What is a successful project?

To be successful a project must:

• deliver the outcomes and benefits required by the organisation, its delivery partners and other stakeholder organisations

• create and implement deliverables that meet agreed requirements

• meet time targets

• stay within financial budgets

• involve all the right people

• make best use of resources in the organisation and elsewhere

• take account of changes in the way the organisation operates

• manage any risks that could jeopardise success

• take into account the needs of staff and other stakeholders who will be impacted by the changes brought about by the project.

A projects is different from the another

Projects are different from the normal operation of the organisation in that they:

• have specific objectives to deliver new benefits to, the taxpayer, companies, the general public government the sponsoring organisation, stakeholders and/or deliver y partners

• may introduce significant changes to the way the business operates

• create new outputs/deliverables that will enable benefits to be realised

• have a specific, temporary management organisation and governance arrangements set up for the duration of the project

• are susceptible to risks not usually encountered in the day to day operation al work of the organisation involve a range of stakeholders from different parts of the organisation and beyond

• may use methods and approaches that are new or unfamiliar.

The project lifecycle

In order to manage effectively it helps to understand the typical lifecycle of a project and how it applies to your specific project. You need to decide how the management activities of the lifecycle steps will be achieved, and precisely who will be involved. You must make sure you understand your role in making these things happen in the right way and at the right time. Much of the project management effort across the lifecycle will be driven by the owner/sponsor of the project (known as the Senior Responsible Owner (SRO)), and the Project Manager. To achieve success they will almost certainly need to draw upon the skills and experience of many others from within the organisation, its partners and suppliers.