Determine The State Of The Project

How do you determine the state of a project? Let’s put it differently. Suppose that you are appointed to take over an international project that was in trouble. What would you do and ask? Here is a list of questions:

• What is the status of the oldest outstanding issue? Why is it still unresolved?

• If you take the latest version of the plan and go out to the team members, would you find that what they are working on is accurately reflected in the plan?

• Are team members working in isolation to each other or are they working together?

The second question is of particular interest. Several things may be observed. First, they may not be working on the project at all—not a good sign. Second, the plan may be accurate—very good. Third, the team members may be working on the project, but they are doing work that is not in the plan. However, it is important work. What does this mean? First, the plan does not accurately reflect the extent of the work that is required. This means that the schedule for the project is probably faulty and too optimistic. Second, it means that you may have encountered an example of an iceberg project. What is this? An iceberg project is one in which a substantial part of the work is being performed unmanaged and undetected—just like the percentage of the ice that is above the water line. What should you do if you meet up with this situation? Assume that you have just touched on the tip of the iceberg. Gather more information and develop a more complete plan.