Pandemic Project Management

Published by Cynthia J. Wolfe

The last few weeks have been very interesting as well as challenging in my line of work. You see, project management is a profession that is responsible for getting things done in the most expedient way, with a sharp focus on scope, cost, and time. This so-called “Triple Constraint” impacts project success, and so we Project Managers – or PM’s as we like to call ourselves – spend most of our time balancing and managing trade-offs. 

And then COVID-19 drops right in the middle of that careful balance. And stuff doesn’t get done. 

I have to admit that I did not include “worldwide pandemic” on the Risk Register for my current project, which happens to be a pretty significant, strategic project for my division. It’s been one of those projects in which over the past year or so, as we peeled the onion back, we found more and more onion and we were beginning to wonder just how big this vegetable is. Or to translate for those who are not PM’s, we kept finding or discovering things that we did not anticipate or account for in the early phases of the project. Yes, the dreaded unknown unknowns. 

I might have forgotten to tell you that my specialty is the “impossible project”: you know, the one that gets put off for years because it is too difficult, or the one that everyone says would be great but totally incredibly tough (and maybe a little crazy) to even try.  

Which means that on top of an “impossible project” that is challenging in its own right, comes the pandemic of the century. 

How does a Project Manager manage to keep the project moving forward when there is so much uncertainty? Here are five basic things that you and I can do today to ensure that externalities like the current coronavirus pandemic does not completely derail a project: 

Confirm priority of the project. First, make sure that the project is still a priority in your Leaders’ or business unit’s strategic plan. So many things are changing so fast in these times, that what may have been top priority yesterday is now much lower. Or perhaps the project has now swung up to priority #1. Talk to your primary stakeholders or project owners who are ultimately the ones who pay for, support, and benefit from the project. Be ready to share the current status, gaps, COVID-19 impacts, and any mitigations that are needed. Ask for clear guidance as to whether the project should move forward or pause. 

Focus on the right things. Once you have been given the priority level and the go-ahead on the project, it is critical that you immediately turn your focus to what needs to get done now. Identify urgent items and those that will move the project in the right direction the quickest. We know that there will be economic fallout from the pandemic, and no one knows what or when that will be. The urgency is to get ahead of the curve and focus on those tasks and activities that can be accomplished now with the resources that you have today. Remember your job as a PM, and get it done. 

Build a Project Continuity Plan. What will happen if your critical project resources are not available? Are there other resources that can support the project? What if you had vendor resources who were planning to be on-site for a big kick off in May or June? Can you still kick off or can those vendor resources support remotely? What would you do if partner departments were constrained and not able to get the development completed or the machinery installed? Have you considered cash flow issues that might impact the project? The idea behind a Continuity Plan is to maintain productivity and recover even in the face of a disaster or disruption. A Project Continuity Plan is developed in much the same way as a Business Continuity Plan, but instead of a Business Impact Analysis (or BIA), perform a Project Impact Analysis to identify the effect of a sudden loss of any of the resources (physical or human) on the project. Brainstorm with your Project Team and other resources, and possibly, stakeholders, to identify and plan for contingencies. Ask the difficult what-if’s and document the paths that may be available. 

Keep communications flowing. A good part of what a Project Manager does is communication. We know that keeping everyone engaged is critical to the success of a project in normal times. We’ve already determined the priority of the project, and so your continued focus on high quality communication will make a significant impact in the days ahead. Communication with the resources and Project Team will assure them that their work is needed and vital. Communication with leaders, project owners, and stakeholders confirms their confidence in you to lead the project through challenging times. You may need to up your game when it comes to verbal and written interactions as you share mitigation strategies and activities. Effective communication about responsibilities, expectations, goals, project accomplishments, and timelines is needed now to maintain the priority level of the project in everyone’s eyes. 

Finally, leadership is not only needed, it is required. Today, we are faced with having to do business in a different way, significant resource constraints, and too many unknowns to even begin to list here. These challenging times have created extraordinary opportunities for growth, opportunity, and leadership. As a Project Manager, you impact not only the strategies and progress for your company; you impact and influence the people around you. So, exercise your pandemic project management skills, and stretch, lean in, and lead your Team and Project to success.