The power of planning - part two
Featured in the The Project Management Activity Pack training manual
By Eddie Davies
Category: Management
Credit price: 3 download credits (Single user)
‘The power of planning – part one’, illustrates how the project manager can identify the key activities involved in planning and gaining control over what happens. This training activity involves the participants in identifying who does what. It is very important that everyone involved in the project is clearly assigned responsibility for completing each individual element. If this is not established, it will be difficult to hold individuals accountable and confusion will reign over who is to do what. This can lead to some tasks being done twice, by different people, whilst other key tasks may either be missed or only partly completed.
You start the session by reminding the participants about what they learned during the activity, ‘The power of planning – part one’, by showing and OHT of the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). You then lead a discussion during which you introduce the technique of drawing up a Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) – a device for showing who is responsible for each activity identified in the WBS. You demonstrate to the group the three stages of the process, using an example of your choice. The participants then have an opportunity to try out the technique, using the example project developed into a WBS in ‘The power of planning – part one’. Their work is then reviewed and constructive feedback given by both fellow participants and yourself. In the next stage of the session you consider the essential ingredients that should be covered in a discussion between the project manager and the person assigned responsibility for an activity. The participants return to their groups and carry out a briefing discussion in which they have the opportunity to role-play the participants and develop the skills involved. Following a plenary review which constructively analyses what went on, you then introduce the second approach – the Gantt chart. Participants are given the opportunity to develop this technique, using the same project WBS. Following a review of what happened, you encourage the participants to think about how they may apply what they have learned from the training activity back at their workplace. They fill in their learning review diary (where appropriate).
Who is it for: This training resource is intended for use by trainers and continues the introduction to the planning process. It aims to develop the participants’ skills in presenting planning information in a visual form that is clear and useful.
| Resource Type: | Activity |
| Min Group Size: | 4 |
| Max Group Size: | 20 |
| Typical Duration: | 03:35:00 |
| No of Pages: | 17 |
Resources: View standard resources for Fenman training activities
Additional resources: an A1 sized year planner, a tape-label maker, a set of pencils and an eraser for each group, a sheet of flipchart graph paper for the trainer.
Purpose: This training resource is intended for use by trainers when introducing participants to the foundation skills required for effective project management. It follows on from ‘The power of planning – part one’, building on the WBS technique introduced in that training activity.
Download the training activity, The power of planning - part two as featured in the Fenman training manual; The Project Management Activity Pack