Project Managers Become Project Paper Pushers

In the name of compliance, many Project Managers have become Project Document Administrators. When the Project Manager is off being forced to fill out mounds of paperwork, who is managing the project?

No one can argue that some level of project documentation is needed to ensure a project's success. In many cases, the documentation adds value to the project. More and more, though, project managers are being asked to fill out and submit project documentation does not add value to the project. Many organizations are requiring such project documentation despite the fact that in some cases, it is not needed. Project Managers are now being forced to shift their focus from following a methodology to ensure project success to filling out paperwork to "prove" they're managing the project effectively.

Many large organizations are now accountable for complying with SOX and SAS-70 requirements and as such have created project controls that require the submission of specific kinds of documentation to prove adherence. Compliance is a serious business and no one can dispute that some levels of compliance are necessary and actually improve a business' ability to deliver their product. But when does compliance get in the way of someone doing their actual job?

When Project Managers are spending more than 30% of their time documenting to prove compliance. Complying with policy can be expensive in terms of resource time; but, when PM's are spending more than 30% of their time documenting what they're doing in the name of compliance, no one is benefiting. Project Managers are highly skilled, highly compensated individuals. If their focus is to create and submit project paperwork, the project they're managing is likely suffering from lack of focus and leadership.

When Project Managers leave an organization due to the amount of paperwork. It takes a specific type of person and skill-set to be an effective PM. Most PM's thrive on engaging in projects and doing the work required to bring the project to resolution. If you have PM's that are leaving your organization because they feel they have to do too much paperwork to comply with your organization's procedures and policies, you need to take a serious look at what you're asking your PM's to do.

When Project Managers are focused on what documentation has to be delivered instead of what deliverables are due and when. If your PM's are not first and foremost concerned with managing their project schedule and ensuring delivery, your organization has them focusing on the wrong thing. Project documentation should be a tool to help the PM, not a required deliverable. The art of project management is lost when the PM can no longer decide what tools will help them deliver a successful project.

When Project Managers are focused on documentation instead of methodology. Project Management Methodology has been proven over and over. It's consistent, it's repeatable and it works. Regardless of what you're organization labels them, the basic phases of project management are governed by a methodology that, when used properly, can contribute to delivering projects successfully again and again. If your methodology is document driven as opposed to process driven, you need to consider the effect it is having on the success of your projects. When an organization forces the PM to adhere to the delivery of project documents instead of adhering to the methodology, the components needed to make a project successful are lost in the shuffle.

When Project Managers are forced to submit documentation that does not add value to their project. A great thing about project methodology is it is adaptable. It's an approach that allows PM's to assess their project within a consistent framework and then adapt that framework to fit the needs of their project. Let's face it - projects are not one size fits all. Every project has unique components that require unique approaches. For example, a high level system architecture design document is not needed if just a business process is changing and no systems are being impacted. In many organizations, though, such documents are labeled as required and the PM is forced to indulge project sponsors by filling out meaningless paperwork that is neither read nor considered.

When Project Sponsors are signing off on meaningless documentation without understanding or even reading it. If you are a PM and you have a project sponsor that is blindly signing off on your meaningless project documentation, there is a serious problem in your organization. If you're a project sponsor and you are indulging in this activity, I implore you to stop the madness. It is the responsibility of the project sponsor to be aligned with the project, to understand its intricacies and provide support during every phase. If you are reading project documentation that is meaningless, doesn't make sense or doesn't add value to the overall end goal of the project, your organization is suffering from documentation diarrhea. The documentation just keeps coming and coming and you, helpless to stop it, just keep flushing it away. If the documentation isn't worthy enough for your attention so you flush it by signing it to get rid of it, tossing it or filing it away, you need to stop and ask why it's even being submitted.

If your project management methodology is mostly comprised of required project documentation, it's time to take a more process-oriented approach. When you consider project documentation as a tool to supplement the methodology, you give your PM's the freedom to follow a successful framework and decide for themselves what is needed to deliver results. Consider re-visiting your project management methodology and what project documentation you are telling your PM's is required versus what is really needed so you can make informed decisions on the amount of rigor to apply.