Learning
from a Project “Post-Mortem”
Project
managers should plan to conduct and hold a postproject evaluation after any
project is performed (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, & Kramer,
2008). A postproject evaluation, or project postmortem, is an assessment of
project results, activities, and processes in order to recognize project
achievements, identify techniques that worked, and approaches that didn’t work
(Portny et al., 2008). I’m a Physical Education teacher and I haven’t had the
opportunity to conduct a formal project, but I consider organizing a May Day
annual event at my elementary school as a major project.
Each year the
PE department organizes a May Day event for the students to participate in
relay races, carnival games, and witness live entertainment. The planning for
this project starts in February, even though it’s in May. We have to create a
blueprint version and submit it to our administrators for approval, then get
financial funds approved, and then gather all resources and people needed to
assist in the actual event. Scheduling is a big headache due to having to work
around other school calendar events, fieldtrips, and lunch schedules. May Day
is a strenuous project, but I love the outcome every year.
After the May
Day event, the PE department normally sits down and reflects on the pros and
cons of what happened so that we can revise and improve the event for the
following year. After answering the “Post Mortem” review questions, I was able
to reflect on the approaches that produce great outcomes and things that caused
obstacles in our events. We along with the entire school are always proud of
the May Day event. The teachers, students, administrators, and parents show
great gratitude each year. The most effective component of this project is the
planning. The other stakeholders, administrators and teachers, tend to
interfere with the scheduling by approving fieldtrips and other activities
during May Day week, which then causes schedule changes. This obstacle could be
eliminated if the administrator participated effectively in this project by
only allowing the 1st week in May to be reserved only for May Day
events.
Regardless
of what the project involves, it's important for project managers and team
members to take stock at the end of a project and develop a list of lessons
learned so that they don't repeat their mistakes in the next project (Greer,
2010).
References
Greer,
M. (2010). The project management
minimalist: Just enough PM to rock your
projects! (Laureate custom ed.).
Baltimore: Laureate Education, Inc.
Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S.
M., Sutton, M.
M., &
Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning,
scheduling, and
controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley &
Sons, Inc.
Hi Tab,
ReplyDeleteBeing a teacher I can see where it would be very hard to stick with the plans you have made. I think it would be up to the teachers too, to make sure, like you said reserve that first week in May for the May Day. I really sounds like the "Post Mortem" questions really help you to reflect on what worked and what did not worked in the past. What you have learned from answering the questions will help you improve your May Day planning for this up coming February.
Hi Tab,
ReplyDeleteLike in most projects there are always things you have to work around. As a PM we have to make sure we take into consideration the various moving parts so that we don't delay the project that we are working on.
Hi Tabitha,
ReplyDeletePlanning anything with teachers to work around can be crazy. I have been a special education teacher for five years now and generally let the core teachers do the planning for field trips. I have been more involved this year and found our trip planning to be stressful just trying to pick a day. We had to create a timeline of events to figure out our day and like you, created a "Post-Mortem" to review after the trip to make next year easier to plan.