The OTR GroupThe Critical Path: A Plain-English Guide for Project Managers
The critical path decides when your project can finish. Here is what it is, why float matters, and how to use both in practice.
The OTR Group · Journal
Software, Data & Technology Journal
Software development, data, technology consultancy and digital infrastructure insight from The OTR Group.
Explore The OTR GroupMoSCoW Prioritisation: A Plain-English Guide to Must, Should, Could and Won't
MoSCoW sorts requirements into four groups. Here is what each means, why the 60% guidance matters, and how to apply it to your next project.
Agile: Four Myths and What the Manifesto Actually Says
Agile is often described as "no planning, no documents". The manifesto itself says something more careful. Here is myth versus fact.
Closing a Project Well: A Seven-Step Checklist
Projects are famously easy to start and hard to finish. APM sets out seven steps for closing one properly. Here they are as a working checklist.
Stakeholder Engagement: A Plain-English Guide Using APM's Four Steps
Who needs to be on side for your project to succeed? A how-to guide to identifying, analysing, planning and engaging stakeholders, based on APM guidance.
RACI charts: who does what on a project, in plain English
A RACI chart shows who is responsible, accountable, consulted and informed on a project. A plain-English guide with a simple example.
What a Government Lessons-Learned Report Teaches About Starting Projects Well
A 2021 government report gathered lessons on setting up major projects. Here is how it was built and what any team can borrow from the idea.
A Simple RAID Log: Risks, Assumptions, Issues and Dependencies
A RAID log keeps four kinds of project uncertainty in one place. Here is what each term means, a short checklist for keeping it useful, and a simple example.
How to Build a Simple Risk Register: A Step-by-Step Guide
A risk register does not need to be complicated. Here is a practical how-to guide, with the five principles from HM Treasury's Orange Book as a guide.
A Short History of the Gantt Chart: From Factory Floor to Project Plan
The Gantt chart is one of the most familiar tools in project management. Here is a short history, drawing on the Association for Project Management.
The Five Case Model: Five Questions Every Business Case Should Answer
A well-known public-sector framework breaks a business case into five parts. Here is each one, and the question behind it.
Who Does What on a Construction Project? A Plain Reading of CDM 2015 Client Duties
Clear roles keep projects safe and on track. A plain-English look at the client duties under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.
Eight Principles for Project Success: A Plain-English Reading of the IPA Guidance
The Infrastructure and Projects Authority sets out eight principles for project success. Here is what each means in practice for teams of any size.
Late Payment Is a Cash-Flow Problem: What the Statutory Interest Rules Say
A late invoice limits what a business can plan and deliver. Here is what GOV.UK says about charging statutory interest on late commercial payments.
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