Revision History

Date	Version	Description	

Feb-13, 2002	
1.0 	
Initial version.	

Feb 18, 2002	
1.0	
Review	

			

			

Introduction 

Purpose
The Project Management Guide was developed as part of the Enhanced Framework for the Management of Information Technology Projects initiative for departments and agencies of the federal government. The Guide provides a single-point of reference to key project management principles and practices and to the related policies and guidance of the federal government. 

The guide is based on industry best practices, supplemented by lessons learned through government of Canada IM/IT projects. The document contents include the principles of the Project Management Institute's Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), are based on the International Standards Organization's Software Life Cycle Process (ISO/IEC 12207), and support the principles of the Software Engineering Institute's (SEI) Capability Maturity Model (CMM) and other relevant Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) and external reference materials. 

Structure of the Guide
The guide describes two main process categories: core project management process, and the supporting processes. 
The core project management processes are described in terms of its purpose, the activities, inputs, outputs, relevant GoC policy and standards, and lastly supporting tools and techniques. The guide can be navigated using the menu on the right hand side of the page or using the Navigation table to jump directly to a specific section.
The supporting processes are described in terms of relevant tools and techniques. 

Navigating the Guide >>> This content should be placed with the Navigation table
The content of the Project Management Guide consolidates a broad and deep collection of information about the project management discipline supplemented by information regarding its specific application to the IM/IT project environment within the government of Canada.

To assist you in navigating through the document, the Table of Contents and the grid below have been provided.  As well, using the graphical representations of the overall project management and supporting process graphics.

Core Project Management Process Overview
The core project management process is divided into five main stages. Each of the project stages is described in its own section within the Guide. The five stages that are identified include:

>>>A GIF will be provided showing the overall PM process.

1.	Starting the Project: Starting from idea realization through to the development and evaluation of a business case and prioritization of the potential project investments against the government/Departmental objectives and other organizational priorities and resource constraints.
2.	Project Planning: This stage is critical to successful resourcing and execution of the project activities and it includes the development of the overall project structure, the activities and workplan/timeline that will form the basis of the project management process throughout the project lifecycle. Where Treasury Board approval is required, project planning is usually conducted in two major iterations at increasing levels of planning detail and estimation accuracy. 
3.	Approving the Project: The Treasury Board Approval criteria should be consulted to determine whether your project requires Treasury Board Approval. This stage details the requirements of the Treasury Board Approval process.  Even if your project does not officially require that the Treasury Board Project Approval Process be applied, you can gain by referencing and adopting those components that may provide extra rigor and support to your project approach.
4.	Project Implementation: Against the project plan and project organization structure defined in the previous stage, the project activities are executed, tracked and measured. The project implementation stage not only includes the completion of planned activities, but also the evaluation of the success and contribution of this effort and the continual review and reflection of project status and outstanding issues against the original project business case. 
5.	Project Close Out and Wrap-up: One of the key success criteria for continuous process improvement involves defining a formal process for ending a project. This includes evaluating the successful aspects of the project as well as identifying opportunities for improvement, identification of project "best practices" that can be leveraged in future projects, and evaluating the performance of project team members. 

Note that although the "project life cycle" has been presented here in this simplified five-stage approach, your Department's methodology may, in fact, have one or more phases that fit into each of the stages above.

General Roles and Responsibilities
The project organization structure supports the completion of project activities and provides an adequate level of oversight, review and contribution from necessary parties. Clearly defining the project organization structure up-front is a critical success factor for projects.

Your project may not require a separate individual to fulfill each of these roles, but it is important that the tasks and responsibilities associated with each role are clearly assigned to specific project team members. For example, in a smaller project, the Project Manager may also fulfill some of the project team member activities. On larger projects, it is critical that a dedicated Project Manager (with no other responsibilities) be identified and assigned to the team.

The roles and responsibilities outlined below provide a baseline from which your department can develop specific and tailored definitions.  Your project management plan documents the roles and responsibilities specific to your project. 

Role	Description/Responsibilities	
Departmental Executive Committee (DEC)	Oversee all project activities from the Department point of view. The committee establishes priorities for project funding and resource allocation, it allocates available budget to defined projects. 	
Project Sponsor (PS)	Responsible for ensuring that the department understands the value and importance of the project and, ultimately, for realizing the benefits predicted for the project. The project sponsor is typically a senior official in the organization responsible for the business function that the project will support. The project sponsor should have a major say in the release of funds after a review	
End user (User)	Business clients represent the final end-user or benefactor of the project deliverables/objectives. They play an important role in defining project requirements and in ensuring that delivered features meet their business requirements	
Business Area Project Manager (BPM)	Where a project is sufficiently large, a Business Area Project Manager may be appointed to manage the day-to-day operations of the project activities within the Business Area.	
Project Leader (PL)	Has overall responsibility for the project and is accountable for all external and internal aspects of it. The project leader is typically a senior departmental official.	
Project Manager (PM)	Has specific accountability for achieving all the defined project objectives within the time and resources allocated. The project manager performs the day‑to‑day management of the project. One or more assistant project managers with the same responsibilities over specific portions of the project may support the overall project manager, without diluting his or her responsibility. Project managers should have demonstrated knowledge, skills and experience commensurate with the size, complexity and risk of the project. Since different levels of competency are required for different levels of project management and project size, the project manager role is divided into three proficiency levels. Depending on the size, complexity and risk of the project, more than one level of project manager may share responsibility for managing the project.	
Project Team Member (PTM)	Core team project team members include Architect, Software engineer, Tester or Writer assigned to a project. Responsible for completing project tasks, providing input to plans, and providing status.	
Quality Assurance (QA)	Responsible for quality assurance activities.	
Configuration Management  (CM)	Responsible for configuration management activities.	
Independent Validation Test (IVT) Team	Plans and performs Independent Validation Testing, and approves the system or software product before Acceptance Testing can begin.	
Contract Authority (CA)	Provides project-specific procurement services, supports the project in accordance with any existing legislation or general  arrangements, ensures the legal soundness of any contract, and maintains the government standards of prudence, probity and equity when dealing with the private sector. 

Adapting the Guide
Every project is different and as such requires tailored project management and supporting processes to best satisfy the project requirements while attaining the project objectives. For example, small low risk projects it is possible that some of the management plans described in this Guide can be combined into a single plan whereas for larger projects it is more likely that individual plans will be more suitable.  When tailoring the Guide for specific projects it is important to take into consideration Departmental guidelines and to ensure that the following 
Enhanced Management Framework principles are respected: 

1.	Projects are aligned with and support the business directions 
Information technology projects are undertaken to achieve successful and economical support of a business function. The project sponsor, leader, and manager, together with the management and major users of the business function, must ensure that the system achieves these goals and delivers the expected benefits.

2.	Clear accountabilities are established 
Information technology projects can be complex undertakings. The responsibilities of all parties must be clearly defined and their delegated authority specified. Problems must be resolved in a timely manner to prevent them from threatening the success of the project and the achievement of the benefits expected from it.

3.	Project managers are developed in, and work within, a corporate discipline 
The project manager is the key for the successful completion of the project and the achievement of the expected benefits. The project manager, therefore, should have the appropriate training, skills and experience to manage the scope and risks of the stated project. There is a need for a corporate approach to the development or acquisition of project managers based on government-wide practices, common tools and methodologies.

4.	Project management decisions are based on risk management 
Typically the government has emphasized meeting the target date of projects, with the result departments have pressed ahead to meet commitments, even where there are indications the project is in difficulty. Risk management, the determination and resolution of all threats to the successful achievement of project objectives, including the benefits identified in the business case, is a primary concern. Projects must be planned, organized and structured to ensure success from their initial organization and planning through design, development and implementation. 

Corporate Process Overview
A host of corporate processes, as shown in the diagram, support the overall project management process: 

>>>A GIF will be provided showing the corporate processes.

The Corporate processes identified include:
1.	Quality Management
2.	Risk Management
3.	Communication Management
4.	Performance Management
5.	Human resource Management
6.	Configuration Management
7.	Procurement Management
8.	Requirement Management
9.	IM/IT
10.	Program / Portfolio Management