Chapter 1: Project Management Methodology

Overview

A project management methodology provides a standard, repeatable process to guide project performance from concept to completion. It introduces and applies generally accepted project management techniques and practices that fit within the culture and business needs of the relevant organization. It includes identification of the roles and responsibilities associated with each process step, as well as specification of the input and output for the desired sequence of process steps. In essence, a project management methodology conveys to project managers and project team members what to do and how to do it.

The organization can begin this effort by introducing a simple series of important project management practices. It should ultimately aim for a complete and comprehensive process that specifies all essential project management activities that are performed throughout the entire project life cycle. In that regard, a project management methodology should be focused to ensure the successful achievement of project management processes: initiation, planning, executing, controlling, and closing. It is also used to apply the standards of project management, such as that contained in A Guide to the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK ^[1]). This is what differentiates the project management methodology from a technical methodology.

The project management methodology is applied to all types of projects within the relevant organization. In contrast, a technical methodology deals primarily with the technical aspects of work associated with projects.

In larger organizations, there may be one or more technical processes needed to accomplish work in different departments. Conversely, the project management methodology should be the same across all departments.

This "project management methodology" function enables the PMO to:

• Establish the standard approach to project management that is to be used by all project managers within the relevant organization

• Introduce project management practices incrementally, beginning with those that have the greatest impact on project and business success

• Achieve consensus for implementing a common project management life cycle across the relevant organization's technical and business areas

• Provide for collection of pertinent project data used in individual and aggregate analyses of project performance

• Identify and incorporate technical process methodologies into the project management methodology

The "project management methodology" function requires coordination and collaboration with key stakeholders — predominantly project managers — in the project management environment. It is imperative that any project management methodology be supportive of technical and business efforts, so it is essential to involve project engineers, product managers, and other technical and business specialists. Furthermore, because policies for methodology deployment are formulated and communicated to all project participants at the executive level, the development and deployment of a common project management methodology within the relevant organization distinctly requires executive level and senior management buy-in and support.

^[1]PMBOK is a trademark of the Project Management Institute, Inc. (PMI), which is registered in the U.S. and other nations.