Actions element

Abstract

In project management, the project canvas are an essential tool for managers to organize and to visualize all the elements. One of the elements named actions is always attached high importance in projects. Project actions are the process to achieve the project’s results by executing tasks, activities or work[1].

Nowadays, the schedule and budget are the fundamental consideration for project management. Nevertheless, plenty of projects still fail to meet these targets, especially on money and time. The reasons for failure have often been blamed on poor project definition, incomplete information, poor productivity, inadequate communications, uncertainties around labor and material costs, and the failure to use timely and appropriate project management practices and controls[2]. The solution to these problems from the root is to manage these project actions.

This article mainly introduces what actions element is in project management, the specific description of actions in different phases of a project, and how actions element influence management of project to help project manager improve from detailed action management by making a good action plan. Being focus on the actions and interventions enable the monitoring and smoothing of group process, improve cooperation and communication, as well as maintain the health of group dynamics[3].

What is actions element?

Definition

Project actions are tasks, activities or work that helps to achieve the project’s results. Actions are the completion of specific tasks within a defined period of time. They advance the project toward the desired result. An action can be split into minor activities depending on the level of detail of the Project Canvas. Actions are always best described by these verbs: create, provide, organize, test, produce[1].Actions are always the combination of a series of detailed verbs to clearly declaim the to-dos when the project is carried out.

Importance

Actions plays a very vital role in the project management. The quality of action plan directly decides how the process of this project would be like. The absence of a clear action plan can lead to confusion or poor resource management, which may lead to project failure. Clearly defined actions make it easy to allocate the workload between the team members and keep the process under control[1]. Actions are the process to produce these deliverable and the path to reflect the impacts of other elements. Without having a way to achieve these objectives, the initial planning that went into the first stages of the project may have been for nothing. Action planning could brings lots of advantages during the project working process. As we can see from this project canvas, actions are in the center place of this project planning structure. Lots of other element are highly influenced by actions element. The resource, monitoring, and risks are highly possible to change due to the little difference in actions for the projects.

So, the actions element could be regarded as the most critical element in a project.

Specific description of actions element

The “Action” should accurately describe what needs to be done, how it should be executed, by whom and when. It is crucial to consider which resources are required to complete each action. Specific and measurable actions make it easier to monitor and control the project[1]. At first, actions can be identified by focusing on the end result. The level of detail can then be increased after the establishment of initial action plan.

Actions element varies a lot in different phases of a project. Normally there are five phases in a project, which are respectively Initial phase, Planning Phase, Definition Phase, Execution Phase and Evaluation Phase. Actions plan should be as detailed as it could be, so that the objectives could be very clear at any period of project to guarantee no confusion when it is undergoing.

Actions in Initial Phase

1. Initial feasibility assessment

This action is to make description of the need from stakeholders and according to the need and possible cost to assess the feasibility.

Results of successful performance[2]:

 •  A document confirming that there is a need of the project deliverables and describing, in broad terms: 

the deliverables, means of creating the deliverables, costs of creating and implementing the deliverables, benefits to be obtained by implementing the deliverables.

2. Obtain authorization

This action is to arrange the manager for project based on the positive decision by sponsor then to establish the initial structure of management frame in this project.

Results of successful performance[2]:

  • A “go/no go” decision is made by the sponsor

  • A Project Manager is assigned

  • A “Project Charter” is created 

  • A “go/no go” decision is made by the sponsor 
    which authorizes the project manager to apply organizational resources to the activities of a particular phase

  •Written approval of the phase is created

Actions in Planning Phase

1. Determination of project scope

This action is to set down the scope of this project.

Results of Successful Performance[2]:

   • Statement of Project Scope

   • Scope Management plan

   • Work Breakdown Structure

2. Setting up the sequence of project activities

Sequence arrangement is a vital action in planning phase which could help improve the productivity and the effectiveness of other actions in this project and save the time cost to further reduce the money cost.

Results of Successful Performance[2]:

   • An activity list (all activities that will be performed)

   • Updates to the work breakdown structure (WBS) 

3. Listing required duration and resource for each activity

This action is to calculate the resource and duration needed in every specific activity to get the rough draft for the project plan and approximate amount of resource for advanced preparation. The correct information and priority measurement for every activities and accurate judgment is the essential result.

Results of Successful Performance[2]:

   • Estimate of durations (Time required) for each activity and assumptions related to each estimate

   • Statement of resource requirements 

4. Schedule establishment

As the duration are determined in last action, here this action is to establish the project schedule. The concern here in this action are reasonable design rather than accuracy of date because project contains too much unknown factors when it is under execution in the reality. The reasonable design could make the project more smooth and avoid unnecessary waste of resource.

Results of Successful Performance[2]:

   • Project schedule in the form of network diagrams, milestones and supporting details 
      such as resource usage over time, order/delivery schedules etc.

5. Budget estimation and spending plan

As the resource for each activity is settled in previous action, this action is to transfer these statistic of resource into the specific money for the budget. At the same time, comparation between the budget estimation and acceptable budget should be done as well. The vital thing of this action is the proper distribution of cost to make every coin spent meaningful.

Results of Successful Performance[2]:

   • Cost estimates for completing each activity

   • Supporting detail, including assumptions and constraints

   • Cost management plan describing how cost variances will be handled 

   • A cost baseline or time-phased budget for measuring/monitoring costs

   • A spending plan, telling how much will be spent on what resources at what time 

6. Organization of staff and Communication plan

As long as these activities planning action is finished, manager is supposed to start organizing people who participate in these activities and actions and to build the communication net among these staff who have collaboration with each other. The main concern in this action are the simple and transparent structure which could make the communication more directly.

Results of Successful Performance[2]:

• A communication management plan including:

    • Collection structure & distribution structure

    • Schedules listing when information will be produced 

7. Risk identification and responding measurements

Risk identification is a very important action which asks manager to have considerate preparation for these unpredictable but possible risks to the project operation. The concerns here are the correct assumption for the risks including the possibility of risks, the corresponding cost on the responding and the effects on the settled plan.

Results of Successful Performance[2]:

    • Role and responsibility assignments

    • Staffing Plan & Project Staff

    • A document describing potential risks, 
      including their sources, symptoms, and ways to address them

Actions in Definition Phase

Execution of project activities

In this phase, the deliverables are supposed to be created and change of the project situation should be identified[1]. At the same time, the progress in different periods and group performance must be recorded by the responsibility. And the response to change and the way of reducing the effects of change on other following or undergoing activities.

Actions in Execution Phase

Control project activities

Updating the project plan and scope is the main thing in this action[2]. Meanwhile, corrections and adjustment should be done on those finished work by following up with the late update. Important elements of this action are mainly the way to insert these correction into the original plan smoothly.

Actions in Evaluation Phase

Close out project activities

Closing out of project is the action between the time when deliverables are all created and the time when hand-off work of project manager is all finished. The most important elements of this action are the responsibility transferring and final inspection to guarantee the project is well-finished.

Reference

[1]http://www.doing-projects.org/resources/projectcanvas

[2]Uppal, K. B. (2008). Project management, cost engineering, project definition, action plans or what? Aace International Transactions, PM.01 (11 pp.), PM.01 (11 pp.).

[3] Rui Cao, Kong Bieng Chuah, Yiu Chung Chau, Kar Fai Kwong, Mo Yin Law, (2012) "The role of facilitators in project action learning implementation", The Learning Organization, Vol. 19 Issue: 5, pp.414-427, https:// doi.org/10.1108/09696471211239712

[4] https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/action-item

[5] http://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/mod/oucontent/view.php?id=53774&section=1.3.2