How do you manage IT project dependencies?

3 Plan your dependencies

The third step is to plan your dependencies and define how you will manage them throughout your project lifecycle. A dependency management plan is a document that outlines the roles, responsibilities, processes, tools, and metrics for managing dependencies. This should include a dependency register, a table that lists all the dependencies and their attributes; a dependency map, a diagram that shows the dependencies among your project deliverables and activities; a dependency log, a tool that tracks the changes, issues, and actions related to your dependencies; and a dependency report, a document that summarizes the progress, performance, and risks of your dependencies.

4 Communicate your dependencies

The fourth step is to communicate your dependencies and ensure that all the relevant stakeholders are aware of and aligned with your dependency management plan. You can use a communication plan, which specifies the frequency, format, content, and audience of your dependency-related communications. This should include a stakeholder analysis to identify and categorize stakeholders based on their interest, influence, and expectations. Additionally, a communication matrix should be used to map the communication channels, methods, and messages for each stakeholder group. Finally, a communication schedule should be created to indicate the dates and times of your dependency-related meetings, calls, emails, and reports.

5 Monitor your dependencies

The fifth step is to monitor your dependencies and measure their progress, performance, and risks against your project objectives and baselines. To do this, you should create a monitoring plan, which outlines the tools, techniques, and indicators for tracking and evaluating your dependencies. This plan should contain a dependency dashboard to display key metrics and status in a graphical way, as well as a dependency review process to collect and analyze data related to your dependencies. Additionally, it should include a dependency audit process to verify, validate, and improve the quality and compliance of your dependencies.

6 Control your dependencies

The sixth and final step is to control your dependencies and manage any changes, issues, or risks that arise during your project execution. To do this, you should use a control plan, a document that outlines the procedures, criteria, and actions for handling your dependencies. This plan should include a change management process for identifying and implementing changes to your dependencies, an issue management process for resolving and preventing any issues related to your dependencies, and a risk management process for assessing and monitoring risks related to your dependencies.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?