A portfolio of lessons learned part 2 – Mission Clarity
Delivery of successful digital technology projects is not easy.?If it was, everyone would enjoy success the vast majority of the time.?We know that is not true.?So, in this part 2 article we examine mission clarity, why it is a key success criteria and how to define it and leverage it for success.
This article continues the mini-series on the top 5 criteria for maximising project delivery performance.?On January IPG Monthly I covered Digital Technology Delivery – Success Criteria.?For this month it is about Mission clarity and how it is more in the hands of the project manager.?They may not be able to change the mission, but they can define what they will, wont, can and cannot do.
As I have explained before, one of the most important areas we work with our clients on, is in ensuring they successfully deliver on their digital technology improvements and change.?That means that I alone have reviewed, advised on or managed hundreds of projects, and across our team it is a multiple of that. In other words, we see a lot of case studies up close up and personal.
Mission clarity is a little more self-determinable for the project.?Yes there will be some indirect impacts from the culture and risk management predisposition of the organisation, but for the most part the project manager and sponsor can nail this area if they wish to.
Introduction
Starting a project without defining the mission and objectives is like embarking on a road trip without a destination. It's bound to end in confusion, lost time, disagreements and a likely return to base again. The mission and objectives of a project are the foundation on which the project is built. They provide direction, focus, and a clear understanding of what the project aims to achieve. In this article, we'll explore why defining the mission and objectives of a project is critical, what they means and the most important elements that should be defined.
The Importance of Defining the Mission and Objectives
Defining the mission and objectives of a project is critical for several reasons. First and foremost, it provides clarity and direction. When the mission and objectives are clearly defined, everyone involved in the project knows what they are working towards and what success looks like. This helps to ensure that the project remains on track and that project and organisation are working towards the same goal.
It also helps to prioritise activities and resources. When everyone understands the mission and objectives, they can focus on the activities that are most critical to achieving them. This helps to ensure that resources are allocated in the most effective way and that the project stays within budget and on schedule.
Another important reason for defining the mission and objectives is that it helps to manage expectations. When everyone understands what the project aims to achieve, and importantly what it is not there to achieve, they are less likely to have unrealistic expectations. This helps to prevent disappointment and frustration and aids the project as being viewed as a success.
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Finally, defining the mission and objectives helps to measure that success. If the objectives are not clearly defined, it's impossible to measure whether the project has been successful. By defining the objectives upfront, it's possible to track progress and measure success at every stage of the project.
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The Most Important Elements of the Mission and Objectives
Defining the mission and objectives of a project involves several elements. The most important elements that should be defined are as follows:
A.????The Problem to be Solved or Opportunity to be Explored.?The first element that should be defined is the problem to be solved or opportunity to be explored. This provides context for the project and helps to ensure that everyone understands why the project is necessary.
B.????The Benefits and Outcomes.?If there is a sound business case then that will likely have benefits defined, accountabilities made clear for those, and KPIs, measures and targets defined for each.?If not, this will be important to define.?These provide legitimacy to the problem or opportunity being addressed.
C.????The Objectives. The objectives define the specific outcomes that the project aims to achieve. By achieving these, the benefits are achieved, and the problem solved.?They should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This helps to ensure that everyone understands what success looks like and that progress can be measured.
D.???The Project Scope. The project scope defines the boundaries of the project. It specifies what is included in the project and what is not. This helps to ensure that everyone is clear on what the project aims to achieve and what is outside the scope.
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E.????The Stakeholders. The stakeholders are the individuals or groups who are affected by the project. They should be identified upfront, and their needs and expectations should be taken into account throughout the project. This helps to ensure that the project is viewed as a success by all stakeholders.
F.????The Deliverables. The deliverables are the tangible outputs of the project. They define what will be produced as a result of the project. This helps to ensure that everyone is clear on what the project aims to achieve and what will be delivered.
These are listed broadly in the order they should be defined, with one cascading to the other.?There will be some overlap and iteration and you cascade through these, for example, as the discovery of new stakeholders helps to clarify objectives and scope.
Scope – defining the boundaries of the mission.
To control the boundaries of a digital change project, it is essential to define the scope of the project. The scope of a project defines what is included and excluded from the project and helps to ensure that the project stays on track, within budget, and delivers the expected outcomes.
This can be one of the less understood areas of a project.?Many have their objectives and their problem statement, and limited dimensions of scope.?This creates challenges. It allows others to claim you are delivering things that you are not.?Which means that those who should deliver that may not.?This can create problems.
The dimensions of scope that should be defined to control the boundaries of a digital technology project include:
A.????Functional Scope: Functional scope defines the specific functions or capabilities that the project aims to deliver. This includes the features, functionalities, and services that the new digital system or application will provide. For example, if the project is focused on implementing a new CRM system, the functional scope may include features such as lead management, customer profiling, and sales forecasting.?It will also include what is not in scope.
B.????Process Scope:?Process scope refers to the business processes that are within the purview of the project and those that are not.?It may also define the level of detailed modelling, and the extent of standardisation, simplification or other transformation objectives that are within the project’s scope.
C.????Technical Scope: Technical scope defines the specific technical requirements for the digital change project. This includes the hardware, software, and network infrastructure required to support the new system or application. For example, if the project involves implementing a new cloud-based ERP system, the technical scope may include requirements for server capacity, storage, and network bandwidth. Importantly integrations are also here.?And what is being done or not done is crucial, and the extent of the change.?Is it a like-for-like change or extension or is there a re-architecture to adopt new types of equipment and the new architectural models or patterns that go with them.?Defining these can all be highly material to success. Decommissioning responsibility is one that is often forgotten about here.
D.???Data Scope: Data scope defines the specific data that will be used and managed by the digital change project. This includes data requirements for the new system or application, as well as data migration, conversion, and integration requirements. For example, if the project involves implementing a new financial management system, the data scope may include requirements for importing and exporting financial data from existing systems.?Traps here includes the roles and responsibilities for data integrity and data quality remediation and for data archiving.
E.????Organisational Scope: Organisational scope defines the specific organisational units or departments that will be affected by the digital change project. It can also define the geographies, regions and people (roles) that will be impacted and within the remit of the project.?This includes the people, processes, and culture within the organisation that may need to be changed or adapted to support the new system or application. For example, if the project involves implementing a new project management system, the organisational scope may include changes to project management processes and the roles and responsibilities of project managers. It also plays into the services provided by the project, how many people need access, where are they and the resulting implications for the change and cost, including such simple things as software licensing.
F.????Time Scope: Time scope defines the specific timeline for the digital change project. This includes the start and end dates of the project, as well as key milestones and deliverables along the way. For example, if the project involves implementing a new e-commerce platform, the time scope may include requirements for launching the platform by a specific date to coincide with a major sales event.?This may timebox the work, and support reduction of delivery in some areas to ensure delivery against time.
G.???Benefits, Roles and Responsibilities, Financial Scope: Scope can be defined in the form of empowerment or constraints on the project.?For instance, there may be the ability to vary scope based on benefits, or certain roles may not be permitted within the project, or certain types of costs may be able to be included or excluded from the project.?A common example on costs, is staff and corporate overheads.?Many organisations exclude that from projects, but some include it.?If you have not planned for it, it can escalate your budgetary needs by 20-30% or more.
By defining these dimensions of scope, it is possible to control the boundaries of a digital technology project and ensure that the project stays on track, within budget, and delivers the expected outcomes.
It's also essential to continuously monitor and adjust the scope as necessary throughout the project to ensure that it remains aligned with the project goals and objectives, takes opportunities when they present, and avoids risks if necessary.?This is where the close working relationship between project manager, sponsor and executives is crucial.
Conclusion
In conclusion, defining the mission and objectives of a project is critical to its success. It provides direction, focus, and a clear understanding of what the project aims to achieve. The most important elements of the mission and objectives that should be defined are the problem to be solved or opportunity to be explored, the project scope, the deliverables, the objectives, and the stakeholders. By defining these elements upfront, it's possible to ensure that the project stays within its guardrails, stays on track, within budget, and delivers the desired outcomes.