Make it a Project

I've been trying to get PR and project management to go out on a date in my workspace for a couple of years now.

It started when a good friend introduced me to the Gantt chart and I've manipulated it a bit, probably beyond recognition, but it works for me and makes everything clear to my colleagues.



I'm now back into the theory again and my latest project plan got the green light which means I must be on to something.

Basically a project is a plan or a programme that has a distinct beginning and an end, like an annual festival that runs for one week in October. Basically you want to identify SMART goals - specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely targets.

You need to be clear on your stakeholders which can range from your project team, sponsors, customers, suppliers, the media, and any other groups that stand to gain or lose from the project.

It is also vital that you do a scan of your environment, also know as a PESTLE analysis, where you review the political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, legal and environmental factors that could have a significant impact on your efforts, as well as a competitors' analysis, using a tool such as Porter's Five Forces diagram.

A traditional SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) on your business is also useful, but can be combined in the PESTLE analysis for ease.

Once you have outlined these, which I must admit require a fair amount of research time and effort, you can pretty much get creative on the scope of your project, the theme, the desired impact, the scale and so on.

The key benefit of using project management along with your marketing and public relations efforts is that it helps you to maximize use your limited resources by setting clear parameters, targets, objectives or boundaries for every action with emphasis on accountability.

Perhaps you have a project you need to man. Here are 14 questions you should consider for every project, adapted from Project Management Made Easy by Sid Kemp (2006):

1. Why are we doing this project? Focus on the value, benefit and purpose.

2. What are we making? Project Scope Management

3. How will we make it?

4. When will we do it? Project Time Management

5. How much time will it take?

6. How much money will it cost? Project Cost Management

7. What makes it good? Project Quality Management

8. How can we make sure it gets done? Project Risk Management (I like to tag on Crisis communications here: identifying key spokespersons, messages, scenario planning, identifying media centres, etc)

9. What could go wrong?

10. Who will do it? Project Human Resources Management

11. How will we keep in touch or stay on the same page (or on message)? Project Communications Management

12. What do we need and how will we get it? Project Procurement Management

13. How do we keep it all together, especially when (not if) things change in the middle? Project Integration Management

14. What are the criteria for canceling this project? (Always know your breaking point, and think beyond financial challenges and relationship breakdowns.)

I hope this helps you a bit in your marketing and PR efforts.

Drop me a line if you want to share your tips on marrying PR and Project Management or to get more details or explanations on some of the academia in this post! Don't be limited by the four corners of this blog post!

Cheers!

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