Essential Project Manager Toolkit

While there are many facets of project management and many lessons to be learned from both troubled projects and successful projects, there is an essential set of tangible tools that any project manager needs to have to best manage any project. Table 3.2 lists these essential tools and why they are important.

Table 3.2. Essential Project Manager Tools

Tool	Description	Value	Notes
Project Charter	Authorizes project and the project manager	Provides official notice to the organization	May not always be a formal document; At a minimum, get an email notification
Project Definition Document	Defines project purpose, objectives, success criteria, and scope statement	Key for managing expectations, controlling scope, and completing other planning efforts	Core tool
Requirements Document	Defines the specifications for product/output of the project	Key for managing expectations and controlling scope	Core tool
Project Schedule	Shows all work efforts, properly estimated, with logical dependencies, assigned to responsible resources scheduled against a calendar	Key for directing all project team work efforts; Key for managing expectations; Allows for impact and what-if simulations when things change	Core tool
Status Reports	Periodic reviews of actual performance versus expected performance	Provides essential information to stakeholders; Allows for timely identification of performance variances	See Chapter 10, "Controlling a Project," and Chapter 17, "Managing Project Communications," for more details
Milestone Chart	A summary of the detailed project schedule showing progress against key milestone	Allows stakeholders to see high level project progress on one page	Detailed schedule roll-ups can be difficult to read and interpret; Incorporate into Status Report
Project Organization Chart	Shows all project stakeholders and the working relationships among them	Allows team members to get a better understanding of project project roles and organizational dynamics	On smaller projects, may be combined with project plan or project definition document
Responsibility Matrix	Defines all project roles and indicates what responsibilities each role has	Key for managing expectations; Establishes accountability	On smaller projects, may be combined with project plan or project definition document
Communication Plan	Defines the how, what, when, and who regarding the flow of project information to stakeholders	Key for managing expectations; Establishes buy-in	On smaller projects, may be combined with project plan or project definition document
Quality Management Plan	Defines the approaches and methods that will be utilized to manage the quality levels of project processes and results	Key for managing expectations regarding quality, performance, and regulatory compliance matters; Impacts work efforts and project schedule Establishes accountability	On smaller projects, may be combined with project plan or project definition document
Staffing Management Plan	Lists how project resources will be acquired, when they are needed, how much they are needed, and how long they will be needed	Key for building schedule; Key for properly managing resources	May also include role profiles, rates, training needs; On smaller projects, may be combined with project plan or project schedule
Risk Response Plan	Lists each identified risk and the planned response strategy for each	Communicates potential issues in advance Proactive measures help reduce impact to project	On smaller projects, may be combined with project plan or project definition document
Project Plan	Formal, approved document that is used to manage project execution	Includes all other supplemental planning documents; Key output of project planning	On smaller projects, may be combined with project definition document
Deliverable Summary	Defines and lists all deliverables to be produced by the project	Key to managing expectations; Ensures proper visibility, tracking, and reporting of targeted deliverables	May be combined with status reports
Project Log	Captures essential information for each project risk, issue, action item, and change request	Ensures proper visibility, tracking, and reporting of items impacting the project	Core tool
Change Request Form	Captures essential information for any requested change that impacts scope, schedule, or budget	Allows change item to be properly assessed and communicated before action is taken	Core tool
Project Notebook	Used by project manager to maintain official record of important project documents and deliverables	Part of managing project information	Electronic and/or hardcopy versions

The important principles to remember regarding project management tools are as follows:

• Any planning document needs to be reviewed and agreed to by appropriate project stakeholders and team members.
• Separate documents are not always needed. Smaller projects might combine relevant information (especially "plan" documents) into a single "grouped" document.
• The essential tools represent the key information and thought processes that is needed to effectively manage the project.

The Absolute Minimum

At this point, you should have a solid understanding of the following:

• What defines a successful project and why it is not always easy to measure
• The common reasons why projects get in trouble and what you can do to avoid them
• The key principles that serve as the foundation for most successful projects
• The essential project management tools and why they are important

The map in Figure 3.1 summarizes the main points we reviewed in this chapter.

Figure 3.1. Essential elements for any successful project overview.