Incorporating Policies, Procedures, and Regulations

Safety nets ensure that the work environment is secure. Human resource practices work as a safety net to ensure that the employment practices you use in forming a project team are above board.

You can ensure that the integrity of your project is beyond reproach by following the policies and guidelines set by your company, your industry, and the government.

Organizations have a variety of policies, procedures, and regulations that help the project management team with various aspects of organizational planning. These human resource practices give guidance on planning team benefits, incorporating company initiatives, and following government stipulations.

The sources of influence which govern employment practices can be divided into internal sources and external sources. Internal sources are policies set forth by the organization. External sources are decisions made outside of the company which affect company policy. Together, these internal and external sources make up the policies, procedures, and regulations governing your project.

• Company policies - include information addressing issues like vacation time, maternity leave, sick leave, and medical benefits.
• Regulations - deal with safety standards, minimum wage laws, and hiring discrimination.
• Procedures - vary from company to company. Your company chooses procedures based on what works best in its industry and what has proven to provide a sense of continuity and balance.

Corporate policies and procedures are at the discretion of individual companies. These are based on what each company deems fair and what it finds produces the most productive and loyal employees. On the other hand, the laws set forth by government are unwavering standards which must be met by each and every company. While project managers should abide by the human resource practices of the organizations in which they work, the laws set by government are binding and aren't optional.

The government has placed regulations upon different industries for the benefit of the public, as well as for those who work in these industries. The regulations differ for each industry, and you should become aware of how they affect your project.

Complying with company policies, regulations, and procedures will help to ensure project success. As you build and develop your project team, remember to:

• follow organizational procedures when assigning new jobs
• ensure the same level of project information gets to all team members
• provide similar training for all team members
• ensure senior management approves any guarantee made to an employee about future roles or positions
• inform team members why they were selected.

Company policies, regulations, and procedures are the safety nets that guide you to make sound decisions when it comes to planning the human resource aspect of your project. When you follow your company's human resource practices you stand a better chance of keeping your team members happy, the government satisfied, and your organization running smoothly.

Developing a Project Quality Policy

A quality policy, which is an important input to project quality planning, is a collection of documents that are usually created by quality experts and supported by top management. These documents state the overall quality intentions and direction of an organization.

Not all projects require new quality policies. If a quality policy already exists, it can be adopted for a new project. If a quality policy does not exist or if the project is a joint venture, the management team will be required to develop a new quality policy for the project.

A quality policy must indicate the level of quality the organization considers acceptable and must be applied at all levels of a project. Communicating this information is a vital step for quality planning. Project management teams need to distribute quality policy information in a timely manner to everyone involved with the project. As a project manager, you can communicate quality policies in the following ways.

• Use written communication, in the form of formal reports, informal memos, and conversations, to send out clear and complete information to those working on the project and to outside parties.
• You can share information with your team members using information retrieval systems such as manual filing systems, project management software, and electronic text databases.
• You can forward information electronically using fax, electronic mail, voice mail, video conferencing, and a company intranet or the Internet.

Quality policies state a company's quality goals. These policies help a company create a sound reputation for good quality. Key goals should include continuous improvement of the product or service, customer satisfaction, and effective delivery of the service. In addition, quality policies should:

• promote consistency throughout the project
• include quality objectives
• describe how organizations view quality
• detail guidelines for all important quality matters
• state principles of what will take place during the project, rather than how it will take place
• state requirements for updating the policy
• be understood, implemented, and maintained at all levels of an organization.

Quality objectives are important elements of a quality policy. Some typical quality objectives are:

• clearly defined statement of customer needs
• specific statements about deadlines
• commitment to avoid harmful effects on the environment and society
• reviews to identify opportunities for quality improvements
• commitment to quality throughout the organization.

Quality policies are essential inputs to quality planning. Top-level managers implement quality policies throughout the duration of projects. It can be challenging for managers to stay focused on quality and avoid getting sidetracked by other matters. Ultimately, the best way for a project manager to show support for quality is to "walk the walk."

The Importance of Resource Planning and Acquisition Policies

Organizational policies are the policies of the performing organization regarding staffing and the rental or purchase of supplies and equipment. These policies must be considered during resource planning to ensure that your project will run as smoothly as possible.

Organizational policies are the result of tried and true business practices. Company policies can encompass a wide range of issues from employee benefits to resource acquisition.

Staffing issues are covered by your company's human resource policies. A collective bargaining agreement is a factor that might affect your company's policies. These agreements place restrictions upon employers concerning hours of work, wages, and job security. They can determine overtime, vacation pay, and safety standards. Consider the example of Kurt, a project manager for an appliance manufacturer.

Another example of staffing policies are company hiring policies. These policies may include equal opportunity programs, internal hiring practices, and educational requirements.

Not abiding by these policies can lead to employee dissatisfaction, high employee turnover, and even lawsuits. To avoid these potentially debilitating problems, you will want to commit your organization's staffing policies to memory.

The other policy areas of interest to resource planners are organization's equipment and materials policies. These policies specify how you are to acquire resources from suppliers.

For example, your company may have policies:

• requiring that all suppliers be approved by the Quality Assurance department
• listing preferred suppliers from which you must choose
• regarding each step of the acquisition process.

Other policies may exist to help you decide whether to rent or purchase the necessary materials and equipment. If a project requires equipment or materials for a short period of time, a company may determine it is cheaper to rent rather than purchase the equipment or materials.
Each step of acquiring resources may have an accompanying policy. Make sure you know what your company has determined regarding these resource decisions before you begin. Failure to abide by resource acquisition policies can destroy hard-won relationships with favored long-term suppliers and may result in significant increases in supply costs which could result in project budget overages.

Organizational policies act as a guide to ensure a quality project. They help your project run more smoothly because everyone knows what is expected in terms of resource planning and acquisition. In addition, these policies serve to protect against the negative effects of not abiding by policy, which can include employee lawsuits, damaged relationships with long-term suppliers, and increased project costs.