This article just came up in the latest LLRX update and may be of interest…
Project Management – A Law Librarian Survival Skill
By Carol A. Watson, Published on December 22, 2009
As jacks of all trades, librarians are often called upon to manage complex projects. Project management is not a course that is typically offered in information science programs, but as a matter of survival, many of us have learned to juggle several balls in the air. Many of the techniques librarians intuitively use are clearly articulated as a formal structure with specific guidelines and regularized vocabulary.
Before planning a project, there are some preliminary underlying principles that must be understood. The most important concept to grasp is the definition of a project. A project is strictly defined as a temporary undertaking with a specific beginning and ending that results in a unique change. A project can be contrasted with daily or repetitive business as usual tasks. In other words, a project is not the typical “what we have to do to keep the lights on” daily work. A completed project provides an organization with a unique product or value-added service.
In order to be successful, all projects should have a sponsor or champion who is a part of upper management. A project should be undertaken to fulfill a legitimate business need. A project should not be attempted simply because someone on the IT team wants to experiment with the latest gee-whiz technology. Additionally, the input of all stakeholders who are impacted by the project should be solicited during the planning and implementation phases.
Project managers must also have a thorough understanding of the triple constraints of a project — scope, time and budget. These three variables are tightly interwoven. A change to any one of these three constraints will necessarily affect the other two variables. If the scope of the project is increased, the time and/or budget must be increased. If the budget is reduced, it will be necessary to reduce the scope or increase the time line for the project.
