Project Development and Organization

by Dianne Irene

Organization is essential. If things are not organized then it is important to find some system to keep things straight mentally. Most of us have many projects going on in everyday life without realizing it. We find a way to prioritize what can wait and what must take precedence. Purpose must be established early. Goals to reach that purpose should be identified and prioritized. Scheduling becomes an important tool to keep things on track.

There are several factors that should be considered in making a schedule. First, all deadlines must be recognized. Secondly, consider what projects or stages of the projects could affect the performance or deadline of the other areas of the project. If one stage cannot be completed without the other then that must be considered and prioritized. The other factor is time management. There are certain factors that must be achieved in each project and others that will be compromised. It does not mean quality, but rather that there must be a system of cut off to achieve things in a certain manner.

A factor in working in teams is project sharing. Sometimes multiple persons are responsible for a project. By recognizing those who can master certain areas and delegating properly, things run more smoothly. Sometimes working on multiple things can be a blessing. Being over absorbed in one project for too long can hinder your ability to see the big picture.

One of the models in project planning is the modified waterfall and spiral. The approach is to define a problem and explore concepts, analyze the requirements, design a prototype, implement testing, integration, then operation and maintenance. Taking a faster waterfall approach can allow rapid minor changes to a project within a larger effort.

Another factor to consider is concept learning between projects. What is meant by this is that there are some systems that will tend to work for multiple projects. If something works well, duplication can save on time, costs, and energy. Some minor changes can take place rapidly to get things up and running while major changes could be going on in the background and implemented as time permits. It really depends on the project and the final goal.

Documentation and communication are essential in keeping the records, examples, and ideas organized. There would be a lot of wasted energy and time if one member of the team was handed off a project with no documentation and was thus left to start from scratch. This would also create a pool of sorts for future projects and serve as a referral bank to make things run more smoothly. Maintain ability is another factor in design. Creating something that is hard to maintain will certainly have a short shelf life.

Compatibility or what I call "common sensors" should be maintained through any project. The more areas you can take a project and make it work, the more efficient and successful future projects will be as well. Certainly, the question asked in the beginning should be easily answered in the end. Appropriateness can only be achieved by staying within the framework of the purpose.