Lessons from the coal face

Lessons from the coal face are a series of articles on project and programme management subjects edited by Malcolm West and written by Malcolm and invited guest contributors.  Each article takes a look at an issue from a practical standpoint but with a solid base of theory and best practice.

Starting the right project the right way

Your organisation may have a defined process for selecting and starting projects but more often than not many clients take a surprisingly ad-hoc approach.  Vince Hines looks at the early stages of a project focusing on a number of practical recommendations.

Scope - Don't leave home without it

One of the primary reasons often cited for project failure is scope change.  Having a robust agreed scope of work, and maintaining it, is a vital weapon in the armoury of any Project Manager.  Vince Hines explores.

Closing a Project

Here we take a look at an important area of project management which is frequently overlooked or simply forgotten. 

PRINCE2 Plans

There are a number of types of plan described in the manual - which can be a source of confusion for people new to PRINCE2.  We take a look at the and when they are used.

Designing a Plan in PRINCE2

In PRINCE2 a project plan is much more that a MS Project Gantt chart.  We review what you should include in the PRINCE2 PL1 Process.

Picking the Project Manager

One of the most critical factors in the likely success or failure of a project but how much attention do we pay to picking the right project manager not just a project manager?

PRINCE2 Document Management

Document Management is a key activity that underpins PRINCE2.  But it's hard to do in practice.  We look at the issues and how PROJECT in a Box can help.

About the Contributors

Malcolm West - has fifteen years of practical project management experience ranging across many industries, project types and countries. Malcolm is the Managing Director of Prosis Solutions Ltd and the author of a number of popular scaled project management methodologies, including P2ABC.  Malcolm was the 1999 winner of the APM's Sir Monty finniston Award.
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Vince Hines - has significant experience running, recovering and advising on projects & programmes in the UK, USA & Switzerland.  Vince is the Managing Director of Wellingtone Ltd, the project management recruitment, training and consulting specialists with offices in Windsor, Berkshire and Dublin. Wellingtone have been working with clients across all industries for over 10 years, helping them inprove their project management capability. Visit Wellingtone's website for more details on their recruitment expertise.

Guy Holford - has over twenty years of commercial software development, IT project management and IT leadership experience.  Guy is the Technical Director at Prosis Solutions Ltd.