Project Reviews

Quick reference

• 00:05 Hi, I'm Ray Sheen.
• 00:06 We need to discuss Project Reviews, the meetings between the project team and
• 00:10 the organization's stakeholders.
• 00:13 So let's look at the different types of meetings.
• 00:16 There are three types of project management meetings with stakeholders and
• 00:20 subject matter experts that occur throughout the life
• 00:23 cycle of a Lean Six Sigma project.
• 00:25 These meetings could be virtual or face to face.
• 00:28 First, are the information meetings.
• 00:30 These provide status and updates on the project.
• 00:33 The meeting is used to share data and coordinate activities.
• 00:37 Then there are the problem solving meetings.
• 00:39 These occur as needed based upon the data and analysis.
• 00:42 In this case, key subject matter experts that are stakeholders in the process, or
• 00:47 the solution are invited based upon the problem characteristics.
• 00:51 While the information meetings are usually quick,
• 00:53 these problem solving meetings will often last hours.
• 00:56 Finally, there are the decision meetings that are normally conducted with
• 00:59 stakeholders.
• 01:00 And focus on the approval or rejection of project deliverables.
• 01:04 Such as the analysis and the recommendation for changes and
• 01:07 improvements.
• 01:07 Information and
• 01:08 problem solving meetings are occurring throughout each project phase as needed.
• 01:13 The information meetings are often occurring on a regularly schedule basis,
• 01:17 such as weekly.
• 01:18 The agenda is straightforward.
• 01:20 Review the status of ongoing project activities, and
• 01:23 share the results of any data analysis.
• 01:26 The problem solving meetings are scheduled as needed and are often ad hoc.
• 01:30 The agenda for
• 01:31 these meetings is based upon the nature of the problem being solved.
• 01:35 Although, not called a decision-meeting, hopefully,
• 01:37 the problem solving meetings will lead to a decision.
• 01:40 I found it's very helpful to have these meetings either at the physical
• 01:44 location of the problem in the process, or
• 01:47 in a setting that allows the team to be brainstorming issues and answers.
• 01:51 At the end of each of the Lean Six Sigma phases, they will normally hold
• 01:55 a meeting with the project stakeholders, and one or more Black Belts.
• 01:59 These meetings are decision meetings to review the deliverables created during
• 02:03 the phase.
• 02:04 If the deliverables are adequate, and appropriate, the stakeholders will approve
• 02:08 the project's continuation into the next phase.
• 02:11 And often provide guidance for the path to follow on that next phase.
• 02:15 If the deliverables are inadequate, or
• 02:17 incomplete, stakeholders will either direct the team to go back and
• 02:21 complete that phase's activities or possibly even cancel the project.
• 02:26 These phase decision meetings are both backwards looking and
• 02:28 forward looking within the project.
• 02:31 The five Tollgate decision meetings are the major project
• 02:34 milestones in a Lean Six Sigma project.
• 02:37 These meetings mark the transition of the project from one phase to the next,
• 02:41 such as moving from measure to Analyse, or Improve to Control.
• 02:45 For that reason, there is a portion of these meetings that is backwards looking.
• 02:49 By that I mean, the meeting will review a summary of the activities that
• 02:52 have been accomplished during the phase that is completing or closing.
• 02:56 This means reviewing the charter, the data, the analysis, the solution,
• 03:00 or demonstrating the improved performance.
• 03:03 This part of the review is data-driven and
• 03:06 it demonstrates that the project team has successfully completed the work.
• 03:10 In addition to the backwards looking portion of the meeting,
• 03:12 there is a forward looking portion also.
• 03:14 In that part of the review, the team uses the results of the work that they have
• 03:18 just completed to create a plan for how they will proceed into the next phase.
• 03:23 The charter guides the data to be collected.
• 03:26 The data guides the type of analysis.
• 03:28 The analysis determines what needs to be improved.
• 03:30 And the nature of the improvement determines the changes to be implemented
• 03:33 and controlled going forward.
• 03:36 The decision or
• 03:36 approval of this meeting allows the team to go forward to the next phase.
• 03:41 It's not meant to be a quality control check, ensuring that
• 03:43 all the I's were dotted and T's were crossed in each of the deliverables.
• 03:48 In fact, let me give you an outline or template for
• 03:50 how these Tollgate phase meetings should be conducted.
• 03:54 I recommend that you always start with a quick review of the project
• 03:56 purpose or charter.
• 03:58 This is just to ensure that everyone is on the same page and shares the same goals.
• 04:02 I then recommend a quick summary of the results from the phase that is completed.
• 04:06 Don't keep your stakeholder's guessing, tell them right upfront what you found.
• 04:10 But at same time, don't expect them to take your word for it.
• 04:14 Show them the data or the analysis that was done, leading to the conclusions.
• 04:18 And as we mentioned in other modules, this should be done with charts and
• 04:21 graphs, not tables or data of in-depth formulas and calculations.
• 04:27 You can go through those offline with your Black Belt.
• 04:30 As you present the data, the charts or
• 04:32 the technical results, don't ignore the technical risks and open issues.
• 04:36 Paint an accurate and complete picture of what you've done.
• 04:40 Having now clarified what you know and what you've done,
• 04:43 it's time to explain what will happen in the next phase.
• 04:47 Lay out your plans, identify your needed resources and
• 04:50 clarify expectations about the deliverables.
• 04:53 Also, you should acknowledge the risks that you foresee in the upcoming phase,
• 04:57 and your plan for mitigating these risks.
• 05:00 Finally, ask for the decision to go forward.
• 05:03 Or if you think it's appropriate, ask for permission to go back and
• 05:07 complete your deliverables.
• 05:08 Meetings and reviews are coordination and decision points on your project.
• 05:14 They should not be bureaucratic time wasters.
• 05:17 And in particular,
• 05:18 Tollgate meetings are your key milestone decisions with your stakeholders.

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