Project Management Tools Exam Prep

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Lecture: 1-14: 12:00 pm

Lecture: 15-25: 7:00 pm


Lecture: 26-27: 9:00 pm
Lecture 1:
Tools and Techniques:
Maylors 4D, Methodologies (e.g. PRINCE2, PMBoK), General Concepts (McKinskys 7S)
1. Define Stage:
a. Weighted Score Decision-Making Tool
b. Business Case
c. Project Brief

2. Design Stage:
a. Stakeholder Analysis
b. Work Breakdown Structure
c. Critical Path
d. Resource Analysis
e. Microsoft Project
f. Risk Management
g. Quality Management
h. Cost Estimation
i. NPV Analysis
j. Project Plan

3. Deliver Stage
a. Checklists
b. Quality Tools, e.g. Fishbone Diagram
c. Issue/Risk Logs
d. Quality Log
e. Microsoft Project
f. Earned Value

4. Develop Stage:
a. End Project Review
b. Lessons Learnt
Project Definition:
A temporary organisation that is created for the purpose of delivering one or more business
products to an agreed Business Case.
The planning, delegating, monitoring and control of all aspects of the project, and the motivation of
those involved, to achieve the project objectives within the expected performance targets for time,
cost, quality, scope, benefits and risk.
Project Characteristics:
Change
Temporary
Cross-functional
Unique
Uncertainty
Difference between Regular Operations and Project
Symptoms and Causes of Project Failure:
Bad planning and estimation
Mismanagement
Delay
Cost-overrun
Schedule slippage
Poor quality
Project objective not fully specified
Technology new to the organisation
Inadequate or no PM methodology
Insufficient senior stuff in the PM team
Poor performance by suppliers of Hardware or software
Other performance/efficiency problem
Showing heroism
Complex nature of the project
Characteristics of Successful Projects:
Achieve objectives
o Cost (Effort: measured by total stuff-hour)
o Quality (Conformance to requirement, Fitness for purpose)
o Time (Schedule: Establishing the order of task, the timing of deliverables, graphical
representation together with resource allocation)
Manage phases successfully
APM 5 dimensions of Professionalism:
Breadth
Depth
Achievement
Commitment
Accountability

See:
Introduction to prince 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz4o-kR87ls)
Introduction to APMBoK 6
th
Edition (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Izm9cgG2tdI)
Heathrow Terminal 5 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06e0WQ8p9N0)



Lecture 2 and 4:
Maylors 4D.
1. Define (Project Brief)
a. What is to be done?
b. Why is it to be done?
2. Design (Plan)
a. Modelling & planning, estimating, conflict resolution.
b. How will it be done?
c. Who will be involved in each part?
d. When can it start and finish?
3. Deliver (Execute)
a. Organisation, control, leadership, decision-making and problem-solving
b. How should the project be managed on a day-to-day basis?
4. Develop (Review).
a. Assessment of process and project outcomes.
b. What changes can be made in the future to improve?
5Cs of project environment:
1. Context (PESTEL)
a. Political (Influence)
b. Economic
c. Social
d. Technical
e. Environmental
f. Legal
Project Constraints:
Primary: Time, Cost, Quality
Secondary: Legal, ethical, environmental, logical

2. Complexity
a. Organisational
b. Resource
c. Technical
Alternative Complexity Model (MODeST)
Mission
Project Organisation
Project Delivery
Project Stakeholders
Project Team

3. Completeness
4. Competitiveness
5. Customer Focus
Mckinskys 7S framework of Project Management
Soft Ss:
Strategy
Structure
Systems
Hard Ss:
Staff
Skills
Style/culture
Stakeholders

Lecture 3: Guest Lecture
Sphere of Influence:
1. Internal to the Project
a. Identify resources
b. Recruit resources
c. Retain resources
d. Motivate
e. Retrench (reduce costs or spending in response to economic difficulty)
2. Internal to the organisation
a. Politics
b. Maturity of organisation
c. Users
d. Other projects
e. Peers
3. External to the organisation
a. Customers
b. Stakeholders
c. Supplier of goods
d. Partners
e. Supplier of people
People Management Skills:
Team Building
Motivation
Verbal Communication
Written Communication
Leadership
Staff Development
Facilitation
Conflict Resolution
Change Management
Negotiation
Meeting Management
Coaching/Mentoring
Disciplinary Activities
Performance Management
Empathy
Assertiveness
Influencing
Relationship Development
What is creativity?
Lateral thinking
Thinking outside the box
Blue sky invention
Designing something better
Problem avoidance / solving
Original thinking without constraints
Why is creativity needed in a project?
Explores ideas with the team
Gives motivation & ownership to others
Creates energy
Provides solutions
Explores potential cost savings
Identifies and mitigates risks
Identifies and exploits opportunities
Optimises the results
Constraints to being creative
Practice / Habit
Beliefs / Attitudes
Hearing vs Listening
Organisational / Team Culture
Rigid Application of Methodology
Time / Cost / Quality!
Emotional fragility, lack of confidence
Environment / Politics
Blame culture
Characteristics of a world-class project team:
Has clear team expectations
Knows each others roles & responsibilities
Is prepared
Is in tune
Has a strategy to win
Knows each others strengths
Compensates for each others weaknesses
Maximises each others talents
Celebrates their successes
Related Theories:
Maslow, Belbin, Myers-Briggs, Coffman & Buckingham, Tuckman, Blanchard & Hersey, Thomas &
Kilmann, Drexler and Sibbet

Lecture 5:
Stakeholder management:
Internal stakeholders:
Senior management
Accountants
Other functional managers
Project team members
External stakeholders:
Clients
Competitors
Suppliers
Environmental, political, consumer, and other intervener groups
Steps of analysing stakeholders:
Who are the stakeholders for your project?
What are the interests of the particular stakeholder?
How much impact could they have on the project?
What are the stakeholders attitudes towards the project?
What help and resources may stakeholders provide?
How will the process of engagement be managed properly?
Project stakeholder management cycle:
Identify stakeholders
Gather information on stakeholders
Identify stakeholders mission
Determine stakeholders strengths and weaknesses
Identify stakeholder strategy
Predict stakeholder behaviour
Implement stakeholder management strategy
Project Quality Expectations
Project Constraints
Any Internal or External restrictions that may affect project outcomes.
1. Internal project constraints.
a. Can the product be made? Can the company meet the specifications?
b. Does the company have the technology? If not, can the technology be acquired?
c. Is the new technology component greater than 10%? Practitioners recommend the
amount of innovation should be kept below 10% to reduce risk and uncertainty.
d. Are the resources available? With the right skills?
e. Are there any special design requirements? Or equipment required?
f. Can the project be completed within the budget?
g. What is the quality assurance requirement? For example, is accreditation to ISO
9000 required? Is the present quality management system sufficient?
h. Can the project meet the client's completion date and any intermediate key dates?
i. Can the company accept the time penalties?
j. Are the project risks and uncertainties acceptable?
2. Internal corporate constraints based on organisational objectives.
a. Financial Objectives
i. Project net present value (NPV).
ii. The company may wish the project to maintain a positive cash-flow.
iii. The company's share price may have an effect on the project's ability to
borrow.
b. Marketing
i. 'Foot in the door?
ii. Keep the workforce intact? Bid strategy.
iii. Partner strategy.
3. External constraints exposed by outside parties
a. National and international laws and regulations.
b. Material and component delivery lead times.
c. Environmental issues. Government legislation and pressure group activities
d. Market forces, supply and demand curve.
e. Political unrest.
f. Construction site in a residential area - may not be allowed to work a night shift
g. Planning permission, licenses, permits, clearances, right of way, and insurance.
Project Business Case (Reference: Maylor (2010, Ch. 8.2 & 8.3, pgs. 184-193), Bentley (2009, Ch. 10))
Contents of business case:
Documents Justification for Project
o Client Needs
o Constraints
Options or alternatives considered
Benefits expected from selected option
Risks (summary of the key risks of the project)
Estimated Cost
Estimated Timescale
Elements of a good business case:
Clearly identifies how a project will meet a business need.
Explains how the project can be successfully run with the resources which should be
required.
Can be completed within the timescales available.
A clear definition of a successful outcome.
A range of options offered with an appropriate appraisal of risks, benefits and outcomes.
Project Brief/Project Charter (US) (Reference: Ch3 of the Prince2 A Practical Handbook, Bentley
2009)
Project brief purpose:
What (Project outputs)?
Why (Benefits to be achieved)?
How? (Project Approach, Work breakdown structure, Stakeholder management and Risk
management)?
When? (Timing Schedule and milestones)?

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