The Practical Project Management
Methodology (PPMM)
A structured, field-tested approach to managing MCC Compact projects — from pre-Entry into Force preparation through Compact completion.
The PPMM is MCC’s practical guide to managing international development projects. Structured into 10 sequential steps, it gives project teams a clear path from project definition through delivery — drawing on best practices from PMI®, PM4R, and MCC’s own field experience. Each step builds on the previous one, so teams develop the right documents at the right time, in the right order.
Follow the methodology from start to finish
Each step produces a key document (output) that feeds into the next. Watch the video series to see each step applied to a real project scenario.
High-Level Project Definition
What is your project?
Define the project’s purpose, objectives, and scope at the highest level. The Project Charter captures the strategic intent and serves as the foundation for all subsequent planning.
Project Scope Management
What is the work involved?
Break down the project’s work into manageable components through decomposition. The WBS ensures every team member has a clear and complete understanding of the project scope — from deliverables to outputs, outcomes, and impact.
Project Time Management
When are you going to do it?
Sequence work packages and identify dependencies using a Network Diagram. This step establishes the logical order of activities and identifies the critical path that determines overall project duration.
Project Cost Management
How much is it going to cost?
Estimate costs for each work package and create a cumulative cost baseline. The S-Curve provides a visual representation of planned expenditure over time, enabling early detection of budget variances.
Project Contract Management
Who needs to be contracted?
Identify which work packages require external procurement and define the procurement type and method for each. Only work packages requiring external contracting appear in the Contract Matrix.
Project Leadership & Stakeholder Management
Who needs to be involved?
Define roles, responsibilities, and team dynamics while identifying and analyzing key stakeholders. This step ensures effective participation of all parties through tools like empathy maps, team agreements, and stakeholder analysis.
Project Risk Management
How do you manage uncertainty?
Identify, assess, and prioritize risks across the project. The Risk Matrix maps probability against impact to focus team attention on the threats that matter most — and assign clear ownership for mitigation actions.
Project Integration Management
How do you manage alignment and change control?
Bring all planning elements together into a cohesive, traceable whole. The Planning Matrix creates full traceability from objectives to work packages, while the Change Control Matrix establishes a structured process for managing adjustments within the governance framework.
Project Kick-off
How are you going to deliver it?
Translate the complete project plan into actionable work through a kick-off meeting and the first Quarterly Implementation Plan (QIP). Each quarter is divided into six two-week sprints with clearly assigned priority work packages.
Project Delivery
What are the results?
Deliver prioritized work packages using a Kanban Board to visualize workflow and monitor progress. At the end of each sprint, After-Action Reviews capture lessons learned to continuously improve performance throughout the project lifecycle.
Ready to apply the methodology?
Download the full PPMM Manual to guide your team through all 10 steps, with templates, examples, and field-tested guidance.
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