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The Project Management Process
The project management approach has been designed to:
- Be simple - The approach is a tailored and scaleable version of widely accepted project management approaches. It retains those elements that are essential for all projects and has been designed to fit in with existing processes. For example, the review process links in to the political approval process, and the business case can be used to support cabinet/band A reports to minimise duplication of effort.
- Be flexible - and fit for purpose. The approach is a framework providing room for manoeuvre where that is appropriate. For example, there is a range of templates supporting the process. But you may find yourself working in a project (especially one that relies on external funding) where specific templates are needed to secure funding or satisfy external auditors. The advice here is to be pragmatic, don’t simply duplicate information. If it is essential to use a different business case template, then attach it to the Sheffield one and cross-reference, only fill in those parts of the template not covered by the other. This is a worthwhile exercise as the missing sections may raise issues that need to be addressed. If in doubt, speak with the Corporate Programme Office.
- Support and encourage effective management - If any aspect of the process feels like a burden, or does not seem to provide added value to the management process, then talk to the Corporate Programme Office. We provide support to any project manager who needs it and are committed to reviewing all aspects of the approach. Feedback about how useful or difficult you find the approach is invaluable to ensuring it remains relevant to Sheffield’s managers.
At the heart of the Sheffield project approach are two building blocks:
- A robust business case supporting the investment in the project. The business case is at the heart of every project. It sets out: what the project will do and why; what benefits it will deliver; what it will cost. This is the basis for getting the project the resources it needs (funding or people), and helps project sponsors and senior managers prioritise projects.
- Regular reviews throughout the life of a project to check that the business case remains valid and that the project is on track. These reviews are the corner stone of project control.
The key people to both of these are the project sponsor, who has overall responsibility for the success of the project and who chairs the reviews (and makes sure they happen), and the project manager who has day to day responsibility for delivering the project and making sure that the business case is up to date and accurate.
The next section discusses goes into more detail on the Project Review Process.
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