- Ensure strong sponsorship – Someone with money and authority to spend it must want the project. This sponsor must evangelize the value of the project throughout its life. He or she must also be willing to work through trouble spots and make tough choices when an issue goes beyond the project manager’s ability to control it.
- Ensure proper funding - Funding should be sufficient. Seem obvious? Most project managers take whatever is provided and assume it will work, just to find themselves in hot water when the inevitable truth arrives.
- Pick the right team - Typically this is the area where we see the most conspicuous signs of a troubled project. Too often staff are assigned to projects simply because they are available, rather than being the best person for the job. This usually results in disruptive changes to personnel in the middle of the project. Required skills must come to the project sooner or later to get the job done. Sooner is better.
- Do planning - Planning should be on ongoing evaluation and adjustment process, not mere preparation of a deliverable. Adjustments in staff, schedule, and expectations should occur routinely as project circumstances change. This way Sponsors can have a clear understanding of when the project will be done and what it will cost.
- Know the end before you begin – Much waste occurs in projects because people are not sufficiently focused on the outcome. You should define “Done” before you start, so everybody understands what the job is and all work can be directed at getting it done. The military refers to this as "exit criteria"; when these things have been done, we go away.
- Prepare for change – Projects seek a level of change that can’t be attained via normal processes. The organization must be prepared for the change before it hits, so life can continue only slightly shaken.
What Matters Most
After three or four projects, you learn that there are a few things that must go right for most any project to succeed. These are generally referred to as the Critical Success Factors, or CSFs. Here are a few:
