Project Management = People Management
The Project Team
Even though the ProvGas project had a clear kickoff date at the start of fiscal 1998 there was considerable instability
in the makeup of the project team. The core team that we eventually fielded consisted of six roles. The Project
Director has an operations background and doubled as the Director of Engineering for the first year while playing
the key project management role. Also, on the operations side we have had an Operations Technical Manager role.
Initially this was filled by an individual with Engineering, Construction & Maintenance and Marketing Research
experience. He was followed by a manager with a background in auditing, budgeting, DigSafe and Drafting process
management. A Project Assistant with a Construction & Maintenance background is also assigned to the project.
On the Information Technology (IT) side we have an IT Technical Manager whose background is in mainframe
applications, a System Analyst with a similar background, and a Database Administrator (DBA) proficient in Sybase
with exposure to Oracle. The team's project design and development has been supported by extensive involvement
from the end user community with backgrounds in drafting, construction, and research of the existing paper record
system.
Expectations
The expectation of each team member has varied considerably. Personality, natural MO for approaching tasks,
individuals past experiences with our paper records, and the particular business related skills drove their
expectations. People come onto a team not only with expectations regarding how they will contribute but also how
their teammates should contribute. It is guaranteed that at the start the team members' expectations will not all be in
sync. With regard to the functionality of the new system, some want to design the perfect system with all the bells
and whistles, others want to focus on a particular application, and still others may have ease of use as their prime
expectation. In our particular case the project schedule had been established prior to the team being created.
Because the team was not involved in setting the schedule, some came to the table not expecting us to achieve our
goals. The schedule was unrealistic in their minds.
Some expectations are virtually universal. Team members expect to be kept informed regarding what is going on
with all aspects of the project. They expect to be given clear direction and to be rewarded for their efforts in support
of the project. They also expect to be given the training and information required to fulfill their role on the team
Understanding
As a project manager it is important to assess the level of understanding of the members, address the knowledge
gaps that need to be addressed and develop a team where the knowledge differences become complimentary, not
adversarial.
On the ProvGas team, the Project Director was initially the only member with a fair understanding of AM/FM/GIS.
The IT team members had little or no understanding of gas operations or the existing paper record system that
AM/FM/GIS was going to replace. In addition, most of the Operations team members had little knowledge or
understanding of computer technology in general.
Impact
Certainly the project team will have a great impact on the success or failure of the project. Their impact will be felt
in three basic ways. Their performance relative to their particular tasks is the most obvious way that members effect
the attainment of project goals. Second, how they interact with and support their teammates will influence how
other members perform. Third, how they communicate project-related issues outside of the team will have a
significant impact on the perceptions of the various stakeholders. Comments made by team members will greatly
effect the expectations of the end users, the acceptance of the new system, and the perception of whether the project
or team was successful.
Focus
The ProvGas project was planned as a four-year effort. Due to the corporate culture and the continuous personal
changes, the team members in general have been focusing on short term milestones. Managing the short-term
milestones for the long-term goal is the critical role of the project manager. The action steps listed below have been
useful to make sure that the short term focus is aligned with the long term goals and they are compatible amongst the
various members of the team.
