Every industry has been affected by the pandemic of the coronavirus COVID-19. The world of EU programmes and EU projects is not an exception. All across Europe, several actions regarding already implementing EU projects are being posed. Traveling from one country to another is no longer safe for project managers.
If you are currently implementing an EU project then you already know that you will need to figure out different ways to continue your actions. Yes, there is understanding from the side of the European Union and several deadlines are being extended. However, with the option of remote work, there are a few things you can still do for your projects.
Working on your part of the project is still an option. Whether you are responsible to create a guidebook for an intellectual output or to assemble the team and work on an online platform or a website. Most of these actions can be done through a computer and you as a project manager will need to focus on creating the perfect schedule for those actions not to fall behind.
During this new difficult time, project management meetings appear to be more important than ever. If the project had five transnational meetings are scheduled perhaps you might want to consider doubling that number. All of those meetings are going to be done online. At least the budget will not increase.
With this article, we will try to attempt to give you some guidelines you can follow to schedule the important EU project management meetings that will help you perfectly manage your project during these difficult times.
1. Go through the project one more time
If the project was being implemented under regular circumstances meaning that project processes were going according to plan then, there would be no reason for extra meetings. However, in this case, a lot of these processes have been stopped. In other words, more obligations are going to emerge and a few problems that you might not have considered up until this point.
It is important for you as the project manager to take some time and go through the project details again. Since you are now doing remote work you’re most likely going to be able to identify certain problems that might occur with the current situation. By identifying those projects you will be able to set them aside and move on to the next step. A project management software can help plan, create and execute projects.
2. Arrange the first important meeting
You as well as the rest of the project managers will have identified certain problems that will occur due to this malicious situation. You need to give yourselves a deadline to complete the first step. For example, you could take a week each to start reading the proposal again and identifying the problems. After a week, set out a specific time and date and remember that that meeting lasts a lot longer than what you might think. A few hours maybe. During that meeting, all project managers need to give their findings and start discussing different ways that those problems can be solved during the implementation of the project.
At the end of that meeting, you will need to have created a plan for risk management. You will need to be ready if and when problems might appear. This is, of course, the smart technique that you could use later on when project implementation goes back to normal.
3. Inform other project managers when the problem appears
Because the proposal has many different aspects at each project manager is different obligations during the implementation, some problems might occur in different parts. In other words, while you are implementing your part of the project you might stumble upon a problem that other project managers will not have to deal with. If you have done the first and the second step that means you have a risk management plan with you, able to help you solve the problem.
After you do solve the problem, you need to inform the project managers about it. Let them know if you’re solution worked or not. If it did, is the result exactly what you thought it would be? You will need to assess the risk management plan you have created. The meeting is also important in case you realize you cannot solve the problem on your own and you need the help of the other project managers.
4. Double the meetings
Apart from the meetings you will need to do to assess your risk management plan, it is recommended that you double the number of scheduled meetings. Do you have five transnational meetings that will need to be implemented during the project? Are two of those meetings supposed to be happening during these difficult times? Double the number.
Instead of meeting two times, arrange four scheduled calls. Even if the second call appears to be redundant, there will certainly be something worth talking about. The reason why it is important to schedule those meetings is to have specific timeframes. When you are going on a transnational meeting you’re going to be staying there for a couple of days and you will have a lot of hours talking to your fellow project managers. During remote work, this is not a possibility.
Not everyone will be available whenever you need them. Scheduled meetings will allow you to start creating lists of potential problems or opportunities that might occur during the project implementation. Regular meetings will help you monitor the project and the processes of it a lot easier from the confinement of your own house.
5. Be presentable
If you were to go on the transnational meeting you would want to look as presentable as possible. Nothing has changed in that particular field. In most cases, project managers will use a video call to communicate. In other words, you will need to use your camera. Yes, you are in the safety of your own home and get you might consider that wearing the best clothes or having the perfect make-up might not be a necessity but we can guarantee that if you do it will make you feel a lot better and a lot more professional.
Just because you’re working from home does not mean you’re not still working. You need to look as presentable and professional as possible during your scheduled meetings.
By following these five simple steps you are going to be making the implementation of the project a lot easier during the COVID-19 crisis. The world is going through a very difficult time at the moment. That does not mean that everyone and everything has to stop. Your work keeps going and you as a project manager will need to do everything in your power to help the project grown and reach the important deadlines. This is where your professionalism is going to show.
