Processes and Productivity Project Planning 101: Part Two – Building Your Intranet Implementation Team So you bought an intranet, now what? This article is the second of a three part series providing tips on how to run a smooth and successful intranet project. 3 minute read You might also like… Whitepaper Intranet use cases Whitepaper 10 Award Winning Intranets In Part I, we discussed Determining Project Deliverables and Using an Intranet Project Checklist. The next step involves selecting the right team. Is it possible to ensure all your intranet goals are met? Yes, it is, but you will need a dedicated strategy for success that continues long after launch day. Read more Assembling your team Building a strong team requires the right people—not just smart people, or qualified people, but the right people. Here are some questions to ask when assembling your intranet team: Representation: Which departments should be represented on your intranet team? And does the team reflect remote or hybrid workplace employees? Team distribution: Will the intranet team be located in the same office? Or are they distributed across different cities, locations, or time zones? Resourcing: How much time will people have to work on it? Accountability: Who is leading the project? Who is ultimately accountable? In our post, Building an Intranet Business Case: Identifying your Stakeholders, we closely examine some of the areas of interest for different groups. And while that article relates to decision-makers, it still provides insight into what matters to each group. As mentioned, to gain participation and support for your intranet project you need to understand the different interests and influences. From there, you will have the knowledge to address your team’s concerns, and demonstrate how an intranet will benefit them individually, and at a group and organizational level. The RACI Matrix We often recommend the RACI matrix to our clients. RACI consists of four possible roles (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed) assigned to team members. It is a simple way to assign roles and responsibilities to tasks and set expectations for the project. Responsible: This is the person who does the work to achieve the task. They have a responsibility for getting the work done. This is typically one person: e.g. a business analyst, project manager, developer, or graphic designer. Accountable: This is the person who is accountable for the task. This must be one person and is often the intranet business owner or the project sponsor. This is the role that is accountable and approves any completed work. Consulted: These are the people who provide the person responsible for the project with the information required to complete the project, and with whom there is two-way communication. There are usually several of these people, often subject matter experts. In your intranet project, your HR staff or IT support engineers may form part of your RACI as consulted project members. Informed: These are the people who are kept informed about progress and with whom there is one-way communication. These are the people who are affected by the outcome of the tasks and need to be kept up-to-date with what is going on. Below is a sample RACI matrix, illustrated for a fictitious intranet project. Without clearly defined roles and responsibilities, it is easy for projects to run into trouble. When people know exactly what is expected of them, it is easier for them to complete their work on time, within budget and to the right level of quality. To learn how to schedule your project and create a timeline, read Project Planning 101: Part Three. If you need a refresher to remember how to determine your project deliverables, read Project Planning 101: Part One.