How can you effectively plan and scope a network project with multiple stakeholders?
Network projects can be complex and challenging, especially when they involve multiple stakeholders with different needs, expectations, and priorities. How can you effectively plan and scope a network project to ensure its success and avoid scope creep, conflicts, and delays? Here are some tips to help you manage your network project with multiple stakeholders.
The first step in planning and scoping a network project is to define the project goals and scope clearly and concisely. What are the main objectives and deliverables of the project? What are the technical and business requirements? What are the constraints and assumptions? What are the success criteria and key performance indicators? You should document these elements in a project charter or a scope statement and get approval from all the stakeholders before moving forward.
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It’s absolutely certain that in classical method the initiation stage begins after idea and it requires a fundamental document that called the project charter. This document defines the global project’s goal, its scope (boundaries) and key stakeholders. And only after all persons agree the project charter do they proceed to the development of technical specification.
The next step is to identify and analyze the stakeholders who have an interest or influence in the project. Who are they? What are their roles and responsibilities? What are their expectations and needs? What are their communication preferences and styles? What are their potential risks and issues? You should use tools such as stakeholder mapping, analysis, and engagement matrices to categorize and prioritize the stakeholders and plan how to communicate and collaborate with them throughout the project.
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A tool such as a map of the relationships between members and needs can help identify key stakeholders. It is accepted that stakeholders from the project charter may have a conflict of interest. The reasons for interest in a project can be completely opposite. So there is the main task - to determine who and why the stakeholder is and agree with other participants.
The third step is to create a work breakdown structure (WBS) and a network diagram for the project. A WBS is a hierarchical decomposition of the project scope into manageable tasks and deliverables. A network diagram is a graphical representation of the dependencies and sequences of the tasks. These tools help you to estimate the resources, time, and cost of the project and to identify the critical path and the slack time. You should involve the stakeholders in creating and validating the WBS and the network diagram to ensure their buy-in and alignment.
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➡️On the one hand, this really works, but only under the condition that the uncertainty in the project is no more than 30%. That is, if there is experience in implementing exactly the same or similar projects in the past. ⬅️On the other hand, if the project has a time or budget constraint (or high uncertainty), we can create a high-level WBS or CANVAS and plan the future work iteratively.
The fourth step is to develop a project schedule and a budget based on the WBS and the network diagram. A project schedule is a timeline that shows the start and end dates, durations, and milestones of the tasks. A project budget is a financial plan that shows the estimated and actual costs of the project. You should use software tools such as Microsoft Project, Gantt charts, or PERT charts to create and track the project schedule and budget. You should also review and update the schedule and budget regularly with the stakeholders to monitor the progress and performance of the project.
The fifth step is to manage the project scope and changes throughout the project lifecycle. Project scope is the agreed-upon work that needs to be done to deliver the project goals and outcomes. Project changes are any modifications or additions to the project scope, schedule, or budget that occur due to internal or external factors. You should establish a scope management plan and a change management process to define how to control and document the project scope and changes. You should also communicate and negotiate with the stakeholders about any scope or change requests and get their approval before implementing them.
The sixth and final step is to manage the stakeholder expectations and relationships during and after the project. Stakeholder expectations are the desired or anticipated results or benefits of the project. Stakeholder relationships are the interactions and connections among the stakeholders. You should use effective communication, feedback, and reporting techniques to keep the stakeholders informed, engaged, and satisfied with the project. You should also use conflict resolution, negotiation, and influence skills to deal with any issues or disagreements that may arise among the stakeholders. You should also celebrate and acknowledge the achievements and contributions of the stakeholders and solicit their feedback and lessons learned for future improvement.