what makes a project successful essay

10 Key Factors that make a Project Successful

Let’s begin with a quick description of what project success actually is before we get to the success factors. The answers seem simple at first glance: a project is deemed good if the purpose of the project is achieved. That implies you’ve set concrete objectives. But actually it is not enough to meet your project objectives to consider a project to be good. You may achieve your project objectives but fail to achieve several other goals related to the project’s completion.

Factors in Success

In project management, there are lots of studies on success factors. Results vary depending on the participants, the size of the study, and the industry. Nevertheless, some recurring factors are evident that seem to play a crucial role, regardless of the context of a project.

Let’s have a look at such factors:

1. Experienced Project Managers & Professional Project Team Leaders

You can understand the theory and methods of project management, but experience is one of the key factors of success in the end. The more experienced a project manager, the more likely he/she will be able to overcome the daily project challenges. To avoid misunderstandings, keep clear roles and responsibilities in mind. Successful project managers are known not only by technical knowledge but also by leadership.

Ensure that the team members have the necessary skills to deliver the results required and bring a positive attitude to the project. Also, as a whole, the team must function. So it is essential to build a team that is motivated to work towards a common goal together.

2. Methodic Approach

For success, the choice of a suitable methodology for project management is crucial. To ensure that your process is clear, reliable, and efficient, follow the trends and techniques of the framework you have chosen. All stakeholders should understand and agree on investing time to define a clear project objective.

3. Proper Planning

Many project managers hurry to the project execution stage and do not take sufficient time for sound planning. Don’t make a mistake here. Invest sufficient time and resources in thorough scheduling.

4. Adhere to the Best Practices

The wheel does not need to be reinvented. Project management itself is a challenge. Use frameworks and best practices wherever possible. Instead of constructing everything from the ground up, draw from the experience of past successes and adapt proven strategies to your individual case. This enables you to concentrate your resources on your project’s really distinctive elements that will make all the difference.

5. Monitoring & Control

Check your progress and regularly evaluate the results. To quickly understand if the project is on track, define key performance indicators (KPI), and use reports. You will recognize early on when things go sideways and can take countermeasures before greater harm is done.

6. Use a Professional Software

The quality of your chosen tools has a direct effect on the quality of your management. The role of project management software is commonly underestimated. Professional and intuitive software minimizes the risk of errors and miscalculations, provides the best possible overview of all relevant KPIs, and reliably displays significant data on all necessary devices. The software promotes safe and easy team collaboration and is the basis for providing access to the information needed by each team member.

Invest in a professional and specific tool instead of working with Excel or other spreadsheet programs not created for project management needs. It will simplify your job, and it will affect the success of your project.

7. Effective Communication

With proper communication, many undesirable developments in projects could be prevented or at least discovered earlier. Ensure that formal communication processes (meetings, documentation), as well as informal processes, are implemented and used. Communication between members of the team plays an important role. Offer opportunities for your employees to come together outside the official meetings, for example, in your offices in a coffee corner or a chat tool.

8. Work with Commited People

Any strategy and plan have the ability to fully fall apart without the right team in place. As a result, the core project staff, specialist resources, manufacturers, and all stakeholders should be part of the team dynamic. All those involved must be committed to the group, share similar project visions and strive to achieve overall success.

It is important to assign the right individuals to each aspect of the project and make sure they work together well. In addition, to have the most successful result, the entire team should be fully informed and involved, which means that communication has to be on par.

9. Careful Management of Risks

Project managers know that planned things rarely go off. It is essential to produce a risk log with an action plan for the project’s risks during the planning process. Ensure that your risk log is known by all key stakeholders and know where they can find it. If something happens, with the management plan that has already been set up, the team can quickly resolve the problem. When facing project risks, this will give the team confidence and help the customers feel comfortable with the project’s progress.

10. Strong Closure of Project

If there is no strong closure for a project, it can continue to consume resources. The project team must be firm and agree with the client that it has met all critical success factors. It is necessary to agree and sign off on confirmation of the project delivery, testing, and release. Satisfaction surveys are good forms of documentation for future reference to be logged and filed and valuable information for future use.

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What Makes Projects Successful?

by PMHut Team · October 8, 2009

What Makes Projects Successful? By Michael D. Taylor

The Standish Group’s CHAOS report, as well as other studies on Project Success and Project Failure, have revealed at least ten factors that contribute to a project’s success.

Factor No. 1: Successful projects reached agreement among stakeholders on the goals of the project. Though this may sound easy to accomplish but in real life it can be one of the most challenging aspects of a new project. This is because each stakeholder has a different interest in the project, and often they conflict with each other.

Factor No. 2: Successful projects placed overall project responsibility on a project manager (schedule, technical, cost). Until one individual was given overall project responsibility, each manager had a “piece of the pie.” The result was having customers who became frustrated when no one could give them the overall status of the project.

Factor No. 3: Successful projects established clear stakeholder responsibilities. Many key stakeholders today are unclear about their role in a new project. Successful projects were found to have defined roles and responsibilities described for each key stakeholder. This was often achieved using responsibility allocation matrices.

Factor No. 4: Successful projects had a means of measuring project progress. In order to know the true status of a project, its progress had to be measurable. Methods such as Earned-Value Management (EVM) were often used to measure and track project progress.

Factor No. 5: Successful projects had constant open communications between stakeholders. As projects progressed, key stakeholders met often to examine the status of a project and to exchange vital information that kept them aligned around project goals.

Factor No. 6: Successful projects controlled project scope. Unsuccessful projects often faced random changes to the product, most often by adding features that were not necessarily desired by the customer. As a result, scope increased. Successful projects had mature change-control processes that minimized scope creep.

Factor No. 7: Successful projects had effective upper management support. It was not only at the beginning of a new project that key stakeholders provided vital support, but they also maintained support to the project manager throughout the project lifecycle.

Factor No. 8: Successful projects captured customer needs and prevented design drift. Reviewing customer requirements (needs) based on modern marketing techniques enabled corporations to identify what the customer actually needed. They recognized that customers are unsure of their needs until they knew what could be provided. These projects had a keen awareness of how easily the product design could slip away from what the customer actually wanted—sometimes called “design drift.”

Factor No. 9: Successful projects empowered multifunctional teams. Unsuccessful projects had teams with little or no decision-making authority. Often they were micromanaged. Successful projects delegated proper decision-making authority to their teams after providing clear team objectives.

Factor No. 10: Successful projects emphasized risk management. Not only were risks identified throughout the project lifecycle but they were quantified, prioritized, and effective risk responses were developed.

MICHAEL D. TAYLOR, M.S. in systems management, B.S. in electrical engineering, has more than 30 years of project, outsourcing, and engineering experience. He is principal of Systems Management Services, and has conducted project management training at the University of California, Santa Cruz Extension in their PPM Certificate program for over 13 years, and at companies such as Sun Microsystems, GTE, Siemens, TRW, Loral, Santa Clara Valley Water District, and Inprise. He also taught courses in the UCSC Extension Leadership and Management Program (LAMP), and was a guest speaker at the 2001 Santa Cruz Technology Symposium. His website is www.projectmgt.com .

PMHut.com is a website dedicated to providing PM articles, detailed project management software reviews, and the latest news for the most popular web-based collaboration tools.

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I appreciate the list of factors. Were these derived from the CHAOS Report or synthesized through your own research? How can we use these factors to inform better IT decision making?

That’s an excellent list summarizing what I have heard from a lot project managers. Number 8 might right be the most important ones to start with. Not being aware of what the client actually wants or needs can be a costly and timely mistake that could doom the project and lose the client. On the top of those, I think that modern project management has to use collaborative technologies to better communicate, make everything transparent within the project team and last but not least, make everybody accountable.

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All Highly Successful Projects Have These 8 Things in Common

Project success can be defined as reaching project objectives within budget and on time, and to the satisfaction of the stakeholders.  

How hard can it really be?

According to research, only 2.5% of companies are able to successfully complete 100% of their projects. This means, nearly 98% of companies fail to produce planned deliverable within budget and on time and satisfy their stakeholders.

While a project is made up of several elements, such as a well-defined goal, resources, budget etc., effective implementation of them through a proper project management strategy is the key to project success. Project management is not only critical to organizational success but it is also a decisive factor in business performance.

Hire an Experienced Project Manager

A role of a project manager is to successfully plan, organize, execute, monitor and complete a project. While a project manager must have the necessary technical and soft skills to perform these responsibilities, she should also interact well with the team or teams she is managing.

If she is not engaged, committed, agile and trusted by her team, she will have a hard time leading her team towards project success.

Maintain Effective Communication

Effective communication, which is essential to increase workplace productivity ,  is vital throughout any project. The absence of proper communication would lead to chaos – some would fail to complete their tasks on time while some others would frequently make errors with no proper guidance.

To avoid this, effective communication should be established through communication and collaboration software or through more conventional methods such as project review meetings.

Set Attainable and Measurable Goals

Project goals set the path of a project. Every decision made and every action taken during a project should be to accomplish this goal that should be defined during the initial stage of the project. While a project goal should always align with the strategic objectives of the company and the expectations of the stakeholders, it needs to be one that can be measured and achieved in reality.        

Create A Realistic Budget

A project budget must cover all necessary expenses of a project. While it should be realistic, it should also be able to cover the extra expenses the organization may have to bear due to threats that may occur unexpectedly.  

Allocate Resources to Meet Project Requirements

A project is dependent on its resources. Resources include both human resources and non-human resources like tools, conference rooms, laptops etc. These resources should be allocated properly in order to ensure that each objective can be reached in an efficient manner.   

Carry Out Frequent Risk Management Practices

During the lifetime of a project, risks can occur at any time. Being prepared to face these obstacles – both financially and with manpower – is essential for the success of a project. Make sure to carry out frequent risk management practices before every new step.

Implement Successful Talent Management

Talent management is necessary for a company to attract and retain skilled employees in the industry and is a key reason why projects succeed. While the skills of the project team largely decide the fate of a project, it is necessary to have an army of skilled and experienced human resources to deploy during any new project.

Take Stakeholder Satisfaction into Serious Consideration

20% of project success is decided by the satisfaction of the stakeholders, who could be your clients, government, consultants, subcontractors etc. This is why it is important to identify the stakeholders and their expectations during the initial stage of the project. By working their expectations into the project goals, you can ensure complete project success.

Any More Reasons Why Projects Succeed?

With the successful integration of the above project management tips to your project management strategy, you can make sure that you improve your chances at 100% project success. If you have additional reasons why you think projects succeed, do mention them in the comments below. 

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What Makes a Project Successful?

Home » Blog » Questions » What Makes a Project Successful?

From asking for the input of others to executing a well-thought plan, here are nine answers to the question, “What do you believe makes a project successful?”

Having Extra Eyes on a Project

Staying flexible, changing management, making clear objectives, communicating effectively, gaining positive feedback from the public, creating fresh ideas and opportunities, using smart goals to drive project success, mastering the art of planning.

Getting multiple pairs of eyes on a project can help with its success. Sometimes a project needs more perspectives, insights, and opinions to tailor it to perfection, and asking for other people’s thoughts can help you reach that point.

While it can seem unnecessary to ask for other people’s opinions on a project that doesn’t involve them, sometimes that unbiased opinion is exactly what you need to make the project complete.

Define ‌the project clearly and allow room for an increase in cost; this will help you stay within the budget. Clients love it most when you have ticked every box in the client’s scope of work and you are under budget.

The success of every project relies on how well and carefully the team uses the budget while meeting quality standards. Carefully defining ‌ the project will ensure that. Any new requirement or change request exceeding the initial scope of the project should have an additional budget approved by the client.

We had a small project to customize a CRM for a vendor. We laid out ‌the project on the very first day and sent it to the client for approval. It turned out that there was a miscommunication, and the client wanted much more than that. Luckily, it was just the start, and we quickly negotiated with the client and got back on track in no time.

No matter how promising a project may look on paper, it is meaningless if the people executing it cannot see its potential. Change management is an important part of any successful project, as it ensures that everyone agrees and moves in the same direction. Change management also helps to mitigate any resistance to new ideas or processes that may arise during the project.

To ensure successful project management, it is important to receive support from all parties involved. You can do this through training, communication, and facilitation. Change management also means being prepared to deal with setbacks and failures, as these are inevitable parts of any project.

Change management provides a framework for dealing with these challenges and helps ensure projects remain on track and continue to achieve their goals.

Projects are successful when they have clear and achievable objectives, proper planning and preparation, effective communication, and the right resources to get the job done. A great example of a successful project is the construction of the Shanghai Tower in China. They completed the project in 2015 after nearly six years of planning, design, and construction.

It stands as the world’s second-tallest skyscraper and features a distinctive glass façade with a double-skin exterior.

It is also the world’s most energy-efficient super-tall tower, with a cost of about $2.4 billion USD.

One thing that can make a project successful is clear and effective communication among all stakeholders. This includes clear goals, roles, and responsibilities, as well as regular updates and progress reports.

An example of a successful project that exemplifies clear and effective communication is the Apollo 11 project. The Apollo 11 project was a U.S. spaceflight project that successfully landed the first two humans on the Moon on July 20, 1969.

NASA led the project and had a team of thousands of engineers, scientists, and technicians. The team had a straightforward goal to land humans on the moon and return them safely to Earth. The project was successful because of the clear communication among the team, the clear goals and objectives, the use of new technology, and the ability to work together to solve problems and overcome obstacles.

The Antalya International Airport project in Turkey is a prime example of a successful project that garnered widespread positive feedback. Construction began in 2006 and they completed it the following year, with a capacity to serve 35 million passengers annually.

The project brought significant economic growth and job creation to the region and has since become one of the world’s busiest airports. Its modern design, convenience, and efficiency have made it a favorite among travelers, airport staff, and residents alike. Its connection to cities in Turkey and abroad also makes it a prime hub for both business and leisure travelers.

One of the major benefits of a successful project is collaborating with people to generate new ideas and opportunities. Fresh ideas can open up possibilities that had been unexplored or overlooked, allowing the team to innovate in ways they had not considered before.

I recently worked on a project with four partners, which created distinct processes and products to optimize efficiency and output. We developed some innovative ideas based on team input and problem-solving that we could implement into the business model, providing new solutions, resources, and further opportunities.

Looking back at this experience, I am proud of our accomplishments in collaborating while still getting tangible results.

One thing that makes a project successful is clear and measurable goals. A successful project should have well-defined objectives that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). This means that the project’s objectives should be clear, quantifiable, and achievable within a specific timeframe. Having clear and measurable goals helps to keep the project on track, ensures that everyone involved is working toward the same objectives, and makes it easier to measure progress and success.

An example of a successful project in my work was the implementation of a new customer relationship management system (CRM). The project was successful because it had clearly defined objectives that were actively managed throughout the project lifecycle to deliver the expected outcomes within the set timeframe and budget.

Proper planning is essential to achieving success in any endeavor, and this is especially true for artistic projects. My husband, Mike Fantuz, and I are both artists, and we understand the importance of taking a strategic approach to our exhibitions.

In our most recent two-person exhibition at the Ian Tan Gallery in Vancouver, we carefully considered the space, time constraints, and the overall theme of the exhibition. We wanted to create a cohesive body of work that was both impactful and well-executed.

To achieve this, we worked backward from our exhibition date, carefully scheduling each step of the process to ensure that we completed everything on time and to the highest standard. This approach has proven to be highly effective, and we will continue to use it as we prepare for our upcoming exhibitions this year.

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• Project Management

How to write an effective project plan in 6 simple steps

Contributing writer

If you’re a Type A personality, project planning might sound like music to your ears. Setting deadlines, organizing tasks, and creating order out of chaos — what’s not to love?

The reality is that project planning isn’t for everyone. In one survey by Association for Project Management, 76% of project professionals said their main project was a source of stress . Poor planning, unclear responsibilities, and overallocation are often the culprits behind the stress. 

An effective project plan helps teams stay within budget, scope, and schedule, while delivering quality work. In short, it gets you to the finish line without the stress.  

What is a project plan?

A project plan, also known as a work plan, is a blueprint of your project lifecycle. It’s like a roadmap — it clearly outlines how to get from where you are now (the beginning of the project) to where you want to go (the successful completion of the project). 

“A project plan is an action plan outlining how…[to] accomplish project goals,” says Jami Yazdani , certified Project Management Professional (PMP), project coach, project management consultant, and founder of Yazdani Consulting and Facilitation . 

A comprehensive project plan includes the project schedule, project scope, due dates, and deliverables. Writing a good project plan is key for any new, complex project in the pipeline.

Why Are Project Plans Important?

Project plans allow you to visualize your entire project, from beginning to end—and develop a clear strategy to get from point A to point B. Project plans steer stakeholders in the right direction and keep team members accountable with a common baseline.  

Project plans help you stay agile

Projects are bound by what is traditionally called the “iron triangle” of project management . It means that project managers have to work within the three constraints of scope, resources (project budget and teams), and schedule. You cannot make changes to one without impacting the other two.    

Modern-day project management has shifted to a more agile approach, with a focus on quality. This means that resources and schedules remain unchanged but a fixed number of iterations (flexible scope) helps teams deliver better quality and more value. 

A project plan puts this “agile triangle” in place by mapping out resources, schedules, and the number of iterations — sprints if you’re using a Scrum framework and work in progress (WIP) limits if you’re using the Kanban methodology . 

As Yazdani points out, “Project plans help us strategize a path to project success, allowing us to consider the factors that will impact our project, from stakeholders to budget to schedule delays, and plan how to maximize or mitigate these factors.” 

Project plans provide complete visibility

A project plan, when created with a comprehensive project management software , gives you 360-degree visibility throughout the project lifecycle. 

As a project manager, you need a single source of truth on team members and their project tasks, project scope, project objectives, and project timelines. A detailed project plan gives you this visibility and helps teams stay on track.

Project plans also help to get everyone involved on the same page, setting clear expectations around what needs to be accomplished, when, and by who. 

“Project plans create a framework for measuring project progress and success,” says Yazdani. “Project plans set clear expectations for…stakeholders by outlining exactly what…will [be accomplished] and when it will be delivered.”

Project plans boost engagement and productivity

A well-written project plan clarifies how each individual team member’s contributions play into the larger scope of the project and align with company goals. When employees see how their work directly impacts organizational growth, it generates buy-in and drives engagement , which is critical to a project’s success. 

“Project plans provide…teams with purpose and direction,” says Yazdani. “Transparent project plans show team members how their individual tasks and responsibilities contribute to the overall success of the project, encouraging engagement and collaboration.”

How To Write A Project Plan in 6 Steps

Writing a project plan requires, well, planning. Ideally, the seeds for a project plan need to be sowed before internal project sign-off begins. Before that sign-off, conduct capacity planning to estimate the resources you will need and if they’re available for the duration of the project. After all, you want to set your teams up for success with realistic end dates, buffer time to recharge or catch up in case of unexpected delays, and deliver quality work without experiencing burnout .

Based on organizational capacity, you can lay down project timelines and map out scope as well as success metrics, outline tasks, and build a feedback loop into your project plan. Follow these project planning steps to create a winning plan:      

1. Establish Project Scope And Metrics

Defining your project scope is essential to protecting your iron, or agile, triangle from crumbling. Too often, projects are hit with scope creep , causing delays, budget overruns, and anxiety.

“Clearly define your project’s scope or overall purpose,” says Yazdani. “Confirm any project parameters or constraints, like budget, resource availability, and timeline,” says Yazdani.

A project purpose statement is a high-level brief that defines the what, who, and why of the project along with how and when the goal will be accomplished. But just as important as defining your project scope and purpose is defining what metrics you’re going to use to track progress.

“Establish how you will measure success,” says Yazdani. “Are there metrics, performance criteria, or quality standards you need to meet?”

Clearly defining what your project is, the project’s overall purpose, and how you’re going to measure success lays the foundation for the rest of your project plan—so make sure you take the time to define each of these elements from the get-go.

2. Identify Key Project Stakeholders 

Get clarity on the team members you need to bring the project to life. In other words, identify the key stakeholders of the project. 

“List individuals or groups who will be impacted by the project,” says Yazdani. 

In addition to identifying who needs to be involved in the project, think about how they’ll need to be involved—and at what level. Use a tool like Confluence to run a virtual session to clarify roles and responsibilities, and find gaps that need to be filled. 

Let’s say you’re managing a cross-functional project to launch a new marketing campaign that includes team members from your marketing, design, and sales departments. 

When identifying your key stakeholders, you might create different lists based on the responsibility or level of involvement with the project:

• Decision-makers (who will need to provide input at each step of the project)
• Managers (who will be overseeing employees within their department) 
• Creative talent (who will be actually creating the project deliverables for the campaign) from each department. 

Give your project plan an edge by using a Confluence template like the one below to outline roles and responsibilities.

Define roles, discuss responsibilities, and clarify which tasks fall under each teammate’s purview using this Confluence template. 

Getting clarity on who needs to be involved in the project—and how they’re going to be involved—will help guide the rest of the project plan writing process (particularly when it comes to creating and assigning tasks).

3. Outline Deliverables

Now is the time to get granular.

Each project milestone comprises a series of smaller, tangible tasks that your teams need to produce. While a big-picture view keeps teams aligned, you need signposts along the way to guide them on a day-to-day or weekly basis. Create a list of deliverables that will help you achieve the greater vision of the project. 

“What will you create, build, design, produce, accomplish or deliver?” says Yazdani. “Clearly outline your project’s concrete and tangible deliverables or outcomes.” Centralize these deliverables in a Trello board with designated cards for each one, like in the example below, so you keep work moving forward.

Each card on a board represents tasks and ideas and you can move cards across lists to show progress.

Defining the concrete items you need your project to deliver will help you reverse-engineer the things that need to happen to bring those items to life—which is a must before moving on to the next step.

4. Develop Actionable Tasks

Task management is an important component of any project plan because they help employees see what exactly they need to accomplish. Drill down those deliverables into actionable tasks to assign to your team. 

You can use either Confluence or Jira for different task management needs. If you want to track tasks alongside your work, like action items from a meeting or small team projects, it’s best to use Confluence. But if a project has multiple teams and you need insight into workflows, task history, and reporting, Jira makes it easy.      

“Let your deliverables guide the work of the project,” says Yazdani. “Break down each deliverable into smaller and smaller components until you get to an actionable task.” If a major deliverable is a set of content pieces, the smaller actionable tasks would be to create topic ideas, conduct research, and create outlines for each topic.  

Once you’ve broken down all of your deliverables into manageable, assignable subtasks, analyze how each of those tasks interacts with each other. That way, you can plan, prioritize, assign, and add deadlines accordingly.  

“Highlight any dependencies between tasks, such as tasks that can’t be started until another task is complete,” says Yazdani. “List any resources you will need to accomplish these tasks.”

When a task has multiple assignees, you need to streamline the workflow in your project plan. Say the content pieces you outlined need to be edited or peer-reviewed. A couple of articles may need an interview with a subject matter expert. Lay down a stage-by-stage process of each piece of content and pinpoint when each team member comes into play so you prevent bottlenecks and adjust timeframes.     

5. Assign Tasks And Deadlines

Assign tasks to your team and collaborate with employees to set deadlines for each task. When you involve employees in setting workloads and deadlines , you increase ownership and boost the chances of delivering quality work on time.  

After all, you want to move projects forward at a steady pace, but you also want to make sure your teams stay motivated and engaged. So, when writing your project plan, make sure to “set realistic and achievable deadlines for completing tasks and deliverables,” says Yazdani. “Highlight dates that are inflexible and factor in task dependencies. Add in milestones or checkpoints to monitor progress and celebrate successes .”

Use Jira and Confluence to create tasks that live alongside your project plan or meeting agendas.

Once you map out all of your tasks and deadlines, you should have a clear picture of how and when your project is going to come together—and the initial writing process is just about finished.

But that doesn’t mean your project plan is complete! There’s one more key step to the process.

6. Share, Gather Feedback, And Adjust The Project Plan As Necessary

While steps 1 through 5 may make up your initial writing process, if you want your project plan to be as strong and complete as it can be, it’s important to share it with your team—and get their input on how they think it can be improved.

“Share the plan with your project team and key stakeholders, gathering feedback to make adjustments and improvements,” says Yazdani. 

A tool like Confluence helps knowledge flow freely within teams and departments, leading to better teamwork, higher collaboration, and a shared understanding of priorities. Coworkers can use comments, mentions, notifications, and co-editing capabilities to provide and discuss feedback. 

After you gather your team’s feedback —and make any necessary adjustments based on that feedback—you can consider your project plan complete. Hooray! 

But as your project progresses, things may change or evolve—so it’s important to stay flexible and make changes and adjustments as needed.

“Expect to update your plan as you gather more information, encounter changing requirements and delays, and learn from feedback and mistakes,” says Yazdani. “By using your project plan to guide your activities and measure progress, you’ll be able to refine and improve your plan as you move through the project, tweaking tasks and deadlines as deliverables are developed.”

Download a  template to create your project plan and customize it based on your needs.

Example of a simple project plan 

A project plan doesn’t have to be a complicated spreadsheet with multiple tabs and drop-down menus. It’s best to use a project planning tool like Confluence — or at least a project plan template — to make sure you cover every aspect of the project. A simple project plan includes these elements:

• Project name, brief summary, and objective.
• Project players or team members who will drive the project, along with their roles and responsibilities.
• Key outcomes and due dates.
• Project elements, ideally divided into must-have, nice-to-have and not-in-scope categories.
• Milestones, milestone owners, and a project end date.
• Reference material relevant to the project.

Best Practices For Writing Effective Project Plans

A project planning process can quickly turn into a mishmash of goals and tasks that end up in chaos but these best practices can give you a framework to create a project plan that leads to success.

Use Other Project Plans For Inspiration

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel for every new project! Instead, look to other successful project plans for inspiration—and use them as a guide when writing the plan for your project.

“Review templates and plans for similar projects, or for other projects within your organization or industry, to get ideas for structuring and drafting your own plan,” says Yazdani.

To get started, use a Trello project management template and customize it for your project plan by creating unique lists and adding cards under each list.

Build your team’s ideal workflow and mark each stage of the project plan as a list, with cards for each task. 

Get Your Team Involved In The Process

You may be in charge of spearheading the project. But that doesn’t mean that you have to—or even that you should—write the project plan alone. 

“Collaborate with your project team and key stakeholders on crafting a project plan,” says Yazdani. “Input into the project plan supports buy-in to project goals and encourages continued engagement throughout the project.”

With Confluence , you can organize project details in a centralized space and build a project plan collaboratively.

Don’t Let Perfect Be The Enemy Of The Good

You may be tempted to write (and rewrite) your project plan until you’ve got every detail mapped out perfectly. But spending too much time trying to get everything “perfect” can actually hold up the project. So don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good—and instead of getting caught up in getting everything perfect from the get-go, stay willing and flexible to adjust your project plan as you move forward.

“Focus on outcomes, not plan perfection,” says Yazdani. “While it would be awesome for the first draft of our plan to require no changes while also inspiring our team and ensuring project success, our goal shouldn’t be a perfect plan. Our goal is a plan that allows us to successfully deliver on project goals. Responsiveness to changing needs and a shifting environment is more important than plan perfection.”

Use the right tools to succeed with your project plan

Writing a project plan, especially if you’re new to the process, can feel overwhelming. But now that you know the exact steps to write one, make sure you have the tools you need to create a strong, cohesive plan from the ground up—and watch your project thrive as a result. 

Atlassian Together can help with project planning and management with a powerful combination of tools that make work flow across teams.

Guide your team to project success with Atlassian Together’s suite of products.

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Project Success – 6 real ways to make a project successful

There are numerous articles on the internet that talk about why projects fail, yet few talk about project success. It is true that a huge number of projects fail to deliver what they had intended to achieve in the outset, and some are even abandoned mid-way. While it can be useful to discuss why projects fail, it is also smart to understand and analyze why projects succeed, so that we can replicate those same success strategies.

Terry Williams, PMP and Dean of Hull University Business School, produced a research paper on why and how projects succeed. His research didn't only measure success using the traditional criteria of a well-run project (time, cost and quality), but also went further to provide six criteria for the success of a project. So, let's have a look at these 6 reasons or causes that make a project successful:

Company Culture

Does your company have an open culture with a flat management structure where despite everyone's job position, they are treated equally? Or does your company have a rigid, multi-layered, hierarchal management structure, where one needs to navigate multiple layers of getting things signed off in order to get the work done?  If your company has adopted the former approach, then you are on the right track for achieving project success. But in the latter case, there is some room for improvement.

The single team approach

Also called the 'whole team approach', this is a style of project management in which everyone (client, subcontractors, designers, senior managers and other stakeholders) on the project team are held equally responsible for the quality and success of the project. It is a collaborative approach where all the team members (including in-house team members and external contractors) with the necessary skills and knowledge will do their best to accomplish the tasks or objectives given, thus contributing to the success of the project.

Project Setup

A good project setup firstly needs to clearly identify the objectives or goals. Secondly, it needs to define the plan or process for executing it. And then finally, it must identify the right stakeholders and decision makers  - all before being launched , or at least very early in the project, allowing everyone to feel engaged with it, and feel some level of ownership.

If stakeholders, users, clients and various team members have understood the aim of the project and what is expected of them, this paves the way for an efficient project setup, and avoids unnecessary issues and changes in the future.

Customer satisfaction

For a project to be successful, it is vital to keep customers involved throughout the project with subsequent quick response times to their queries and concerns. Customer satisfaction consists of delivering the promise made initially to the customer. A consistent partnership, collaborative engagement and exclusive relationship with the customer contributes immensely to the success of a project.

Subcontractors as part of the project team

Most team do their best to maintain good relations with every team member. But many forget to maintain good and professional relationships with their subcontractors. Very often we take them for granted and don't consider them as a team member but rather as an external service provider. It is true, they are external service providers but including them early in the project and considering them as your own team has its benefits. For example, when applying for a bid, involving them can create a feeling of “if we win it, you win it”, thus leading to fruitful partnerships.

Post-handover

Simply closing a project by organizing a handover meeting is not always enough. Once the project has ended, a clear and efficient transfer of the project to the operations team is very important for the success of a project, as it allows the project team to stay involved with the operations team for some time (from few days to few months) to deal with any follow up issues. Delivering the project without any follow-up woud be like abandoning a new born baby after birth!

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pmj.21558/full

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The world is changing fast, but when it comes to managing successful projects, many things stay tried and true. Ultimately, you want to foster a powerhouse project team that’s focused on objectives and responsive to new information. Here are eight key factors that can help make a project successful.

Clear Project Goals and Objectives

To achieve success, it has to be clear what the project success criteria are. Before starting, help your team understand what you want to achieve — not just for your project but also for your client’s business or community .

Align with relevant stakeholders on your key performance indicators (KPIs), and if possible, keep them visible. As you arrive at critical decision points, go back to these goals to determine the best courses of action.

Read more: How to Write SMART Project Management Goals

Diligent Research and Data Gathering

One of the most important project success factors is the discovery phase , when project managers work closely with clients to gain more insight into their problems, industry, past initiatives, capabilities, and more. This will equip you with information to formulate better strategies and anticipate possible hurdles.

When projects start, it’s tempting to jump the gun and get to work. It’s exciting while you’re brimming with ideas. Plus, a quick and straightforward schedule can impress stakeholders.

However, it’s important to remember that the benefits of forgoing this critical stage are only temporary, and will quickly be eclipsed by their downsides. If you want to increase your chances of success, don’t skip the discovery phase!

Grounded Estimates and Plans

Unrealistic estimates and lofty promises are the most common ways project teams set themselves up for project failure . It can be tempting to give small, aggressive estimates because they seem to define the team members’ competence. But if you want to increase your project’s chance of success, you and your team may have to learn to set this ego aside or work around it.

Consider using good planning methods like planning poker , where discussions are encouraged around estimates. Look into your best, worst, and most realistic scenarios. Add padding and contingencies as needed. Conduct project planning according to how things are, not how you want things to be.

Optimized Workflow and Systems

Systems and workflows are set processes for your team to follow when implementing your project plans. They’re efficient ways to set expectations and manage communication. They also minimize confusion, which can be massively beneficial during the busiest phases.

Take the time to evaluate your workflow and system after critical phases of your project to spot inefficiencies. Check in with your team and stakeholders to identify areas you can automate and optimize project management strategies.

Barring extreme situations, it’s not advisable to do major overhauls in the middle of a project. Still, keep an eye on tweaks that can offer tremendous results.

Read more: Workflow Management Software and Tools: 2023 Guide

Real-Time Progress and Resource Tracking

Once you start executing project tasks, you’ll have a natural tendency to focus only on what’s at hand. But as the project manager, it’s your responsibility to keep your goals and project objectives in view. Without this presence of mind, you risk wasting resources and missing deadlines.

Nowadays, project management software is equipped with features for real-time task tracking and reporting, productivity monitoring, budget management and cost tracking, and more. Maximizing these features can enable you and your team to spot bottlenecks, foresee issues and delays, and stay in touch with your big objectives as you make incremental project progress.

Scope, Change, and Priority Management

With the rise of information overload , it can be tempting for teams and stakeholders to implement every new idea and iterate after every exciting insight. While project management methodologies such as Agile Scrum exist to welcome new findings and iterations, these iterations should still come with thorough discernment and evaluation.

Finding the balance between openness to new ideas and firmness against scope creep is critical for project managers. While change can be good, new changes in scope have to be evaluated against the project’s objectives and the availability of resources. Keep priorities clear to help your team manage their efforts — so they don’t go to waste.

Healthy Team Culture

If you’ve ever wondered how self-managing teams exist, then you’ve already stumbled upon the importance of healthy team culture.

A team’s culture defines what they consider normal and unusual. This influences their decisions and actions, regardless of whether they’re being supervised by management. Safety, empowerment, and accountability create a breeding ground for collaboration, constructive feedback, problem-solving, initiative, and grit.

Successfully maintaining this can help your team perform optimally, even when they’re left to their own devices.

Read more: Identifying & Managing Toxic Workplace Behaviors

Documentation and Knowledge Management

Another critical success factor in project management is constant improvement. In order for actions and decisions to be reviewed, they have to first be properly documented. Documentation can feel like an extra administrative task for project managers. But done right, it has many benefits.

Proper documentation and knowledge management can help you trace your team’s thought process. You can use this to communicate better with stakeholders, onboard new team members, and conduct object evaluations at the end of your project. Leveraging your previous findings in future projects is also made possible when these are adequately recorded.

Finally, documenting your project success can increase your team’s credibility and help you acquire more clients moving forward.

Check out these Project Management Courses from TechRepublic Academy!

A Solid Foundation Is Key to Project Success

The key to building an agile and productive team is providing a solid foundation with sound systems and values. This firm grounding in project management will empower project team members to explore new ideas, take risks, and ultimately succeed and innovate.

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Risk Identification Techniques and Methods for Projects

How to Measure the Success of a Project: 5 Steps (+ Examples)

What Makes a Project Successful?

The challenge of defining project success.

I was presenting some research recently showing how badly most IT projects do. Did you know that a government audit reckons 50% of UK Government IT projects fail or that Mckinsey estimates 80% of global IT projects don't succeed? During the presentation, someone asked me to define failure.

I reeled off my usual theoretical answer about judging a project against its time, cost, quality, scope, and business objectives. Still, later I started thinking about how difficult it is to tell a project's success.

The Importance of Meeting Evolving Client Requirements

One of the first large projects I managed was a UK government website. We delivered all the initially requested features on time and within budget. On the launch day, we went to a restaurant to celebrate, and as I sat next to the client, I remember feeling pretty pleased with myself. However, that feeling didn't last long! When I started talking with her, it became clear she wasn't happy.

She was frustrated. A few weeks before launch, her team realized they wanted other things added to the initial requirements. Unfortunately, our change control process prevented them from adding these items. I tried to explain to her that this would have significantly delayed things and the importance of hitting the deadline, but it didn't help her mood.

Going Beyond Quality Management: Exceeding Expectations

This experience taught me that sometimes you could hit all the initial objectives, so in theory, your project is a success, but you still have an unhappy client. It also taught me that it is tough for clients to outline their requirements at the beginning of a project. Often, when they start seeing what we are creating for them, they realize what is possible and what would be helpful.

Because of this, if we measure our success in delivering to the initial set of requirements, the project might appear successful to us, but our clients may be disappointed. Therefore, we need to work with them initially, maybe using approaches like prototyping to help them understand what is possible and needed. Only when we are sure they understand their wants and needs should we judge ourselves against delivering to them?

The Subjectivity of Success: Building Strong Client Relationships

Another area where you can theoretically succeed but still disappoint clients is quality management. In many project management approaches, quality is defined as meeting users' needs or creating products that are fit for purpose. But is a successful project one where we have just "met needs"? Would Apple be satisfied with delivering an iPhone which only was fit for purpose?

I think not! Their target is to go further than this; to delight customers, exceed expectations and create step-change functionality. Theoretically, if we deliver products that meet expectations, we might have a successful project, but our client might be disappointed. In this time of ever-increasing expectations

Conclusion: Rethinking the Definition of Project Success

So I think there are no hard and fast rules about what makes a project successful; it's all about subjective perceptions. This means it is essential to build a relationship with our clients throughout the project so we can understand how they perceive the service we are delivering to them.

Are you an IT professional or an experienced PM and ready enhance your skills and obtain certification? Join our Project management Training!

This piece was originally posted on September 11, 2019, and has been refreshed with updated styling.

Written by David Hinde

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What Makes a Successful Project?

Aarni Heiskanen | Posted on October 28, 2013 |

At the beginning of work on the project, everybody hopes that it will be a success. All the efforts are aimed at completing it with the best possible results. And, of course, a question may arise: what are those factors which determine whether the project will be a success or not?

To answer this question, first of all, let’s determine what is a successful project? The most popular definition includes four points:

• the project is delivered within budget
• the project is completed and maintained on time
• the project guarantees return of investment and delivers the business value that was expected from it
• meets business requirements and provides the customer satisfaction.

In order to meet all these requirements, the project should be worked at carefully since the very beginning. In particular, the project manager should focus on the following points:

• Understandable and clearly stated goals. The goals should be maximum clear for the team working on project, for investors and for any third party that might be involved in it.
• Creating comprehensive both long-term and current plans. The bigger the project is, the more attention must be paid to the planning phase. Everybody knows that once the schedule is not met, it’s hard to finish work on the project on time.
• Creating realistic schedules and estimates. If they are not based on proper calculation, the whole project is likely to fail. So, be careful while stating the terms and the costs of the project.
• Proper and comprehensive risk analysis. Always monitor how the external factors can influence the successful project implementation. Evaluate all the possible risks during the process of work on the project.
• Investor or stakeholder should be involved in the process. They should be aware of everything that goes on every phase of the project’s life cycle and know if the things go right or wrong.
• Creating a professional team. It’s highly important to hire a professional project manager, business analyst etc., but it’s even more important to turn professional individuals into the effectively collaborating team aimed at achieving common results.

As you see, there are several spheres which determine project success. And if to pay them proper attention during the working process, the risk of project failure will be minimized.

About the author : Paul Smith is a skilled writer. He is a versatile person who enjoys things like traveling, sports, and always knows the recent world news. Paul can be contacted @ ask essay I  Google+

Project Management Essay

Why study project management? This essay gives an answer to the question. It explains the importance and benefits of planning as a business process and a research topic. Write an A+ essay on product management with this example!

Introduction

Project management phases.

• Strategic Management

Project management is a discipline of planning, controlling, securing and organizing resources to attain specific objectives. A project can be perceived as an impermanent endeavour with a defined starting and end, undertaken to convene unique objectives and goals, normally to bring about useful change.

The impermanent nature of projects differs from business to business. In some cases it can be permanent, or semi permanent, repetitive functional actions to produce services or products. “A project is a unique endeavour to produce a set of deliverables within clearly specified time, cost and quality constraints” (Westland 2).

All projects can be thought of as a series of phases that have specific beginnings and defined endpoints. Project management life cycle has mostly four phases namely project initiation, project planning, project execution and project closure. All of the phases of the project life cycle have lot of activities to play. These are described in the following segment.

Project Initiation:

This is the initial phase of the project life cycle, which, in turn, has a group of activities which are to be carried out prior to the planning stage. In this phase, the scope and purpose for initiating it and the solution to be found are described.

Project Planning:

In the project planning step, all the project management planning tasks, which are required to complete the project on time and within budget are explained.

Project Execution:

The next phase of project life cycle is project execution. In this phase, the physical deliverables are presented for the consumer. It is the most significant phase in the project life cycle and it utilizes a set of energy and resources.

Project Closure:

Project closure is the final phase of the project life cycle, which properly concludes the project and reports the whole achievement in terms of pre-defined objectives.

The job of the Project Manager is to prepare, execute and decide projects according to the given parameters and within financial plan. This includes obtaining resources and managing the plans of group and third-party consultants so as to distribute projects according to the plan.

The Project Manager will also describe the project’s aim and manage quality control all through its life cycle. McGraw-Hill and Irwin, in their book, “Project Management: The Managerial Process,” claim that “Project Management strikes a balance between the technical and human aspects of managing projects. It is suitable for a course in project management and for professionals who seek a project management handbook” (Gray & Larson).

The Role of Strategic Management in a Project

Strategic Management method contains the process of selecting, directing and calculating project outcomes to ensure best value for a business. Every project undertaken by a business has to meet certain criteria set up by the company’s management. This is intended to ensure alignment with the planned vision of the business.

The four important Strategic Management Processes are: ensure that every project is strategically associated, make a Project Management centred culture, apply Strategic Project Management best practices and to evolve a strategic project measurement scheme.

Project Scope Management, on the other hand, contains the procedures necessary to ensure that the project encompasses all the work required, but only the works necessary to complete the project effectively. Managing the project scope mainly concerns with controlling and defining what is and is not contained in the project.

Project management must be viewed as a technique that enables the organisations to successfully execute selected projects efficiently and effectively. However, the use of this technique alone does not automatically guarantee project achievement.

Gray, Clifford F. & Larson, Erik W. Project Management . McGraw-Hill Publishing Limited. 2000. Web.

Westland, Jason. The Project Management Life Cycle: A Complete Step-by-Step Methodology for Initiating, Planning, Executing & Closing a Project Successfully . Kogan Page Limited. 2006. Web.

Project Management Essay FAQ

• Why is project management important? Project management aims to plan and lead a project to successfully complete it. It involves several phases, each of which brings direction to a project, be it in the sphere of business, charity, or art.
• Why study project management? Project management is an exciting job that might lead to a fulfilling career in many spheres. Project management skills that imply the ability to successfully lead a project from its beginning to the conclusion, are always in demand in any company.
• What is scope in project management? Project scope means a common understanding between the project stakeholders about its boundaries, goals, and essential milestones. It is crucial to define the project scope and its key elements before you start working.
• What is crashing in project management? Crashing is a method in project management used to speed up the project’s timeline without changing its overall scope. Project crashing implies adding more resources to reach the highest possible efficiency level.
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

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Essay on Important Factors for Project Success

People in top management positions, is a key stakeholders in projects success. Top management can help project managers secure adequate resources, get approval for unique project needs in a timely manner, receive cooperation from people throughout the organization, and learn how to be better leaders. The reason why project success come from the project managers, but there are other important factor that make the project success such as takes careful planning, attention to detail and effective communication. Top management have a smart planning. Comprehensive planning sets up a project for success from the starting. All stakeholders need to be on board during the planning process and they need to always know in which direction the project …show more content…

Keeping an organizational history of major projects will give convenient access to improved policies and business processes. If this isn’t done, then a team may repeat mistakes that have already occurred. Top management make sure the strong project closure. Strong closure is important in the project. If a project does not have strong closure, it has the potential to continue the consume resources. The project team need to agree with the customer that all critical success factors have been met by them. Besides that, the confirmation of the project delivery, testing, and release must be agreed upon and signed off. Then, all the satisfaction surveys are good forms of documentation to log in and file for future reference and valuable information for use in the future. This is the project manager’s task to make sure that everything runs smoothly on a project. The entire team paying attention to key factors is what will help lead the project to true success. This success will then lead to proactive, organized project plans and an increase in quality of all future projects. Top management care about risk management Project managers know that things rarely go exactly as planned. During the planning process, it is important to produce a log of risk with an action plan to ensure the project can run that risk. It ensures that all key stakeholders are aware of the risk log and they know where they can find i. If something happens,

CMGT 411 Week 4 Risk Management

Working to understand the risks a project may endure along with the cost associated is critical in every project management plan. Understanding potential risks based on the project type, resources needed, timeline and budget still leaves gaps that creates uncertainty for actually predicating the outcome of the project. There is not a true way to predict when and where a project risk will occur but designing a plan to properly address and manage those risks will increase confidence while eliminating the element of surprise.

Essay on Project management

staff, management, and goals are in place to include them in the grid. Future plans must

Project management Essay

This is to ensure that the necessary raw materials and physical resources are available at each stage, and that the workforce on site has the right skills for the scheduled work. The project management team will need to produce a series of planning documents that can be accessed throughout the project. Each member of the project management team must know their role and responsibilities, including which sections of the workforce they will be directly managing.

It-301 Unit 2 Assignment Essay

All efforts will be made by the Project Manager to plan for and handle any risks. Continual risk monitoring will be done by the project manager throughout the projects duration.

Essay on project management

Risks management is an important step during the process of a project. Failing to manage a risk may result in unforeseen event happening and a project’s failure. For example, with limited budget, an unforeseen event or an accident occurs in the middle of a project and this matter has not been considered and needs a big sum of expense, then the project may be stopped because of this unexpected event. We should know it is necessary to understand how to identify risks and assumptions based on the information. After identifying risks, it is important for project managers to set contingency plans to prevent and deal with these risks when they occur. Of course, several problems may happen during considering

CASE STUDY ANALYSES AJAX PROJECT

The project manager has almost total authority over the members of her team in the projectized structure. She makes assignments and directs team members’ task efforts; she controls the project budget; she conducts team members’ performance assessments and approves team members’ raises and bonuses; and she approves annual leave.

assessment 1

You must identify potential risks to a specific project planed develop a risk plan to monitor and control risks effectively, identifying preventative and contingent actions to prevent the risk from occurring or reduce its impact, to increase the chances of achieving project success.

Project Management : Risk Management

Risk management is an ongoing process that must continue through the life of a project. It includes processes for risk management planning, identification, analysis, monitoring, and control. These processes need to be reviewed throughout the project’s lifecycle as new risks arise throughout the implementation of the project. It is the objective of risk management to decrease the probability and impact of events adverse to the project. On the other hand, any event that could have a positive impact should be exploited.

Kitchen Remodel Risk Management Plan

Planning risk management process is important to ensure that the degree type, and visibility of the risk management commensurate with both the risks and the importance of the project to the organization (Project Management Institute, 2008). Risk will be identified within the initiation phase of the project, to ensure the impact is minimal and ensure enough time to plan risk mitigation strategies. The project manager and project team are responsible for ensuring risk are actively identified, analyzed, and consistently managed throughout the life cycle of the project. The following processes outlined below will be implemented for this project:

Project Management Written Assignment 1 Essay examples

Business has changed in the past 20 or so years. Products are being produced more rapidly and with the introduction of globalization competition has become more abundant. There is a need to become more customer focused but at the same time quicker to market while still reducing cost. Doing business the old way is just not cutting it anymore. Project management gives companies the ability to focus on many things at once without losing focus on their core business model. Processes become projects that have a start and finish and can be tracked and quantified

Project Management Essay examples

• 5 Works Cited

Using project management offers a business a way for dealing with considerably lowered phase times. With businesses operating internationally projects that can have an effect on the company as a whole are not easy to manage without a proper line of attack. For this, project management would help cross functional teams to be more successful.

Project Management

Question 1. The twelve guidelines are presented in no particular order. Order them by level of importance and explain your reasoning. Answer The twelve guidelines should be order as below, the reason also is stated at the behind of each title. 1) Understand the context of project management. Much of the difficulty in becoming an effective project manager lies in understanding the particular challenges project management. 2) Understand who the stakeholders are and what they want.

project success: success factor and success criteria Essay

thought in this area being: how success is judged and the factors that contribute to the

Project Management Exam 1 Essay

i. Speed has become a competitive advantage; more and more organizations are relying on cross-functional project teams to get new products and services to the market as quickly as possible.

The Importance of a Risk Management Plan

The Risk Management Plan has been created in the Planning Phase of the project and is monitored and updated till completion. Monthly Reports should cover what effects any risks have caused to the project and what can be done on a daily bases to keep the impact of effects at its lowest at all times.

Related Topics

• Project management

What is a Successful Project?

A successful project is defined as a project that meets its goals, and whose output is of value to the client. It seems, then, that the success or failure of any given project is primarily a function of its goals. Therefore, a clear definition of those goals and an objective way to measure whether or not these goals have been met are crucial for measuring the success of the project.

The sad reality is that, statistically speaking, the vast majority of projects—regardless of the field of expertise—fail to meet their content, time and budget targets, and are therefore failures. However, in order to understand what this failure means, it is important to distinguish between the project and its output.

The most common scenario is that the project fails to meet the objectives set out in the Triangle (scope, time, and cost), but that the output itself is successful, so we forgive ourselves since “the bottom line is”, or “at the end of the day”, or “when put to the test”, we achieved the value we set out to achieve. The question is did we achieve the value through a good investment of resources or would it have been better to invest these resources in a different project that might have yielded a higher value?

Ask any Australian whether the Opera House in Sydney is a national treasure and a great success, and chances are he will tell you it is. As a project that came in at many hundreds of times above the allotted budget and far behind the originally planned schedule, can this project be considered a success? The answer is yes. The most common scenario is that the product or the service succeeded, while “only” the project failed. However, the opposite can never be true. It is not possible for a project to succeed—even if it did not deviate from any of its goals—while the resulting product or service fails. This is simply because the primary test of whether a project is a success is whether the output produces value for the client. An output that does not provide any value is nothing less than money thrown away, regardless of our level of responsibility for this state of affairs. So, was the project a success or a failure? The answer, of course, is that the project was a failure. While it is certainly important to meet all of a given project’s targets, the true measure of success is the value of the product or service for the client.

It is possible to represent the value for the client as a ratio between the cost of the project and the output’s usefulness (Usefulness/Cost), so that if the usefulness is zero, the cost can be any number at all—from small to infinitely big—and the value for the client will remain zero (0/x=0).

It is imperative that we not only pass the output test but also succeed with our investment in the project whose goal it was to produce that output. Therefore, we must ensure that the project goals are clear, achievable, and agreed upon; that we have the necessary commitment from all project stakeholders; that we have all the resources necessary to execute the project; and that the project manager is the right person for the job.

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11.3 Managing Your Research Project

Learning objectives.

• Identify reasons for outlining the scope and sequence of a research project.
• Recognize the steps of the research writing process.
• Develop a plan for managing time and resources to complete the research project on time.
• Identify organizational tools and strategies to use in managing the project.

The prewriting you have completed so far has helped you begin to plan the content of your research paper—your topic, research questions, and preliminary thesis. It is equally important to plan out the process of researching and writing the paper. Although some types of writing assignments can be completed relatively quickly, developing a good research paper is a complex process that takes time. Breaking it into manageable steps is crucial. Review the steps outlined at the beginning of this chapter.

Steps to Writing a Research Paper

• Choose a topic.
• Schedule and plan time for research and writing.
• Conduct research.
• Organize research
• Draft your paper.
• Revise and edit your paper.

You have already completed step 1. In this section, you will complete step 2. The remaining steps fall under two broad categories—the research phase of the project (steps 3 and 4) and the writing phase (steps 5 and 6). Both phases present challenges. Understanding the tasks involved and allowing enough time to complete each task will help you complete your research paper on time with a minimal amount of stress.

Planning Your Project

Each step of a research project requires time and attention. Careful planning helps ensure that you will keep your project running smoothly and produce your best work. Set up a project schedule that shows when you will complete each step. Think about how you will complete each step and what project resources you will use. Resources may include anything from library databases and word-processing software to interview subjects and writing tutors.

To develop your schedule, use a calendar and work backward from the date your final draft is due. Generally, it is wise to divide half of the available time on the research phase of the project and half on the writing phase. For example, if you have a month to work, plan for two weeks for each phase. If you have a full semester, plan to begin research early and to start writing by the middle of the term. You might think that no one really works that far ahead, but try it. You will probably be pleased with the quality of your work and with the reduction in your stress level.

As you plan, break down major steps into smaller tasks if necessary. For example, step 3, conducting research, involves locating potential sources, evaluating their usefulness and reliability, reading, and taking notes. Defining these smaller tasks makes the project more manageable by giving you concrete goals to achieve.

Jorge had six weeks to complete his research project. Working backward from a due date of May 2, he mapped out a schedule for completing his research by early April so that he would have ample time to write. Jorge chose to write his schedule in his weekly planner to help keep himself on track.

Review Jorge’s schedule. Key target dates are shaded. Note that Jorge planned times to use available resources by visiting the library and writing center and by meeting with his instructor.

• Working backward from the date your final draft is due, create a project schedule. You may choose to write a sequential list of tasks or record tasks on a calendar.
• Check your schedule to be sure that you have broken each step into smaller tasks and assigned a target completion date to each key task.
• Review your target dates to make sure they are realistic. Always allow a little more time than you think you will actually need.

Plan your schedule realistically, and consider other commitments that may sometimes take precedence. A business trip or family visit may mean that you are unable to work on the research project for a few days. Make the most of the time you have available. Plan for unexpected interruptions, but keep in mind that a short time away from the project may help you come back to it with renewed enthusiasm. Another strategy many writers find helpful is to finish each day’s work at a point when the next task is an easy one. That makes it easier to start again.

Writing at Work

When you create a project schedule at work, you set target dates for completing certain tasks and identify the resources you plan to use on the project. It is important to build in some flexibility. Materials may not be received on time because of a shipping delay. An employee on your team may be called away to work on a higher-priority project. Essential equipment may malfunction. You should always plan for the unexpected.

Staying Organized

Although setting up a schedule is easy, sticking to one is challenging. Even if you are the rare person who never procrastinates, unforeseen events may interfere with your ability to complete tasks on time. A self-imposed deadline may slip your mind despite your best intentions. Organizational tools—calendars, checklists, note cards, software, and so forth—can help you stay on track.

Throughout your project, organize both your time and your resources systematically. Review your schedule frequently and check your progress. It helps to post your schedule in a place where you will see it every day. Both personal and workplace e-mail systems usually include a calendar feature where you can record tasks, arrange to receive daily reminders, and check off completed tasks. Electronic devices such as smartphones have similar features.

Organize project documents in a binder or electronic folder, and label project documents and folders clearly. Use note cards or an electronic document to record bibliographical information for each source you plan to use in your paper. Tracking this information throughout the research process can save you hours of time when you create your references page.

Revisit the schedule you created in Note 11.42 “Exercise 1” . Transfer it into a format that will help you stay on track from day to day. You may wish to input it into your smartphone, write it in a weekly planner, post it by your desk, or have your e-mail account send you daily reminders. Consider setting up a buddy system with a classmate that will help you both stay on track.

Some people enjoy using the most up-to-date technology to help them stay organized. Other people prefer simple methods, such as crossing off items on a checklist. The key to staying organized is finding a system you like enough to use daily. The particulars of the method are not important as long as you are consistent.

Anticipating Challenges

Do any of these scenarios sound familiar? You have identified a book that would be a great resource for your project, but it is currently checked out of the library. You planned to interview a subject matter expert on your topic, but she calls to reschedule your meeting. You have begun writing your draft, but now you realize that you will need to modify your thesis and conduct additional research. Or you have finally completed your draft when your computer crashes, and days of hard work disappear in an instant.

These troubling situations are all too common. No matter how carefully you plan your schedule, you may encounter a glitch or setback. Managing your project effectively means anticipating potential problems, taking steps to minimize them where possible, and allowing time in your schedule to handle any setbacks.

Many times a situation becomes a problem due only to lack of planning. For example, if a book is checked out of your local library, it might be available through interlibrary loan, which usually takes a few days for the library staff to process. Alternatively, you might locate another, equally useful source. If you have allowed enough time for research, a brief delay will not become a major setback.

You can manage other potential problems by staying organized and maintaining a take-charge attitude. Take a minute each day to save a backup copy of your work on a portable hard drive. Maintain detailed note cards and source cards as you conduct research—doing so will make citing sources in your draft infinitely easier. If you run into difficulties with your research or your writing, ask your instructor for help, or make an appointment with a writing tutor.

Identify five potential problems you might encounter in the process of researching and writing your paper. Write them on a separate sheet of paper. For each problem, write at least one strategy for solving the problem or minimizing its effect on your project.

In the workplace, documents prepared at the beginning of a project often include a detailed plan for risk management. When you manage a project, it makes sense to anticipate and prepare for potential setbacks. For example, to roll out a new product line, a software development company must strive to complete tasks on a schedule in order to meet the new product release date. The project manager may need to adjust the project plan if one or more tasks fall behind schedule.

Key Takeaways

• To complete a research project successfully, a writer must carefully manage each phase of the process and break major steps into smaller tasks.
• Writers can plan a research project by setting up a schedule based on the deadline and by identifying useful project resources.
• Writers stay focused by using organizational tools that suit their needs.
• Anticipating and planning for potential setbacks can help writers avoid those setbacks or minimize their effect on the project schedule.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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• Knowledge Base
• How to structure an essay: Templates and tips

How to Structure an Essay | Tips & Templates

Published on September 18, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

The basic structure of an essay always consists of an introduction , a body , and a conclusion . But for many students, the most difficult part of structuring an essay is deciding how to organize information within the body.

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Table of contents

The basics of essay structure, chronological structure, compare-and-contrast structure, problems-methods-solutions structure, signposting to clarify your structure, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about essay structure.

There are two main things to keep in mind when working on your essay structure: making sure to include the right information in each part, and deciding how you’ll organize the information within the body.

Parts of an essay

The three parts that make up all essays are described in the table below.

Order of information

You’ll also have to consider how to present information within the body. There are a few general principles that can guide you here.

The first is that your argument should move from the simplest claim to the most complex . The body of a good argumentative essay often begins with simple and widely accepted claims, and then moves towards more complex and contentious ones.

For example, you might begin by describing a generally accepted philosophical concept, and then apply it to a new topic. The grounding in the general concept will allow the reader to understand your unique application of it.

The second principle is that background information should appear towards the beginning of your essay . General background is presented in the introduction. If you have additional background to present, this information will usually come at the start of the body.

The third principle is that everything in your essay should be relevant to the thesis . Ask yourself whether each piece of information advances your argument or provides necessary background. And make sure that the text clearly expresses each piece of information’s relevance.

The sections below present several organizational templates for essays: the chronological approach, the compare-and-contrast approach, and the problems-methods-solutions approach.

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The chronological approach (sometimes called the cause-and-effect approach) is probably the simplest way to structure an essay. It just means discussing events in the order in which they occurred, discussing how they are related (i.e. the cause and effect involved) as you go.

A chronological approach can be useful when your essay is about a series of events. Don’t rule out other approaches, though—even when the chronological approach is the obvious one, you might be able to bring out more with a different structure.

Explore the tabs below to see a general template and a specific example outline from an essay on the invention of the printing press.

• Thesis statement
• Discussion of event/period
• Consequences
• Importance of topic
• Strong closing statement
• Claim that the printing press marks the end of the Middle Ages
• Background on the low levels of literacy before the printing press
• Thesis statement: The invention of the printing press increased circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation
• High levels of illiteracy in medieval Europe
• Literacy and thus knowledge and education were mainly the domain of religious and political elites
• Consequence: this discouraged political and religious change
• Invention of the printing press in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg
• Implications of the new technology for book production
• Consequence: Rapid spread of the technology and the printing of the Gutenberg Bible
• Trend for translating the Bible into vernacular languages during the years following the printing press’s invention
• Luther’s own translation of the Bible during the Reformation
• Consequence: The large-scale effects the Reformation would have on religion and politics
• Summarize the history described
• Stress the significance of the printing press to the events of this period

Essays with two or more main subjects are often structured around comparing and contrasting . For example, a literary analysis essay might compare two different texts, and an argumentative essay might compare the strengths of different arguments.

There are two main ways of structuring a compare-and-contrast essay: the alternating method, and the block method.

Alternating

In the alternating method, each paragraph compares your subjects in terms of a specific point of comparison. These points of comparison are therefore what defines each paragraph.

The tabs below show a general template for this structure, and a specific example for an essay comparing and contrasting distance learning with traditional classroom learning.

• Synthesis of arguments
• Topical relevance of distance learning in lockdown
• Increasing prevalence of distance learning over the last decade
• Thesis statement: While distance learning has certain advantages, it introduces multiple new accessibility issues that must be addressed for it to be as effective as classroom learning
• Classroom learning: Ease of identifying difficulties and privately discussing them
• Distance learning: Difficulty of noticing and unobtrusively helping
• Classroom learning: Difficulties accessing the classroom (disability, distance travelled from home)
• Distance learning: Difficulties with online work (lack of tech literacy, unreliable connection, distractions)
• Classroom learning: Tends to encourage personal engagement among students and with teacher, more relaxed social environment
• Distance learning: Greater ability to reach out to teacher privately
• Sum up, emphasize that distance learning introduces more difficulties than it solves
• Stress the importance of addressing issues with distance learning as it becomes increasingly common
• Distance learning may prove to be the future, but it still has a long way to go

In the block method, each subject is covered all in one go, potentially across multiple paragraphs. For example, you might write two paragraphs about your first subject and then two about your second subject, making comparisons back to the first.

The tabs again show a general template, followed by another essay on distance learning, this time with the body structured in blocks.

• Point 1 (compare)
• Point 2 (compare)
• Point 3 (compare)
• Point 4 (compare)
• Advantages: Flexibility, accessibility
• Disadvantages: Discomfort, challenges for those with poor internet or tech literacy
• Advantages: Potential for teacher to discuss issues with a student in a separate private call
• Disadvantages: Difficulty of identifying struggling students and aiding them unobtrusively, lack of personal interaction among students
• Advantages: More accessible to those with low tech literacy, equality of all sharing one learning environment
• Disadvantages: Students must live close enough to attend, commutes may vary, classrooms not always accessible for disabled students
• Advantages: Ease of picking up on signs a student is struggling, more personal interaction among students
• Disadvantages: May be harder for students to approach teacher privately in person to raise issues

An essay that concerns a specific problem (practical or theoretical) may be structured according to the problems-methods-solutions approach.

This is just what it sounds like: You define the problem, characterize a method or theory that may solve it, and finally analyze the problem, using this method or theory to arrive at a solution. If the problem is theoretical, the solution might be the analysis you present in the essay itself; otherwise, you might just present a proposed solution.

The tabs below show a template for this structure and an example outline for an essay about the problem of fake news.

• Introduce the problem
• Provide background
• Describe your approach to solving it
• Define the problem precisely
• Describe why it’s important
• Indicate previous approaches to the problem
• Present your new approach, and why it’s better
• Apply the new method or theory to the problem
• Indicate the solution you arrive at by doing so
• Assess (potential or actual) effectiveness of solution
• Describe the implications
• Problem: The growth of “fake news” online
• Prevalence of polarized/conspiracy-focused news sources online
• Thesis statement: Rather than attempting to stamp out online fake news through social media moderation, an effective approach to combating it must work with educational institutions to improve media literacy
• Definition: Deliberate disinformation designed to spread virally online
• Popularization of the term, growth of the phenomenon
• Previous approaches: Labeling and moderation on social media platforms
• Critique: This approach feeds conspiracies; the real solution is to improve media literacy so users can better identify fake news
• Greater emphasis should be placed on media literacy education in schools
• This allows people to assess news sources independently, rather than just being told which ones to trust
• This is a long-term solution but could be highly effective
• It would require significant organization and investment, but would equip people to judge news sources more effectively
• Rather than trying to contain the spread of fake news, we must teach the next generation not to fall for it

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Signposting means guiding the reader through your essay with language that describes or hints at the structure of what follows.  It can help you clarify your structure for yourself as well as helping your reader follow your ideas.

The essay overview

In longer essays whose body is split into multiple named sections, the introduction often ends with an overview of the rest of the essay. This gives a brief description of the main idea or argument of each section.

The overview allows the reader to immediately understand what will be covered in the essay and in what order. Though it describes what  comes later in the text, it is generally written in the present tense . The following example is from a literary analysis essay on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein .

Transitions

Transition words and phrases are used throughout all good essays to link together different ideas. They help guide the reader through your text, and an essay that uses them effectively will be much easier to follow.

Various different relationships can be expressed by transition words, as shown in this example.

Because Hitler failed to respond to the British ultimatum, France and the UK declared war on Germany. Although it was an outcome the Allies had hoped to avoid, they were prepared to back up their ultimatum in order to combat the existential threat posed by the Third Reich.

Transition sentences may be included to transition between different paragraphs or sections of an essay. A good transition sentence moves the reader on to the next topic while indicating how it relates to the previous one.

… Distance learning, then, seems to improve accessibility in some ways while representing a step backwards in others.

However , considering the issue of personal interaction among students presents a different picture.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

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• Write a College Essay
• Write a Diversity Essay
• College Essay Format & Structure
• Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay

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The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

An essay isn’t just a loose collection of facts and ideas. Instead, it should be centered on an overarching argument (summarized in your thesis statement ) that every part of the essay relates to.

The way you structure your essay is crucial to presenting your argument coherently. A well-structured essay helps your reader follow the logic of your ideas and understand your overall point.

Comparisons in essays are generally structured in one of two ways:

• The alternating method, where you compare your subjects side by side according to one specific aspect at a time.
• The block method, where you cover each subject separately in its entirety.

It’s also possible to combine both methods, for example by writing a full paragraph on each of your topics and then a final paragraph contrasting the two according to a specific metric.

You should try to follow your outline as you write your essay . However, if your ideas change or it becomes clear that your structure could be better, it’s okay to depart from your essay outline . Just make sure you know why you’re doing so.

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You can keep adding to this plan, crossing bits out and linking the different bubbles when you spot connections between them. Even though you won’t have time to make a detailed plan under exam conditions, it can be helpful to draft a brief one, including a few key words, so that you don’t panic and go off topic when writing your essay.

If you don’t like the mind map format, there are plenty of others to choose from: you could make a table, a flowchart, or simply a list of bullet points.

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Thanks for signing up, step 2: have a clear structure.

Think about this while you’re planning: your essay is like an argument or a speech. It needs to have a logical structure, with all your points coming together to answer the question.

Start with the basics! It’s best to choose a few major points which will become your main paragraphs. Three main paragraphs is a good number for an exam essay, since you’ll be under time pressure. 

If you agree with the question overall, it can be helpful to organise your points in the following pattern:

• YES (agreement with the question)
• AND (another YES point)
• BUT (disagreement or complication)

If you disagree with the question overall, try:

• AND (another BUT point)

For example, you could structure the Of Mice and Men sample question, “To what extent is Curley’s wife portrayed as a victim in Of Mice and Men ?”, as follows:

• YES (descriptions of her appearance)
• AND (other people’s attitudes towards her)
• BUT (her position as the only woman on the ranch gives her power as she uses her femininity to her advantage)

If you wanted to write a longer essay, you could include additional paragraphs under the YES/AND categories, perhaps discussing the ways in which Curley’s wife reveals her vulnerability and insecurities, and shares her dreams with the other characters. Alternatively, you could also lengthen your essay by including another BUT paragraph about her cruel and manipulative streak.

Of course, this is not necessarily the only right way to answer this essay question – as long as you back up your points with evidence from the text, you can take any standpoint that makes sense.

Step 3: Back up your points with well-analysed quotations

You wouldn’t write a scientific report without including evidence to support your findings, so why should it be any different with an essay? Even though you aren’t strictly required to substantiate every single point you make with a quotation, there’s no harm in trying.

A close reading of your quotations can enrich your appreciation of the question and will be sure to impress examiners. When selecting the best quotations to use in your essay, keep an eye out for specific literary techniques. For example, you could highlight Curley’s wife’s use of a rhetorical question when she says, a”n’ what am I doin’? Standin’ here talking to a bunch of bindle stiffs.” This might look like:

The rhetorical question “an’ what am I doin’?” signifies that Curley’s wife is very insecure; she seems to be questioning her own life choices. Moreover, she does not expect anyone to respond to her question, highlighting her loneliness and isolation on the ranch.

Other literary techniques to look out for include:

• Tricolon – a group of three words or phrases placed close together for emphasis
• Tautology – using different words that mean the same thing: e.g. “frightening” and “terrifying”
• Parallelism – ABAB structure, often signifying movement from one concept to another
• Chiasmus – ABBA structure, drawing attention to a phrase
• Polysyndeton – many conjunctions in a sentence
• Asyndeton – lack of conjunctions, which can speed up the pace of a sentence
• Polyptoton – using the same word in different forms for emphasis: e.g. “done” and “doing”
• Alliteration – repetition of the same sound, including assonance (similar vowel sounds), plosive alliteration (“b”, “d” and “p” sounds) and sibilance (“s” sounds)
• Anaphora – repetition of words, often used to emphasise a particular point

Don’t worry if you can’t locate all of these literary devices in the work you’re analysing. You can also discuss more obvious techniques, like metaphor, simile and onomatopoeia. It’s not a problem if you can’t remember all the long names; it’s far more important to be able to confidently explain the effects of each technique and highlight its relevance to the question.

Step 4: Be creative and original throughout

Anyone can write an essay using the tips above, but the thing that really makes it “perfect” is your own unique take on the topic. If you’ve noticed something intriguing or unusual in your reading, point it out – if you find it interesting, chances are the examiner will too!

Creative writing and essay writing are more closely linked than you might imagine. Keep the idea that you’re writing a speech or argument in mind, and you’re guaranteed to grab your reader’s attention.

It’s important to set out your line of argument in your introduction, introducing your main points and the general direction your essay will take, but don’t forget to keep something back for the conclusion, too. Yes, you need to summarise your main points, but if you’re just repeating the things you said in your introduction, the body of the essay is rendered pointless.

Think of your conclusion as the climax of your speech, the bit everything else has been leading up to, rather than the boring plenary at the end of the interesting stuff.

To return to Of Mice and Men once more, here’s an example of the ideal difference between an introduction and a conclusion:

Introduction

In John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men , Curley’s wife is portrayed as an ambiguous character. She could be viewed either as a cruel, seductive temptress or a lonely woman who is a victim of her society’s attitudes. Though she does seem to wield a form of sexual power, it is clear that Curley’s wife is largely a victim. This interpretation is supported by Steinbeck’s description of her appearance, other people’s attitudes, her dreams, and her evident loneliness and insecurity.

Overall, it is clear that Curley’s wife is a victim and is portrayed as such throughout the novel in the descriptions of her appearance, her dreams, other people’s judgemental attitudes, and her loneliness and insecurities. However, a character who was a victim and nothing else would be one-dimensional and Curley’s wife is not. Although she suffers in many ways, she is shown to assert herself through the manipulation of her femininity – a small rebellion against the victimisation she experiences.

Both refer back consistently to the question and summarise the essay’s main points. However, the conclusion adds something new which has been established in the main body of the essay and complicates the simple summary which is found in the introduction.

Hannah is an undergraduate English student at Somerville College, University of Oxford, and has a particular interest in postcolonial literature and the Gothic. She thinks literature is a crucial way of developing empathy and learning about the wider world. When she isn’t writing about 17th-century court masques, she enjoys acting, travelling and creative writing. 

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I'm a member of the Bad River Band and I support Enbridge Line 5 relocation | Opinion

Many bad river tribal members, ashland residents and business owners support the line 5 relocation.

As a proud tribal member of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa and owner of LK1 Services in Ashland, I not only have a vested interest in the rights of my tribe, but also the economic well-being of our entire region. Not many projects have received more attention in our area than Enbridge’s effort to relocate its Line 5 pipeline off the Bad River Reservation . While some in the media and those opposed to the project would like you to believe all tribal members , or even all Ashland residents, have a unified view – I’m here to tell you many Bad River tribal members and many Ashland residents and business owners support the Line 5 relocation.

Unfortunately, many Line 5 supporters in our area are unwilling to make their voices heard because of the hostile response we receive from those opposed to the project. Disagreement is fine, but silencing those with opposing views is wrong and un-American. This is why I’m speaking out.

‘A new chapter of a very old story.' Documentary shows Bad River Band's fight against Line 5

The reason so many of us support the relocation project is simple – economic benefits and affordable energy. Not only is Line 5 a vital source of the natural gas liquids that get turned into the propane we need to survive, but the project will bring with it 700 union construction jobs and needed revenue to our area and tribe. These are good paying jobs for folks right here in northern Wisconsin, including Natives.

Economic study shows Line 5 will have positive impact

In fact, an economic study available on the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website found the Line 5 relocation project will add $135 million to Wisconsin’s economic output, with the vast majority of that coming right here to the project area of Ashland, Bayfield and Iron counties. Additionally, the project will increase state tax revenues by $6.4 million and federal tax revenues by $78 million. That’s more money for our area to pay for things like roads, schools, and public safety.

The essential role Line 5 plays in our propane supply chain is also being severely understated and outright lied about. Plains Midstream, which is a major supplier of propane in our region and receives natural gas liquids from Line 5, sent a letter to the Wisconsin DNR warning it will close its propane facilities in Superior, Rapid River, Michigan, and just over the border in Sarnia, Canada if Line 5 were to shut down.

I'm all tipped out. Seems like everyone's asking no matter level of service.

Plains Midstream also warned if Line 5 ceases to operate Wisconsin should expect to experience a propane price increase and supply shortage worse than the 2013/14 winter that caused many states – including Wisconsin – to declare a propane state of emergency. That’s because, despite what the project opponents would have you believe, our energy markets are seamlessly connected in infrastructure, supply, and pricing.

Relocation will boost economy of Ashland, Native-owned businesses

Many tribal members like me want to see the Line 5 project move forward because we see the economic benefit to our tribe. Enbridge has pledged to spend $46 million with Native owned businesses and hire ten percent of the project’s workers from the Native community.

Beyond that, Enbridge has offered our tribe a direct payment of $80 million to settle past and current Line 5 disputes. That’s $80 million we can put into helping real people, real Natives, who have real needs. Sure, this settlement may not appease the national environmental groups who are using the Bad River Tribe to raise money and push their political agenda. But, this money, these jobs, and this energy, will help actual Bad River Tribal members.   

Want to fix poverty? Give away cash, no strings attached. You read that right.

Line 5 has operated safely for many years. It has never spilled oil in the Bad River or Lake Superior. And, Enbridge has proposed taking unprecedented steps to safeguard our environment both during the relocation project and the ongoing operation of the line.  

The Line 5 relocation is an economic and jobs win for the Ashland area and the Bad River Tribe. Having been under review by the Wisconsin DNR for four years now, I hope they will soon approve the permits needed to move forward with this critical project.

Pat Nemec is a member of the Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa, Ashland resident and owner of LK1 Services in Ashland .