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Project Document Templates 11

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elizabeth

IS-IT--Management
Sep 16, 1999
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My department (IS) is working on a project to create Project Management guidelines for internal use. We're trying to start simple (and hopefully keep it simple too), so are looking for simple templates for common documents - change control, RFPs, contracts, etc. Any recommendation for a good source? TIA
 
Thanks, very useful, and I'm still open to additional sources of information.
 
What's the focus of the PM guidelines?

Are they meant to provide life cycle templates for maint or new development or package installation?

Or, is it to target more of the initiating. planning, controlling, executing, closing aspects of project management? These are common to IT efforts as well as projects of any other department or corporation.

Do your projects begin and end in IT or is IT just another service/expertise provider in the project?

Dave
 
1) Templates for both packages and outsourced development.
2) Whole lifecycle, from Needs Analysis through Vendor/Product evealuation to End-user training.
3) These are IS-focused and controlled projects as the solution we are working on will always involve new hardware and/or software. In the past this dept has been mostly solution providers, but the role seems to be growing. I am new here and in my past experience I have generally worked with a larger scope. Perhaps we will have projects in which IS is not the largest component.
 
You may want to post this question on also.

I know of no place to get these 'lite' docs/templates for free, but some products come with activity/task outline type templates. MS project is one that I've seen.

I've also worked with LBMS Process/Project Engineer and the LBMS Process Library. I think this is now part of the Computer Associates' Process Continuum product. Very detailed and expensive, but it does provide complete, customizable task lists (and the associated products/deliverables needed for each of those tasks) for many different IT project life cycles. It even provides the templates for many of those products/deliverables in Word format.

Another possibility is to attend a local Project Management Institute chapter meeting and ask the people there. Check out
Dave
 
Thanks,

PMI is where I started, but all I could find through the organization or the local chapter was the PMBOK, which has no templates. I plan to be using the PMBOK, though, to study for PM certification.

Re: MS Project, I am a Project 2000 user and we have looked at Project Central too. I saw no document templates. If I misread you, please let me know.

Re: LBMS, free is always nice, but I'll check this out too as sometimes you get what you pay for.

Re: Tech Republic, thanks didn't think of that.

Re: Gantthead, I was reluctant to join without getting a good look at what I'd be buying. What is your experience with them?
 
Gantthead has a free membership so you can browse around and get a taste for some templates and deliverables. A fellow techy put me on to it. Haven't done much there other than browse. Specific tasks in a given project activity are reserved for the premium membership. I'm not a premium member, so I can't comment on how useful it might be. However, I like what I've seen because it reminds me of the content of the LBMS products.

Project comes with work breakdown structure templates. I haven't worked with MSP 2000 or Project Central. Thought perhaps they might be supplying something besides the WBS templates by now. Guess not.

PMBOK is the framework for PM. No templates there.

PMI, try contacting a local chapter in your area and see if their next meeting allows guests.
You might try some books like 'The Software Factory' or some other software development and quality assurance titles. They often have paper based forms for some of the document templates you need.

Dave
 
Here's something to get you started.

RFP should address most of these items.

Basic Info: company background, current situation, corporate objectives

Project Info: scope considerations, use cases, requirements (data, reporting, security, architecture, organizational), proof of concept, constraints, assumptions, additional services
third party considerations

Project Mgt: identify approach, control mechanisms, completion criteria

Vendor/Bidder Info/Instructions: response schedule, response format, contractual considerations, contact/correspondence rules/info, confidentiality, executive summary requirements, the evaluation process

Dave
 
Have you been Brad Appleton's site that lists close to 4000 links relating to Software Engineering on the web? You might find some useful links.


Would you be interested in templates related to CMM? I downloaded some templates a few months ago but cannot immediately recall the URL. If you are interested I can try to find it. These templates quite detailed & covered all key pratice areas (KPAs)upto level 3 if I remember correctly.

Sri
 
Thanks, all, and if anyone else knows of any free templates, please chime in.

ssitek, that might be useful. By CMM do you mean the model developed by SEI? I'm not a member there either; I'm trying to sell my boss on my taking their course in purchasing software (vs. building in-house) as they do a lot of outsourcing and working with packaged apps. Up to Level 3 would be sufficient beause this organization is most likely Level 1, struggling toward Level 2 (but hey, it says something that they're trying!)
 
Try Rational Unified Process.
Thats what I have been using to establish process and procedures for Full Life Cycle.

Best way to get it is to download their Enterprise Edition and its available there, even after the key expires.

 
hi elizabeth. my company is undergoing a similar process. myself and another co-worker (both of us are project managers) have been tasked to create standardized documents for our software implementations. what resources have you found to be most helpful for doing this?
thanks in advance!
rene
 
We didn't have a lot of luck with standardizing; our projects are diverse and our need for doucmentation varies according to size of project. What I did use I got mainly from pmblvd.com, and gannthead.com. We find what works better for us so far is putting our samples of each document we create into a common area. It lets everyone do it a little differently and generates discussion. We have a folder on a server called "Projects". It has a separate folders named "CRM", "Financial" etc. where we keep all out documents. Also we have a folder named "Forms", with subfolders such as "ProjectCharterSamples", "BudgetSamples", etc.
 
Hi Elizabeth,

I had the experience of building a Project Office at a previous company. We created/adopted a number of templates. I should be able to supply you with a couple, though, I am new to tek-tips so I'll have to figure out how to e-mail them to you. Some guidelines though. Regardless of the project type, requirements, or anything else, there are certain things that I believe must be done.

1. Standard project plan format. For MS Project users this would be key header/footer information, standard gantt table information.

2. Standard format/procedure for status reporting.
3. Standard format/procedure for risk analysis.
4. Standard format/mgmt process for project P&L.
5. Standard communication plan.
6. Standard change control format and reporting procedure.
7. Standard functional requirements doc format.
8. Standard deliverable acceptance document.
9. Written statement to client and stakeholders that ONLY the PM speaks for the project commitments. NO ONE ELSE.

While there will likely be others, those would seem to me to be necessary regardless of the project. I would also echo that has some good ones though I also do not have access to the premium site. I also want to put in a plug for Lotus Notes. We used it extensively as a repository for the project library and it was excellent. We also used it to develop some custom Project Office group collaboration tools. Alas, I could not take those with me.

Lastly, as I have told my teams, it is the documentation or methodology used, it is the diligence and attention to detail of the practioners. It is critical that everybody on the team understand everything that can go wrong and what it could mean so that everyone works together to prevent problems. Led, of course, by a PM who knows what they are doing.
 
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