By profession, project management require a highly competent all rounder of the field and scope for that delivery, with a recognized project management methodology. As a result, the project manager will know exactly the stuffs that the team is doing and the ability with standardized terminology, expectations and management of all levels. However, the buzzword “PM” is heard in all industries and everyone seems to be a project manager ‘without credentials’.
Similarly, in any given task, Christian Leaders are call to lead projects in their Church or in their workplace, only to find that they possess little skills to manage project time, cost, scope, quality, human resource, procurement, communication, risk and integration.
Projects may be short or long; it is temporary in that it has a defined beginning and end in time, and therefore defined scope and resources (PMI). It is quick and unique, transient endeavor, undertaken to achieve planned objectives, which could be defined in terms of outputs, outcomes or benefits (APMUK) like running special services, evangelistic meetings, fund raising et al. It may be a ‘simple lunch meetings’ or ‘seminars’, a-walk-in-the-park for many experience leaders to run these projects. On the other hand, the spectrum may be massive and demanding like evangelistic meetings, concerts, building expansion projects. Project Management is the discipline of organizing and managing resources in such a way that these resources deliver all the work required to complete a project within defined scope, time and cost constraints. (MIM)
Without formal project management coaching or knowledge, project management can be a mammoth task for many leaders. While, many inborn leaders are gifted with good organizational and time management skills that come in handy, nevertheless there is no guarantee that the project will turn out to be successful.
Setting up a new ministry, hosting conventions or opening an outreach are additions to the departments’ regular activities that blast with loads of responsibility (Resources Constrain). Due to constraints in available time for the delivery or lack of funding and resources, lets checkout the relevancy to implementing project management concepts into our endeavors.
A biblical project management concept could be found in Nehemiah 1-2 (Read more: A Biblical Reference to Project Management: http://www.walkwiththeword.org/Studies/01_OT/16_Neh/16_Nehemiah_01-02.html)
The first step to jump-start:
Project Deliverables (Scope Management)
More often than not, unclear with the entire deliverable is the factor contribute to project failure more than others. What is the project objective? If you are unsure, how can you plan right and deliver with results? Would you know the demarcation of the project? The fundamental of project management is identifying the output without ambiguosity.
Once you know exactly the deliverables, you then breakdown into sub-deliveries and defining the scope. Scope management will be the exclusive accountability of the Project Manager. Work out and grasp all the areas of impact that need to be tackle or potentially involved. Make out the steps to take to complete each identified section. Allocate time to work this part out with the team (stakeholders). Document the decisions and phases and sign-off once concur. Many experience and long time leader assume project management methodology to be overkill or overload in church’s work, but over a period (sometime short duration) memories disappear gradually, work not done, responsibility pushes around and misunderstandings crop up. Consequently, run into disagreement, where it can be awfully destructive for the leader, the team and over and above the church. With good documentation, these issues are evitable.
Reference:
Mike Waddell (Project Management Guide for Christian Leaders)
Deborah Ike (Why Project Management Belongs in your Church)
Yngvi Rafn Yngvason (Jesus Christ the Project Leader)
Check back for more!
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