Establishing a practice

By applying the CUBE® framework Core Theory and the Asset Lifecycle Process, Charlie can ensure that all the conditions are in place for a successful establishment of a project management practice in a systematical way.

This can reduce the time of getting the practice up and running effectively. Which in turn reduces the risk of wasting time and resources on a half-implemented solution.

In this scenario, the identification of opportunities and prioritisation is already performed by the management team.

The first thing Charlie does is identify all parties that are affected and affects the project management practice. To do this, Charlie interviews key stakeholders:

• Management team peers
• Operations managers
• Selected operations staff (that will be affected by the projects outcomes)
• Finance
• HR
• IT

..and other departments and roles that will regularly be affected by the new practice.

By doing this, Charlie identified their needs, limiting factors as well as expectations on the project management practice.

Charlie has now built up a clearer understanding of the most important aspects of what the project management practice should provide. And at the same time, started preparing the organisation for the change and made key stakeholders involved as they have been given the opportunity to speak their mind on the subject.

After the interviews, Charlie reviews the assets:

• strategy

• values

• top-level governance

• financial model and budget process

• Related processes

.. and other documents that sets the frames that the project management practice needs to align with.

This ensures that the design will be aligned and integrated with already existing assets and ways of working. 

Charlie also identified a few current assets that needs to be adjusted to allow for better integration of the project management practice.

Charlie now proceeds to design the frames for how the practice should operate. 

Charlie does this by designing and drafting, the following documents:

• Development standard, containing:

  • Purpose of the practice

  • Roles and responsibilities

  • Project methodology and structures

  • Governance forums and coordination forums

• Development process

  • Which roles should perform what action in which order

..and any other relevant documents that are required by the organisation.

Charlie now has a defined and ready to be decided upon suggestion for the new practice.

But before Charlie request decision on the steering documents, Charlie creates a communication and implementation plan and anchors this with the key managers that will be affected by the implementation.

This ensures that the plan is realistic and also creates buy in from the affected organisations.

Charlie presents the steering documents and the plans to communicate and implement to the management team and requests a decision to start.

The management team discusses and gives their approval for Charlie to proceed.

Charlie now has the approval to publish the steering documents and start executing the plans.

Charlie creates all the communication material and involves the key leaders in the process. Charlie then proceeds to formally publish the steering documents (standard and process) and start executing the communication plan accordingly.

During the communication, Charlie ensures to work closely with the key leaders and manage any feedback or objections that arises.

Once communicated, Charlie proceeds to execute the implementation plan, ensuring to:

• Continually engage leaders
• Manage deviations and issues
• Manage risks
• Communicate progress regularly
• Perform and follow-up training for relevant individuals

..and other activities in the implementation plan.

Charlie knows that this is the most intense phase where doubts and issues arises. But since Charlie has prepared, planed and involved key stakeholders, Charlie gets active support in ensuring to push through the challenges that arises. 

After the implementation is performed, Charlie assess the outcome of the change. Charlie aggregates:

• Changes to performance
• Incidents and deviations
• Operational questions and challenges
• Conflicts or gaps with related assets

..and any other information or observations that Charlie can find.

Charlie then reviews everything and summarizes recommendations for improvements.

The conclusion is that it has given the organisation a positive boost, but there are additional actions needed to get the practice to operate according to expectations. 

Given this positive outcome, Charlie suggests to continue improve the practice (instead of decommissioning it, which can be an option if it failed completely). 

Charlie together with the key stakeholders prioritises the identified opportunities for improvement and starts the work of designing and planning the implementation of the improvements.

With the asset established and the practice operational, Charlie continues to maintain and improve the asset on a regular basis over many years to come. Making sure that the asset is aligned with company direction and operates optimally based on the organisations changing needs and context.