the project?
At the end of the project, was there a formal process for gathering lessons learned or any sort of review similar to the one used here?
Collaboration and Team Issues
How effective was the overall leadership of the project? Did the project manager have the resources and support required to be as effective as possible?
In general, how well did the team members collaborate? Why was this so?
Did team members work together in a single physical area or were they physically separated?
What were the primary modes of team communication? Which ones worked best? Which ones worked less well?
Were all team members available at the times they were needed for project work or status meetings? What impact did this have on the project?
Were all stakeholders and subject matter experts available to answer questions when needed? What impact did this have on the project?
Technology and Knowledge Management Issues
How did technology help or hinder the progress of the project?
Were any new technology tools introduced for this project?
Did the project use any kind of project management software, such as Microsoft Project? In what ways was it used (for example, scheduling, reporting, or cost reporting)?
What other tools (for example, word-processors, spreadsheets, presentation software, diagramming tools) were used in the project?
Was the project team able to obtain adequate advice and technical support for the technology tools used in the project? How could this improve?
Are there any areas about which you would like to learn more that would make you more effective on your next project? What resources are available for obtaining that knowledge or skill?
Based on your group ‚ s discussion of your individual Post-Project Review Previews, brainstorm as many ‚“do ‚ s ‚½ (best practices) as possible, which you ‚ ll want to carry forward into your next project.
Based on your group ‚ s discussion of your individual Post-Project Review Previews, brainstorm as many ‚“don ‚ ts ‚½ as possible, which you ‚ ll want to avoid in your next project.
Based on your group ‚ s discussion of your individual Post-Project Review Previews, brainstorm as many ‚“gotchas ‚½ (unexpected surprises or setbacks) as possible, which you ‚ want to manage as risks in your next project.
EAN: 2147483647
Pages: 111