Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/74024
It's Not About the Tool: Assessing an Ongoing Project Management Implementation We knew that messaging about the initiative had to come from firm leadership and specifically address business drivers. We needed to convince many people that legal project management would not be a short-lived initiative at the whim of firm management. The firm's leadership stood firmly behind the initiative, articulating the business demands, risks and benefits of implementing project management systemically throughout the firm. The project management working group developed a PowerPoint presentation and delivered it to two pilot groups. Key takeaways from this process were that: • Training needed to be "live" • Training needed to be tailored to the area of law that related to the audience • Training needed to cover certain principles consistently throughout the firm • Three hours was the maximum we could expect of the audience's time A top priority for developing the training was identifying a lead trainer. The trainer needed to understand all elements of pricing and AFAs, and relate well to the audience, focusing on practice and business drivers. We knew it was imperative that this person have the gravitas to command the room. We were fortunate that the head of the firm's AFA committee was also a driving force behind the ACC's Value Challenge, and he became our lead trainer. He worked closely with other experienced lawyers throughout the firm to spread the training across all practices and regions. This helped to ensure consistency of the message. We rolled out training by practice group wherever possible. We requested a co-presenter from each practice group who would be responsible for developing a short case study, along with a budget and project plan based on the study. The lead trainer reviewed all materials in advance to ensure that they were realistic. We learned as we trained and took on board the after-action lessons learned from each training session. All materials have been made available to anyone in the firm via our legal project management intranet page. In addition, included in the binders each attendee received were sample templates, including an issues log, a communication plan, meeting minutes, a risk analysis and a contacts list. We also included a "Project Manager's Workbook." Developing these templates helped us identify the process changes we would need to implement and helped us determine what online resource was needed to provide support for those changes. Moving Forward with Project Management The project management training was well-received by the practice groups. In some instances, it sparked follow- up discussions at group meetings, including a review of staffing protocols and a review of invoices designed to show everyone — from partners to paralegals — the impact of purportedly small choices, including the staffing of a routine motion or determining how many witness binders should be produced and shipped, and whether shipping overnight via courier is really necessary. These discussions were helpful in raising awareness and keeping the dialogue alive in the immediate days following the training, but it was not clear how these anecdotal observations would translate to changed behavior. Although the training was very comprehensive, covering budgeting, staffing and reporting, as a result, it was difficult for teams and practice groups to identify a series of manageable next steps that would lead to systemic change. The firmwide initiative had suggested that practice groups start by developing a budget template and identifying the major phases and tasks associated with the completion of the matter. Complex litigation would theoretically have one set of phases and tasks, and transactions would likely have an entirely different set. ILTA White Paper 31