Personally
I was a part of creating a training program for teachers that was intended to instruct
on a specific curriculum. However, because of the goals of the organization at
the time, the curriculum training became a time for training, as well as,
curriculum mapping related to state standards and common assessments. The
training was intended to last for three days, and within those three days,
teachers had to:
- · Identify the standards that they taught each year, and how often the standards were taught.
- · Create a curriculum map for the school year that included each subject.
- · Begin writing unit plans, and creating common assessments for their grade level teams.
- · Create a school-wide curriculum map that displayed when each grade level was teaching a concept.
So while
the original goals of the training were to have the teachers identify the
standards they taught throughout the year, and to begin planning their year
using a specific curriculum, you can see that the goals of the training
expanded greatly. The training development team was basically asked to figure
out a way to cram the new goals into the time frame already slated for the
training. In the end, teachers were poorly trained, overwhelmed, and unsure of
which of the training goals were the most important in regards to completion.
If I
were managing this project, I would have given more time to the teachers, and
to the trainers to accomplish the new training goals. To control the scope of
the project, I would have had individuals complete a Change of Scope document
that outlines the proposed changes, benefits, and contingency plans for dealing
with an expanded scope.
I would
have met with the district level individuals proposing the change of scope, and
explained the reasons for my concerns. I would have then suggested options that
would have required adjustments to the time, budget, or resources to
accommodate the new goals. I know that if I had approached the district level
individuals with the new budget requirements for the additional goals that they
would have seriously reconsidered the scope change. Many times scope change
occurs because certain individuals don’t fully understand the logistics behind
the changes. A project manager must be assertive when dealing with any member
of the project team who wants to expand the project, and be prepared to defend
the direction and scope of the project.
Resources
Portny, S., Mantel, S., Meredith, J., Shafer, S., Sutton. M.,
& Kramer,B. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and
controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Budrovich, V.
(n.d.). [Video Program].
Practitioner Voices: Resource Challenges. Laureate
Education, Inc.
Chelsey, you are right about PM's having to be assertive, but everyone on the team needs to be responsible for scope creep. The project manager certainly does not want to stifle creativity, but the changes need to be brought to the project manger first. Dr. Stolovich (n.d.) advises that when new ideas come up, the team members should fill out a Change of Scope document. By following this communication protocol, the submitter understands that the feature will not added until it is approved. The PM can discuss the changes with the customer and together they can make a collective decision on whether the idea is worth adjusting the scope of the project. This communication protocol makes managing the customer's expectations much easier for the project manager. Sounds like your project could have used something like this?
ReplyDeleteStolovich, H. (n.d.). Project Management Concerns: ‘Scope Creep’. [Video]. Retrieved from http://mym.cdn.laureate-media.com/Walden/EDUC/6145/02/downloads/WAL_EDUC6145_02_C_EN-CC.zip
Yes, and we certainly could have used more time and money considering the training goals doubled after the project began.
DeleteJennifer,
ReplyDeleteI understand what you mean when you say that teachers only want to participate in formal documentation, or any non-need activity when administration is watching.
However, I think that especially in a school setting where individuals play so many roles, and information gets easily confused, that documentation is crucial when needing references as to why certain decisions are made.
When thinking about a project manager, or even an administrator, as an orchestra leader they provide sheet music to all of their musicians as a guide throughout a performance. Many people also view teaching as an art form at times, so teachers should then also need documents to reference as they accomplish their daily tasks.
While many teachers may not agree with this metaphor, it is important to document decisions, plans, and goals no matter your profession.
Stolovich, H. (2012). [Video Program].Communicating with stakeholders. Laureate Education, Inc.