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Project Management Orientation

Work and Schedule are Predictable Key

This key covers estimating and scheduling, and is often the first key to become unhealthy on a project.  Sometimes problems in this key are due to poor estimation and scheduling during the planning phase.  But the root cause for work and schedule problems are often found in other keys, such as the stakeholders lose their commitment or the scope is not well understood.

Here are some criteria for assessing the Work and Schedule are Predictable key:

Healthy Signs

  • Everyone gives the same definition of finished.
  • Good evidence of control is available.
  • Slippage, when it happens, is predicted

Unhealthy Signs

  • Stakeholders and project team members cannot describe what finished means.
  • Controls are not evident, including poor plans and tracking mechanisms.
  • Slippage is a surprise.

This key is the traditional project management indicator of project health.  It is otherwise known as "on time and on budget." The project team uses this early project health indicator to implement a correction in the course of the project.

Work and Schedule are Predictable icon
1: Getting Started
2: Define the Project Team
3: Team Management
4: Identify and Validate Requirements
5: Create Decomposition Structures
6: Risk Management
7: Project Estimates
8: Project Schedules
9: Change Management
10: Project Control and Execution
Defining the Project
11: Project Management Review
12: Project Closeout
13: Project Management Tool Suite
14: Self-Assessment and Final Exam
Fast Points
Concepts
Seven Keys
Case Study
WWPMM
Mentor
Check Point
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