Project Quick Starts for Early-Stage Initiatives

This consulting solution will show you how to kickstart your early-stage project initiatives and mitigate risk before it is realized.

AMS Solution Code: 805

Solution Description

Project Quick Starts Best Practices for Early-Stage Initiatives is a hybrid consulting, coaching, and mentoring best practice to align a project team on key objectives and execution strategy in the initiation stage. The AMS team will guide you across the portfolio and extract risk to ensure you optimize the front end of every effort. The best practice is applied as early in the project’s life cycle as possible which avoids major intervention and recovery efforts. Facilitated in a workshop format to newly formed project teams or existing ones, the PQS is designed to foster collaboration and consensus, address critical issues, minimize risk scenarios, and identify areas of project dysfunction.

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Project Quick Starts (PQS) Implementation Tools for Early-Stage Project Teams

Project Timing

Generally, the PQS is undertaken at two possible project junctures, (1) Initiation – the project has been formally approved-initiated and may have completed an early version of the project charter. (2) Pre-Execution: The project is chartered, and early planning efforts are in progress.

Project Approach

    • Off-Site: The AMS senior consultant will review project documentation and conduct brief interviews with key project resources to develop the proper project context around key goals and objectives, ascertain current project constraints, and develop the on-site facilitation strategy for specific project objectives.
    • On-Site: The facilitation strategy implements a two-pronged approach. (1) Conduct a thorough project review and based on the review findings (2) facilitate the team in developing a sound execution approach/plan. The on-site facilitation is in a workshop setting and the AMS senior consultant will work with project team members to develop the execution approach deliverables in “real-time”.

The execution approach/plan generally includes the following deliverables yet, will vary based on specific project requirements:

  • Charter Review: Agree upon key objectives, success criteria, major milestones, key resources, and high-level project risks.
  • Scope of Work and Requirements
  • Detailed work breakdown structure (WBS).
  • Project Cost Estimate consistent with the level of scope understanding and a Project Schedule based on accurate, dependencies, resource availability, and realistic constraints.
  • Project Spending Profile.
  • Project Risk Assessment and mitigation responses.
  • Project Communications Plan including team roles and responsibilities, communication methods, governance structures, and project performance update mechanisms.
  • Project Control and Monitoring Plan including key deliverables, basic performance metrics, reporting protocols, and stakeholder update tools.

If the subject project is in Initiation, the best practice facilitation will be more development oriented. If the subject project is in Pre-Execution, the best practice facilitation will be validation, revision, and recommendation oriented. We have the subject matter expertise to facilitate the best practice for projects across a wide range of complexity and industries.

Project Duration

Generally, for non-complex projects the PQS can be achieved with one day off-site and one to two days on-site.  More complex projects will require more off-site and on-site participation. In either scenario, the AMS senior consultant’s aim is to assist the team in developing (or validating) an effective project approach in an efficient and practical manner.

Why Project Quick Starts Are Important for Initiation Activities

The PQS is designed to leverage the experience of the AMS senior consultant to “steer” the project team in a more direct path to developing a sound execution approach. This “direct path” results in a shorter yet insightful planning process.  AMS clients ranging from Fortune 100’s to Government Agencies have benefited from this best practice for more than two decades.

Not only are there direct and targeted benefits for the subject project, but clients are also able to establish and hone key best practices and leverage them on future initiatives.

Join the ranks of leading organizations that have partnered with AMS to drive innovation, improve performance, and achieve sustainable success. Let’s transform together, your journey to excellence starts here.

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