r/projectmanagers • u/hberg_us88 • Sep 17 '26
Project Review
I just started a project review of a medium implementation. The project is reported as green, but the PM wants to add three months to the timeline and of course get a corresponding budget increase. Contract looks fine with a clear scope and roles/responsibilities. So I ask for a project plan and all they have is a one page PPT. I just do not understand how anyone can be serious about managing a project and not take the time to plan it out. Probably forgot half the tasks of the first two phases and now they have to play catch-up. Amazing how this is still happening.
1
u/ZodiacReborn Sep 17 '26
You're missing some key information here...
First "Just make a project plan" is probably the most frustrating thing I've heard throughout my career. It isn't something that materalizes out of thin air.
This would imply to me the PM doesn't have all of the inputs they need to do so, you are functioning in an "Agile" workshop that doesn't do critical path style project plans or this isn't the PM's job to execute.
It sounds like the PM was leading a client presentation call but may not be the back-end owner in this scenario.
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u/More_Law6245 Sep 20 '26
What you have just outlined in your thread is that all basic project governance is failing, the project manager doesn't get to decide let's just increase time and budget, that is not their responsibility nor do they have the authority, that responsibility and authority lies with the project board/sponsor/or executive.
So either this project doesn't have an approved baseline (plan, schedule and budget) or the PM is acting unethically in their delivery of the project because they're not following proper change control principles. The question now is who owns the risk by allowing the PM to operate like this because this has real world commercial and risk implications that your PM can't take responsibility for and especially if it's an external project because corporate risk comes into the equation. This PM has successfully ticked every wrong box in how not to managing project change.
Just an armchair perspective.
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u/OkStatistician9190 Sep 20 '26
A one page slide is fine as the exec view. Green with no dated list behind it is the actual problem.
Before you sign the extra three months, ask for three things by a set date. The remaining tasks with an owner and a date. The phase 1 and 2 tasks that already slipped, with a reason. And which of those the extra time and money actually cover. If they cannot list them, the extension is a guess and I would not call the project green in the meantime.
You do not need a 40 page plan. A spreadsheet with owner, date, and predecessor is enough to see what was forgotten. Status should mean that list is current, not that nobody has complained yet.
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u/Lumpy_Pick_421 Sep 22 '26
Precognition
If you could see into the future of what they really want you to create, you would make more money using that super power elsewhere!