It would be inconceivable to run a project of any size or complexity without a project manager in the same way that would be inconceivable for a vehicle to run without a driver or some form of mechanism to control its speed, direction, stops and starts.

However, in my experience of projects with a high IT content, a significant number do not have someone firmly in the driving seat, even for projects of strategic importance to the organisation and of significant cost and value. A project without leadership will not meet the deadline, nor its budget, and certainly not its business objectives.

IT project management is much more complex than most business leaders realise and will often make the difference between success and failure. A good, seasoned project manager is fundamental to a successful outcome. He should be able to bring the project team to work together towards the common goal through strong leadership, crisp and frequent communication, and sensible, rapid decisions.

Over the course of a project many issues will emerge that require attention and action but there are some that are common to most projects and should be identified and addressed as early as possible.

Roles and responsibilities

It is important to agree the project structure upfront with a definition of roles and responsibilities – including communication channels. A project is delivered by the project team under the control and management of a project manager who is typically supported by a project management office. The steering committee provides direction and key decisions including the approval of key deliverables. The project sponsor champions the success of the project and leads the steering committee.

Planning

The planning process enables the production of a detailed project plan which is the basis from which to run the project. The plan should be based on extensive analysis of the tasks that will deliver the project, their dependencies on other tasks and resources, together with the effort required to complete the tasks. This analysis should also consider the organisation’s capabilities, available resources and the required deadlines.

Due to the wide range of considerations in the planning process, many issues arise at this early stage or can emerge later as the project progresses. Although the plan is important it is not set in stone so it can be revised taking into account new information and new realities.

Conflict management

Conflicts often emerge in projects that span many areas of the business and that have multiple stakeholders who have different objectives and opinions on priorities, resourcing and how the project should be run. Good project management is about how these conflicts are addressed and resolved and the mitigating actions to prevent them from becoming serious issues. There can also be conflicts within the project team in terms of the resources and the time and effort required to complete the tasks that have been assigned. The project manager must remain alert and quick in devising solutions.

Communication

The importance of communication is often overlooked and every effort should be made to ensure communication is effective through early planning and the establishment of communication structures and channels. Issues in communication arise when there is a lack of clarity leading to misunderstandings and lack of direction. Communication should be delivered in a timely manner and not left until the last moment as this puts undue pressure on the recipient.

Regular structured communications should be devised and sent to the project team informing them of decisions that have been made, especially if the team is dispersed and would not pick up information in the normal course of business.

Replacement of a core IT system is largely about management of the change process. The skills necessary for such an endeavour include the understanding of IT systems, understanding the business area that the system aims to address, project management and control, together with a heavy dose of people management and verbal and written communication skills.

A tall order indeed, making IT project management a significant challenge.

Eric Muscat is a partner at KPMG in Malta. He has extensive experience in delivering substantial change programmes within an IT context.