4 Best Practices In Public Sector Project Management

Project management requires a broad set of skills, but managing public sector projects is on a whole new level. The average public sector project takes just under four years to complete. Governments allocate millions to such projects and so the stakes are high. Project managers can’t afford to make mistakes.
Here are some of the main things public sector project managers must bear in mind.

Project Scope

The scope of a project refers to everything that the project is supposed to deliver within the agreed-upon timeframe and budget. It is essential that project managers clearly define the scope of the project’s objectives, deliverables, and goals.

All stakeholders need to be on the same page from start to finish. The project scope must be reasonable, or the likelihood the project will be delayed is much higher, which can cause more problems.

Scope creep is a big issue with large and complex projects. Some degree of scope creep is often unavoidable, but if scope creep is consistent, project milestones will be missed. With this in mind, project managers must continually verify that the project scope hasn’t changed significantly.

Good Communication

Good communication is essential if a project is to be successful. The more stakeholders there are, the harder it can be to communicate effectively or establish regular communication channels. With public sector projects, poor communication is often a major issue.
It can be difficult to set up meetings for all stakeholders when they have many other responsibilities. Stakeholders might include government departments as well as private sector individuals. Aligning everyone is often very tricky. However, good communication is vital because meetings and reports are where problems are communicated, and solutions are found.

Have a Defined Organisational Structure in Place

There are many people responsible for a project’s delivery, not just the stakeholders in the public eye. Issues often arise when the people lower down in the management structure are not clear about who they report to. When problems occur, these individuals don’t know who best to pass on their concerns to, the issues are not dealt with promptly. Before long, delays accumulate, and important milestones are missed. Once there are significant delays, it has a knock-on effect.

Issues with the organisational structure in public sector projects are usually due to multiple departments and agencies working together – or trying to. When large projects cross different departments within the government, it makes it hard for the people working on the project to know who is in charge. Even project managers can struggle with this at times.

As public sector project management experts like Inspirent know — found at https://inspirent.co.uk/public-sector-project-management/ — it’s important to define roles and responsibilities from the beginning. This will help everyone working on a public sector project and prevent delays.

Document Management

Do not underestimate the importance of project document management. Maintaining records of everything will be enormously helpful if delays occur and the blame game begins. Store all project documentation in a cloud document management system for safekeeping.
Finally, reviews of previous projects will help project managers identify any areas in need of improvement.

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