It's More than a Gantt Chart

Once Needs Analysis is complete (or at least well under way), the Project Management process begins. Project management can be broken down into two main phases: Project Planning and Project Tracking and Facilitation.

In the Project Planning phase, a number of critical preparatory tasks are accomplished:
— Scope is refined by breaking the project down into tasks and setting these on a timeline, and allocating the budget accordingly.
— The Project team identifies background documents and other information that will be required from the client, and arranges with the client a timeframe for transfer of this information.
— Staffing and resource allocation are charted (including use of subcontractors if applicable).
— Collaboration tools are set up for the specific needs of the project, and the formal Project Plan is drafted.
It should be noted, scope refinement and Project Plan drafting also rely on inputs from the Development Process planning phase, which runs concurrently, and also on client input.

Upon approval of the Project Plan, the Project Tracking and Facilitation phase begins – that is, the main work of the project (building what the client wants) really gets underway. This phase features a series of iterations, in which preliminary releases of the system being built are made, inspected by the client, tested, and commented upon (for more about iterations, see the Development Process page). The essence of this phase consists of three ongoing efforts:
— Project Coordination involves making sure that lines of communication remain open, and that all parties involved in the project are kept “in the know” by means of meetings, formal communications, and any other means that may be necessary or useful.
— Project “Shepherding” involves keeping staff on task, on time, and on budget, by making sure schedules are known and understood by all; by resolving any resource conflicts that may emerge; and by making sure that the focus of the project remains on the client’s needs.
— Documentation includes recording and archiving every aspect of the Management and Development processes. This careful documentation ensures that the client has a window into and record of the Development process, so that the system being built is not a “black box”; and, where needed, aids in disaster recovery.