Carrying out project management activities
Overview
This standard covers the competencies required to carry out project management involved with continuous improvement activities. It involves identifying the need for a project and determining its scope and then developing this into a fully detailed project plan. You will be required to form a suitable project team taking into account the technicalities within the project and the individual skills and abilities of the team members. You will also be expected to determine and agree the individual roles and responsibilities of the team members and to set realistic and achievable goals for both the individuals within the team and the team as a whole. Obtaining appropriate authority and support for the release of resources to carry out the project is also included and this will include people, work space/work area, documentation and information. Monitoring the performance of the project to ensure that it meets the identified objectives.
Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the activities undertaken and to report any problems that you cannot solve, or are outside your responsibility, to the relevant authority. You must ensure that the project is delivered on time; to cost and to the required quality/outcomes and that all necessary project documentation is completed accurately and legibly. You will be expected to take full responsibility for the decisions that you make and the overall performance of the project.
Your underpinning knowledge will be sufficient to provide a good understanding of project management, and provide an informed approach to the techniques and procedures used. You will need to understand the various techniques of project management and of team building, coaching, monitoring performance and communication methods available to you in adequate depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the activities to the required criteria.
Applying safe working practices will be a key issue throughout.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
- identify the need for the project and determine the project scope
- develop a full project plan which accurately identifies the project aims and objectives
- form the project team comprising of the right mix of personnel to deliver the project objectives
- determine and agree individual roles and responsibilities within the project team
- develop and manage a monitoring process to review the progress of the project, adjusting the project plan as required
- identify resources required
- obtain authority and support for the release of the necessary resources to carry out the project
- conduct and manage the project in accordance with the plan consulting with subject experts and specialists according to the needs of the project
- report project progress to relevant parties at the agreed stages
- deal promptly and effectively with any problems within your control and report those that cannot be resolved
- report project completion and closure to relevant personnel
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- how to work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
- the roles and responsibilities of yourself and others under the legislation and organisational policies and procedures relevant to your role and the activities being carried out
- how to identify the project scope to determine the need for a full project plan and management approval
- how to develop specific, measurable, realistic project objectives and deliverables, allowing progress to be monitored and measured
- the tools and techniques available for project planning and monitoring
- how to communicate effectively, listen and question, provide feedback, support and coach others
- how to break the project down into individual deliverable tasks
- how to form and develop the project team required to meet the identified objectives
- how to allocate specific tasks and responsibilities to the project team members according to individual skills and abilities
- how to determine the specialist help you may require in the project, and how this can be obtained
- how to conduct a project meeting
- how to present information effectively to management, peers, team members and customers
- how to solve problems and overcome barriers/difficulties encountered during the life of the project
- who to liaise with and who to obtain relevant and specific information from to support and assist you in running the project
- how to monitor progress of the project in terms of delivery on time, to budget, with agreed levels of quality
- how to report project closure, completion and final status to management, teams and customers
- how to agree limits of your own authority within the scope of the project and how to identify, outside of your authority area, whom you should report to in the event of encountering problems that you cannot resolve
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Develop project plans, which clearly identify all the following:
- full cost of the project
- time scale required for the project
- resources required
- individual tasks within the project
- milestones and deliverables to be met
Identify and secure the release of all the following resources:
- people involved
- work space/work area required
- documentation and information required
Monitor the progress of the project to ensure all the following:
3.1 the project objectives will be met
3.2 delivered on time
3.3 project keeps within budget
3.4 agreed quality standards are met and maintained