A project management office (PMO) is a group — internal or external to a company — that sets,

maintains and ensures standards for project management across that organization. They’re the keepers
of best practices, project status and direction — all in one spot.

SMALL PROJECT

Project Phases

 Initiation
 Planning
 Execution
 Monitoring & Controlling
 Closing
*For small projects you can assume the five phases occur in chronological order with the
exception of the 4th, Monitoring & Controlling, which happens simultaneously with the 3rd
phase, Execution.

Project Initiation

The first phase in the PMBOK is the Initiating phase. This phase includes the creation of the project and
definition of lines of authority.

PMBOK, 5th Edition, Section 3.3, “Initiating Process Group”

The Initiating Process Group consists of those processes performed to define a new project or a new phase
of an existing project by obtaining authorization to start the project or phase. Within the Initiating
processes, the initial scope is defined and initial financial resources are committed. Internal and external
stakeholders who will interact and influence the overall outcome of the project are identified. If not
already assigned, the project manager will be selected.

Project Planning

The second phase is tremendously underrated. PMI’s research suggests over and over again that
problems could have been avoided with a little extra planning.

PMBOK, 5th Edition, Section 3.4, “Planning Process Group”

The Planning Process Group consists of those processes performed to establish the total scope of the
effort, define and refine the objectives, and develop the course of action required to attain those
objectives. The Planning processes develop the project management plan and the project documents that
will be used to carry out the project.
Once again, there is one major project management document that is generated during the planning
phase, but unlike initiation it is a big one.
Phase Document
 Planning  Project Management Plan

The project management plan is not optional even for small projects. It communicates to everyone how
the project will be managed. It also includes the two all-important items of schedule and budget, and
describes how they will be managed. The project sponsor must approve the project management plan
after which it then becomes official. After approval all project changes must be re-approved and the
changes tracked in a change log.

For small projects the four minimum essential parts of a functioning project management plan are as
follows:
1. Scope Statement: Identifies the work the project will perform and draws suitable boundaries
around the project.
2. Work Breakdown Structure: The task breakdown of the project.
3. Project Schedule: As concise or as detailed as necessary for the project. It could be as simple as
a completion date for the whole project, or a task by task breakdown.
4. Project Budget: Also as concise or as detailed as necessary for the project. It could be as simple
as a budget for the whole project.

Project Execution

This is the third phase in the project, and it involves performing the project’s work. It includes the
production of the project’s deliverables by the project team.

PMBOK, 5th Edition, Section 3.5, “Executing Process Group”

The Executing Process Group consists of those processes performed to complete the work defined in the
project management plan to satisfy the project specifications. This Process Group involves coordinating
people and resources, managing stakeholder expectations, as well as integrating and performing the
activities of the project in accordance with the project management plan.

Naturally, the PMBOK cannot address the technical details of every project in every industry. But there
are several standard processes that happen during all projects which the project manager must be
familiar with and apply to their project as necessary.
Phase Document
 Project Status Reports
 Stakeholder communication
Execution
 Change Logs

These documents are as follows:

1. Project Status Reports. The project manager produces reports that update the various
stakeholders on the status of the project.
 2. Stakeholder Communication. As the project work progresses the stakeholders of the project
are communicated with according to the Communications Plan (if applicable), a component of
the project management plan.
3. Change Logs. When changes to the project management plan are necessary, the changes are
approved by the project sponsor and entered into the Change Log.

Project Monitoring & Controlling

As mentioned earlier, this step occurs chronologically at the same time as the Project Execution
phase.
PMBOK, 5th Edition, Section 3.6, “Monitoring & Controlling Process Group”
The Monitoring & Controlling process group consists of those processes required to track, review and
orchestrate the progress and performance of the project; identify any areas in which changes to the plan
are required; and initiate the corresponding changes. The key benefit of this process group is that project
performance is measured and analyzed at regular intervals, appropriate events, or exception conditions to
identify variances from the project management plan.

This is the step where project managers earn their money. If you want to be a good project manager,
you need to learn the earned value method and use it on a regular basis.
Phase Document
 Variance Reports (earned value analysis)
Monitoring & Controlling  Change Logs

The earned value method calculates the project’s status on two fronts:
 Schedule (time)
 Cost

There are 5 steps to performing earned value analysis on small projects.

1. Determine the percent complete of each task.
2. Determine Planned Value (PV), Earned Value (EV), and Actual Cost (AC).
3. Calculate Schedule Variance (SV).
4. Calculate Cost Variance (CV).

Project Closing

Closing projects is one of the most visible aspects of the project management to executives, but it is also
the part most often skipped. It is the fifth (and last) phase within the PMBOK, and it has one major
project management document.

Phase Document

Closing  Project Closure Report

The Project Closure Report is specified by the PMBOK and includes final budget and schedule
information, the final scope statement, discussion of any scope changes, and lessons learned for future
projects. Other important items that are sometimes necessary for project closure include:

 Formal Closure: The Contract is closed and/or a completion certificate issued.
 Procurements: Completion certificates are issued to subcontractors after work is inspected.
 Final Details: As-constructed plans, final product specifications, product manuals, and the like
are produced.
 Liabilities: Warranties, bonds, and insurance coverage are obtained as necessary.
 Release of Resources: Project resources such as people, equipment, and tools are formally
released.

PROJECT TEAM

Project Manager
The project manager plays a primary role in the project, and is responsible for its successful completion.
The manager’s job is to ensure that the project proceeds within the specified time frame and under the
established budget, while achieving its objectives. Project managers make sure that projects are given
sufficient resources, while managing relationships with contributors and stakeholders.

Project manager duties:

Develop a project plan

Manage deliverables according to the plan
Recruit project staff
Lead and manage the project team
Determine the methodology used on the project
Establish a project schedule and determine each phase
Assign tasks to project team members
Provide regular updates to upper management

Project Team Member

Project team members are the individuals who actively work on one or more phases of the project. They
may be in-house staff or external consultants, working on the project on a full-time or part-time basis.
Team member roles can vary according to each project.

Project team member duties may include:

Contributing to overall project objectives

Completing individual deliverables
Providing expertise
Working with users to establish and meet business needs
Documenting the process

Project Sponsor
The project sponsor is the driver and in-house champion of the project. They are typically members of
senior management – those with a stake in the project’s outcome. Project sponsors work closely with
the project manager. They legitimize the project’s objectives and participate in high-level project
planning. In addition, they often help resolve conflicts and remove obstacles that occur throughout the
project, and they sign off on approvals needed to advance each phase.

Project sponsor duties:

Make key business decisions for the project

Approve the project budget
Ensure availability of resources
Communicate the project’s goals throughout the organization

Executive Sponsor
The executive sponsor is ideally a high-ranking member of management. He or she is the visible
champion of the project with the management team and is the ultimate decision-maker, with final
approval on all phases, deliverables and scope changes.

Executive sponsor duties typically include:

Carry ultimate responsibility for the project

Approve all changes to the project scope
Provide additional funds for scope changes
Approve project deliverables

Business Analyst
The business analyst defines needs and recommends solutions to make an organization better. When
part of a project team, they ensure that the project’s objectives solve existing problems or enhance
performance, and add value to the organization. They can also help maximize the value of the project
deliverables.

Business analyst duties:

Assist in defining the project

Gather requirements from business units or users
Document technical and business requirements
Verify that project deliverables meet the requirements
Test solutions to validate objectives
PROJECT OPERATIONS
“A project is a temporary organization that is created for the purpose of delivering one or more business
products according to an agreed Business Case.”
And the PMBOK Guide says:
“A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.”

Although the wordings of both definitions are different, the meaning is the same, and you can conclude
that:
1. The nature of the project is temporary, and
2. The project is undertaken to produce a unique output, for example, a product, service, or a
result.

The first point says the nature of the project is temporary. What does this mean?

This means that once you deliver the deliverables (output of the project), your project will cease to exist
because it has achieved its objective.
A project has a definitive start and end: It cannot continue forever. It has to end when the objective is
achieved, or it is terminated.

The second point says that the project produces an output; projects are undertaken to produce a
specific output. If it is a construction-related project, it may create any physical structure.
If it is a research-related project, it may produce a report.
A project may also produce a service-related output;

What is an Operation?
 Operations are the ongoing execution of activities that produce the same output or provide a
repetitive service.
 Operations do not produce new things, but they are necessary to maintain and sustain the
system.
 Operations are used to run regular business models, achieve the goals of the business, and
support the business.
 Operations are different as opposed to projects, which are known for their uniqueness.
 Operations are permanent, and their only constraint is to make a profit for the organization.

Any manufacturing or production process can be an example of an operation.

The difference between the Project and the Operation

 Projects are unique and temporary (definitive beginning and ending), while operations are
ongoing and permanent with repetitive output.
 Projects have a fixed budget, while operations have to earn a profit to run the business.
  Projects are executed to start a new business objective and terminated when it is achieved,
while operational work does not produce anything new and it is ongoing.
 Projects create a unique product, service, or result, while operations produce the same product,
aim to earn a profit and keep the system running.

PROJECT CONTROLS

Overview of project controls

Project controls are all-encompassing for project definition, planning, execution, and completion;
assisting in the entire lifecycle of your project. As we said before, the use of controls will vary according
to individual project demands, but project controls address, organize, and of course control the
following aspects of your project management system:

1. Developing your project strategy; defining methods that will enhance the future PM software use and
project outcomes

2. Development, updates, and maintenance scheduling for the PM software

3. Estimating project costs; engineering and controlling costs and assessing project value

4. Managing risks; assessing and analyzing project risks, and cataloging past risks and how to avoid
future risks

5. Earned schedule and earned value management, including both work and organizational breakdown
structures

6. Controlling project documentation

7. Diagnosing project scheduling and costs with forensic assessment procedures

8. Oversight and quality assessment of supplied materials

9. Comprehensive integration of the elements of control and other domains of project management

The importance of project controls

Now that you know the scope of what project controls provide for your PM software, let us go over why
these controls are important. The opposite of control is chaos, disorganization, bedlam, which are plain
anathema to successful project management.
Successful project execution first begins with planning the process of execution. So how do project
controls fit in?

To craft a well thought-out plan for executing your projects can only happen if you have a sufficient set
of controls in place for your project scheduling methods. A project control system that will work for your
company goals is essential to take full advantage of your PM software, and guarantee smooth sailing.
TECHNOLOGICAL INSTITUTE OF THE PHILIPPINES
MANILA CAMPUS

PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE 3
AR 463
AR42FA1

Office Project Management

SUBMITTED BY:

________________________________

VILLEGAS, ELIZZA ANNE I.

1821601

SUBMITTED TO:

AR. CHAVEZ
DATE SUBMITTED:
July 31, 2019