Work projects are at the core of most organisations. They can take many forms and they will provide the opportunity to structure activities to meeting the organisational needs of a goals.
Projects would generally focus on real-time work demands for your job and will contribute to new knowledge and work development. They usually consolidate determined milestones. These projects give an opportunity to transform work activity which will benefit the organisation.
The general project cycle involves:
- planning
- implementation
- outcomes
- evaluation
A workplace programme may include many projects at different stages building up to a higher-lever larger goal or objective to be reached. For example, you may start with project entitled "Preparing an action plan" which is a preparation for a bigger piece of work.
A project will generally involve data collection, research and methodology framework.
Research is included into a project process, can help to understand appropriate approach relevant to the workplace.
It is important to use appropriate evidence, such as academic research literature, research from work related procedures and policies or combination of different sources to inform your thinking. Sometimes evidence may include local, national or international policies, directives or documents. This can present a broader understanding of a topic area. It will help you to structure the case for your actions and decisions. The research and development stage can be compared to a consultancy activity which provide guidance for specific issues.
There is a helpful guidance on undertaking a project from different sources:
Develop your awareness of research and enquiry,
Facilitate collaboration with expert in the area and the stakeholders,
Develop your own knowledge,
Enhance your communication and negotiation skills.
Planning a project
As mentioned already, a successful project requires careful consideration of 1. Planning 2. Implementation 3. Outcomes and 4. Evaluation.
In the Planning stage we need to ask the questions: Why we should do something? What it is all about and why it is necessary?
In the Implementation stage we describe the project actions.
In the Outcome stage we define what are the results, products or services, or values added.
And, finally in the Evaluation stage we review the outcomes, implications and impact.
The choice of project will be directed by the program requirements. Different types of projects can come by asking a question about practices, trying to solve a problem, needing to improve process. The project may relate to an existing business practices or area of new development.
Choosing a suitable project would depend on the roles and opportunities.. The best-planned projects may not be straight-forward and difficulties should be considered as challenges and not problems.
Let's explore some common problems within a project planning stage:
1) Is is achievable? Realistically, is there a time, authority, resources, access to skills and knowledge for this?
2) Is there many internal problems which could unable the project to succeed? Internal politics, lack of support, lack of understanding could sabotage the plan?
3) Is the project defined clearly? You need to ensure that the aims are clearly defined, capture your idea and discussed with others.
4) Are all resources available to proceed?
5) Is the research data correct? You have to ensure that the data collected is organised and available. Not enough data or too much can cause issues.
6) Do not anticipate results. Anticipating the findings can be a mistake, therefore you should leave your options open.
Deciding on research approach is an important part of planning a project. You need to choose research approach that is most appropriate for the project, rather opting for the one most familiar to you. Some research approaches such as case studies, action research and evaluation are flexible in design and individual nature of a project. The research question will guide your choice. Research will help you to deal with problems of logic.
Try to explore different research methodologies to make an informed choice. Identify the methods that will answer your research questions by asking why and how. Analyse aspect of change and reflect on what you have learned.
Your project proposal may be structured as follows:
Working title,
Introduction and rationale,
Main aims, key objectives, project context and significance,
Your role and expertise and target audience,
Your main research questions,
Your rationale for the research approach,
Your rationale for data collection and analysis and how this will address the research questions, including possible activities,
Project feasibility, timescale, resources, ethical issues,
Project report and intended outcomes,
Strengths and weaknesses of the research proposal
References
Examples of good project titles:
- " Investigating the impact of pandemic on personal wellbeing".
- " Developing a Programme of Planned ongoing compliance to prevent mitigation actions",
- " Developing ERP system to improve business order processes"
- " Designing a Goal-Oriented Requirement Engineering Process to improve business compliance"
When planning the project process it is important to provide a short overview of the context and background. Additionally, explaining the rationale behind the project purpose would be very helpful. We also need to determine the stakeholders and why the project will be relevant to them.
To achieve project success,
it is important to outline structured breakdown of the project's components (milestones). These should include responsibilities for each activity, measurable objectives and realistic timescales.
When planning the timescales it is imperative to ensure these are achievable. Allow time for data collection, drafting and re-working, prioritising.
Project implementation
It is worth to mention, that within the project context it is very difficult that any data is completely bias-free. Therefore, we need to acknowledge that our perspective is transparent and potential limitations are to be made explicit. It is advisable to question current practices and challenge any practices that may affect decisions on project actions to be taken.
Being aware of the internal business organisations influences of the project is crucial.
During the implementation process project starts and activities planned are being executed. A big role in the implementation process plays also data collection and analysis and finally, management, monitoring and measurement of the project progress.
Project outcomes
Defined and achieved outcomes its where it all comes together.
When outputs are produced in many projects new ways of working are created from using data. The completion of tasks and actions and relevant reports play integral part on the project execution process.
A common products from projects include reports, summary, feedback notes, pictures or videos, training guides and instructions, written procedures or policies, presentations.
Project evaluation
When the project actions and milestones are completed, reports generated we generally review the impact of a project and reflect on the experience. It usually involves a formal report.
The report would generally consist of project summary notes, project introduction, plan, implementation outcome and final evaluation with relevant recommendations and conclusions.
In this fast-paced environment is is essential to organise our work and spent time on research in particular when considering new projects.
Today, I would like to look a little closely on what type of projects we should be focusing on.
The most important consideration would be to ensure that it is adding value to your organisation. The project context and topic need to relate to the business you are in.
Additionally, you may spent a lot of time on it, therefore you need to ensure its something you can contribute to and also, interests you.
Ensure, that you do not choose topic that is too big for you, therefore you may need to think about more focused topic that is smaller.
When developing and scoping your proposal the timescale is also important as well access to the information you may need to be successful. If you are carrying out any research in your organisation you must talk about it to your manager and seek approval.
Think about any financial implications of exploring the area you have identified.
It can also be very useful if the project can meet your career goals. Choose area which will help you to built up expertise and it will mean that you will e more employable in the future.
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