Module 1: Research Strategy and Planning

4.3 Project management areas

The PMBOK model (Project Management Body of Knowledge) (PMI, 2008) is one way to articulate project management. It usefully reflects the main issues that are likely to emerge and require management during a research project. The basic framework of the model is to see a project in terms of four distinct development phases – design, planning, implementation, and closeout – and nine knowledge areas that require planning and control across those four phases. The nine PMBOK knowledge areas are briefly described below, along with research and stakeholder management, two important additional elements that must be considered when managing research projects.

4.3.1 Scope management

Scope relates to the intellectual content of your research and the directions it will take during the project. Scope defines what you will and will not do. You will have undertaken some of this conceptual work in preparing your grant proposal. However, there is benefit in defining the scope more closely – particularly at the design phase as it ensures you are fully aware of the likely resource implications of the project. At later stages, it is equally important to ensure scope remains focused. It is very easy to have the project grow or evolve into something different. Thus, the term ‘project creep’ is very relevant to research projects. We have probably all had experience of looking at new results and wondering "What if we follow that path instead?" Project management helps us maintain a tight control over what is done, so that any changes of direction are intentional and considered, not unplanned. It helps us maintain an awareness of the agreed outcomes.

Since scope describes the outputs or goals to be achieved through the research, it is the primary element which assists in framing the research activities. Managing scope is the first and most important element in managing the whole research project.

4.3.2 Time management

Time management estimates and monitors the times taken for the project activities or stages. Activities need to be defined, the times required to achieve these activities determined, the activities need to be sequenced, and then monitoring of those time-frames becomes part of the regular review process.

In a research project it is hard to estimate the time that a particular activity will take to reach completion. However, the process of thinking about a task and what may be required helps to anticipate any likely blow-outs in scheduling, and can ensure we do not have people twiddling their thumbs waiting for others to finish their agreed work. This process also ensures we monitor the milestones that need to be completed, and check that they are happening in a timely manner. By planning for reporting and considering other elements of the project requirements (such as relationship management), we are also better able to monitor the many different strands of project activity and ensure all necessary tasks are undertaken. This is a particularly valuable contribution that project management can make to your research project.

4.3.3 Cost management

Cost management involves estimating the costs of the research activities and then monitoring those costs to ensure the research project stays within budget, or, alternatively, determining what is required to bring costs under control.

This may sound obvious, but in research projects it can be far from easy. A research project normally operates from an agreed funding allocation which is allocated at the start of the project. The project is then required to operate within those parameters. But unanticipated project costs can emerge: the cost of supplies for experiments may rise; there may be an increase in staffing costs due to a new enterprise bargaining round; an experiment might go horribly wrong and require redoing – or the project may simply escalate above the agreed budget. The value of project management is that regular reviews of the budget are undertaken and action to address likely funding concerns can occur in a timely manner. The project management methodology encourages more careful oversight of costs.

4.3.4 Research management

You will have certain requirements that need to be fulfilled to meet the contractual requirements of your university or the funding agency. They may relate to legal, ethical, or reporting requirements. They will require ongoing oversight and management throughout the project life cycle.  Scheduling these expectations into the project plan ensures you do not forget critical obligations.

4.3.5 Quality management

"The project was really racing along and my postdoc was a great support. She said to me 'Leave that part of the experiment with me ... I have done this hundreds of times.' So I did. And six months later we discovered that the technique she had been using was wrong and we had to write off that entire phase of the research. I realised that I should have put a lot of checks in place to make sure that she knew what she was doing, that it was the right process, and that I was assured that we would reach the outcome we needed." [Real anecdote from a research leader].

Quality management ensures the project activities support the aims of your research and reflect the sponsor's expectations. It also measures the consistency of delivery of outcomes. Quality management is largely achieved by specifying processes required to deliver results, identifying the cause of any problems, dealing with the root causes rather than the symptoms of the inconsistent outcome, and building a common understanding across the research team of the quality expectations.

In a research project context, this can mean making sure all members of the research team clearly understand what standards should be followed, creating templates for record keeping (so that consistent data and history is captured), implementing regular peer review or project review processes (to check that the processes are being followed), and clarifying at the start of the project how you will deal with any quality issues. Early determination as to how quality assurance will operate can avoid many conflicts and anxieties later. Again, if regular reviews of project progress are included in the project oversight, issues relating to poor quality outcomes or delivery can be addressed quickly and rapidly.

4.3.6 Risk management

A risk is a possible future event which may harm your research project. It is important you identify potential threats to the success of the research project and develop a treatment plan to help reduce or eliminate any hazards. This goes well beyond the safety and health issues in laboratories. It can relate to reputational or relational risks, the loss of critical researchers, experimental failure, and many other potential issues. This will be more fully dealt with in ‘Module 5: Financial and Risk Management’ where the process of risk management is reviewed. However, at this point, it is important to recognise that many of the risks can be anticipated and monitored through your project plan.

A good way to approach risk management is to consider what might go wrong with respect to reputation, deliverables, team composition, budget, quality, project creep, and any other element that makes the project vulnerable. By anticipating any likely problems, you can introduce contingency planning to reduce the likelihood of that issue emerging. As part of your planning, you will benefit from periodic reviews of things that have gone wrong so that there is a record of what should be avoided in subsequent projects. This is best accepted as a whole team responsibility, as many risks can remain invisible to the leader but can still undermine the project’s progress.

4.3.7 Human resources management

Managing human resources involves defining the roles and responsibilities of your research team members, managing the university's obligations to the team members, and leading your team to achieve (or exceed) the project goals. This is covered in more detail in ‘Module 7: Managing and Leading People in a Research Context’. In this topic, though, we will explore work roles and work loads as they relate to the project activities. Project management assists in checking for underload and overload and clarifies the interdependencies of different members. It also clarifies who is responsible for certain project elements.

The planning relating to human resources management may include elements relating to recruitment and employment of new staff as well as building an effective team. The research team requires careful nurturing, as in this way effective systems are established and a positive and inclusive culture is promoted. Mentorship systems and sponsorship of junior researchers may be factored into your planning. You will also need to consider how much communication, coordination, and monitoring of team members will be required. A highly competent experienced researcher would be greatly offended at being closely monitored as to performance and task completion. A very junior researcher would find it very useful in the commencement stage, but may require less supervision over time – particularly if a good project plan is operating. Good project management can assist with these delicate processes by allowing latitude within a clear framework of performance expectations, role delineation, and clear outcomes.

4.3.8 Stakeholder management

Research is strongly reliant on good relationships with stakeholders. There are many different groups that may have expectations about the research, particularly those groups that have invested their own resources into the venture. Stakeholders can include research agencies, ethics committees, your school or faculty, the university research service agencies, industry partners, overseas collaborators, the wider community which will benefit from your research, and many others. As part of your project management strategies you should consider how you will communicate and regularly interact with these parties. You might also review the ways you involve them in research planning and development, and what types of reporting will be required. Ongoing relationships and new collaborations or partnerships should be a priority during the research process.

4.3.9 Communication management

To ensure the dissemination of relevant project outcomes and updates, you need to develop and oversee delivery of a communication plan for your research project. Communication management includes developing a plan to keep research team members, and other interested parties, informed of the progress of the research and of emerging issues. You are also advised to think of ways in which information about your project can be promoted. A website may be one strategy you might identify. Some media releases at key points in your project might also form part of your planning.

4.3.10 Procurement management

Your project will have various supplies and equipment to be sourced up front, and sometimes on a regular basis for the ongoing research. Planning for procurement ensures there is enough time allowed for the sourcing and supply of materials. It also encourages consideration of the processes which your university may require for purchasing or leasing. You may also need to have staff trained in using the necessary systems. All of these issues need to be anticipated in your project plan.

Procurement management therefore encompasses the acquisition of any resources you need for the research project, including the organisation of outsourcing where relevant. Procurement may also include negotiating agreements, equipment acquisition (purchased or leased), and consumables sourcing. It also addresses what will happen to fittings and resources after the research project is completed.

4.3.11 Integration management

Integration management monitors the coordination of the other ten knowledge areas to ensure the different elements are sequenced appropriately. This is a very critical part of the project process, particularly in a research team where different people may be working interdependently. Integration management ensures that people have a sense of what each team member is doing, when elements need to be completed, where blowouts are likely to occur, and how the project components mesh. It also guides the scheduling of progress meetings to ensure interdependent processes are effectively coordinated.

Activity 6:  What makes projects challenging?

Reflect on the last two or three research projects in which you were involved. Select the project you found most challenging and consider the following questions:

• Who was the project manager? (How did you know and was it evident at the time?)
• To what extent were you aware of the eleven knowledge areas being addressed in the phases you witnessed? Were they well managed? Why? Why not? What was the worst area? How did it impact on the project?
• Were there issues in these research projects which may have been better managed by having a more explicit project management approach?

You have no doubt identified a number of areas where better practice could be achieved. The next subtopics explore some of the more useful project management tools that can assist in managing these various issues.

Reference

PMI (2008). A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, 4th edition, Project Management Institute. http://www.pmi.org/PMBOK-Guide-and-Standards/Standards-Library-of-PMI-Global-Standards.aspx