Project management tools and techniques are popular among large corporations and technical departments within associations, such as IT—and for good reason. These tools and techniques provide a systematic framework for organizing and managing projects efficiently, and they help keep desired outcomes on track.

However, this approach rarely extends association-wide or across departments in the organization. Projects ranging from a marketing brochure to a fundraising event, a membership recruitment campaign to a new human resources program, would all stand to benefit from a structured path from start to completion.

The Stages of Project Management

According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), project management is "a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result" and includes five phases: conception and initiation, planning, execution, performance/monitoring, and project close.

The phases create the foundation for efficiently managing workflow, budget, timeline, staffing, and more. In fact, organizations that invest in proven project management practices waste 28 times less money because more of their strategic initiatives are completed successfully, according to PMI's Pulse of the Profession 2017 report [PDF].

Projects ranging from a marketing brochure to a fundraising event, a membership recruitment campaign to a new HR program, would all benefit from a structured path from start to completion.

Although association professionals are likely working through several of these stages—even if they don't call it project management—there's a significant benefit to implementing the project management process from start to finish. To begin, you can select from techniques that best integrate with your work and build from there:

• Project charter. Created during the initiation phase, this high-level document formally authorizes a project and includes information such as objectives, milestones, budget, critical success factors, stakeholders, and project sponsor.
• Project sponsor. Typically, this is an executive team member who has a detailed knowledge of the project and how it connects to business strategy—and serves as an advocate for you and the project. The sponsor uses his or her position and authority to clear roadblocks, make quick and effective decisions, and influence executive leadership.
• Communication plan. Written during the planning phase, it describes how, when, and to whom information about the project will be disseminated.
• Project change request form. Used during the monitoring phase, this document helps the project manager and key stakeholders evaluate how a proposed change would affect the project.

How It Plays Out

Below are a few examples of scenarios that come up at associations routinely. By implementing a project management process or using project management techniques, associations can better control the task or project, saving both time and money.

Scenario 1: Marketing brochure. Your team is in the final review of a new marketing brochure about your association. Your supervisor informs you that some new statistics, previously unavailable, need to be added to the piece, but incorporating this information will require more time and budget due to the additional unscheduled work. What do you do?

In this scenario, the project manager would reference the communication plan and use the project change request form to clearly communicate how this change would affect the budget and schedule. With this information in hand, your supervisor (and possibly other key stakeholders) would plainly see the impact of the change and the requirements to make the change happen, resulting in an informed decision.

Scenario 2: Publication and website launch. You are preparing to launch a new online publication during a busy meeting season and need the full attention of your web services team. How do you ensure the internal resources are available to support a successful launch?

In this scenario, a kick-off meeting is critical for success with all of the relevant stakeholders at the table. By knowing the staffing challenges, you can mitigate the risk by bringing together the web services team, along with the project manager, project sponsor, and other stakeholders. Together, this cross-functional team can thoughtfully consider the necessary workflow and create a timeline with buy-in from all contributors.

Scenario 3: New speaker request. You finished scheduling the speakers for your one-day event. The program has been published and circulated externally. Your executive director makes a request to include an additional VIP speaker. How do you handle this?

In this scenario, the project sponsor's role would be to speak to the executive director and discuss the proposed changes, citing the project charter and project change request form. The sponsor would explain that adding a last-minute speaker has budgetary, timing, communication, and quality implications. Keep in mind that just because the sponsor is advocating on behalf of the project doesn't mean that the executive director will change his or her mind about the new speaker. However, with a process in place to discuss the impact, all stakeholders will know the consequences of a decision to make the change.

Ideally, for project management to take root organization-wide, executive leadership must embrace it as a strategic competency for success. That executive-level buy-in goes a long way to ensuring the successful adoption of project management techniques in your organization. However, in your own work and that of your team, you can use project management knowledge and tools to hone and improve your contributions. Investing in these practices creates a streamlined and organized approach to your work.