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Notes from NLPES Roundtable on 
Project Management Strategies

Facilitator Martha Carter (Nebraska) provided the group with some ground rules and went over suggestions NLPES members had made in response to a January 2001 Question of the Month regarding steps offices take to keep projects on time. Martha summarized six key points from those responses: (1) establish a realistic scope for the evaluation; (2) carefully estimate the amount of time necessary to complete the study; (3) set target dates; (4) hold progress meetings throughout the evaluation; (5) create storyboards before writing the report; and (6) have timely report editing. Martha asked everyone to briefly talk about where they run into trouble in their evaluations and/or what kinds of things they use to keep the process moving.

After the introduction, Martha introduced Mary Noble (California State Auditor-retired), who explained some of the things that staff in the California Bureau of State Audits did to keep their projects on track. These included: involving top management in all stages of the audit project, keeping the survey phase short, involving key stakeholders early in the audit process, and performing a few strategic "reconnaissance" site visits early in the audit to get a better idea of the availability of data.

Martha then turned the discussion over to the attendees, who provided the following comments and suggestions:
 

• A fast start is important. Staff should firm up the key questions that the audit is supposed to answer and then get data requests to agency staff as soon as possible. Monthly status reports and meetings are also helpful. Managers need to build in more time at the end of the audit to ensure recommendations are on target. (Joel Alter, Minnesota)
  
  
• The fieldwork phase tends to be the part of an audit where time and resource issues are problematic. There is an ongoing need to balance the audit plan against the available time and resources?all while keeping in mind which elements are negotiable. Regular meetings are important, as is developing a system of deliverables and a time line for producing them (i.e., there should be an expectation that a physical document will be produced at all key points along the audit time line). (Max Arinder, Mississippi)
  
  
• Texas uses a GAO approach that incorporates three key meetings: (1) "on target" meeting to outline project objectives, (2) "message" meeting at the end of fieldwork to distill conclusions and findings, and (3) draft review meeting to go over the report prior to sending it to the agency. This office has also hired technical writers who work with the project managers throughout the audit process. This seems to speed up the writing process. (Craig Kinton, Texas)
• Minnesota has used some aspects of the GAO system and also uses what it calls a "forming" meeting. This meeting is held at the start of a project and provides an opportunity for staff to share working style issues, Meyers-Briggs Type Inventory information, etc. (Roger Brooks, Minnesota)
  
  
• Prioritizing throughout the process is important. Not just prioritizing the big questions the evaluation is trying to answer, but determining every day what the priority tasks are for that day. (Jane Thesing, South Carolina)
  
  
• Getting interaction going between the audit staff and office management is key. This office facilitates the interaction through a series of meetings and regular contacts. They also hold an informal meeting with the auditee prior to writing the report to ensure their facts and conclusions are correct. (Gary Brown, Michigan)
  
  
• Communication between executive management and the audit team is important. (Ed Wittrock, Illinois)
  
  
• The audit team should be thinking about what issues are important to legislators and the public as early in the process as possible. This will help you visualize the report. (Karl Herzog, Washington)
  
  
• Prioritizing and doing as much work up front as possible are helpful approaches. (Tricia Bishop and Greg Rest, Virginia)
  
  
• Interacting with top management, using issue development sheets to draft a work plan, and holding a pre-report writing meeting are tools that the Texas Sunset Commission uses. (Ken Levine, Texas)
  
  
• Channeling resources so that projects get done on time is always a challenge. This office has a lot of externally-imposed deadlines that revolve around the legislative cycle, so project management is key. Good communication helps. (Wayne Welsh, Utah) 
  
  
• Data-related problems tend to add four to eight weeks to many projects' fieldwork phases. (The group spent some time on the question of how best to avoid these problems?e.g., download the data and analyze it yourself using ACL or other software tools, request data as "specifically" and as early in the process as possible.) (Don Bezruki, Wisconsin)
  
  
• Use weekly work plans for staff, re-scoping the project as you go. (Kate Wade, Wisconsin)
  
  
• Florida has a Team Support Council that helps the audit team in various ways throughout the audit process (e.g., quality assurance, methodology). They also try to stay close to the legislature so their reports are as useful and timely as possible. Management involvement throughout the audit process is key. (John Turcotte, Florida)
  
  
• Use less detailed work plans and start writing early. This office has a "message" meeting at about the 50 to 75 percent completion point. Methodologists are also invited to help the team early on in the process. (Wade Melton, Florida)
  
  
• Get legislators involved early to help keep the scope manageable and expectations on target. Start writing early in the process and exercise control whenever possible. (Tim Osterstock, Utah)
  
  
• Frequent meetings are important. This office finds that data problems, agency obstructions, and overly detail-oriented staff hinder effective project management. Meeting with the agency early in the process about data availability is important. (Shan Hays, Arizona)
• A monthly status report to the state auditor or top management that keys into the audit plan is helpful for staying on track and facilitating communication. (Rob Krell, Washington)
  
  
• Anticipate problems as you go. (Ron Perry, Washington)
  
  
• Colorado also tries to continually balance the audit work plan with the time and resources needed to accomplish it. Staff are encouraged to start thinking about the report's structure as early in the process as it is feasible. All management staff are also required to E-Mail a monthly status report to the state auditor and "cc" the deputy state auditors so that even without regular meetings, top management stays in continual communication with the audit teams. (Heather Moritz, Colorado)
  
  
• Audit teams are required to put together an audit management calendar for each project as early in the process as feasible. The calendar outlines the deadlines for each major milestone (e.g., scope document, fieldwork, report draft to management). The calendar is then placed into an electronic system that notifies management staff of upcoming deadlines via the E-Mail system. (Heather Sanchez, Colorado)