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Using the AddVantage Framework

The following is the Doldrum Bay Consulting high-level summary of the AddVantage© Project Management framework as proposed by Vantage Resources Limited, an Information Technology Services company based in Dublin, Ireland.

The overall AddVantage framework is based on the standard proposed by the Project Management Institute (PMI®) as demonstrated in the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK®) and incorporates some key elements of the PRINCE2® methodology. It also follows the quality improvement principles as defined by the Vantage Resources Metisure© Quality Framework.

As Vantage Resources provide IT resources to national and international clients, the AddVantage framework is used by their project managers to help them follow best practice and is meant to complement or enhance any additional client-based project management approaches that they are asked to follow on site. Therefore, it has been designed in such a way as to be highly tailorable and flexible.

Framework

According to the Doldrum Bay Consulting Lexicon of Project Management terms, AddVantage is a general Project Management structure that is not too detailed or rigid and acts as a basic guide for managing projects. Therefore, it can be defined as a framework .

What is a project according to AddVantage?

AddVantage uses the PMI definition of a project; “temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product, service or result”.

What is project management according to AddVantage?

AddVantage also uses the PMI definition of Project Management; “the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities in order to meet or exceed stakeholder needs and expectations”.

Key components in Project Management according to AddVantage

AddVantage describes a project structure with a series of four specific phases, each with two specific processes. The overall phases are similar in nature to the process groups proposed in the PMBOK® Guide.

Several of the processes have specific stage gates that must be successfully completed before moving to the next process or phase.

Project phases and processes

AddVantage Framework wheel

Prepare – this phase charts the project from its establishment, via a defined business case, through to the approval of the outline Project Charter. It is broken down into two processes:
1. Establish – the establishment of the project idea resulting in some form of approved business case, which include details of how the project will transform the business,
2. Initiate – the fleshing out of the project idea from the high-level business case into an approved project charter that includes high-level scope, budget, plans and milestones.
Plan – this phase focuses on turning the high-level plans created with the Project Charter, into a realistic design and plan that is SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-driven). The phase is broken down into two processes:

Design & Plan – taking the high-level plans created with the Project Charter, and designing and building a working and fully resourced, low level plan, bearing in mind any performance criteria. The outcome is a description of what is to be delivered, with enough detail to determine how to deliver it. It also includes all deliverables, milestones, governance activities, quality criteria and schedules bearing in mind any defined risks and issues. The outcome of the process is then approved to proceed.
Prepare to Start – this is where the project team is assembled, any project environments are created, and the project is prepared, and kicked off.

Execute – this phase is the workhorse of the project where the planned project activities are executed to complete the project. The phase consists of two processes:

Monitor & Control – the project execution is monitored according to the pre-defined milestones and deliverables and controlled according to an approved governance approach and quality criteria, and following the principles of Plan, Do, Check, Act. Once the expected milestones and deliverable have been achieved, a go/no go decision is made as to how to proceed.
Implement – depending upon the type of project and deliverables, implementation can take many forms. However, the implementation will require approval.

Transform – this phase is important for overall learning and improving the way projects and similar activities are performed in the future. The phase consists of two distinct processes:

Conclude – the project may have legal, financial, contractual, and administrative aspects that need to be closed off. Also, an important deliverable is to document the lessons learned and include them in the final approved Project Closure report.
Improve – the outcome(s) from the project now need to be monitored to ensure that the expected business transformation occurs. Also, lessons learned from the project now need to be applied and the future project process transformed accordingly.

Project stage gates

The AddVantage framework includes the following six stage gates.

Stage Gate	When it occurs
Business Case Approved	End of Establish process
Project Charter Approved	End of Initiate process
Project Initiation Document approved	End of Design & Plan
Execution completion approved	End of Monitor & Control process
Implementation readiness approved	End of Implement process
Project Closure approved	End of Conclude process

How does this structure and process compare with the PMBOK® Guide?

Traditional (PMBOK®)	AddVantage©)
Initiation	Prepare
Planning	Plan
Execution	Execute
Control	Execute
Closure	Transform

Tailoring guidelines

PM approach for differing sizes of projects

As with any framework or approach, one size does not fit all. Therefore, the Project Manager needs to tailor the PM approach, phases and deliverables according to the size and complexity of the project.

Generally, AddVantage defines project size according to several factors. Although scope and objectives are key components, others that need to be taken into consideration include the nature and context of the project, its criticality (both business and ‘politically’), its complexity, the chosen life cycle, resource availability, experience, standards and procedures, and corporate policies.

As a ‘rule of thumb’, AddVantage suggests the following definitions in the table below. Each factor should be weighed up to determine whether the project should be treated as small, medium or large, and tailored accordingly.

Factor	Small	Medium	Large
Project Team size	1-2 FTE	2-6 FTE	6+ FTE
Proposed duration (elapsed time)	Up to 6 months	6 to 12 months	> 12 months
Duration flexibility	Very flexible Not tied to end date.	Some flexibility, Minor variations acceptable	Fixed deadline, No changes allowed
Complexity	Low complexity, Similar projects have been successfully completed before	Some level of difficulty, Problem not fully defined, Solution not fully clear or may be difficult to achieve	Problem and solution are complex and difficult to define, Solution difficult to achieve
Team experience and availability	Team experienced in these types of projects and chosen life cycles, Have worked together before, Good track record, Are all available	Team experienced in related, but not exactly this type of project or chosen life cycle, Have limited experience of working together, Partial track record	Team not experienced in either the project or the chosen life cycle, New to working together, No track record
Strategic Importance	‘Nice to have’, Internal importance only	Some links to other projects, business activities, or initiatives	Direct link to core business activities, initiatives, strategies.
Risk Level	Low risk	Medium risk	High risk
Reputation Importance	No reputational implications	Some reputational implications	Major reputational implications
Scope of change	Small or incremental change, Impacts limited area(s) of the business (<10%)	Medium change, Impacts several areas of the business (10-50%)	Large change, Impacts most areas of the business (50-100%)
Dependencies or inter relationships with other projects	No dependencies	Some minor, or low risk major dependencies	Major high-risk dependencies

Tailored deliverables according to AddVantage

The AddVantage framework includes many possible deliverables, although only a small number of them are mandatory; three or four documents, (one of which can be merged with another mandatory deliverable for smaller projects), and two or three logs (again, one of which can be merged with another deliverable for smaller projects).

As this framework can be tailored to fit in with any existing client methodologies and approaches, all deliverables can be substituted by an equivalent client-based deliverable.

Prepare phase - Establish process

Key deliverable(s)	Mandatory Deliverable	Tailoring notes (for small or medium projects)
Business Case	Yes
Project Discovery Brief	No	If Business Case needs funding to create, this brief could gain the approval to build the business case.
Benefits Log	No	Benefits should be included in the Business Case
Stakeholder Log	No	List of stakeholders should be included in the Business case
Project Success Measures / Acceptance Criteria	No	Acceptance criteria should be included in the Business Case

Prepare phase - Initiate process

Key deliverable(s)	Mandatory deliverable	Tailoring notes (for small or medium projects)
Project Charter	Yes *	* Can be part of the Business Case
Statement of Work (SOW)	No	SOW can be included in the Project Charter or Business Case
Assumptions Log	No	Assumptions should be included in the Project Charter or Business case
Change Request Log	No	Change requests can be included in the Issues Log
High Level Plan and Milestones	Yes *	If not a separate deliverable, the High-Level Plan and Milestones should be part of the Project Charter or Business case
Budget	No	Budget should be included in the Project Charter or Business case
Governance Structure	No	Can be included in the Project Charter or Business case
Resource Plan (High Level)	No	Can be included in the Project Charter or Business case

Plan phase - Design & Plan process

Key deliverable(s)	Mandatory Deliverable	Tailoring notes (for small or medium projects)
Project Initiation Document (PID)	Yes	Or equivalent
Project Management Plan (Governance)	No	Can be part of the PID
Scope Management Plan	No	Can be part of the PID
Requirements Management Plan	No	Can be part of the PID
Scope Statement (e.g. WBS, Project Environment Definition & Plan)	No	Can be part of the PID
Detailed Plan with Deliverables, & Milestones	No	For smaller projects, a plan with deliverables and milestones should be included in the PID
Schedule Management Plan	No	Can be part of the PID
Costs & Budget Plan	No	Budget should be included in the PID
Quality Management Plan	No	Can be part of the PID
Quality Metrics	No	Quality acceptance criteria should be included in the PID
Resources Plan (roles and Responsibilities)	No	Can be part of the PID
Communications Plan	No	Can be part of the PID
Change Request Log (updated)	No	Change requests can be included in the Issues Log
Risk Management Plan	No	Can be part of the PID
Risk Log	Yes
Procurement Management Plan	No	Can be part of the PID
Stakeholder Engagement Plan	No	Can be part of the PID
Stakeholder Log (updated)	No	Can be part of the PID
3^rd Parties Engagement Plan and Agreements	No	Can be part of the PID
Issue Management Plan	No	Can be part of the PID
Issue Log	Yes
Benefits Plan	No	Can be part of the PID
Benefits Log (Updated)	No
Action/Decision Log	No

Plan phase - Prepare to Start process

Key deliverable(s)	Mandatory Deliverable	Tailoring notes (for small or medium projects)
Kick-off meeting minutes	No	None
Action/Decision Log (updated)	No	None
Change Request Log (updated)	No	None
Project Board Meeting Minutes	No	None

Execute phase - Monitor & Control process

Key deliverable(s)	Mandatory Deliverable	Tailoring notes (for small or medium projects)
Project Status Report	Yes	Or equivalent
Scope Statement (e.g. WBS, Project Environment Definition & Plan)	No
Detailed Plan with Deliverables, & Milestones (updated)	No	Progress should be included in the Status Report
Phase / Iteration Plan	No
Change Request Log	No	Change requests can be included in the Issues Log or included in the Status Report
Risk Log (updated)	Yes
Issue Log (updated)	Yes
Costs & Budget Reports	No	Financial progress should be included in the Status Report
Benefits Log (Updated)	No
Quality, Test & Evaluation Documents	No	Quality progress should be included in the Status Report
Project Board Meeting Minutes	No
Action/Decision Log (updated)	No	Can be part of the Status Report

Execute phase - Implement process

Key deliverable(s)	Mandatory Deliverable	Tailoring notes (for small or medium projects)
Project Handover documents	No
Change Request Log (Updated)	No	Change requests can be included in the Issues Log or included in the Status Report
Project Implementation Plan	No
Risk Log (updated)	Yes
Issue Log (updated)	Yes
Action/Decision Log (updated)	No	Can be part of the Status Report
Project Board Meeting Minutes	No

Transform phase - Conclude process

Key deliverable(s)	Mandatory Deliverable	Tailoring notes (for small or medium projects)
Project Closure Report	No
Closure Meeting(s) Minutes	No	Can be part of the Project Closure Report
Knowledge Transfer Plan	No	Can be part of the Project Closure Report
Project Board Meeting Minutes	No
Costs & Budget Reports	No	Can be part of the Project Closure Report
Risk Log (updated)	Yes
Issue Log (updated)	Yes
Post Implementation Review Report	No	Can be part of the Project Closure Report
Lessons Learned Log	Yes *	* Can be part of the Project Closure Report, but needs to be available in some format for use in preparing and planning for new projects

Transform phase - Improve process

Key deliverable(s)	Mandatory Deliverable	Tailoring notes (for small or medium projects)
Service Level Agreements (Revised)	No	None
Benefits Log (updated)	No	None
Process Improvement Action Plan	No	None
Change Request Log (updated)	No	None

References

“PMI” is a service and trademark and “PMBOK” is a trademark of the Project Management Institute, Inc. which is registered in the United States and other nations.

Other Project Management approaches and methodologies

To learn about some of them, choose one of the following methodologies/approaches/good practices:

Project Management Institute PMBOK Guide | PRINCE2 | Project Planning Breakthroughs | AddVantage

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