Project Delivery Process D115

D115 - Team Building and Education

DEFINITION

The project team members, including users, IT staff and consultants, will be prepared for the design, prototyping and construction work and informed about the responsibilities, the methodology used and the project plan.

SUMMARY

The team needs to work effectively.  This requires that they have the right information, understand the approach and techniques, and, most importantly, have the right attitude to work together.  It is important to build a strong team spirit to ensure that the various team members from different backgrounds will act as a good team.  In addition, they will need a good understanding of the project’s goals, the methods and tools to be used, and the software they will be working with.

(Note the related process D120 in which the team’s needs for specific training are analysed and addressed.)

PATH PLANNING GUIDANCE

Optional, but team members, particularly user representatives from the client organisation, will always have to be informed about the project methodology and normally about the package capabilities.

DEPENDENCIES

Prerequisites (Finish-Finish):

• Detailed Plan - Process L120
• Detailed project organisation - Process L130
• Quality Plan - Process L080

Dependent procedures (Finish-Start):

• (none)

RECEIVABLES

• Detailed definition of Project Team organisation (L130)
• Detailed Project Plan (L120)
• Details of methods and techniques to be used - normally found in the Quality Plan (L080)
• Communications Plan (L060)

DELIVERABLES

• formed and effective Project Team

TOOLS

• Social events
• Software Application Implementation Process training material

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF TASKS

At the outset of the delivery process a project team consisting of users, IT staff and consultants will be formed.  User participation in the project is vital and must not be underestimated.  User team members will decide on many business issues, resolve internal detail questions and eventually be responsible for the production of the system to be implemented.  In order to handle the work effectively, they have to be trained for their tasks in the upcoming prototyping and design work.

Normally the team members will have varying backgrounds and different tasks to perform in the project:

• there will be team members representing the different business areas or business processes within the client organisation,
• some team members will be in charge of the system administration for the prototype, the construction system, the different testing systems, training systems and eventually the productive system,
• consultants will carry knowledge about the package, best practice in process design and industry benchmarks; they will have to adapt their knowledge base to the client specific situation, which might include detailed training about certain package features.

All team members will have to be informed about the project objectives, responsibilities, the chosen methodology and about the project plan.  They should also be briefed on good project discipline, for example, use of timesheets, issues control, change control etc.  The methods and techniques will normally have been decided during the launch activities and stated in the Quality Plan.

It is important that the team feels and acts like a team.  Getting the participants located together, away from the normal surroundings, makes a significant impact on its effectiveness.  Team building activities appropriate to the circumstances are also very worthwhile.