Implementing project management to foster effective accountability Implementing project management to foster effective accountability Accountability is a virtue that both project managers and their team members must have to ensure the success of a project. However, the focus should remain on the team players so that they take ownership of their tasks and the project manager is responsible for the overall completion. Accountability is more than just the completion of an assignment. It’s about ensuring that the task/project is completed in its entirety, both in terms of its scope and quality. In its most basic meaning, accountability in the workplace means accepting one’s responsibility. Effective accountability must not be forced upon others. It should be voluntary. Project Completion Accountability Successful completion of a project requires a lot of planning, execution, control, and monitoring. All of these efforts will go naught if there is no accountability within the team. Now the question is: How can you ensure accountability for your project? There are many ways you can implement accountability. One way to implement accountability is structuring or organizing the project delivery process. But how do you do this? Many people are looking for a project management tool that will streamline the process and help leaders and managers understand the available resources. Managers are known to overcommit in meetings, without checking if they have the resources to complete the task. These practices can be dangerous for both the organization as well as the team. The latter is often held responsible for a commitment to which they did not contribute. This is bad for managers and organizations as they will struggle to keep their team focused and deliver the project on time. Organizations and managers can use an agile project management tool to better manage their resources and assign tasks to team members. The team would then be responsible for the results. This is key to improving credibility among the team and between peers. The flow of information is also crucial for completing a project on time. How can you ensure this? Too many meetings can affect the task time and productivity of your staff. However, not meeting enough often can lead to team leaders/managers being less accountable and affecting reporting. These tools can also be used as project management tools. Many project management tools allow for collaboration. Clients and team members can chat and share ideas, feedback, and documents from their project dashboard. These tools allow you to schedule regular project status meetings without affecting your team’s productivity. This helps to minimize problems and allows team members and managers to quickly solve any issues or bugs. Effective Project Management Requires Accountability Rules. Just as effective accountability is dependent upon the implementation of project management, you must also follow certain accountability rules. There are generally three rules you should follow. These are:

  • Strong leadership: You must clearly explain why you are taking on the project and what your expectations are. This will help your team understand the importance and priority of each task/project. It is crucial for project success that leaders clearly outline the purpose and benefits of a project, the business value of each feature, and the expectations of each member.
  • Communication and Measuring Results: A c