Project Management Process Guidelines
Once a project complexity and risk level is determined using the project level indicators and the project scorecard these guidelines outline the required planning, documentation, and approvals required for information technology projects at Virginia Tech. While the processes required for low, medium, and high risk projects are the same, the project manager and project leader should provide project documentation that is appropriate to the complexity of the project. High risk projects are supported with documentation that is substantially more detailed and thorough than would be expected for a medium-risk, or low-risk projects. For many low-risk projects, the full documentation package could be as brief as two to three pages, and a low risk project form is available for those projects. Whereas, the documentation for high-risk projects could easily run to hundreds of pages.
Project approval and oversight are also designed according to the level of project risk and complexity. These process guidelines forms show when approval is required and the approval and oversight section below shows who are appropriate approvers.
(Note: Gold highlighting signifies the same process and/or form is used.)
| Processes | Project Risk & Complexity | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | Medium | High | ||
| Initiation Processes Or Product vision | ♦ Project Initiation ♦ Project Charter |
Use IT Project Initiation form | Use IT Project Initiation form or IT Project Charter Template | Use IT Project Charter Template |
| ♦ Approval | Required | Required | Required | |
| Planning Processes Or Product roadmap | ♦ Collect Requirements | No form required. Complexity varies by project | No form required. Complexity varies by project | No form required. Complexity varies by project |
| ♦ Begin Scope Development | Use IT Project Low Risk Project form | Use IT Project Scope form | Use IT Project Scope form | |
| ♦ Project Level Indicators | Use project level indicators table | Use project level indicators table | Use project level indicators table | |
| ♦ Project Scorecard | Use IT Project Scorecard worksheet | Use IT Project Scorecard worksheet | Use IT Project Scorecard worksheet | |
| ♦ Project Plan | Include in Low Risk Project form a simple work plan with assignments and timeline | Microsoft Project project plan or detailed work breakdown structure | Microsoft Project project plan or detailed work breakdown structure | |
| ♦ Resources & Staffing plan | Include in Low Risk Project form a listing of required resources | Use IT Project Resources and Staffing Plan worksheet | Use IT Project Resources and Staffing Plan worksheet | |
| ♦ Purchases & Acquisitions plan | Include in Low Risk Project form a listing of required purchases & acquisitions | Use IT Project Purchases and Acquisitions Plan worksheet | Use IT Project Purchases and Acquisitions Plan worksheet | |
| ♦ Budget plan | Include in Low Risk Project form a preliminary budget and cost estimates | Use IT Project Budget Plan worksheet | Use IT Project Budget Plan worksheet | |
| ♦ Communications plan | Include in Low Risk Project form communications methods and workflow | Use IT Project Communications Plan worksheet | Use IT Project Communications Plan worksheet | |
| ♦ Risk plan | Include in Low Risk Project form identified risks and mitigations | Use IT Project Risk Management Plan worksheet | Use IT Project Risk Management Plan worksheet | |
| ♦ Security Initial Review & plan | Use IT Project Security Initial Review form | Use IT Project Security Initial Review form | Use IT Project Security Initial Review form | |
| ♦ Testing plan | Include in Low Risk Project form quality assurance procedures | Use IT Project Testing Plan worksheet | Use IT Project Testing Plan worksheet | |
| ♦ Training plan | Include in Low Risk Project form as needed | Use IT Project Training Plan worksheet | Use IT Project Training Plan worksheet | |
| ♦ Change Control plan | Included in Low Risk Project form monitoring & controlling procedures | Use Change Control Plan and IT Project Integrated Change Control form | Use Change Control Plan and IT Project Integrated Change Control form | |
| ♦ Quality Management plan | Include in Low Risk Project form quality assurance procedures | Use IT Project Quality Management Plan | Use IT Project Quality Management Plan | |
| ♦ Metrics and Key Performance Indicators | Include in Low Risk Project form | Use IT Project Scope form | Use IT Project Scope form | |
| ♦ Project Scope | Included in Low Risk Project form | Use IT Project Scope form | Use IT Project Scope form | |
| ♦ Document lessons learned thus far | Optional | Optional | Optional | |
| ♦ Approval | Required | Required | Required | |
| Executing Processes Or Release plan | ♦ Project Team Development | No form. PMBOK recommended process (3.5.4) | No form. PMBOK recommended process (3.5.4) | No form. PMBOK recommended process (3.5.4) |
| ♦ Procure or Secure Resources | Included in Low Risk Project form list of required resources, purchases, & acquisitions | Implement IT Project Purchases and Acquisitions Plan and Resources and Staffing Plan | Implement IT Project Purchases and Acquisitions Plan and Resources and Staffing Plan | |
| ♦ Security | Follow VT standards and guidelines | Follow VT standards and guidelines | Follow VT standards and guidelines | |
| ♦ Quality Assurance | Implement Low Risk Project form quality assurance procedures | Implement IT Project Quality Management Plan, Quality Assurance component | Implement IT Project Quality Management Plan, Quality Assurance component | |
| ♦ Direct & Manage Project Resources | No form. PMBOK recommended process (3.5.1) | No form. PMBOK recommended process (3.5.1) | No form. PMBOK recommended process (3.5.1) | |
| ♦ Communication Information Distribution | Implement Low Risk Project form communications methods and workflow | Implement IT Project Communications Plan and IT Project Performance Report | Implement IT Project Communications Plan and IT Project Performance Report | |
| Monitoring & Controlling Processes Or Sprint planning, Daily meetings, Sprint review | ♦ Integrated Change Control | Document in Low Risk Project form the corrective actions taken | Refer to IT Project Integrated Change Control form | Refer to IT Project Integrated Change Control form |
| ♦ Quality Control | Refer to Low Risk Project form quality assurance procedures | Refer to IT Project Quality Management Plan, Quality Control component | Refer to IT Project Quality Management Plan, Quality Control component | |
| ♦ Independent Verification & Validation | Not required | Optional. Refer to IT Project Quality Management Plan, Independent Verification & Validation component | May be required. Refer to IT Project Quality Management Plan, Independent Verification & Validation component | |
| ♦ Report Performance | Refer to Low Risk Project form communications methods and workflow | Refer to IT Project Performance Report | Refer to IT Project Performance Report | |
| ♦ Monitor Risks & Issues | Refer to Low Risk Project form identified risks and mitigations | Refer to IT Project Risk Management Plan | Refer to IT Project Risk Management Plan | |
| ♦ Implement Testing plan | Refer to Low Risk Project form quality assurance procedures | Refer to IT Project Testing Plan | Refer to IT Project Testing Plan | |
| ♦ Security Final Review | Use IT Project Security Final Review form | Use IT Project Security Final Review form | Use IT Project Security Final Review form | |
| ♦ Implement Training plan | As required | As required. Refer to IT Project Training Plan | As required. Refer to IT Project Training Plan | |
| ♦ Document new lessons learned | Optional | Optional | Optional | |
| ♦ Approval | Not Required | Required | Required | |
| Closing Processes Or Sprint Retrospective | ♦ Project Closing | Include in Low Risk Project form closing procedures | Use IT Project Closing form | Use IT Project Closing form |
| ♦ Sign Off | Required | Required | Required | |
| Documentation* | Low Risk Guidelines | Medium Risk Guidelines | High Risk Guidelines | |
| Approval and Oversight | Decision authority | Decision authority | Decision authority + Provost, Vice President, Dean and/or designee | |
* Where plans and documents used are the same, the rigor and amount of detail in those plans and documents may vary significantly based on the projects risk and complexity level. See Project Management Methodology for a further explanation of guidelines. Contact it-project-management@vt.edu for further assistance.