Routine tasks for project managers

The core tasks of project managers include cyclical work that should be put into a fixed rhythm. Here is a list of these tasks and how they can be achieved in Can Do.

Daily tasks of the project manager:

1. Check project status: Start the day by reviewing the current status of the project. How are you doing compared to your schedule and budget? Are there any outstanding tasks or issues that need to be addressed urgently?
   
   1. Preferably use the Project Planner app
   2. Which packages are currently at risk?
      1. Are there any variances from the baseline plan?
      2. Use the Earned Value Analysis (EVA) tool
   3. Use the AI Risk Report app
      1. There you will see all relevant "care issues".
      2. Open the Planner app in a separate tab, resolve the issues and update the app AI risk report
2. Team check-in: Have a regular daily check-in with your team to discuss updates, roadblocks and priorities. This could be a formal stand-up meeting or a less formal check-in email or message.
   1. Check that staff have reported progress and time on packages in progress (this may not need to be daily, but can be weekly).
   2. Remind people of packages that are due to start in the next 1-3 days.

Duration between 10 and 30 minutes, depending on the problem

Weekly tasks of the project manager:

1. Communication with stakeholders: Provide stakeholders with project status updates.
   1. You can use the mail function in the apps and send the plan or a dashboard as a link to the stakeholder. 
      1. Use the Project Dashboard
      2. For your internal project controller, use the Budget Management application
      3. You may want to use Milestone Trend Analysis (MTA)
      4. Possibly the burndown chart 
         
            
2. View the planning for the next 1-2 weeks and try to eliminate possible risks

1. 1. Use the AI analytics application to target risks.
   2. If necessary, remind department/team leaders that requested teams need to be staffed
2. Personal development: Take time to improve your project management skills and knowledge. This could be through reading professional literature, attending training courses or workshops, or networking with other project managers.
3. Document your work: Use the logbook function or the comment function to document changes in the design.

Duration between 10 and 30 minutes, depending on the problem

Tasks at the end of a phase and the beginning of a new phase

The transition from one project phase to the next is a critical moment in project management. It is a time for review, reflection, planning and communication. Here are some important tasks a project manager should perform when one project phase ends and another begins:

1. Final report of the current phase: Document the results of the current phase, including work products delivered, schedule and budget status, risks and issues identified, and how they were addressed.
   1. Create another baseline (see comparison)
2. Follow-up and lessons learned: Conduct a post-mortem analysis with the team to find out what went well and what could be improved. Collect the lessons learned and use them for future projects or phases.
   1. With the team, compare the progress of the last phase with the baseline plan in the Planner app.
   2. Use the BP Comparison app for tabular and quantitative analysis: BP Analysis
3. Approval of the phase: If the phase deliverables need to meet specific acceptance criteria (as defined in the project plan), ensure that they are accepted by the appropriate stakeholders.
   1. If necessary, use the objectives you can record in a milestone.
4. Plan the next phase: Plan the next phase in detail. Define the specific tasks, milestones, resource requirements and timelines. Ensure that this planning is communicated to the team and stakeholders.
   1. For medium and long-term planning, you may want to use top-down planning (subtraction feature)
5. Communicate with stakeholders: Inform all stakeholders about the completion of the current phase and the plans for the next phase. Make sure they have all the information they need and have the opportunity to give feedback or ask questions.
   1. To do this, use the usual dashboard apps (the yellow tiles) and the letter function within them to send the link to the application to stakeholders.
6. Team motivation: Motivate the team for the next stage. Acknowledge the hard work that has gone into the completed phase and share the vision and goals for the next phase to maintain the team's commitment and enthusiasm.

Each project phase and each transition between phases is unique, so this list must be adapted accordingly.

Duration between 1-4 hours