Control – part 17 - Areas of review
Estimating procedures
It is worthwhile considering particular areas for review at intervals.
Estimating procedures is one.
How good are we at estimating?
Is it based upon personal experience, previous plans?
Should we have carried out a formal risk assessment?
If the elapsed time for a task was considered achievable did we underestimate the experience of the staff or should we have applied more training or more man power?
Training policies
Do we need to review the training policy?
When looking at training consider how it is going to be carried out:
Internal or externalCheck the cost and resource impact.
Train the trainer or the users directlyWhat is the consistency of the training, cost and resource implications?
What detail is needed?Is it user based or does it include wider business issues?
Timing of the trainingWhen should training be implemented?
Recruitment policies
What is the recruitment policy like?
It may well be that there is a complete embargo on any form of recruitment.
How long does it take to get new staff?
Who will train them?
How long will it take to get them up to speed?
Quality control procedures
Did the project have the correct quality control procedures in place and were they adhered to?
Management control practices
Were the objectives and the deliverables of the task clear and understood?
Were the managerial project management practices adequate to identify and review issues in good time?
Culture of the organization
Is the culture of the organization favourable to raise and react to issues at the higher level?
Has too tight a deadline been ‘set’ from on high, although all of the project team knew it to be unrealistic?
Staff motivational factors
What is the morale of the staff like and what motivational factors and practices are in place to boost productivity.
All of these points could be considered.