Small Projects

So what is a small project? This is an important question that we need to answer, yet there is not standard definition of a small project.

Projects can be categorised by a number of factors: the number of hours/days/months it will take; the number of people working on a project; the number of months over which a project will be delivered; the value of a project.

Using these different factors we can break small projects down into more specific categories that relates to the amount of effort that should be spent “project managing”. The table below is how I classify small projects:

Small Project Category		Maximum Number of People Involved		Number of Person Hours		Months to Complete		Value of Project
Micro		1		15		3		£5,000
Simple		5		120		6		£10,000
Intermediate		10		360		12		£20,000
Complex		20		1000		18		£50,000

So not all small projects are equal. Therefore the tools and forms required to manage them successfully are not equal. The next few posts will explain in more detail what constitutes a micro, simple, intermediate and complex small project and what tools and forms should be used to manage them.