Covid and Remote Project Management

Some organization already adapted to remotely working and team spread across multiple geography region.

They can easily adapt to the covid-19 situation

However, for some organizations, project management in times of Covid-19 pandemic can appear as a real challenge. When team is involved in big projects, portfolio and programs.

 keys to successful remote project management:

1) Clear communication & collaboration

2) Data centralization

3) Efficient monitoring

1) Clear communication & collaboration :

Build virtual team (simple video conferencing tool like Zoom, Skype, or even Google Hangouts)

Conduct proper status update meeting, avoid sending 1000’s of e-mails.

Constant communication -  as a Project Manager, you’ll easily be able to identify and solve issues, which will enable you to meet your deadlines and deliver on time.

2) Data Centralization :

One of the biggest problems that our clients face is missing or unreliable data.

With the current lockdown context, organizations have no other option than to centralize the information (communication, work sheets, reports, documents). Without a centralized information system, there can no longer be proper project management.

Keeping everything in a shared location ensures all team members know what they're responsible for and what they need to work on. No one can claim they haven't seen task assignments or didn't know something was due.

Project Managers are among the people responsible for keeping your tool or your tracking system up to date. See to it that, within their weekly schedule, they take time to make sure all tasks are completed, deadlines are met, and resources are not overloaded (or, take corrective action). Project maintenance is important for all team members, including managers.

3) Efficient Monitoring :

Monitor project status more closely.

Define your KPIs, build monitoring dashboards and make sure you can visualize them in real time.

Without centralized information, there’s not point in monitoring partial or wrong data.

You can’t do anything if you team does not feel connected, supported, and empowered to make sure that the projects move on. As a manager you need provide support to team during crisis situation.

Problem faced :

One of the most common risks that organizations are assessing due to COVID is the risk to project schedule. 

Many of our client partners have had to reallocate resources, including project team members.

To avoid a complete halt in the project, review the schedule and determine if there are areas that can be compressed or consolidated or if there is work that can be done concurrently rather than sequentially. 

Develop a priority scale for the project and work on deliverables.

Think deeper and you understand the daily challenges you face in achieving exactly these 5 things as a project manager:

1. Communicate your Plan

-Share your remote work plans with your customers and shareholders upfront.

2. Set the expectations right – Clarity around Support SLAs

-Make sure all your customers are aware of any changes to change in your support SLAs (both response and resolution).

3. Put a proper Communication plan in place

-Ideally, all projects have one right from the beginning. However, given the current circumstances you may need to increase or decrease the number of interactions you have with your customers.

4. Centralize all Communications

-The benefit is there will be reduced dependency, information exchange will be streamlined plus anyone can step up to take additional responsibility if the situation demands so. No blind spots!

5. Stick to the delivery schedule

-review, revise, agree & deliver!