📂

Course 2: Project Initiation

Date @March 14, 2022 → March 30, 2022

Course Link https://www.coursera.org/learn/project-initiation-google/home/welcome

Glossary project charter

How to set the stage for successful project

Week 1
empathise with users through research.

initiation phase
1. refine goals with stakeholders: break down goals using SMART method

2. assess stakeholder power and influence: a stakeholder analysis and power grid

3. assign roles and responsibilities to promote the service: RACI chart

4. create a charter for the next stage of the project.

tips for peer review

understand the activity

provide a descriptive feedback; think of what you've learned and best design practices and use that to describe what you
see or experience.

share your unique perspectives without telling your peers how to specifically improve their designs may spark some
creativity

pick 2 or 3 thing you liked about their work; why the design does a good job of completing the assignment

pick 2 or 3 things that could be improved and provide actionable advice. explain why change is important

💡 "I have a couple of thoughts to share or I like what you've done here."

Week 2
defining project goals, scope and success criteria.

set SMART goal

what is SMART?

specific: has no ambiguity for the project team to misinterpret

measurable: metrics (and benchmark) help the project team determine when the objective is met

Determining metrics can be extremely helpful in capturing statuses, successes, delays, and more in a project. As a
project manager, identifying meaningful metrics can help move the project toward its goal.

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 attainable: the project team agrees the objective is realistic

relevant: the goal fits the organisation's strategic plan and supports the project charter

time bound: the project team documents a date to achieve the goal

pay more attention to measurable (setting the right metrics)

Additionally, by defining each element of a project goal to make it SMART, you can determine what success means for that
goal and how to achieve it.

example:
> your specific goal is to attain a Google Career Certificate.

> You can make this goal attainable by deciding that you will complete one course per month.
> This goal is relevant because it supports your desire to make a career change.
> make this goal time-bound by deciding that you will complete the program within six months.

your SMART goal then becomes: Obtain a Google Career Certificate by taking one course per month within the next six
months.

OKRs
what is it?

OKR stands for objectives and key results. They combine a goal and a metric to determine a measurable outcome.
Objectives define what needs to be achieved and describe a desired outcome.
Key results define how you will measure the outcome of your objective.

why we need it?

Company-level OKRs are shared across an organisation so that everyone can align and focus their efforts to help the
company reach its goals.

Project-level OKRs help define measurable project goals. They need to align with and support both company and
departmental-level OKRs.

Project-level OKRs help establish the appropriate scope for your team so that you can say “no” to requests that may get
in the way of them meeting their objectives. You can also create and use project-level OKRs to help motivate your team
since OKRs are intended to challenge you to push past what’s easily achievable.

OKRs for Project

1. Set your objectives; inspirational, aligned with organisation goals, action oriented, concrete and significant. (determine
what you want to achieve/accomplish in 3-6months)

Cheat sheet:

Does the objective help in achieving the project’s overall goals?

Does the objective align with company and departmental OKRs?

Is the objective inspiring and motivational?

Will achieving the objective make a significant impact?

Objective Example

build the most secure data security software

make a universally-available app

achieve top sales among competitors in the region

2. Develop key result; result oriented (not task), measurable and verifiable, specific and time bound, aggressive yet realistic

Cheat Sheet:

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 What does success mean?

What metrics would prove that we’ve successfully achieved the objective?

Key Result Example:

x % new signups within first quarter post launch

increase advertiser spend by x %

new feature adoption is at least x %

OKRs vs SMART Goals

SMART OKRs

smart goals are not framework, they are

a guideline.

smart goals solely craft the objectives.

the OKRs ask what is the goal and how do
they provoke the question what is the
we get there?
goal?

SMART goals are tend to set annually

OKRs are reviewed quarterly or monthly
which make them less flexible in
(more agile), it is a great way to adjust
responding to the market or outside
goals throughout the year
factors.
smart goals tend to have different
interpretation depending on the
approach that being use.
SMART goals may take longer to set up OKRs are typically both less specific and
because they are often more rigorously more aspirational than SMART goals, and
cascaded throughout the organisation. as such, they often encourage the journey
As a result, individuals’ goals are toward cultural change or a breakthrough
dependent on those of their superiors. development.

ensure your OKRs are smart:

1. is my objective specific?

2. are my key measurable? how will i quantify success?

OKR is a great framework for focusing on achieving results rather than completing tasks, but this doesn’t mean there’s no
place for day-to-day tasks in OKR. They work together.

In fact, Project management is simply a way of organising things that need to be done, while OKR takes care of motivation,
direction, and measurement.

OKRs vs North Star vs KPI

OKRs are a tactical process that helps teams align, while a North Star Metric reflects important principles of growth. A North
Star Metric offers direction and focus, and it becomes an actionable tool to guide experiments and connect teams.

read more: https://www.workfront.com/strategic-planning/goals/okr/okr-examples

https://www.smartsheet.com/content/okr-vs-kpi

Project’s Scope
scope provides boundaries for your project. it includes the project timeline, budget, and resources. always document all the
details of your scope so that your team can refer back to it throughout the cycle

💡 key take: The initiation phase of the project sets the foundation for the project, so ensuring that you understand the
scope and expectations during this stage is essential.

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 recaps on scope:

a clearly defined scope describes all the details of a project and regulates what can be added or removed as it
progresses. 

team members and stakeholders can be encouraged to do their part by focusing on the task that are the most important to
reaching the project's goal.

you need to strike a balance of being just detailed enough; developing a scope of work that’s quick to produce, robust yet
flexible, without creating something that’s so behemoth that it takes you two weeks to produce.

read more about statement/scope of work: https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/how-write-statement-of-work-complete-

guide/

how to figure the project’s scope?

talk to your sponsor & stakeholders, understand their goals are, and find out what is, and what is not included in the
project.

make sure you understand the who, what, when, where, why, and how as it applies to the scope.

If you are missing any of that information, focus your questions on those elements.

example: "Where did the project come from? Why is it needed? What is the project expected to achieve? What does the
project sponsor have in mind? Who approves the final results? etc"

cheat key (to ask to your manager) 5W1H

1. who will approve the scope of the project? (stakeholder)

2. what is the end goal of this project? (goals)

3. what exactly need to be updated? (question related to deliverables)

4. what is the budget? is it fixed or flexible? (cost)

5. how much time do we have to complete the project? when does the project need to be completed? (schedule/time)

6. how much flexibility is there? what is the highest priority: hitting the deadline, sticking to budget, or making sure the
result meets all the quality targets? (flexibility)

Taking the time to ask questions and ensure that you understand the scope of the project will help reduce expenses,
rework, frustration, and confusion.

why we need it?

do we really need a sow (statement of work): refers to the document

yes, it will save you a world of pain later. a statement of work is about managing and documenting expectations, and it’s
best if those who involved know exactly what they are agreeing to.

it will save you from conflict.

when there’s uncertainty or ambiguity it creates tension due to the lack or the gap of understanding, however a properly
written sow could help to tackle them. a statement of work is not to catch a client out, but to state exactly what’s being
done, how, when, and the cost.

statement of work vs scope

are they the same thing? Pretty much

a statement of work usually refers to the document itself, whereas the scope of work is the extent of work that the document
codifies and defines.

project charter vs sow

a project charter is a document that is closely related to the statement of work but is the more big picture. Instead of going
into detail about each task and deliverable, it covers project objectives and expected outcomes.

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 Use this document for larger projects with more phases, where losing track of the scope of the work between phases is
more likely. The project charter is intended for use at the beginning of projects, after the statement of work has been
signed off on.

SOW at minimum:

1. overview- what the project is, the purpose and what its happening and what it will achieve

2. governance-- who has approval

3. work breakdown structure-- how the project will be completed, the approach and specific task

4. deliverables-- what will be produced

5. period of performance-- when the project will be delivered, along with a timeline and a list of milestones. Include the
approximate amount of time for each milestone, as well as approximate start dates and end dates.

6. estimate--what it will cost, as well as a payment schedule

7. assumptions--what is and isn't included

8. work requirements-- any other special requirements and specific about how the project will be completed, such as
specific approaches or tools.

Scope Creep
avoiding scope creep also requires clear communication, expectation management, and a well-defined path to your desired
outcome.

how to overcame it.

external scope creep

make project plans visible

get clarity on project requirements

set ground rules and expectations for stakeholder involvement

create a plan for dealing with out of scope request

put your agreement and plans in writing (document them)

internal scope creep

make clear to your team that any change (outside the scope) will threats the schedule and increases risk.

know and master the details of your project in and out so you're always prepared with the most appropriate response to a
new idea or request.

🗣 "monitor your project scope and protect it at all costs. even the most minor change can mean major risk To your
project success."

best practices (throughout example) to avoid scope creep

1. define your project's requirements: communicate with stakeholders to find exactly what they want from the project
during initiation phase

2. set a clear project schedule: time and task management are essential for sticking to your project scope.

3. determine what is out of scope: come to clear agreement about the potential impacts to the project and document your
agreement.

4. provide alternatives. alternative solutions or help them consider how their proposed changes might create additional risk
and add a cost benefit analysis.

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 5. set up a change control process. during the course of your project, some changes are inevitable. determine the process
for how each change will be defined, reviewed, and approved (or rejected) before you add it to your project plan. make
sure your project team is aware of this process.

6. learn how to say no.

7. collect costs for out of scope work. If out-of-scope work is required, be sure to document all costs incurred: costs for
work indirectly impacted by the increased scope. Be sure to indicate what the charges are for.

🗣 key takeaway: you can only avoid scope creep if everyone involved in the project understands and agrees on
responsibilities, boundaries, and timelines.

read more: https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/scope-creep/

Triple Constraint Model

change is a given in project management, and being adequately prepared ensures that changes don’t jeopardise the entire project
and the relationships involved.

what is triple constraint model?

in order to decide if a scope change is acceptable and what impact it will have, project managers usually refer to the triple
constraint model; scope, time and cost.

you have to know what is most important when it comes to these 3 by knowing the clear understanding of the project
priorities.

if there is a specific deadline that must be met, then you need to limit any changes to the scope that might cause the
project to go past the deadline. in the end, it's al about prioritising which element of the triangle matters the most in the
project

when you understand the triple constraint model, you'll have the tools to evaluate scope changes. understanding how
changes will be evaluated, accepted, and performed is key to scope management.

additional constraint (based on PMBOK’s):

1. scope

2. quality: similar to scope except it focuses on the characteristic of a deliverable.

3. schedule

4. budget

5. benefit: represent the value the project is expected to deliver to the organisation; increasing sales or improving customer
services

6. risk: refers to the probability that an event affects the project will occur and its potential impact. this constrain has to with
the level of risk the project stakeholders or team are willing to tolerate.

read more: https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/triple-constraint/

https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/managing-challenges-triple-constraints-6884

Metrics
How to measure project’s success?

project launch is when we deliver the final deliverable, and landing is when we actually measure the success of our
project using success criteria that have been established at the outset of the project.

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 for most projects, a launch itself isn't a meaningful measure of success. it is what comes after the launch that really
counts. launches are only a means to an end, and looking beyond the launch is important to ensure the launch
achieves your overall goals.

we measure project’s success by landing. it is once we determine it works and satisfy our success criteria.

a project landing shouldn’t create more hurdles. if done correctly, a landing creates greater alignment within the teams on
the end results you all desire, and it gives everybody on the team better visibility on how to achieve success.

Success criteria
includes all the specific details of your goals and deliverables, and it can be a guide so you know whether you've
accomplished what you set out to do.

understanding stakeholder: understand, adapt, assess

using OKRs to evaluate progress

communicate and tracking OKRs

communicate them to the team by sharing a digital document, presenting them in meeting or adding them into internal
website

assign owner of each KR so that everyone is accountable. it helps add clarity and increases accountability.

measuring progress of your OKRs; helpful tool to measure how close you came in achieving your objectives

determine how you will score your OKRs: usually graded on a scale of 0.0 to 1.0

set your expectations: at google the sweet spot usually at 60%-70% or 0.6-0.7 across all OKRs

schedule checkpoints: regularly communicate OKRs progress to your team and senior managers.

🗣 key takeaway: OKRs can help you define and measure your project’s success criteria. it’s important to share them
with your team, assign owners to each key result to ensure accountability, measure your OKRs’ progress by scoring
them, and track your OKRs’ progress by scheduling regular check-ins with your team.

week 3
Project Roles
Project Manager

responsible for the overall success of the team, and ultimately, the project as a whole.

paying close attention to the team; use team-building techniques, motivation, influencing, decision-making, and coaching-
skills to keep their team strong and to successfully completing a project.

integrate all the project work by developing the project management plan, directing the work, documenting reports,
controlling change, and monitoring quality.

responsible for balancing the scope, schedule, and cost of a project by managing engagement with stakeholders.

project managers rely on strong communication skills, political and cultural awareness, negotiation, trust-building,
and conflict management skills.

Stakeholder
usually divided into 2 groups: primary stakeholder, and secondary stakeholder.

primary stakeholder

directly affected by the outcome of the project

usually incl. team members, senior leaders, and customers.

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 secondary stakeholder

indirectly affected by the outcome of the project

example:
imagine that you are a project manager for a construction company that is commissioned to build out a new event space
for a local catering company.

the owners of the catering company would be primary stakeholders since they are paying for the project. ex. CEO

the project’s point of contact in legal would be secondary stakeholders. while the project outcome might not affect
them directly, the project itself would impact their work when they process the contract.

Each project will have a different set of stakeholders, which is why it’s important for the project manager to know who they are,
what they need, and how to communicate with them.

Team Members
expertise

Project Sponsor

The project sponsor is another primary stakeholder. A sponsor initiates the project and is responsible for presenting a
business case for its existence, signing the project charter, and releasing resources to the project manager.

The sponsor is very important to the project, so it’s critical to communicate with them frequently throughout all project
phases. In our construction company example, the CEO could also be the project sponsor.

Stakeholder Analysis

A project manager’s ability to balance stakeholder requirements, get their buy-in, and understand when and how to
involve them is key to successfully fulfilling a project.

key steps in stakeholder analysis

1. make list of all the stakeholder the project impact. always start with documentation to identify stakeholders.

ask yourself:

who is impacted by this project?

who contributes to this project?

ask your leader/another stakeholder:

is there anyone else you’d recommend i connect with?

you can also write notes about personal information, like and dislikes, positive negative or anything that might build a
strong engagement with them.

2. determine the level of interest and influence each stakeholder; by study the scope

3. assess stakeholder’s ability to participate and then find ways to involve them; there will be active and passive,

💡 Pro tip: You might want to form a steering committee during some projects. A steering committee is a
collection of key stakeholders who have a high level of power and interest in a project. A steering committee
can influence multiple departments within the organisation.

visualising your analysis (by power grid)

power grid shows stakeholder interest vs their value over the project.

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 this tool helps project manager evaluate how to manage their stakeholder by determine the appropriate level of engagement required by the project
team needed to gain the stakeholder’s trust and buy in.

tip: the ability to understand motivation and inspiration is the key skill to make a successful stakeholder engagement. it
requires time, interpersonal skills and insight to the politic working.
each project is different, and your project may need tweaks along the way as you grow as a project manager. Making
necessary changes means you are doing something right. Just make sure to check in and ensure that you are well on track,
engaging your stakeholders successfully, and delivering on your project!

generating stakeholder buy-in

make some decisions on whose buy-in is absolutely necessary for success, whose requirements deserve the most attention
and what level of communication each stakeholder will require.
tips to gaining it:

mapping the work of the project to the goals of the stakeholder

describing how the project aligns with the goals of the stakeholder’s department or team

listening to feedback from the stakeholder and finding ways to incorporate their feedback into the project charter where
appropriate

tip: do not over promise and under deliver

recaps + add-ins

analyse their impact;

study scope

structured question

matrix monitor

dive into documentation

use governance forums;

expanding engagement; structured/regular meetings, employee surveys, customer-satisfaction surveys.

source:

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 We Asked the Project Management Community: What Steps Do You Take To Identify and Prioritize All Stakeholders at the Start of a Project?
ISTOCKPHOTO We asked the project management community: What steps do you take to identify and prioritize all stakeholders at the start of a project?
OPPORTUNITY TO IDENTIFY What steps do you take to identify all stakeholders at the start of a project? Share your tips on the PMI Project, Program and
Portfolio Management LinkedIn Group.
https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/identify-prioritize-stakeholders-11408

suggested questions for stakeholders

What are your most important priorities/goals?

How will this initiative/project support you and your most important priorities?

What role would you like to play within this initiative/project?

Here’s how I plan to keep people informed; does that work for you?

What can I clarify for you?

What are your expectations? What would you like for the project to accomplish?

What would success look like for you?

Who else do you recommend I reach out to about this initiative?

What information or insights do you have that might be challenging for me to find?

Where do you see me getting support for this initiative? Facing resistance?

What additional thoughts/questions do you have?

Over the years, I've kept track of the questions that are most helpful in revealing the various
aspects of a project, including stakeholders. While these questions and the overall process can
vary with every project, I always make sure to seek out people in the organization's enabling areas
to ensure I've captured all the right stakeholders. The biggest challenge that disrupts any process
is a lack of adequate time. But in the face of urgency, you have to remind yourself at all times that
successful stakeholder analysis is crucial to establishing solid relationships, trust and buy-in.”

Building out a RACI chart

Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed: a tool to give direction to each team member and stakeholder involved in the
project. this tool ensure the work gets done efficiently.

example

Responsible
questions to ask:

what department does the work fall under?

who will perform the work?

evaluate your team to know if they suit the task/role given!

example (from office green project)

Accountable
the one that is responsible for making sure the task gets done. it’s important to have only one individual accountable for
each task.

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 questions to ask:

who will delegate the task to be completed?

who will review the work to determine if the task is complete?

if it possible, separate “responsible” and “accountable”

example

Consulted

they have useful information to help complete the task. no max or min people to assign as consulted role BUT the important
reason must present.
questions to ask:

who will the task impact?

who will have the input or feedback for the responsible person to help the work be completed?

who are the subject matter experts for the task?

they help accomplish the task efficiently and correctly.

Who else would need to provide input on the product’s price points? Whose decisions and feedback will directly affect the task? The Director of
Product will need to be consulted on the matter, as they oversee all product offerings. This person will have information about potential changes to
the product and how these changes might affect price points.

Informed
people who need to know the final decision that were made and when a task is completed.

who cares abt this task’s completion?

who will be affected by the outcome?

make sure that you have a plan to keep them informed that is not labor-intensive. something as easy as view-only access to your project plan or
meeting notes could prevent you from having to create separate communications along the way.

🗣 A RACI chart can also help you analyse and balance the workload of your team. While it may take many revisions to
make sure that your team members and stakeholders are being placed into the right roles in your RACI chart, doing this
work up front helps save time and prevent miscommunications later on

Make the most of RACI chart

usually large projects will greatly benefit from a RACI chart rather than small projects. it is always a good idea to work through the
creation of a RACI and evaluate the outcome.

definition and structure

determining the RACI on yours allows you to keep control of the stakeholders roles on your project

workload balance

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 review your RACI and see who’s getting too many responsibilities/roles. avoid overloading member with too many tasks, as
pm you are responsible to delegate task and avoid burnout!
RACI chart to determine responsibility for tasks can help mitigate single points of failure (known as creating silos where the
knowledge and responsibility for a task falls on one person) this is not healthy.

put your RACI into practice

share your RACI with your sponsor and stakeholder to get buy-in and sign-off.

document these acknowledgement into project charter, meeting notes, and RACI chart itself. these will help you to
avoid potential pitfall.

Why project fail: initiation missteps.

there are several reasons. some things are out of control and some are in control but we failed to control.

out control such as the technology is unavailable, or a stakeholder decides to drastically change the goals of the project.

in control such as being unable to complete the project deliverables within the agreed upon time or being unable to fulfill the
stakeholder’s vision for the project.

here few key reasons why project fail

unclear expectation
not taking the time at the beginning of a project to ask essential questions, document decisions, and understand the true
scope of the project may lead to failure. After all, without directions, you can never reach your destination. (check again
initiation questions)

unrealistic expectation
sometimes, we accidentally agree to unrealistic expectations and set our projects up for failure from the start. this will likely
result in quality issues. It’s important to understand the requirements of a project before agreeing to any deadlines. as a best
practice, don't commit to firm dates when initiating the project to avoid setting unrealistic expectations. you will have more
information and will be able to better manage expectations in the planning phase.

miscommunication
As a project manager, you do not necessarily have to cater to everyone’s unique communication styles, but you do have to set
expectations about how communication will occur. As you are kicking off a project, make sure you take some time to
understand the communication needs of your team and stakeholders.

lack of resources
inc. team members, budget, and materials. without proper planning, your resources can quickly be over-tasked or depleted.
sometimes a specific skill-set is need to complete a task!

another common error is to incorrectly calculate your project expenses. clarify your resource needs and confirm their
availability with leadership up front to avoid delays or issues further along in the project.

scope creep
Sometimes projects fail because the scope of the project grows and impacts to the scope are not captured.
when deliverables change, you have to make sure that you are capturing the potential impact of those changes to the
schedule, budget, and quality. This is why it is so important to make sure that everything is documented in the initiation phase.
Have a plan for how to handle scope creep if it occurs, and clarify who has the authority to approve scope changes.

recap + add in
Taking the time to clarify expectations—particularly around communication methods, resources available, and scope—during
the initiation phase will increase the chances of your project’s success. Even if you follow these best practices, you may still

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 encounter failure. Remember that in every failure, there is the opportunity to learn, grow, and do better the next time.

https://project-management.com/7-lessons-to-learn-from-a-failed-project/

🧰  Project Resources
Project resources are who and what you depend on to complete a project; budget, materials, and people. even though each of
them is a separate entity, but they depend to each other.

budget
it is important to closely monitor you spending to avoid going over budget. also it is important to align budget with project’s
scope and the stakeholder’s asks.

common aspect:

team: the cost of the people performing the work

services: any outside vendors

materials: any tangible items purchased to complete the project

people

make sure you have commitment and buy-in on the number of hours it will take for your resources to complete their tasks.

materials
it is important to account for any and all potential materials in order to execute a successful project with the right people and
within budget.

💡 As a project manager, remembering that your resources are dependent on one another is key to understanding the
function of each resource and determining how to manage all of them. Take the time to interview stakeholders and
potential team members about what resources they think they will need in order to deliver the project. They may have
an idea of materials they require that you may not have accounted for within the budget, for example, or can identify
people with expertise that would make them an asset to the project team.

⚙ Tools
Tools are aids that make it easier for a project manager or team to manage resources and organise work. They help you do things
like track tasks, manage budgets, and collaborate with teammates.

why we document stuffs?

there are a lot of important decisions to keep track of; includes everything from identifying project goals and deliverables to
choosing the right people to add to a team.
documentation helps set the stage for the final project. it communicates the answer to key questions.

what problem are you trying to solve? What are the project goals? What are the scope and deliverables, and who are the
project's stakeholders? Lastly, what resources does the team need to complete their work? This is all crucial information
for anyone who's working on a project, regardless of their role

documentation also helps preserve decisions made early on in the project and can serve as a reference point for the team
members who might join later in the project and can serve as a reference point for team members who might join later in the
project life cycle.

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 documenting decisions can help you uncover tasks, timelines, or costs you hadn't previously considered. And lastly, this
process provides a historical record that can be reviewed at the end of your project.

project proposal

a form of documentation that comes in the very beginning.

to persuade stakeholders to begin the project/that a project should begin. explain the whys

project charter

a formal document that clearly defines the project and outlines the necessary details to reach its goal. it makes clear the
benefit of the project.

in a nutshell; the formal way to capture goals, values, benefit and details. think of it as a compass for your project. and that
compass will be used for all of the roles involved in your project. be sure to use business case (the reason for initiating the
project) as the guiding direction for your project charter.

make sure to involve your stakeholder in creating charter, so that it can address their most important concern and keeps
your team aligned.

project charter’s combination

usually vary but at least should include these key infos:

goals/project summary

goals/objective

business case/benefit and cost

project team

scope

success criteria

major requirements or key deliverables

budget

schedule/timeline or milestones

constraints and assumptions

risks

OKRs

approvals

Remember, it is a living document; let it grow with your project, and review and revisit it often to ensure you are aligned.

example of charter. remember charter is attuned to the size and the complexity of your project. for more complex project you may link to additional
analysis or documents.

whether they’re straightforward or sophisticated, tools have the power to help you communicate and manage more effectively.

💬 Introducing new tools to team.

navigating change is essential but if you introduce new tools that your team unfamiliar with (in the midway), your team may be
hesitant. the good thing is change can be met with resistance.

hence before you introduce it, make sure that:

this tool is actually going to benefit the project

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 ensure that those involved in your project understand that benefit.

communicate and demonstrate it to your team, this will show that you have the best interest of the team in mind, and not
just the success of the project.

some important consideration:

discuss the tool early and often. will help the team to navigate the migration.

ask fo feedback from key stakeholder. you can solicit this by requesting their input about functionality or have them list
features in order of priority.

involve the key stakeholders in demonstrations as you get closer to making the final decision on the project tracking tool.
this is to leverage their acceptance and to highlight in house experts for future training, assistance, and implementation.

ensure the tool is fully functional before the team is introduced to it.

set up training for the tool as needed before you ask the team to actually use it. the training will help create first
impressions, which will lead into higher productivity and quicker, successful implementation and acceptance.

🗣 Pro tip:
If time allows, plan for a period of transition if you are replacing an existing tool. It is common to allow both tools to
operate during this period. You will need to “sunset,” or retire, the existing tool eventually, but allowing for a period of
transition between using the old tool and the new tool can help stakeholders and team members feel more at ease and
give them time to gain familiarity with the new tool. Be prepared for productivity to be impacted as the team transitions
from one tool to another.

🧰 Types of tools
tools are our best friends, they will help us to drive the execution. look at the available toolset so that we’re not defragging the
system that much. find out the support, current adoption rate and look at what are the gaps. if there are gaps, propose a new tool
to improve productivity
types of tools in general :

scheduling and work management software

asana, jira, monday.com, basecamp

tools for productivity

word processing tools: word, gdocs

spreadsheet (to make RACI and project plans)

collaboration tools

email, chats, slack, miro

but if there's an existing toolset which your team is following, try to learn those because those will get quick adoption, and those
will be an amazing toolset to have with you.

Course 2: Project Initiation 15