The Project Objective

The project objective should answer the question: “What do I want to achieve/avoid through doing this project?”

There is a simple rule you can apply to ensure you have rigorous and complete project objectives. This is known as the S.M.A.R.T. Model. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timeframes.
Specific Clearly states what must be achieved.
Measurable Clearly states how success will be measured.
Achievable Is realistic in terms of effort and expenditure.
Relevant Meets the organisation’s strategic plan; contributes to achievement of a significant venture.
Timebound Clearly states start and end times, and downtime if appropriate.
(Cost You may wish to add roughly how much will the project cost.)
Of the above five components of objectives, Achievable and Relevant are not always documented, although you must ensure they are taken into consideration in writing the objective.

Project Objective Example – The Garden Shed
(As I have no room in the garage for my gardening tools, I will do the following project:)
To build a two-door garden shed that is 2 metres wide, 1.8 metres deep and 2 metres tall and has two doors on the concrete slab in my backyard. Starting this Saturday morning, and finishing by sundown Sunday. The kit and tools should cost $2,500.
(I am using a kit and have done this once before, so do not expect any major problems.)

Explanation of Example:
Specific … build a garden shed …
Measurable … that is 2 metres wide, 1.8 metres deep and 2 metres tall and has two doors on the concrete slab in my backyard …
Achievable … (I am using a kit and have done this once before) ...
Relevant … (I have no room in the garage for my gardening tools)...
Timebound … starting this Saturday morning, and finishing by sundown Sunday.
Cost … $2,500 for kit and tools.

The Ultimate Objective

In addition to the Project Objective, in many situations there is an Ultimate Objective. The Ultimate Objective is the objective for which we are undertaking the project. In the case of the building of the Chunnel (the tunnel beneath the English Channel), the Project Objective involved digging a long tunnel and lining it with concrete. However, the Ultimate Objective was linking England with the Continent of Europe, a far larger undertaking that just digging a hole. For some people the Ultimate Objective may have been to improve the links between the United Kingdom and the European Union; or to create a cost-effective method of transporting goods between the United Kingdom and the European Union. Be sure to know and understand the Ultimate Objective.

ACTIVITY:
Take a sheet of paper and write the letters SMART down the left side, giving yourself plenty of space to fill in the details. Fill in the details. Then ask someone to read over the objective - ask for their honest feedback abotu what you have written.

The Project Definition (Applying the 7 P’s)

Earlier I noted that the Project Definition will consist of the following content. I have added some jargon to make it easier to put sub-headings into this topic.

At a minimum, you need to know:
* What you want to achieve – Project Objective.
* Who you are doing it for – Project Client.
* How you will go about it, how you are going to start, and how you are going to finish – Project Activities.
* Who will be involved – Project Team.
* What the project should cost – Project Budget.
* How you will keep track of progress – Project Monitoring.
* How soon you need to/can be finished – Project Deadline.
* How you will be able to tell that you have finished – Project Outcomes.

...Geoff

Project Information

The effective project manager quickly becomes a clearinghouse of important and trivial project information. To be that clearinghouse, first the project manager must absorb a huge amount of information about the project. Even small projects can potentially involve large amounts of information. Some suggested questions you need to answer as soon as possible after taking on the role of project manager include:

* What do we want to achieve from this project?
* How will we know that the project is finished?
* How will we measure success (in quantity and quality)?
* What else could we achieve that may be beneficial?
* What could go wrong during the project?
* Will all of the outcomes be positive?
* What processes should be followed?
* What safety criteria should be considered?
* What impact could this project have on other parts of our organisation?
* What machinery and tools are required?
* Are there in issues with regard to procurement or maintenance of the machinery and tools?
* Who needs to be involved? In providing supplies/inputs, doing the tasks, observing, measuring outcomes, etc.
* Do people need to be released from other duties?
* Who needs to know about the project?
* How much do they need to know?
* How soon can/should we start?
* How soon can/should we finish?
* Will any downtime impact on the project?
* What is the budget?
* Where will the project be located?
* What are the consequences of project failure (for the organisation, the stakeholders, the project team and the project manager)?

Organising this information can be very challenging. If you like mind-maps, this is a great way to organise large amounts of information. If you are a notebook kind of person, get a notebook ASAP and write the project name on the front. Number the notebook “1”, as you are likely to need more. Much of this information will go into your Project Definition.

...Geoff