A plan for
implementation of a performance management system had been placed on hold by administration
for two years. Then, just two months
prior to the beginning of the performance appraisal cycle, the administration
felt as though they wanted to move from a paper form to an online system. The typical implementation time was three
months. In addition to the compressed
timeline, the administration added another two business units to the
implementation plan. Scope creep is the
nicest way to describe how the project team’s responsibilities expanded.
To address
the challenges, the project team decided to divide the work by business units
to address the specific system requirements of that unit. This also allowed team members to be
dedicated to the needs of their particular stakeholder group. In retrospect, I would have created detailed
plans for the project even though it was placed on hold. This would have allowed me to meet the
challenge of a last-minute decision of the administration.
Jason
