Project Respository - Creating a Structure for Project Documentation

When starting a project, one of the first steps is to define a project repository that can effectively collect project documents and can help the entire team in maintaining a productive team and project environment.  There are many ways to create a repository, you can use web-based collaboration tools, one such tool could be Google Docs; you can use sophisticated / developed document management and collaboration technologies, one such tool is Microsoft SharePoint; or you can use a simple directory structure.  Here I will give some examples of using a directory structure since that can be used by almost anyone in any work environment; the structure can be applied to more sophisticated solutions as well.

Regardless of what method you use, you need some fundamental guidelines for using and maintaining a quality respository:

• Guideline 1:  The project manager is the "owner" of the repository and ultimately responsible for the quality and content.  For large projects a "repository owner/manager" can be designated.
• Guideline 2:  The repository's use must be required for ALL team members.
• Guideline 3:  Some level of standards must be applied to ensure consistency.
• Guideline 4:  In each directory and sub-directory, add a "_readme.txt" file that describes how to use the sturcture.  This way the instructions to maintain consistency are easily available.

Option 1: One approach is to create a structure that mimics the existing or defined project management methodology that is used in your organization.  The benefit of this option is that documents can be stored based on the phase that you are operating under and it will reinforce the method that the project managers should use.  The drawback of this option is that the structure might not be very intuitive for people to work with.

Option 2: Another approach is to organize the documents based on a set of standard documents that are created during the project life-cycle.  The structure can be modified to include or remove certain groupings.  However, the high-level groupings / directory names would be consistent from project to project.  The benefit of this option is that it is easier for project managers to work with during the project life cycle.  The drawback can be that over time, the grouping and conventions might sway from the original intent.

A readme file, for instance, could say something like:

business_case directory is used for:

- project justification/feasibility assessment
- cost-benefit analysis or return on investment
- overall plan/timeline/etc.
- pros and cons
- decisions

Keep your naming conventions / standards simple, clear and easy to use, for instance:

1) Use all lower case letters with underscores to separate words. This will allow for easy copy/paste/publish on multiple platforms, e.g., WebServers, UNIX machines, Windows, etc.

Example:

name_qualifier

meeting_agenda_minutes

2) Keep names short and descriptive: 8 characters to 25 characters (if possible)


3) Whenever possible, add the project acronym to the file names for easy searching, retrieval and grouping.
Example:

[acronym]_[file_or_directory_name]
hr_requirements
hr_designs
hr_training

dw = data warehouse
dw_requirements
dw_rfp
dw_designs
dw_training
dw_business_case


4) For date-specific files/information (e.g., meeting agendas and minutes), use the format:

[yyyymmdd]_name
Example: 20070113_design_mtg_agenda

Whatever method works best for you, use it consistently, improve it over time and establish some simple guidelines so people know what to do and how.

What's the Most Important First Step in Starting a Project?

Q: When you are asked to do a project, what is the first key step that needs to be taken to set the project on the right course?

A: Governance - a sustainable decision-making board

There are many first things that can be done, such as, writing a charter, defining the scope, etcetera; however, projects start moving without much attention to who are all the key stakeholders and how they need to interact:

• The champion / executive sponsor - one who can make or break the project
• Project sponsor - one who really needs the project
• Project manager - one who gets it done
• Steering committee - key, responsible stakeholders who help with evaluating issues and making decisions to guide the project and the project manager
• Other stakeholders - people who are dependent or going to be seriously impacted by the new project and could through up roadblocks
• Various processes are needed too, for instance:
• defining the roles and responsibilities and clearly communicating the expectations to the people involved;
• what information to collect and report, how often i.e., status reporting;
• defining a decision-making process;
• defining a conflict resolution process, etc.

If you don't spend some time setting this all up at the beginning stages of a project, the project starts to go in various directions without good focus, you hash and rehash the same types of issues, progress is slow, you start to encounter problems throughout various phases - for example questions like these are raised: "what is the project about; what are they doing; why isn't it getting done; why aren't we involved; etc.".  Also, resourcing becomes a problem and ultimately the project manager's life becomes increasingly difficult.