Project Implementation

During project implementation, the project plan is put into action.

The project manager’s role during this period is to ensure that the development of the project continues at all times. They continually monitor the progress being made against the plan, and ensure that this is communicated on a regular basis with stakeholders.

The project manager will receive progress reports from the teams involved in the project, and is able to compare these to the project plan.

If at any point progress fails to meet required levels, the project manager can take actions, for example:

• Hire in additional temporary help to catch up on a programming task
• Change the supplier if there is a delay in delivery

As you can see in the above suggestions, the project manager will be expected to bring the project back on schedule by implementing appropriate remedial actions. However, this may not always be possible:

• What if the lead developer is seriously ill?
• What if specialist equipment is no longer available?

If it is not possible to bring the project back on schedule, then the team experiencing the problems can record the variations from the original plan, allowing modifications to be recorded and published on the project plan. This information must be shared with all key stakeholders and the project sponsor.

Finally, as each task is completed, the project manager should also ensure that they are all being reviewed and quality assured.