Hello colleagues! We are increasingly encountering project management in the HSE field. There are numerous webinars, courses, face-to-face training sessions, and articles on this topic, but as an HSE project manager, I assure you — they all reflect theory, not the true essence of Agile in HSE.
Managing projects is not easy, especially when you start doing it spontaneously, without preparation or training. I know from experience — many become project managers while already on the job. They learn everything in the process. And doing work without knowing how to do it is, frankly, not quite right. Let's figure out together what a project is, who participates in it, and what working on it actually involves.
A brief introduction – basic concepts without the jargon
If we search the internet, we find that:
A project is a time-bound, goal-oriented change to a specific system with initially clearly defined goals, the achievement of which determines the completion of the project, with established requirements for deadlines, results, risk, budget and resource constraints, and organizational structure.
Essentially, a project is a chain of tasks (not necessarily sequential) aimed at a specific result. For example, building a stadium for the Sochi Olympics is a project, launching COVID-19 vaccine production is a project, improving computer literacy among the older generation is also a project, learning a foreign language is similar, and even developing a habit of morning runs can be viewed as a project.
That is, a project is any activity that is limited in time and budget, is unique, and has a specific result. I would particularly highlight UNIQUENESS. For example, training managers and specialists in occupational safety rules is not a project — everyone does that (everyone!). Another thing entirely is launching a Young Manager School with practical training on conducting safety walks and applying risk management practices (for example, "Risk Hunting").
It is also important to distinguish between a process and a project. Issuing PPE is a process, but changing the PPE issuance format to allow for choice is a project. User support is a process, but moving the bulk of "office" workers to remote work is a project. HBI production is a process, but launching a new production line is a project. Interestingly, reviewing and changing processes within a company can be a project — as we saw in the training example above.
In the case of Metalloinvest and the HSE project — implementing a risk management system into the company's production activities. Why? It is the most effective mechanism for improving production culture and, as a direct consequence, reducing injury rates.
To be continued in the next article.