Project Management and Change Articles

Prioritisation Matrix: Effort vs Value Without Pretending It Is Exact Science

A prioritisation grid is not a calculation. It is a way of making two judgements visible at the same time, and its worth depends entirely on who is in the room when they are made.

Configuration Management: The Control Most Projects Notice Too Late

Change control decides what should happen. Configuration management records what is actually there, which is the question everybody asks at the worst possible moment.

Closing Contracts Without Leaving Loose Ends

A contract ends when somebody says it has. Closing it properly means making sure nothing is still attached to it: data, access, licences, warranties and money.

Outcome-Based Contracts: Buying Results Rather Than Activity

Paying for effort guarantees you spend money. Paying for a result only works where the result can be measured, attributed and influenced by the supplier you are paying.

Developing the Project Budget: Where the Numbers Become a Commitment

An estimate is a view of what something should cost. A budget is a promise with dates attached, and the difference shows up the first time the money is needed before it has arrived.

Plan Financial Management: Decide the Rules Before the Numbers

Most project cost disputes are classification disputes. They are settled long before estimating begins, or they are settled painfully in month five by whoever has the strongest position.

Practical thinking for project professionals