Milestones

I thought I would expand a little more on milestones. The aim of this blog is to be as accessible to people who carry out small projects as possible, yet have no background in project management. So for me to just tell you to “Firstly write down the key milestones” isn’t overly helpful if you have never had to consider milestones before.

Milestones are those points in a project that stand out, things that you are aiming for. They often represent when something has been completed or another set of tasks are about to begin. With each milestone there is an event, output or a deliverable.

Milestones can be use to keep track of the project. They provide an easy way of assessing how well your project is doing in terms of its budget and deadline.

There are two approaches to developing milestones. The second is often used even if you use the first approach.

Approach 1: Identify all the key points on your project such as when something is delivered, an event takes place or there is an output.

Approach 2: List all the tasks in the project. Within these identify the critical points, the key markers. These are your milestones.

After completing Approach 1 you begin to list the tasks associated with delivering these milestones. While developing your list you may also apply Approach 2 and identify additional milestones.

Micros Small Project Template Part 2

The Micro Small Project Plan Template can downloaded here. This file was virus checked before being uploaded, but please practice safe surfing and perform a virus check once downloaded.

The previous post covered with the first section of the template, which deals with the details of the project.

The second section details how the project will be delivered. The person responsible for delivering the project or the project manager should complete it.

How to use the template - Part 2
This post will go through the steps required to define the Project Tasks.

Task: Firstly write down the key milestones. Then under each of these milestones write down all the tasks that need to be done to achieve them. Don’t worry about getting them in the right order at first, just write down the tasks as the come into your head. Once you have all the tasks, rearrange into a logical order. Once you have done this and read through them any missing tasks should be more obvious.

Resources: What resources are required to deliver the task. Resources also include the team member to deliver the task.

Duration: How long will the task take to deliver, record this in hours or days.

There are three commonly used techniques for estimating how long a task will take:
1. Use a similar task in a previous project as a guide.
2. Ask someone who has done a similar project or task.
3. Guess, how long do you think it will take, then double that.

Start:
When do you intend to start this task? Bearing mind how long it will take to
complete and the date that it needs to be finished by.

Finish: Are there specific deadlines that must be met.

Status: This is to help you track the project. It should be simple phrases such as started, delayed, completed.

You now know how the project will be delivered, who will carry out each task, what resources are needed and how much time each task will take to meet the project deadline.

The next post will cover the final parts of the Micro Small Project Plan; recording additional information on the resources and budget; identifying project review points; and recording project notes.

Micro Small Project Plan Template: Part 1

I have now uploaded the Micro Small Project Plan Template. You can download it here. This file was virus checked before being uploaded, but please practice safe surfing and perform a virus check once downloaded.

Just like a project plan this template is constantly evolving and changing with elements being modified, added or removed. This is the current version that I use. It enables me to record all the relevant information for projects I am delegating or for small projects which I am delivering myself.

The most important part of any project is the planning of it. There is always a temptation to just start and do something to get the project underway. However it will only take 10-15 minutes to fill out the Project Plan Template. The benefit of completing this template is that it ensures that you know what you are to deliver.

How to use the template part 1

This post will cover the first section of the template which deals with the details of the project. This section is important to ensure that the requirements of the project are explicitly understood. I recommend that the person who is delegating the project completes this.

However, if it has not been completed this is also a good way of ensuring that the person delivering the project clearly understands what they are being asked to deliver. After completing the first section email it to the person responsible for delegating the project and ask for them to confirm they are happy with the contents. Any misunderstandings can be quickly ironed out before the project begins.

Project Name: What is the project called, if there is a job code include it here.

Budget: How much money is available to deliver this project. On micro small projects this will all relate to expenditure and staff costs will not be included, but clarify this.

Completion Date: When must this project be completed by.

Description: A short description of the project, giving an outline of what it is and what it should achieve. It is important to nail this down clearly before starting the project.

Objective: I remove and add this element form the template on a regular basis. This isoften captured in the description, however sometimes it may be beneficial to state the objectives separately.

Constraints: In this section any public holidays and annual leave of key people should be noted. Any issues that could impact on the delivery of the project should also be recorded here. This could include the budget or completion date not being confirmed; the name of an event to still be agreed; resources not confirmed.

Roles and Responsibilities: Record who is delivering the project, who is supervising the project, the budget holder, key people who need to be involved and the role each person will play.

Main deliverables: What is the main output of this project, a report, an event, a display?

External Dependencies: What resources and/or people from outside your organisation/department are required to deliver this project successfully?

That is the project definition complete. The purpose of the project has been recorded with the requirements specified. The next post will discuss the tasks section and include techniques to help complete this.