Setting your new comms project up for success
What to think about BEFORE project inception
Surprise! It’s that time of year, when you suddenly discover that funding is available for a new project.
Maybe it’s the project you’ve spent months advocating for. Or maybe it’s someone else’s passion project. Either way, the end of the financial year is approaching fast and you’ve got a few short months to bring that baby to life!
When you’re faced with very real time or budget constraints, it’s tempting to take shortcuts and start work as soon as possible.
You can just work backward from your budget allocation, using it to set your project parameters. Right?
Whoa, hold on.
Can we suggest you hit pause for a minute? Because, without laying down a strong foundation for a project, you’re risking:
blowing out budgets and timeframes, when things take longer than expected
compromising the quality of the work, delivering a product that’s okay, but not great.
With a little extra thought now, you can avoid stress, sleepless nights and possible disappointment.
Start by thinking carefully about the steps that will take your project from inception to completion.
Whether you’re working alone or in a team, you should ask:
What is the project intended to achieve? Is this the right product or outcome for the goals and audience?
What are the main steps needed to deliver a quality outcome?
Who needs to contribute to the project? How much of their time is needed and will the budget pay for their involvement?
Who will be reviewing work at every stage, and how will this be done?
What skills are needed to deliver this project? How will the professional team work together efficiently and productively?
How will you coordinate collaboration and approvals? Will people need to meet in person and what are the costs involved?
How will risks, issues and changes be identified and controlled?
If you can’t confidently answer these questions, then a little more thought and research is probably needed.
You may also want to get some expert advice. Pick up the phone and chat with some of the professionals who might be able to deliver this work. Ask open-ended questions and see what you can learn.
With a clear view of the path forward, your project scope will become more detailed. You can define milestone deliverables, as well as the specifications of the final product.
You’ll also gain confidence that the budget is realistic, before committing significant financial resources. And if compromises are needed, in either the product or process, you can make these decisions in an informed, proactive way.
Whether you’re managing a simple or complex project, a strong foundation is essential to achieving success. It will help you be clear on what the project needs to deliver and highlight any red flags, saving you time and money in the long term.