Entries by Bonnie Biafore

5 Ways to Increase Project Quality

A big part of project success is meeting business objectives. Project quality is the degree to which a project meets its objectives. Here are five tips to ensure the quality of your project outcomes. Don’t jump to the solution too quickly. The foundation of delivering quality is ensuring that your project solves the problem or […]

Project sponsor and project customer: what’s the difference?

In a recent LinkedIn Live session, someone asked, “What exactly is the difference between a project sponsor and a project customer? Sometimes, the sponsor is also the customer, but the roles have notable differences:  Authorizing or terminating the project. The project comes about because the project customer has a problem to solve or opportunity to […]

Managing change in agile projects

A learner in my LinkedIn Learning online project management course asked, “Is it true that agile methodologies don’t require change management to handle new requests?” Actually, change management is baked into the Agile approach. Here is how Agile manages change using the terminology of traditional project methodologies.  There is a Change Control Board. In Agile, […]

The Project Manager’s Relationship with Risk

In a recent LinkedIn Live session, a viewer asked, “How did you learn to embrace risk-taking?” A project manager isn’t the risk-taker in a project—risk is inherent in every project. However, it’s true that project managers must embrace risk. Project managers need to understand the risks within their projects as well as what risk management […]

Managing Project Contingency Funds

Contingency funds come in handy for mitigating project risk and handling unexpected issues. How much contingency funding do you need? And how do you manage it?  Here are some tips: Consider the cost of risk responses. After creating your risk management plan, estimate how much money you need to address the project’s high-probability risks. If […]

Managing Unacceptable Project Variances

Projects never run exactly according to plan, so project variances are inevitable. To keep your projects on track, you need to take action when variances are about to become – or already are — unacceptable. Here are some tips for managing variances. Respond quickly. Small variances in your schedule or costs can grow large before […]

What qualifies as a project?

During a recent LinkedIn Live session, an attendee asked “What actually qualifies as a project when summarizing project management experience? Could it be creating a lesson plan or procuring items for a charity auction?”  According to the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK®), a project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique project, service, or result. Let’s […]

Effective Project Management During the Pandemic

In one of my recent LinkedIn Live broadcasts, someone asked how project management could evolve, given new and changing rules imposed by the pandemic. Here are a few key ways in which project management could adjust to be effective during the pandemic. Focus on using tools for remote work effectively. More than ever, project management […]

Budgeting in an Agile Environment

In one of my recent LinkedIn Live broadcasts, an attendee asked about budgeting in an agile environment. Here are the steps for building and maintaining a sound budget for an agile project.  Step 1. Determine your Minimum Viable Product (MVP). The MVP is the smallest possible product that will satisfy the most important business needs. […]

Pre-requisite Skills for Project Managers

In a LinkedIn Live session with Bob McGannon, someone asked, “What pre-requisite skills are needed to qualify for consideration as a project manager?” While there are many valid answers, here are skills Bob and I look for in project management candidates. Great communication. Project managers constantly communicate, verbally and in writing. Effective communication skills are […]