PROPS Knowledge Base

PROPS - a Framework for Enterprise Project Management

Successful projects and a profitable and optimized project portfolio require a project culture based on a common terminology and project methodology with clearly defined roles and responsibilities that are common to the entire organization.

Adhering to standards is always difficult. All companies are different; and a project is always a unique operation. The success of a company as well as of a project is the result of the competence and the decisions made by the individuals involved.

It is important to see PROPS framework as a set of models, and not as prescriptive sets of instructions. Used in this way, the PROPS framework will help to release the competence and creativity of the individuals for the benefit of the organization.

PROPS is a framework intended to serve as a source of inspiration and support for people involved in projects as well as for managers responsible for the organization's entire project portfolio. This makes PROPS the ideal foundation for a successful project culture.

PROPS Perspectives

By describing the enterprise and its projects from two complementing perspectives, PROPS provides a multi-faceted picture of project work.

PROPS Business Perspective

The business perspective in PROPS is about aligning all efforts in the organization into the same business direction, focusing on customer satisfaction and securing maximum value from of the entire project portfolio through an efficient use of resources. This requires professional project management, and a shared understanding of how it is applied in the organization.

PROPS Human Perspective

The human perspective in PROPS is about recognizing the individual employee as one of the organization's most important assets. The foundation of a project culture is a common terminology and shared understanding of basic concepts, but also on shared attitudes to teamwork and leadership.

Development of a common project culture is a prerequisite for benefiting from project management and from the total competence and capacity of the individuals involved.

A Framework of Models

As support to organizations that want to increase their maturity in the field of enterprise project management, PROPS provides models for standardizing the project life cycle and the project organization. The models are based on internationally accepted terminology and definitions, and adapted to the specific needs of an enterprise for which the project portfolio represents a large and vital part of the business.

PROPS Project Life Cycle Model

The project life cycle model in PROPS is about integrating all project efforts to reaching the project goal and successfully concluding the project. The model defines what should be done in the project and when it should be done, and by whom. The phases of the project, and the steering and management activities needed for integrating and controlling the project work and coaching the project members, are described.

PROPS Project Organization Model

In PROPS project organization model, different categories of project stakeholders are described and their roles and responsibilities are defined.

Other PROPS Models

Within the PROPS framework, you will also find models for how to set up and organize a project office and manage your project portfolio. The different roles and responsibilities related to management of a project portfolio are defined, including the role of the project portfolio owner, as well as different functions for which the project office is responsible.

PROPS Features

The information in PROPS framework is intended as support to managers and individuals at all levels in an organization. It is structured and consistent, and presented in a way that will make it easy for the user to find the right information when needed.

Some basic features in PROPS support this ambition:

• PROPS key elements

• Color-coding

• Templates, tools and techniques

• PROPS applications

• Web sites

PROPS Key Elements

PROPS framework comprises descriptions of a number of key elements. Some of these elements are standard concepts in enterprise project management, such as

• Projects

• Project portfolio

• Leaders

• Teams

• Project life cycle

• Project organization

• Project office

• Project management knowledge areas

• Project culture

Among the key elements in PROPS you will also find a number of roles, processes, activities, documents and decision points.

Together, the key element descriptions provide a complete philosophy for enterprise project management, using clearly defined terminology, color-coded symbols and graphics supporting and underpinning the message.

Color-Coding

All graphics and symbols in PROPS are colored according to a strict color-code with four colors: red, blue, yellow and green:

• Red Color for long-term business direction
  The red color represents business responsibility. The organization's business direction is represented by a red arrow, and the project steering function in the project organization is red. The project sponsor, who is commercially responsible for the project, and the project portfolio owner wear red caps. The tollgate decision is represented by a red rhomb.

• Blue color for project management
  In PROPS, the blue color represents the project management function. The project manager wears a blue cap. The project management process in the life cycle model is blue, and so are the ten project management knowledge areas.

• Yellow color for operative work and responsibilities
  The yellow color represents the operative parts of the organization and of the project. The project work model in the project life cycle is yellow. Yellow caps are worn by all project team members, and by their closest managers in the line organization, the resource owners. The receivers, who are managers that will take on the responsibility for the project outcome after the project has been concluded, also wear yellow caps.

• Green color for project outcome
  Finally, the green color in PROPS is used for describing the project outcome, symbolized by a green hexagon. Depending on project type, the project outcome can be a product, a service, a delivered system installed at a customer, or an organizational change within the organization. The green color is also used for project milestones, representing intermediate objectives in the project.

Templates, Tools and Techniques

The key elements in PROPS are complemented by useful templates and descriptions of tools and techniques. These descriptions are not integrated in the framework, but should be seen as useful instruments when and where needed. Tools and techniques are closely related to industry and project types, and they are likely to change and being replaced by others. Therefore the list of templates, tools and techniques in PROPS is continuously maintained and changed.

PROPS Applications

PROPS framework is generic, and possible to use in different environments and industries, for all types of projects and project portfolios. However, to give more hands-on support, adaptation of the models in the framework may be needed, for instance for specific projects types that are commonly occurring in a specific organization.

A project life cycle model for a specific type of project that uses the basic principles in PROPS is called a PROPS application.

When creating a PROPS application, most of the generic information in PROPS can be re-used and only product- and organization-specific information need to be added. This will reduce the cost for methods development, as well as for the time and effort needed for introducing new processes or ways of working.

Web Sites

Being built up from element descriptions, PROPS can easily be published in different media for different target groups merely by restructuring the information and high-lighting different elements.

Even though the information is meant to be published on an organization's Intranet, it is also possible to use as a stand-alone product on a computer, or printed.

PROPS – A Framework Based on Years of Experience

PROPS has been developed within Ericsson, a global, multicultural organization that successfully has used the project work form for developing competitive products and for introducing these products on the market.

PROPS has been in use since 1988 for all types of projects and in different Ericsson companies all over the world; but it has also been introduced and used in a number of other companies. Years of experience from project work within different industries and sectors are compiled in the model. It has been improved and developed throughout the years to ensure that it will give full support to project managers and organizations that depend on successful projects and project portfolios.

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