Conclusion The project brief is a summary of previous discussions and research. If there is earlier documentation, the project brief can refer to these documents and summarise the key points rather than repeat everything. For example, there may have been previous documentation outlining the business case for the project so that commitment could be gained in earlier stages of the decision-making process. Similarly, there may be documentation that outlines the background to the project and the reasons for
8 A basis for action and the project brief Once the initial discussions about the purpose and feasibility of the project have confirmed that the project is worth carrying out, it is essential to establish the basic agreement as a document. The document will provide the reference point for all future work on the project and will be the basis for all judgements about whether the project is finally successful or not. This document is sometimes called the terms of reference, but usually incorporates some additional information in the form
7.3 Risk and contingency planning Risk in projects may be defined as ‘an event or situation … which can endanger all or part of the project’ (Nickson and Siddons, 1997). Risk management is fundamental to project management and has an impact on estimates of time and effort required for the project. It is concerned with assessing the kinds of risk associated with trying to make something happen, for example the possibil
7.2 Feasibility studies For some projects, particularly large or innovative ones, it may be appropriate to carry out a feasibility study before beginning the detailed work of planning and implementation. Alternatively, or in addition, it may be possible or desirable to try out an idea on a small scale, as a pilot project, before the main project begins. It may also be appropriate to carry out a feasibility study when there are still a number of options that would all appear to offer appropriate solutions to t
7.1 Consider the purpose A project that meets an important need for your organisation will contribute towards meeting wider organisational targets. Consider the purpose – what will the project contribute that will further the goals of the organisation? It is often useful to discuss this with the project sponsor and to align the project objectives with the strategic objectives of the organisation. If the ‘fit’ of the project with the organisational direction is considered at an early stage, it might be possible
6 The stakeholders and their interests Anyone in the organisation, or outside it, who has or might have a legitimate interest in the project and its outputs or outcomes, is a stakeholder. You need to identify these people and groups so that you can make sure you meet their expectations and manage the influence they may wish to exert over the progress of the project. Particularly important among the stakeholders will be: the project sponsor – the person or group who set up the project, au
4 Project inputs and outputs A project involves the transformation of inputs into an output or product. For example, people's mental and physical efforts, bricks and mortar, equipment or materials might be transformed into a new road, a municipal park or an advertising campaign. Or perhaps transformed into a stream of outputs or products, for example, attendances at a conference or exhibition, state school places or data from a new in-house costing system. The output or outputs might be used within the organisation
3.3 Task breakdown chart The task breakdown technique is a very logical approach to identifying the tasks involved in a project. Some people may find it suits them better than using mind maps; other people may find the techniques complement each other. To do a task breakdown chart, first draw a box at the top of a page with the project title inside it. Then mentally identify the main elements that go to make up the project as shown below. 3.2 Mind mapping The term ‘Mind mapping’ was devised by Tony Buzan for the representation of ideas, notes, information, etc., in radial tree-diagrams – sometimes also called ‘spider diagrams’. These are now very widely used. Try a web search on ‘Buzan’, ‘mind map’ or ‘concept map’. Alternatively, you could try Compendium. This is open source software that allows you to create a variety of mind, concept or knowledge maps. For more information, please refer to our Author(s): 3.1 The idea Essentially, any project begins with an idea. The idea is often one about how to do something that seems to be needed. Transforming ideas into projects begins with recognising the nature of this driving force: Projects arise in order to meet human needs. A need emerges and is recognized, and the management determines whether a need is worth fulfilling. If it is, a project is organized to satisfy the need. Thus, nee 2 Why projects fail – the dimensions of failure Unfortunately, projects are not always completely successful and the consequences of an unsuccessful project can be significant politically, financially and socially for organisations and for the people who carry out the project. Considering the key dimensions of a project (budget, time and quality) there are three obvious ways in which one might fail: 1.3 Examples of projects A project might involve establishing a new product or service, developing an existing product or service or discontinuing a product or closing a service that is no longer required. A project might arise from recognition of new needs of customers or service users or from an opportunity that is expected to deliver benefits to the organisation. Projects might also arise from a new organisational requirement, for example, as a 1.2 What is expected from projects? The project may be expected to deliver financial benefits to the organisation. In the public sector projects are usually expected to lead to social, economic and political outcomes. All projects are different. The level of complexity differs and the context in which a project exists will affect it. There is no single right way to manage a project. All projects have customers. There are three key dimensions to a projec 1.1 A definition One definition is ‘A project is a one-off, non-repeated activity or set of tasks which achieves clearly stated objectives within a time limit.’ Most managers work on projects, often small or short-term projects, rather than large ones that take several years to complete. Size or length of time do not indicate that one project is more important than another – often small projects pave Learning outcomes After studying this course, you should be able to: identify the main features of a project explain the importance of the key dimensions of budget, time and quality identify the links between a project's scope and definition and a sponsor's strategic and operational objectives agree the objectives of the project in sufficient detail to enable it to be planned effectively assess the feasibility of a project and to negoti Keep on learning   There are more than 800 courses on OpenLearn for you to 3 Conclusion This course has introduced a series of ideas that relate to campaigning and how organisations can adapt their outlook in order to achieve their campaigning goals. 2 Activity and questions Listen to the following audio clip between Terry O'Sullivan, Senior Lecturer in Management at the Open University Business School, and Chris Stalker, Head of Campaigning Effectiveness at the National Council for Voluntary Organisations. This audio clip is followed by a series of questions. It is suggested that you listen to the audio before attempting the questions. Click to listen to the audio clip. (13 minutes) Diverse perspectives on health and illness Working with children and families
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