Chapter four: Project Implementation

The Project Implementation Phase

• Day-to-day work of project implementation is to lead and manage the application of the project
implementation plan. This task can be relatively simple, or can become extremely complex, depending
on the nature of the project.
• As in all project management, success during implementation is partially an art (managing people,
leading teams, communicating with clarity), but it is also a science. In its simplest form, the
responsibility of the project manager is to implement the project plan. However, upon closer
inspection, it becomes clear that the project manager must apply a number of technical skills to
succeed during implementation. These skills include:
• Managing Issues
• Managing People
• Managing Internal Controls
 Managing Issues

• In the boxing world, the saying goes that “Everybody has a plan... until you
get hit.” The same dynamic exists when managing a project. Just like a
boxer in the ring, the life of a project manager is risky, complex, and
sometimes just plain messy. Even with a comprehensive and detailed plan,
there will be “punches” (issues) that challenge the project during its
implementation. Like any good boxer, the project manager must learn how
to manage the issues, navigate the complexity, and adapt the plan to reflect
the most recent reality.
 Managing Issues
Issues Management is a collaborative endeavor. Consequently, everyone on the project team is
responsible for the following:
• Identifying project issues;
• Contributing to the resolution of project issues (Note: experience has shown that the people closest to
the work usually know best how to resolve issues. Therefore, it is the job of the project manager to
establish an environment in which each team member is in a position to resolve as many issues as
possible at their level);
• Escalating important issues to the Project Manager as soon as possible.
Having a well-documented issue management process is crucial to communicating and
enforcing that process across the team. If issues are not resolved, the negative consequences
can include the following:
• Inability to meet project timelines, cost, and schedule;
• Poor or unacceptable project quality;
• Poor reputation among communities, donors and others; and
• Post implementation disputes.
 Managing Issues
• As an issue manager, the Project Manager needs to manage all issue management processes:
1. Issue Identification and Tracking – Identifying outstanding questions, decisions and other problems
before they adversely affect the project. As such, the issue identification and tracking process is closely
related to the topic of risk management Thus, the Implementation Phase and the Monitoring, Evaluation
and Control Phase are tightly linked and normally work in parallel.
2. Issue Analysis – Understanding the issue sufficiently to consider future consequences of action plans
designed to resolve it.
3. Issue Communication – Communicating issues to the right level of the organization to get them
resolved. Furthermore, it is important to communicate when and how issues are resolved.
4. Issue Control – The project manager is responsible for establishing an environment where the project
team and implementing partners can carry out actions to ensure issues are resolved in a timely and
effective manner.
 Managing People
• The importance of strong people management cannot be overstated. Project
managers work in teams and often are only able to achieve their goals as a result
of the commitment, cooperation and contributions of the people on the project
team. As a result, managing people can become the project manager's most
important, and most difficult, job.
• Most often, when we think of project managers who are especially talented at
managing people, we tend to focus on their mastery of “soft skills” of people
management.
• These are the project managers who are especially effective at motivating team
members, communicating vision, empowering staff, recognizing achievements,
listening, leading by example, resolving conflicts and building trust
 Managing People
• This does not mean, however, that there are no “hard skills: involved in people management. A comprehensive project
plan will not rely solely on the inter-personal sills of the project manager to ensure success in managing people. Instead,
a comprehensive project plan will identify the concrete activities required to proactively manage all elements of the
project team. These concrete activities will be implemented during the Project Implementation Phase and will include:
1. Acquiring Project Staff – As part of the function of managing the team, the project team leader must be clear on the
systems for identifying staff candidates, interviewing candidates, identifying selection criteria and making final
selections of project staff.
2. Creating Staff Job Descriptions – Staff job descriptions include the list of project duties, roles and responsibilities for
team members. Job Descriptions are not only used to recruit, orient and manage staff, but are also use to evaluate
individual team member performance.
3. Documenting Project Organization Charts – Project charts represent the reporting relationships among the project
team.
4. Developing Project Staff – What skills are needed? What are the training needs? Are there certification requirements.
5. Conducting Performance Assessments – Performance assessments are the documented formal or informal
assessment of the project team members’ performance. After analyzing the information, project managers can
identify and resolve problems, reduce conflicts, and improve overall team work.
6. Establishing Team Communication Norms – As the leader of the project team, the project manager must concretely
plan the communications (via meetings, workshops, reports, memos, newsletters, blogs, etc.) that allow the project
team to share information, actively work to identify issues and conflicts, and interact creatively to resolve these issue
 Managing Internal Controls

• One of the challenges of the project manager is to oversee the valuable assets
that have been allocated to conduct the work of the project. To assist with this
challenge, internal control systems should be put in place to provide
reasonable assurance regarding the responsible use of project assets.
 Internal control processes should be designed with the objectives of:
1. Promoting the effectiveness and efficiency of operations;
2. Increasing the reliability of project outcomes;
3. Promoting compliance with applicable laws and regulations;
4. Protecting organization resources, both physical (e.g., machinery and property) and
intangible (e.g., reputation, intellectual property);
5. Reducing risk of fraud
 Managing Internal Controls
• A key component of the organizational capacity of the project includes establishing internal
controls that comprehensively address the entirety of the support, administrative and logistic
systems required for successful implementation. Areas that benefit from internal controls include
1. Human Resources Capacity and Systems
• Are Human Resources policies documented and in compliance with local laws and organizational regulations?
• Do systems exist for timesheets, performance reviews, and employee separation?
2. Procurement
• Do systems exist to select suppliers?
• Do supplier selection criteria exist?
• Do systems exist to manage suppliers?
• Do similar systems exist for consultants?
3. Financial
• Do systems exist for cash management? Expense management? Financial reporting? Is there a segregation of
duties for financial roles?
 Managing Internal Controls
4.Inventory
• Do systems exist for the identification and tracking of inventory?
• Do systems exist for the use/transfer/disposal of equipment following project closure?
• Contracts and Agreements
• Do systems exist for grants management?
• Do systems exist to manage relationships with implementing organizations?

5.Infrastructure
• What systems exist for communications? Telephones, internet, radio?
• What systems exist to manage vehicles and transport?

6. Security protocols
• Is there need for special security arrangements? Travel guidance? Accompaniment programs? Other?

7. Fleet Management
• Are there mileage logs that control the use of service vehicles?

8. Information Management
• Is there a record keeping system (paper/electronic) in place?
• Do policies and standards exist for information management?
• Are documents, contracts and receipts accessible to meet the audit requirements of the project