COVID-19: A 7-Step Response Plan for Project Managers

I don't normally publish the contents of my Newsletters as a LinkedIn article. But COVID-19 is an extraordinary situation in my lifetime. This article also appears on our website.

There's One Thing that Dominates World News

The spread of the Coronavirus infection COVID-19 is now global. It is starting to look like many countries could see massive disruption.

Project Managers are Familiar with Dealing with Risk

But this one is outside the experience of many of us. Societally, economically, and in human terms, the impact is likely to be huge. The likelihood of some significant disruption is now approaching certainty. And the proximity is on the scale of weeks.

As Project Managers, we Need to be Planning for this on our Projects

And as members of our communities, we should also be prepared to offer what help we can.

I have been Considering this Carefully

As an educator, and with a community of Project Managers who come to me for answers, I feel a need to respond. So, here is an outline plan for you. Its purpose is to remind you of seven priorities, and to act as a starter in forming your own plan.

1. Protect your people

Your team, stakeholders, community. Number 2 on this list may be the first thing to do, but this is your first priority. Reduce the need for travel. Encourage more home working. Put people's health ahead of project deadlines.

2. Put it on your risk register

Convene a project Working Group and discuss a series of scenarios. Then use each of those to identify risks and work on mitigations. Look for base case common features across scenarios and build infrastructure to handle it.

3. Consider if your project should be halted or delayed

Open a conversation with your project sponsor, board, client... You need to be the one that goes to them, rather than them coming to you - that shows you as Leading the situation, rather than just managing outcomes. You'll need their sign-off on some decisions.

4. Key into organizational responses

Your wider organization will be responding too. Your skills are valuable, so offer your help in formulating it. Bring organization-tier thinking into your project. And also link into responses among your wider business and social communities.

5. Consider procurement commitments

This one cuts both ways. You may need to delay deliveries of materials or bringing in contracted staff, if your project will slow down. Liaise with your suppliers. But, equally, if you plan to continue work, you may choose to advance purchase decisions and delivery dates to de-risk availability of materials.

6. Keep talking

In times of uncertainty, fear, and possible panic, make communication a top priority. Even if you don't know anything new, communicate that fact. Be open and candid with your team, stakeholders, and your client/boss/sponsor. Communicate your scenarios and plans, and then update with how events are affecting your project and changes to those plans.

7. Regular review cycle to reconsider plans and responses

Set up a regular review process, to keep yourself and key people up-to-date on external facts, and allow time to consider responses. The situation may change fast. Establishing a process to evaluate changes will give you the infrastructure to adapt quickly.

And finally...

Now is the time to think about alternates. Who will step into your role, if you are taken ill? What about work-stream leaders and other key people on your project? Convene your top team and sketch out alternates for everyone - and alternates for those, if your project is big enough. But, by the time you get to that tier, they may need to be managing an orderly temporary shut down of your project.

I am Hopeful that it Won't Come to the Worst

But hope is not a strategy. If you have a responsibility for people and a project, you need a plan. And the time to start work - if you haven't already - is now.