Delivering the Project

Delivering Stages

As mentioned in Stage Planning, splitting a project into stages provides a means of management and control. The end of a stage will provide an opportunity for the Project Board/Sponsor to:

Review progress
Approve commencement of the next stage
Review any issues or risks that have developed
Review the budget based on the latest information
Set tolerances on the plans for next stage

These "mini reviews" are particularly important for larger projects, as the next formal review isn’t until Review 4, Review of Project Delivery. If no smaller reviews are conducted in between then there is a risk that the project may deviate away from the Project Board’s intentions. In preparation for the mini review you should complete a Highlight Report (in Prince2 this would be called an End Stage Report) to document the status of the project at the time of the review.

Updating Documents

During the project’s delivery it is important that project documentation is kept up to date. Whilst at times it may feel a burden, when events take over it will more than prove its worth. The following documents should be part of your review cycle:

Communication Plan – As well as carrying out the communications mentioned on the plan, you should spend time checking that it is still fit for purpose. Some new people/parties may have become involved in the project, and others may have left. The Communication Plan should be updated to reflect these changes to prevent any potential communication problems.
Business Case – The Business Case is the key document of the project and it is important that the project fulfils the objectives of the Business Case. If this changes the Business Case document should be immediately updated.
Issue Log – Issue Logs continually prove their worth when used effectively. They serve as a central point which all project members can share and record project issues, and serve as a back up of the project’s current state when project members are unavailable.
Risk Register – You should always set aside time to keep your Risk Register up to date. As the project progresses, new risks will become apparent and old ones will disappear. By investing the time in keeping this current you are always ready for things going wrong. You are able to simply implement the pre-planned mitigations rather than having to find a solution on the spot. When under pressure you may not always select the best course of action.
Lessons Learned Log – This is a project’s legacy; whether a project goes well or badly, a detailed Lessons Learned Log will allow other projects (some of which you may be managing!) to benefit from the experience.

As you approach the end of the project, you should begin to prepare the End of Project Report.

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