Highlights: Better Projects With MinProj

Typical of MinProj’s soft guidance and template approach, its methodology groundrules help projects to achieve maximum results for minimum PM effort.

We realize that you do not always have the luxury of achieving all of them, but here are our groundrules for an effective MinProj Project Climate.

• You assign the right people, with the right skills, at the right amount of available time (MinProj suggests guidelines for this).
• Early Time and Cost Estimates are subject to change at each Milestone Review.
• Deadlines are never imposed, Due Dates are not tight, or flexibility exists in other areas, such as scope or expert staffing.
• Estimates from the team are never cut without identifying the improvements that will make the project cost less.
• Sponsor and Managers take responsibility for pushing barriers out of the way.
• Technical experts are readily available, when needed, for advice, special services, or reviews.
• When working on project work, others take on the team member's "ongoing" responsibilities.
• Interruptions from other projects or ongoing work responsibilities are minimized or eliminated.
• Team members realize that everyone is responsible for their part in managing the project.
• MinProj projects are medium to low in risk, and typically do not involve performance of major contracts.

The last item on that list is the only one that is unique to MinProj. The others will reduce cost, accelerate completion, improve the results, and reduce needed Project Management effort in any project.

Some may have a reaction to the responsibility shift in the list above. It seems to move more responsibilities from the Project Manager to the levels of Manager above her or him.

That's right! In our work with improving Enterprise PM Competence, we often find that the limits to improvement are not always with your Project Mangers: The items on that list are the easiest changes to make to improve most Enterprises' Project Performance.

Thus, MinProj is a framework not only for improving PM Process; it also begins you on the pathway to improved Project Performance.