Building Effective Project Teams in The Investment Process (4/12)
As the number projects undertaken by GAZ-SYSTEM SA (their value and range) increases from year to year, some consistent methods are required to manage them properly. That is why the company has decided to
develop and implement the GazStep methodology which recommends prescribed behaviour according to a predetermined pattern.
"These tools have been developed allow managers to effectively monitor a large number of projects, respond to threats, plan the project funding and manage available human resources" - says Roland Kośka, Deputy Director of the Investment Division. The GazStep methodology was developed on the basis of TenStep Project Management Process and is based on the internationally widely recognized project management standard, fully compliant with the PMBOK Guide® methodology developed by the Project Management Institute. GazStep combines the industry's best practices and experience of many companies as well as the extensive knowledge accumulated by GAZ-SYSTEM SA staff on the implementation of specific projects in the gas sector.
In simple terms, how is a new investment implemented? First, you must carry out the necessary studies and research which should give an answer to why we want to implement an investment and whether it fits into the overall company strategy. The next step is to develop the project and obtain the necessary permits. Then, we need to select contractors, material suppliers and complete the construction and assembly works. The final step is to test whether all the quality requirements have been met. Building a team is similar and therefore, the methodology adopted by GAZ-SYSTEM SA methodology places special focus on building effective project teams.
The team creation process starts with defining or initiating the project. First, we analyse the project and determine the necessary competences to perform the task at hand. This enables us to define the number of people needed and create a list of project roles along with names assigned to them. "The key task of the project manager in the development a team to plan the project tasks so that the employees who are hired to work on the project on a temporary basis know the dates for their work to be completed and are able to them fit in with their line duties" - says Tomasz Bilski, Specialist for Procedures from the Investment Projects Support Team.
Thanks to this planning the Project Manager is able to contact the employee's designated supervisor and obtain their consent for that employee's participation in the project. The next step is to organize a meeting at which the Project Manager presents the schedule and scope of the project along with its key milestones, discusses the roles of project team members and explains how their work is to be assigned, delivered and evaluated. The methods and tools for communication between the project team members are also provided.
The Project Manager and his team assess the implementation status of the tasks on an on-going basis. In addition, the Manager monitors the level of motivation within the project team. Projects carried out by GAZ-SYSTEM SA are long-term, and obtaining permits, decisions, working with designers, contractors, running the tender process are among the most difficult and time consuming tasks. The results of these works are usually far apart in time, often spanning periods in excess of one year, which can lead to a decrease in morale among the personnel. Therefore, in order to increase the motivation of the team members, it is important to promote the achievement of small steps, such as reaching particular milestones in the project or completing an important element of the work, etc. Sometimes, however, involving additional personnel to assist the team may prove necessary.
The key to building an effective team is not only motivating the employees, but also open communication, which can be a contributing factor to the success of the project. It allows you to systematically track progress and manage the expectations of all stakeholders. If these people are properly informed about the progress of the project, there is less chance of problems arising from the lack of knowledge about the status of the project. In many cases, emerging conflicts are related not to real problems, but the fact that the people involved in the project were surprised misinformed. That is why the Project Manager must not forget about communication. You should always keep all team members informed on the status of the project, the labour intensity of the work involved and the project deadline.
Expert comment - Simon Zielinski, Manager at PwC, an expert in the field of change and project management
In order to grow, contemporary companies must continually adapt to current market needs. Success is achieved by those organizations which are able to quickly and efficiently implement the necessary initiatives, while making optimal use of available resources and efficiently setting priorities for the implementation of the strategic goals of the company. Due to the existing dynamics and the need for initiatives that go beyond routine activities, projects and programmes are established for their implementation. Their task is to implement new solutions and ideas in an organized and controlled way. It should be noted that most of the implemented projects directly or indirectly affect people, not only those working for the organization implementing the project, but also customers, the public and other stakeholders. This generates a number of additional conditions and risks to the project and therefore constitutes an additional challenge for the organization.
The above-mentioned factors make organizations such as GAZ-SYSTEM SA reach for increasingly more advanced tools and techniques for managing projects and programs. While implementing project management methodologies, such as GazStep, they do not limit themselves only to the adoption of existing standards, but as the case of GAZ-SYSTEM, continually adapt to current needs and requirements. It is the work that goes into the adaptation of existing project management methodologies which determines successful implementations and in the case of the methodology implemented by GazStep has actually provided support to its project managers, steering committees and project teams in the implementation of more complex initiatives.
The next natural step in building a mature project management system within an organization is to create organizational units responsible for the coordination and monitoring of projects, development of tools, training and enhancing the competence of the personnel involved in the project implementation duties. For this purpose, Project Management Offices (PMO) are established which become the owners of the processes related to project management throughout the organization, and serve the all-important purpose of ensuring the consistency of the project portfolio with the current business strategy of the organization.
This Newsletter was prepared in cooperation with PwC
Editorial Board:
The Gas Transmission Operator GAZ-SYSTEM S. A.
Communication Team
Małgorzata Polkowska - Press Spokesperson
tel. +48 22 220 15 46, mob. + 48 691 911 217
e-mail: pr@gaz-system.pl
Aneta Szczepańska – PR Coordinator
Tel. +48 22 220 18 79, mob. + 48 607 630 514
e-mail: pr@gaz-system.pl
