Support Work - Choose a Sub-Process
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introduction issues risks contracts plan work financial status
Introductiontop
A number of Sub-processes are common to Manage a Bid and Manage Projects. In The Guidepost, Sub-processes of this kind are called Generic Sub-processes. To maintain consistency and to avoid duplication, they have been grouped in this separate Core Process - Support Work. Its common theme is the support of the other Core Processes, rather than a specific operational context such as Bidding or Delivery. In general these Sub-processes will be in use throughout a Bid or a Project.
This volume has already drawn attention to the fact that the preparation and submission of a Proposal (a "Bid"), and the delivery of a proposed Solution (a "Project"), are both managed as Projects. In this Core Process, a distinction is made only where it is clearly necessary. When this arises, the terms "Bid Project" and/or "Delivery Project" will be used. Otherwise the term "Project" will be used inclusively.
Manage Issuestop
There are several types of Issue that will arise in the execution of a Bid Project or a Delivery Project. This is a Generic Sub-process which describes how the Resolution of each type of Issue is managed. Every Bid/Project will have an Issue Manager who will have this responsibility. In some cases this will be a simple matter of answering a question or providing clarification of a point. Other Issues will be more complex and involve the processing of changes or the correction of errors or faults. The management of Change Control is at the heart of this Sub-process.
Manage Riskstop
Any worthwhile business activity will include Risks, many of which will originate from an external source that is outside your control. This Sub-process describes how the threat they represent is minimised by identifying the possible Risks, analysing their potential consequences, and budgeting money and time for the mitigation of any that mature. This will start at the beginning of a Bid. It will only finish when the last contractual obligation has been delivered.
Set up Contractstop
Submitting a Proposal, and undertaking to deliver the solution it offers, will include making Agreements and Contracts with other Bidders, with Suppliers, and with the Customer or End User. This Sub-process describes how these Agreements and Contracts (and any Changes) are negotiated, agreed and approved, before they are signed. Internal (End User) Agreements may not be subject to the framework of law which applies to external Contracts, but they are also covered by this Sub-process.
Plan worktop
Successful Bids and Projects depend on the preparation and execution of realistic Plans. A Plan is a compound document, and far more than just a Schedule, as will be clear from reading the Product Profiles and Glossary entries for the various elements of a Plan.
Where its timescale is short, it may be possible to plan an entire Bid or Project from start to finish. However if the timescale is long, it is desirable to break the work up into Phases or Stages, so that at major Milestones, progress and the likelihood of meeting the Business Case can be checked, and if necessary the decision taken change to redirect, or even to terminate the Bid/Project.
It will often only be possible to plan the Initiation and some early work in detail, the later work being planned as the Bid/Project proceeds. This is another reason for subdiving the Plan into a number of Phases or Stages. This Sub-process describes how each Phase or Stage will be planned for the first time, or revised when an Approved Change is Applied.
Report Financial Statustop
Having an Authorised Budget, the Management Team for a Bid or a Project must account periodically for the expenditure to date, and forecast how much more money and time will be needed to complete the work. Records of expenditure will be kept, and Project Ledgers will be prepared regularly by the accounting department. Copies will be sent to the Bid/Project Manager. In response, he/she will provide the Board with an updated report and forecast of the financial status of the Bid or Project.
The timeline for this Sub-process is set by the company's cycle for management accounting, and not the Project's lifecycle.