Transcript Slide 1

Project Management
Tutorial
Objectives
This tutorial provides an
overview of Project
Management.
For the full details of our
methodology, download the
pdf of the methodology from
this site.
There are also templates
available to assist with
projects.
Topics
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What is a Project?
Common Project Terms
What does a Project Manager do?
What’s in a Project?
Project Management Processes
Getting Started
Planning a Project
Executing the Plan
Finishing the Project
What is a project?
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A project is an activity that :
is temporary having a start and end
date
 is unique
 brings about change
 has unknown elements, which
therefore create risk
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Generally projects are formed to solve a
problem or take advantage of an
opportunity. It is difficult to get buy-in
from people to assist on a project if it is
not delivering a reasonable benefit or
solving an annoying problem.
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Business as usual activities can often be
mistaken for projects, as they may be
completed using project methods.
Generally it is the uniqueness of the
activity that is the deciding factor – do
we do this every year? If so, then it is not
truly a project – although you can use
project methods to get it done.
Quiz
Building a deck
A restaurant planning a menu
Implementing a new system
Mowing the lawn
Planning a wedding
Setting up a business
Planning a student graduation
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Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Continue
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
You are correct.
This is a project because it is a
unique, one-off activity
Well done!
Back
You are correct.
This is not a project because it is
not a unique, one-off activity
Well done!
Back
Sorry, that is not correct.
This is a project because it is a
unique, one-off activity
Try again
Back
Sorry that is not correct.
This is not a project because it is
not a unique, one-off activity
Try again
Back
Common project terms
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Deliverables: Tangible ‘things’ that the
project produces
Milestones: Dates by which major activities
are performed.
Tasks: Also called Actions. Activities
undertaken during the project
Risks: Potential problems that may arise
Issues: Risks that have happened
Gantt Chart: A specific type of chart showing
time and tasks. Usually created by a Project
Management programme like MS Project.
Stakeholder: Any person or group of people
who may be affected by your project
Example – Building a deck
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Deliverables: A plan, a consent form, the deck
Milestones:
Plan drafted
Plan approved
1 Dec
15 Dec
Plan submitted
Plan approved
16 Dec
15 Jan
Materials purchased
Resources booked
Equipment identified
Deck constructed
Deck tested
Deck quality approved
“Deck warming” completed
16 Jan
16 Jan
16 Jan
19 Jan
23 Jan
24 Jan
28 Jan
Tasks:
Milestone
Tasks
Plan drafted
Requirement gathered
Best practice researched
Draft 1 prepared
Distributed to stakeholders
Plan approved
Feedback gathered
Amendments made
Final plan prepared
Distributed to shareholders
Sign-off obtained
Example Continued
Risks:
•Plan is not approved after first round of feedback
•Materials are unavailable at the required time
•Resources are not available at the required time
•Plan is not given consent
For each you should have a contingency plan, or do some
activity that may prevent it happening in the first place. What
are some ways these risks could be reduced?
Issues:
If any of the above actually happens, then it becomes an issue
to solve.
Gantt Chart:
Stakeholder:
House owner, Builder, Council, ???
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What does a PM do?
Project managers are essentially jugglers. They must
make sure that everything keeps to task, that
potential issues are quickly eliminated and the
project is delivered on time, all the while making
sure everyone knows what is happening and the
project quality and budget are acceptable.
Specifically they:
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direct all activities required to successfully meet the
project objectives
manage risk – scanning ahead for potential issues
and resolving them before they become a problem
solve problems - recommending alternative
approaches to problems that arise and providing
guidance to the Project Sponsor
track and report project progress
communicate to all stakeholders in the project
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What’s in a project?
There are typically four phases to a
project. A large project will move
formally through each phase, in a
small project some phases may be
combined. They may have different
names in different organisations, but
essentially they are:
 Propose
 Prepare
 Produce
 Present
Propose
In this phase the project moves from
an idea through to a project
proposal. It will culminate with either
a business case or a formal proposal
to continue. For a small project this
may simply be an acceptance from
the budget holder to continue.
The question to be answered is “Are
we going to do the right thing?”
Prepare
In this phase the planning will
commence in earnest. The project
will be fully scoped, the outcomes
designed and resourcing assigned.
This phase will finish with a Project
Management Plan and completed
user requirements, design and test
documents.
The question to be answered is “Are
we going to do the thing right?”
Produce
In this phase the creation of the major
deliverable is undertaken – eg build
a computer system, implement a
vendor computer system, create
processes, build a deck. This stage
ends with an elegant handover to
operational areas who take full
responsibility for the outcomes.
The question to be answered is “Are
we getting the thing done right?”
Present
In this phase the project outcomes are
presented back to major
stakeholders. It includes a formal
handover to support services, a post
implementation review that reflects
achievements against the business
case, future actions and lessons
learned, and finally project closure.
The question to be answered is “Did
we do the right thing?”
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Project Management Processes
During each phase, there are five
process groups that Project
Management will undergo.
Initiating
 Planning
 Executing
 Closing
 Controlling
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Initiating
In early phases, types of activities here
include scoping the project, preparing
terms of reference, engaging sponsors and
project teams. In later phases, it is
checking that the scope of the project is
still valid, that all parties are clear about
what is going to be delivered and
confirming that the project should still
continue.
Activities in this group are:
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Develop Project Charter (Terms of Reference)
Develop Preliminary Project Scope Document
Confirmation the project should continue
Planning
In the early phases, this is preparing the Project
Management Plan and defining exactly what will
happen. In later phases it is ensuring that the earlier
planning is still valid, and incorporating any changes in
resources or contingencies arising.
Activities in this group are:
Develop Project management Plan
Scope Planning
Scope definition
Create Work Breakdown Structure
Activity Definition
Activity Sequencing
Activity Resource Estimating
Activity Duration Estimating
Schedule Development
Cost Estimating
Cost Budgeting
Quality Planning
Human Resource Planning
Communications Planning
Risk Management Planning
Risk Identification
Qualitative Risk Analysis
Quantitative Risk Analysis
Risk Response Planning
Plan Purchases and Acquisitions
Plan Contracting
Executing
In early phases, this is undertaking the actions required to
complete the deliverables – maybe the business case, or
the user requirements. In later phases this becomes the
biggest process, where the major project outcomes are
developed and delivered. Assigning resources,
communication and quality assurance are major parts of
this process group.
Activities in this group are:
•Direct and Manage Project Execution
•Perform Quality Assurance
•Acquire Project team
•Develop Project Team
•Information Distribution
•Request Seller Responses
•Select Sellers
Monitor and Control
During all of the phases and the process groups,
regular monitoring and controls are required.
These include scope change management,
change management, quality control, time
management, budget management, risk
management and contract administration.
Activities in this group are:
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Monitor and Control Project Work
Integrated Change Control
Scope Verification
Scope Control
Schedule Control
Cost Control
Perform Quality Control
Manage Project Team
Performance Reporting
Manage Stakeholders
Risk Monitoring and Control
Contract Administration
Closing
In the early phases, this is determining
that the deliverables for the phase
are complete, before handing over to
the next phase. In the Present
phase, this would result in the
closing of the project itself.
Activities in this group are:
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Close Project
Contract Closure
Timing
Across the phase, the process groups
resemble the first picture.
For small projects there will appear to be only
one phase (“do project”), and therefore the
PM processes will also only be used once.
For large projects, where there is a formal
handover between the four phases, the PM
Processes will repeat for each phase. So in a
big project, the Closing Process in Phase 1 Propose, forms the start of the Initiating
Process in Phase 2 – Prepare. In the
University environment there will be overlaps,
as information collected in one phase is used
for another.
Understanding the difference between
phases and processes is important to
understanding how to manage projects.
Project Management follows the project
management processes, project delivery
follows the phases.
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Getting Started
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Projects start in the Propose phase - the first
step is to determine what exactly is the problem
or advantage you are hoping to achieve.
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Identify stakeholders and expectations
Gather information from stakeholders as to their
requirements
Define exactly the problem you want to solve or the
benefit you want to gain
Define scope – how much do we want to do/ what
won’t we do?
Complete risk assessment – what is the worst that
could happen? How likely is it?
The Phase ends with a Project Terms of Reference
that details what the project will deliver. It is
important that a sponsor group signs off this
document as it is your mandate to continue with
the project. It may also result in an approved
Business Case for funding.
Managing expectations
When the project is started, you will be meeting with
stakeholders, gathering information and
requirements – this unfortunately has the added
effect of waking up some stakeholders to expect
that the project will meet every need they can think
of. You will need to manage the message to ensure
that they are not disappointed.
The best way to do this is to divide requirements into:
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Must have
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Should have
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Like to have
Get agreement on them, to ensure that expectations
are not raised past the level the project can deliver.
Generally the must haves will be done, as many
should haves will be done as possible and the like to
haves may be done if time and cost permit.
Planning for managing “scope
creep”
If a requirement can be misinterpreted, then the
probability is that it will be. There will always be
those that believe the project is planning to achieve
something different than what they expected. It is
important then to plan for that.
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Define the requirements carefully, and use as many
mediums as you need to get a common understanding –
picture, graphs, physical models – the more effort you
spend now, the less heartache later.
Get key stakeholders to explain back to you what they
believe the requirements mean – and not just generally
but in detail.
Get a picture in stakeholders minds of what the project
will look like when it is done – and clearly articulate this in
writing. The project will be completed when……..
Define a process to follow where there is conflict after the
Project Charter is signed off and deliverables are
completed that were not what was expected.
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Planning a Project
The next phase is Prepare. You need
to take the information in the Project
Terms of Reference and Risk
assessment and come up with a plan
of how you will finish the project. In
this phase, it helps to always think of
what the project will look like when it
is finished (keep your eye on the
prize). This will help to decide what
you need to do to get there.
Work Breakdown Structures
Work Breadkdown Structures
(WBS) identify all tasks to
complete the project. Start with
high level deliverables, and then
break each one down into work
packages. At the end, you
should have a list of tasks that
you can then start estimating
time and attaching resource to.
Activity scheduling
Network Diagrams
 The most popular method is called Activity on
Node (which is what most computer packages
use).
 The task (activity) is represented by a node,
which also shows the time expected.
 Take the list of tasks from your Work
Breakdown Structure
 Determine any tasks that depend on other
tasks.
 Attach resources to each task (people cannot
do two jobs at once).
 Determine the timeline for the project.
Task 1
20 days
Task 2
10 days
Task 3
2 days
Costing
The easiest way to cost the
project is to take the WBS and
estimate the costs of each
activity. Other considerations
include capital costs,
disbursements, costs of delays,
contingencies.
Implementation plan
This plan details who will be
affected, how they will be
affected and the plans for
transitioning the change. It
ensures you have considered
training and after change
support. What will happen when
the project winds up?
Quality plan
This plan details the level of
quality required in the
deliverables. It shows how
quality is going to be assured in
the project, and what quality
control measures you will use. It
also may list standards that your
deliverables will be measured
against (particularly where a
product is involved).
Communications plan
The objectives of the Communication Plan
are:
 Help manage expectations regarding the
project.
 Ensure methods used for communication
will be most effective.
 Assure appropriate levels of
communication with internal and external
project stakeholders.
 Provide relevant, accurate, consistent
information at all times.
 Generate and sustain enthusiasm and
support for the project
What is in a project plan?
As much or as little as you need to demonstrate to
stakeholders that you have thought of everything,
and have a plan to get there.
Your plan may include:
 Introduction
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Management structure
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Overview, Deliverables, Constraints, Definitions
Project reporting, Communication, Risk Management,
Change management
Planning and Control
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Activity schedule
Resource identification, Resource allocation
Project Charter, Quality Assurance Plan, Test and/or
Training plans, Implementation Plan.
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Executing the Plan
The Produce phase is where you
actually get on with it. It is the
easiest phase to get lost in, and
where most projects fail. If your
planning has been good, and
you have some good change
processes in place, it should be
easier.
Developing teams
Leadership comes in many forms. As a project manager, you
may be expected to lead without formal organisational
authority. This is referred to as “conferred authority” –
influence without power.
So faced with total responsibility, maximum accountability,
minimum authority and shared/limited resources, you
must rely on a variety of interpersonal, organisation and
political skills to ensure support from within you team and
outside it.
Ways to achieve this are:
 Provide leadership
 Encourage participation
 Facilitate communication
 Anticipate events
 Use proven PM tools
 Delegate not abdicate
 Provide adequate training to grow people
 Keep records
 Manage conflict
“Managing” versus “Doing”
If you are a Project manager in an organisation of
scarce resources, it is very easy to become the
project do-er as well as the manager. You may find
that there is little or no project team, functional units
who were supposed to supply resource have a
crisis and cannot do that, and you end up being the
project.
It is important firstly to recognise that this is happening.
Once you do, you can request assistance from your
Sponsor(s) to change the situation. Once you are
the doing the project instead of managing the
project, you will find that the PM tasks slip –
communication is the first to go, followed quickly by
risk management.
Useful Project Meetings
Useful meetings are facilitated by
Project Managers who:
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Encourage participation
Keep people to the point
Have a clear agenda
Ensure everyone is heard when making
decisions
Manages difference of opinion to a
consensus
Have clear actions arising from the
meeting
Change requests and scope
management
Helpful tools for managing change are the
Action and/or Issue register and the
Change Control form/register. What these
two documents do is help you control the
issues/risks/actions that people are raising,
and if they will change your project
outcomes (time, cost or scope) a change
process where the change is identified and
approved. Just because someone thinks a
change would be a good idea doesn’t
mean it should be added to your project.
Once you start to deliver something
amazing, everyone will want to have a say.
The challenge is to manage their
expectations without compromising your
original plan.
Status reporting
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What did we plan to achieve this period?
What did we actually achieve?
Why is there a difference?
What do we plan to achieve next period?
How are we managing existing risks?
Are there any new risks?
What are the current major issues?
What are we doing about them?
Are there any change requests to be
authorised?
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Finishing the Project
This is the Present phase of a project.
A project by definition is a one-off
activity, with a start and end date.
Otherwise you are said to be
engaged in operational activity only,
as what you are doing is ongoing. In
this phase you can also evaluate the
project against your original benefits,
and present back to the stakeholders
your wonderful achievements in the
form of a post implementation
review.
Post Implementation Review
Once the project deliverables have been
handed over to operational areas, it is
helpful to do a review of how the
project went, and whether it achieved
the results expected.
If a business case was prepared, it can be
measured against that, otherwise
some useful headings to consider are:
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Description of Project
Review Process
Review Findings
Non-Financial Analysis
Financial Analysis
Detailed Key Results
Project Timeline
Risk Management
Lessons Learned
How to close and stay closed!
It is important that each project gets
closed, and there is a simple
mechanism for doing this called the
Project Closure Statement. This
document requires sign-off by the
Sponsor Group, and once signed,
the only thing left to do is to archive
the project documents. Any issues
that have not been resolved can be
held over for a new project, or
handed to an operational area to
complete if they agree.
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