Project Team for a Fictitious Technology-Intensive Company - Case Study Example

MANUAL ON PROJECT TEAM FOR A FICTITIOUS TECHNOLOGY-INTENSIVE COMPANY IN THE YEAR TABLE OF CONTENTS 2.1General guidelines on forming the project team 4 2.2Criteria for acquiring project team members 5 2.3Means of Acquiring the Project Team 6 2.4Planning the Project Team Implementation 7 3.1General guidelines on project team management 7 3.2Project team development methods 8 3.3Managing the Project Team at the Time of Implementation 9 REFERENCES 12 1.0 INTRODUCTION Compuera Inc is an intensive technology oriented company that was incorporated in the state of New York on January 3, 2011. Our mission is to design computers, cellphones and professional software. Due to the market dynamicity Compuera’s organization structure is a matrix and tends to rely on project format to deliver its solutions. This structure is multidimensional and maximizes the inherent strengths while at the same time minimizing the identified risks. These strengths and weaknesses are in line with the project and its functional structures. There is a combination of vertical structures that are quite superimposed with the decentralized system of project management. (Solomon, et al., 1993). This manager’s guide contains a repeatable, institution-wide approach for the management of project teams involve in the development of software and hardware deployment projects. The practices contained here in practices are transferable to other types of projects that would benefit from project management. It provide ordered sections presenting the basic steps for formation, management and evaluation of project teams across the organisation. This guide has been developed specifically for the management of Information Technology projects. The processes with are operational do not need to follow these guidelines. The projects which qualify to use this guide should have the following characteristics: it is an independent project; lasts longer than a few person hours; requires a multidisciplinary approach; it is not task oriented; involves less than five specialists; it is meant to accomplish a complex project; may require change management process; level of risk is high in terms of financial and operational, among others (Ahmed, 2007). All the projects in the company have to be approved by the Chief Executive Officer through a justified Project Document. Depending on the type of project, the project document should clearly indicate the title of the project; aims of the project; outcomes of the project; team composition; resource plan; methodology of the project; workplan; project cost and evaluation strategy 2.0 FORMING THE PROJECT TEAM This section provides basic guidelines on the formation of IT projects .The following guidelines should be followed in forming project teams for developing software and hardware. The first stage of forming the project team is acquiring the project team. The members can be selected internally or externally as consultants. The members must be selected based on list of required skills and criteria as demanded by the project document. The authority to manage the recruiting process and decide on team members lies with the project manager (Scott-Young & Samson, 2008). 2.1 General guidelines on forming the project team In forming the team the following guidelines should be considered: Team leadership: the project manager shall be the overall leader of the project. The project manager will be empowered to make decisions regarding the team and the project and at thesame time be accountable for the output of the project and team. The team size: will be determined the nature of the project and the level of expertise needed, for complex projects the maximum number shall be fifteen. A smaller group of people could be able find it very easy to overcome personal, social and political differences toward a common purpose. Team members’ skills: Team member skills, experience, and continuity of team membership must be guaranteed from start to end. It is important that each team must undergo basic training in the projects’ specific technical or functional expertise, problem-solving and decision-making skills, and interpersonal skills. Team members’ purpose and goals: In developning the team’s immediate goals, they must coincide with its overall purpose and the overall corporate goals . The management should strive to provide broadly defined tasks to enable the teams develop their objectives. Team members’ work relationships: The management has given the teams the required authority to use all the necessary resources, including time in the infrustractural development. Teams are to concentrate on administrative matters as well as economic and social aspects of the project while working out a formidable relationship. They should be in a position to give a honest assesssment of their skills and abilities’s levels. In doing this, they have to divide work on equal basis so that they can achieve the goals set for the team and be able to satisfy the needs of all team members. The Project manager shall ensure each person is empowered to achieve quality and be seen to fairly and constructively have a positive input into what the team is doing (Solomon, et al., 1993). Team members’ accountability: The team will be held collectively accountable. Therefore, each member must commit to themselves to be individually and collectivelly responsible. The Project Manager must cultivate trust and accountability in the teams they are managing. 2.2 Criteria for acquiring project team members The following criteria should be considered in acquiring project team members: Required level of experience: The project manager should gather all information that is relevant about the current experience level of members of the team to compare it with the required experience level. The level of experience should be appropriate for the various projects activities. Interest level: The project manager should establish whether the level of interest for the team members. This is particularly importance since interest will likely determine the level of commitment of the members to the project objectives. One way of doing this is to allow members to formally apply for the positions available in the project. Candidate interviewing will confirm their level of interest in the project. Personal qualifications: using the structured and open-ended interviews and questionnaires, the project manager looks at the talents and endowed personal skills of each team member and measures the way this individual team member will be able to work with other teammates within the project. Availability: identification of available qualities of team members is important. Here, the project manager figures out whether the project team members that are desired for the project are actually available. The project manager will have to decide together with functional managers on this availability of members who are potential to the team. Knowledge: this is a critical component of the team. The project manager should single out the required proficiency and necessary competency of available project team members to carry out the project. 2.3 Means of Acquiring the Project Team There are several methods for acquiring project team members. The methods are dependent on the nature of the project being implemented, the level of expertise required, the availability of the expertise internally, the location of the project and others (Scott-Young & Samson, 2008). The methods outlined below are most recommended: Pre-assignments: This method allows the selection of team members prior to the project start date. This method is used where the project being implemented depends on specific level of expertise. This method is used to acquire consultants. Virtual team building: This method is employed when the team members cannot meet face to face due to geographic constraints. This is made possible by technology and modern communication systems such as email and video conferencing. The project manager should ensure that the virtual environment is properly planned and tooled. Negotiations: project negotiation approach gives a chance to making assignments between multiple projects to be handled by the staff in order to ensure each of the projects has appropriately competent human resources and within the time frame that is required. This approach does involve the development and subsequent use of delegation and any necessary re-assignment models with the view of making staff assignments more efficient considering the benefits and visibility of these projects that are competing. Once the selection process comes to an end, the senior management has to approve it. Senior management approval is important because without it the project will fail. 2.4 Planning the Project Team Implementation Planning at this phase involve scoping of the project. Whilst scoping it is important to recognize the core business processes that span business units in the organisation. Having an enterprise view will enable the project implement the most effective solutions. At this point the project manager must ensure that the objectives of the project are in line with the overall organisational objectives. Once the project staff team is approved, the project manager must update the project document by including the names of project team members, filing all the memos of the team members, and project team directory. He must also update the work schedules by documenting team member availability and time periods that every team member can work on project considering. He must also update the project management plan especially the sections concerning human resource and staffing requirement. 3.0 MANAGING PROJECT TEAMS 3.1 General guidelines on project team management Once the team is in place, it must be managed and developed throughout the project implementation cycle. Developing project team facilitates improvement of internal and external interactions of team members through developing their competencies and skills. These initiatives are aimed at optimizing the overall team environment which in turn improves project performance (Mabey, et al., 2001). Improvement of the skills and technical competencies of team members is likely to increase the probability of achieving project deliverables. This is done through continuous training on methods of decreasing costs, improving quality and reducing schedules. The project manager must institute mechanisms to improve internal agreement and personal recognition among team members. Such mechanism enhances morale, reduces number of conflicts, improves productivity and ensures team continuity. The project manager should facilitate a participatory environment. A dynamic team culture improves team spirit and cooperation between team members. Collegial arrangements should be encouraged as opposed to bureaucratic structures which discourage expertise sharing and decision making. 3.2 Project team development methods Team training: As a principle, each project must have an element of training in the resource plan. Training improves the competencies of project team members. The project manager must employ both formal and informal training methodologies. A good mix of training methods will optimize team learning. Such methods include classrooms, webinars, on-job-training, mentoring and coaching etc. Team building activities: this method creates, maintains, and enriches group dynamism and makes it a cohesive unit. Teambuilding exercises are specifically targets that teams will meet for a significant period of time and especially, while working for complex projects. Teambuilding activities allow creating a reliable and friendly environment of trust and confidence. Team building activities also prevents conflicts and improves problem solving. Rewards and recognition: Good behavior must be recognized and encouraged. Rewards might come in the form of financial and non-financial incentives. Having a recognition and reward scheme within a project motivates team members, creates positive reinforcement, and improves productivity and performance. Team co-location: This method is applicable for virtual teams. Team co-location involves assembling together team members initially working from different geographic locations. Team co-location harnesses the powers of face to face interactions. 3.3 Managing the Project Team at the Time of Implementation Managing project teams involves following up on performance of team members, constant communication, continuous solving of strategic and operational issues, change management to optimize project performance. The overall responsibility of the project is with the project manager. The success of the project will depend on how he used his leadership skills for teambuilding and teamwork management, his power to influence the team members and stakeholders of the project and his sobriety in decision making. If these there aspects are not optimized then the project is likely to fail (Mabey, et al., 2001). In managing the team during the implementation phase, the following guidelines to be considered by the Project Manager: There will always be resistance to change: Through out the implementation there will be resistance to change. This will require the project manager to work against the gradient to assure security of the project and confidence. The principles of Communication, Motivation and Involvement apply: Collegial arrangements have been recommended for complex IT projects. Constant communitation ensures that the team works is focused on achieving the project outputs. Live conversation and observation by the project manager motivates the team members and ensures. Implementation of the projects requires that one gets the right details and as required: this applies the usability principle, which demands that there be new ideas developed so that they could be utilized with the resources and the working system of the organization. Training: for the project to be fully implemented, training is required. This training should be well adapted to what the individuals in the organization need and the requirements of those people that are involved in the change process. Supervision and performance appraisals: This allows measuring the performance of the team members and helps in clarifying project team roles and responsibilities. It also facilitates constructive feedback, problem solving and forms a basis for individual training program. Performance appraisals ensure that specific goals are tracked for improvements. Conflict management: in a team environment is aimed at improving productivity and creating a positive working environment for the team. The responsibility for conflict management lies with the project manager. In managing conflict the project manager should consider the nature of conflict- whether a team issue or an individual issue, objectivity in handling conflicts and focusing on present issues and not the past. 4.0 PROJECT TEAM EVALUATION The assessment of team performance is an important aspect of team management. The decision on how to evaluate the project team should be detailed in the project document at the outset. The project manager in most times is responsible for assessing the team’s overall performance whereas the overall success of the project ought to be done by either a hired expert, the management of the organization, or just the project’s team itself. The evaluation of team development efforts can be achieved by the use of team performance assessment indicators which should have been established before the project commenced. The performance criteria should adopt relevant Ahmed’s (2007) 13 indicators of highly effective teams. These indicators include: social decision-making, resolving conflicts, and thorough planning to solve tasks of cogntitive nature, among others. 5.0 CONCLUSION Project management is an important area in any organizations. The current business environment requires that tasks be divided into projects and teams setup to carry out the activities of the project in a coherent manner. A good guideline needs to be put in place so that these projects and their teams do achieve the required goals. Projects could be short term or long term depending on the purpose of their formation. However, the factor that remains constant in whether a project fails or succeeds is that of teamwork. Team cohession and focus on goals is very necessary. This guideline has addressed many of the requirements for better project and team management. REFERENCES Ahmed (2007). The 13 Key Performance Indicators for Highly Effective Teams. Greenleaf Publishing, UK. Mabey. C.. Salaman. G.. & Storey. J. (2001) Organizational Structuring and Restructuring in Salaman. G. ed. Understanding Business Organisations. London. Routledge. Scott-Young & Samson (2008). Team management for fast projects: an empirical study of process industries. International Journal of Operations & Production Management Vol. 29 No. 6, 2009 pp. 612-635 Solomon R., Davidson N., & Elaine S., (1993). The handbook for the fourth: Relationship activities for cooperative and collegial learning. Columbia, MD: National Institute for Relationship Training. Read More