Legal project management skills workshop

Transcription

1 Legal project management skills workshop Suzanne Wood National Director, Legal Project Management, Norton Rose Fulbright January 11, 2018

2 Exercise: project management in action 2

3 Increasing pressures Improve Response Time Streamline Processes Reduce Overhead Reduce Legal Spend Increase Predictability Standardize Services LEGAL DEPARTMENT Deliver High Quality Results 3

4 How do you respond? Outsource or Insource Change firms 4

5 Understanding legal project management and implementing a well-designed LPM program is quickly becoming recognized as a critical competency for in-house legal teams particularly those striving to proactively manage legal spend and improve operational efficiency. Scott Rosenberg and David Rueff, Corporate Counsel, October

6 What is a project? A project is defined as a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result. A guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide)

7 What is project management? Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to plan activities to meet project requirements. A guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide)

8 What is legal project management? Initiate Identify needs and objectives Prepare scope of work, Budget and staffing models Analyze historical data Plan Develop matter maps and work plans Identify templates and precedents Establish reporting requirements Evaluate Conduct internal and external matter debriefs Retain knowledge Prepare matter deconstruction via task code analysis to inform future matter management and pricing Manage Review Budget to Actual reporting Track metrics to aid scope change negotiations Revise work plan to meet evolving needs Report to internal stakeholders 8

9 LPM drivers Lessons Learned Scoping Budgeting Monitoring Technology Templates Improved Communications Reporting 9

10 Main project management methodologies Traditional Waterfall (PMBOK) Series of phases of work Plans are amended or adjusted for subsequent phases Prevalent in North America Prince2 Process driven Documents focused Checklist heavy Prevalent in the UK Agile (Scrum) Rapid changes to plans based on revised scope Commonly used in software development Daily meetings Lean or Six Sigma Focus is on reducing waste and time spent Commonly used in manufacturing Becoming more prevalent in the legal industry 10

11 Elements of legal project management While there is no industry standard approach for developing and implementing LPM, the following are key areas that most firms and corporate clients have attempted to address: more in-depth understanding of the project/matter at the outset enhanced, effective, and timely communication with key stakeholders use of scope of work statements that defines what is in and out of scope developing templates for matters using a Work Breakdown Structure ( WBS ) budgets which are realistic, including identifying associated risks improved monitoring throughout matters, including budget to actual reports, milestones for progress on client objectives, and changes in scope, risk, and stakeholders, etc. end of action reviews to identify best practices, lessons learned, and other important aspects for continued process improvement The Power of Legal Project Management, Lambreth and Rueff, (2014) 11

12 Benefits of legal project management Control or better understand costs Control or predict the time spent Be better prepared for events Deliver only the necessary work Use the most appropriate resources Improve communication Adapted from Legal Project Management, Stephen B. Levy (2009) 12

13 Legal project management process Initiate Plan Manage Evaluate 13

14 Exercise: Identifying your current LPM toolkit 14

15 Evaluating your current toolkit Initiate Plan Manage Evaluate RFP templates Engagement letters Early case assessment After action reviews Record of Instruction Scope of work statements Monthly / quarterly reports Internal evaluation process Business case plans Budget worksheets Detailed invoices Detailed financial analysis Case management plan Budget worksheet External counsel KPIs Scope change process RACI charts Knowledge capture Communications plan Matter tracking database Decision tree analysis Collaboration sites Task trackers 15

16 Stage 1: Initiate the project Initiate Plan Manage Evaluate 16

17 If you don t have time to do it right, what makes you think you ll have time to do it over? - Seth Godin 17

18 Scoping - establish priorities Time Schedule Quality Cost Budget Resources Risk Scope Quality Customer Satisfaction 18

19 Scoping considerations Why are we undertaking this project? What needs to be done? Who should be involved? When does the work need to be done by? How much will it cost? Who will be affected by the project? What are the end goals? 19

20 Scoping - what do you want / need 20

21 Scope of work statement 21

22 Scope of work statement (cont d) 22

23 Scope of work statement (cont d) 23

24 Exercise: scope of work statement 24

25 Stage 2: Planning the project Initiate Plan Manage Evaluate 25

26 Planning - Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Interim Injunction Engagement Letter Notice of Application Prepare Application Record Draft Order Scope matter Prepare draft Notice of Application Meetings with client regarding application Prepare draft Order Discuss scope with client Review Notice of Application with client Draft affidavit Draft Scope of Work Statement Finalize Notice of Application Client swears affidavit Draft Engagement Letter Serve and file Notice of Application 26

27 Communications plan Communications plan is a road map which defines: What needs to be communicated The purpose of the communication Who needs to be involved in the communication How often does the communication need to occur What format the communication should take 27

28 Sample communications plan Audience Information Method Frequency Who is Responsible? Matter Team Matter Status update Conference Call Weekly Team Leader Robert Smith (in-house counsel) Update on court appearances Within 1 hour of court session ending Responsible Partner Joan Peters (GC) Detailed status report Monthly Responsible Partner Client procurement director Budget to actual status report Conference Call First Wednesday of every month Team Leader Board of Directors High level report PowerPoint Monthly Robert Smith (in-house counsel) 28

29 Stage 3: manage the project Initiate Plan Manage Evaluate 29

30 Implementing - RACI charts R A C I Responsible The people who do the work Accountable The person who is answerable Consulted The people who need to weigh-in Informed The people who need to be kept in the loop 30

31 RACI Charts TASKS Jane Counsel Peter Johnson George Meadows Norton Rose Fulbright Developing communications protocol A/R C I R Coordinating with internal business contacts C A/R I C Developing budget A/R I C R Managing budget for phases A I I R Develop litigation hold document R C I A/R Implementing litigation hold A/R C C R Responsible (R) Accountable (A) Consulted (C) Informed (I) These are the people who actually do the work. There can be many people responsible for a single task. This is the person who needs to answer for whether the task has been completed. There can only be one person accountable. These are people who need to be engaged in the process and whose feedback is required. These are people who need to be apprised of developments, but do not need to provide feedback. 31

32 Exercise: RACI chart 32

33 Stage 4: Evaluate the project Initiate Plan Manage Evaluate 33

34 Evaluation When the celebrations are over, it s time to conduct the matter closure evaluation Capture lessons learned on a variety of metrics Identify knowledge assets Refine standard templates, scope, and budget forms Conduct a financial and scope post-mortem: What parts were right and what was missed Conduct both external (with firm) and internal (team) evaluations 34

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