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MASTER PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Estimate the Work
Your estimates will get more precise as you become more familiar with the project. Begin with a
frank discussion with the project sponsor and then narrow down the range with each subsequent
conversation. It’s helpful if you can establish some idea of the sponsor’s maximum ability in terms
of cost and time at the outset of the project. That way you won’t have scoped out a project that isn’t
realistically viable.
INITIAL DISCUSSION Minimum Cost Maximum Cost
Minimum Time Maximum Time

PROJECT KICK-OFF Minimum Cost Maximum Cost
Minimum Time Maximum Time
1ST ITERATION Minimum Cost Maximum Cost
Minimum Time Maximum Cost

Identify and Resolve Issues

Issues are going to come up. Prioritizing and dealing with them will keep your project on track. You
may want to use a chart to track the issues, the member assigned to them and their resolution.

ISSUE RECEIPT ORGINATOR’S ASSIGNED RESPONSE

NO. TITLE TYPE PRIORITY DATE NAME TO DATE STATUS RESOLUTION
1.
2.
3.

4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Handle Change with Ease

Every successful project manager must be able to adapt to change. However, unless you have an
unlimited budget and timeframe (and that’s pretty unlikely), you’ll have to decide which changes
to implement and to what degree they can be implemented. Whether you address these changes
through formal or informal methods is up to you and your organization, but even if requests for
change are submitted informally, you’ll still need to track the requests and your decisions regarding
each one.

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If you choose to use formal change request forms, you might use a template like this one.

CHANGE REQUEST FORM

Date: Project: Requested by:

Type of change: Scope (Amount of work) Budget/Resources Time/Deadline

Describe the change you’re requesting

How important is this change?

Somewhat important Important Critical

If the only way we can incorporate this change is by adjusting other elements of the project, what would you adjust?

Scope (Amount of work) Budget/Resources Time/Deadline

For Project Manager Use

Change approved Not at all In part In full

Describe approved changes

Adjustments will be made to

No Adjustments Scope (Amount of work)

Budget/Resources Time/Deadline

Describe adjustments and impact on project

Approved by Approved by

Project Manager Project Sponsor

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 Regardless of how changes are requested, you will need to track them. You may want to use a chart like this one.

Change Tracking Table

©TorranceLearning
REQUEST DATE APPROVED FINANCIAL COSTS DATE
DESCRIPTION IMPACT APPROVED BY COMMENTS
ORIGINATOR RAISED (Y/N) AUTHORIZED BY APPROVED

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TIP If you want to learn more, check out A Quick Guide to

LLAMA - Agile Project Management for Learning paperback.
Available now on Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Guide-LLAMA-Management-
Learning/dp/1500751553

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Communication
Frequent, clear communication is key to a smoothly-running project. Those on the team carrying out
the project must communicate with one another and the project manager. The project manager, in
turn, must communicate with the project sponsors. Weekly status updates keep everyone apprised of
the progress being made and serve as a valuable tool to keep issues visible for all.

PROJECT STATUS REPORT

PROJECT SUMARY
REPORT DATE: PROJECT NAME: PREPARED BY:
(Select Date) (Project) (Author)

TASK COMPLETED

zz
zz
zz

UPCOMING TASKS
zz
zz
zz

BUDGET OVERVIEW
CATEGORY SPENT % OF TOTAL ON TRACK NOTES

ISSUES TO RESOLVE/OPEN QUESTIONS

zz
zz
zz

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