Project Planning for Effective Global Projects
Project Management for Global Project Needs Changes in Project Plan
Jan 26, 2009
Effective global projects require project planning to include different locations, languages, time-zones, cultures, and organisations. This is not a change to a project management methodology it is building on the methods, tools and techniques with specific additional considerations to account for these other factors. This increased complexity makes a global project more difficult than a local project and project planning must adjust as needed.
Global Project Management
Use whatever is the preferred project management methodology but consider these key factors when project planning:
- Locations. Project teams located together can easily get together and work through project plans and issues. It is generally accepted that face-to-face meetings are the most productive when teams need to work through project plans and issues. When project teams are located together that meeting can easily be organised but when more than one location is involved it is no longer as easy. Of course, technology such as video-conferencing, teleconferencing or collaborative software will need to be exploited
- Languages. Multiple countries involved with a global project will necessarily involve multiple languages. Project team members may be selected on their ability with the English language as the common language of choice. However, good understanding of English, especially vocabulary, technical terminology or common expressions should never be assumed
- Time-zones. Multiple time-zones will present special challenges for regular project team communication but can also present opportunities by exploiting time-zone differences to increase the length of a working day. Different time-zones requires special attention to co-ordinated activities such as testing to ensure that events occur as and when planned
- Cultures. Cultural differences may lead to the generation of information exchange and healthy debate and better outcomes as a consequence. They may also lead to misunderstanding and confusion and worse outcomes. It is critical that the planning process allows more time for well-defined collaborative working and joint decision-making
- Organisations. Organisational boundaries may be crossed by a global project with very different expectations about areas such as corporate policy, project control, financial control, standards and contracts. It is important that as many as possible of these are agreed prior to the project starting
Global Project Structure
The project structure takes on special significance for global projects because the global project structure will be the fundamental organisation of the global team and stakeholders. Whilst it is important to identify and allocate resources as for local projects it is also important to:
- Global Project Teams - identify and resource any language translation or locate multi-lingual staff in the most effective locations. Time should be set aside for team-building ideally in a single location to establish effective working relationships. Agreed working practices must be established, including methods for maintaining consistency of information. This will often involve the selection of a common language such as English and whenever important verbal conversations occur they must be summarised and distributed in a simple and clear written form to avoid misunderstanding
- Global Communication and Collaboration - establish tools and times for communication and collaboration. It must be a working assumption that whatever the means of communication the result must be reinforced with a concise, written summary to ensure absolute clarity
- Global Organisations - reporting structures and project reporting must supplement the agreed working practices and decision making structure
Project Planning for Global Projects
Project planning for a Project Plan is more difficult for global projects but not impossible. Allow more time for communication and collaboration as this will take longer in a global project. For more information go to the Global Project Management.org.
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