LESSON 1: INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT

What is a Project?
A project is an interrelated set of activities that has a definite starting and ending time
and results in the accomplishment of a unique often major outcome within a specified
budget.

Project management is the planning and control of events that together comprise the project.
Project management aims to ensure the effective use of resources and delivery of the
project objectives on time and within cost constraints.

A task is the smallest unit of work effort within the project and consumes both time and
resources which are under the control of the project manage.

A project is a sequence of activities that has a definite start and finish, an identifiable
goal and an integrated system of complex but interdependent relationships.

The purpose of project management is to achieve successful project completion with the
resources available. A successful project is one that:-
 Has been finished on time
 Is within its cost budget
 Performs to a technical/ performance standard which satisfy the end user

Project Characteristics
a) Objectives: A project has a set of objectives or missions once the objectives are
achieved the project is treated as completed.
b) Life cycle: A project has a life cycle where it consist of the following

 Conception stage: where project ideas are conceived

 Planning stage: where detailed design of different project are worked out
 Implementation stage: where the project is implemented as per the design
 Closing/Commissioning stage; where the project is commissioned after
implementation commissioning of the project indicates the end of its life cycle.

c) Definite time limit: A project has a definite time limit, it cannot continue forever.
what represents the end would normally be spelt out in the set of objectives.
d) Uniqueness : every project is unique and no two projects are similar even if the
plants are exactly identical or are merely duplicated the location the infrastructure
the agencies and the people make each project unique.
e) Team work : A project normally consists of delivered areas there will be
personnel specialized in their respective areas any project calls for the services of
experts from a host of disciplines. Co-ordination among the diverse areas calls for
team work. Hence a project can be implemented only with a team work.

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f) Complexity: A project is a complex set of many components. The varieties are in
terms of technology of equipment and materials , machinery and people work
culture and ethics but they remain interrelated and unless this is so they either do
not belong to the project or will never allow the project to be completed.
g) Risk and uncertainty: Every project has risks and uncertainty associated with it.
h) Customer specific nature: A project is always customer specific, this is because
the products produced on services offered by the project are necessarily to be
customer oriented. It is the customer who decides upon the product to be produced
or services to be offered and hence it is responsibility of any organization to go for
projects / services that are suited to customer needs.
i) Change: Changes occur throughout the lifespan of a project as a natural outcome of
many environmental factors. The changes may vary from minor changes to major
changes which may have a big impact or ever change the very nature of the
project.

Characteristics a good Project Manager

An effective project manager will require the following skills and abilities:
a) Planning and organization skills
b) Communication skills
c) Ability to solve problems in their totality
d) Knowledge of project management methods and tools
e) Ability to make self-evaluation
f) Effective time management
g) Initiative and risk taking ability
h) Knowledge of technology
i) Conflict resolving capacity

The Role of a Project Manager

The role of a Project Manager is to "Deliver the project on time, within budget and to
specification". So in other words, you need to specify clearly upfront what must be
delivered by the project, and then you need to produce it within the schedule and budget
assigned.

But it's not that simple. You might meet this objective but totally fail as a "top notch
Project Manager". The role of a project manager is much more than that. It is also...

1: To recruit the best

Great projects are delivered by a great team. Your role is to recruit the best people you
can find and make sure that their skill sets are perfectly complimentary so that you have
all of the experience you need to deliver the project successfully.

2: To motivate and lead

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You need to be the one "cracking the whip" so that everyone knows what is to be done
and by when. You need to be strict and make sure that every task is done on time and
doesn't slip. If it does slip, then you need to identify the slippage immediately and have
contingency plans so you can get back on track.

As well as cracking the whip, you need to be positive and supportive towards your team
so they know you also care. You need to lead by example and motivate others to do the
same. If you want others to work hard, then you need to work harder than they do.
Lead by giving them direction, motivating them to work hard and showing you care along
the way.

3: To manage the finances

Every project has a budget, whether it's clearly defined or not. You need to ensure that
you don't spend more than you're entitled to, or your sponsor / client will be dissatisfied
with the end result. Manage finances carefully by listing every expense and ensuring
that they are budgeted upfront. If unbudgeted expenditure takes place, tell your client as
soon as possible to avoid complications down the track. If you need more budget, then
don't be afraid to ask for it!

4: To control change
You need to be the one who controls all change to the project scope, tightly. "Scope
creep" kills projects. Define the scope of the project upfront and then review it each
week to make sure that you're not doing un-authorized work at any time. Your customer
will ask for change throughout the project. Don't always give in. Stay your ground and
when this happens, ask for more time or budget to cater for it. Remember— no matter
how many changes they ask you for, they will still beat you up if you‘re late or over
budget. So control change when you see it.

5: Communicate

It's your job as a Project Manager to communicate the status of the project regularly. If
people know it's on track it will motivate them. If they know it's late it will motivate
them even more. But they will only know if it's on time or late if you communicate this
to them.

You need to communicate the project status to your team, project sponsor and client
every week of the project life cycle. Never miss a week. Always document the status
accurately. Never exaggerate. Communicate the right messages t the right people at the
right time.

Why Projects fail

There are a variety of reasons why projects fail. The good news is that they are often
within your control. The top 10 reasons for project failure and what you can do about

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 them.
a) Insufficient resource
The Project Manager was given insufficient resources and budget at the start of
the project. If you don't have the level of resources or budget you need, then tell
your Project Sponsor quickly.

b) Impossible deadlines
The deadline for the project was always impossible to achieve. The Project
Manager should have told the sponsor at the start of the project and fought to
have the deadline extended. You not only
need to have sufficient time to deliver your project, but you also need
contingency in case things take longer than expected.

c) Poor communication
The Project Manager fails to communicate the status of the project to the team
and sponsor. So everyone thinks the project is going smoothly until the deadline
is missed. You need to tell people early if it‘s slipping. Don't hide it. By telling
people you're running late, you give them the opportunity to help get it back on
track.

d) Lack of focus
The team don't really know what is expected of them, so they lack focus. They
are given a job to do but not told what is required and by when. Everyone in
your team should have regular goals to meet, they should have deadlines and
you should be monitoring their progress at every step in the journey.

e) Low morale
The project team lack motivation, so nothing is delivered on time. If you want
someone to deliver within a set timeframe, then you need to motivate them to
do it through reward and recognition. And you need to be highly motivated
yourself. Only by being healthy, relaxed and truly motivated can you inspire
others to be.

f) Sponsor support
The Project Manager gets very little support from their sponsor. There is no-one
available to help solve problems or provide further resource or money when it's
needed. If you lack sponsor support, then you need to tell your Project Sponsor
about it. Be open and frank with them. Tell them what you need and by when.

g) Scope creep
The scope of the project keeps changing, so you never really have a fixed set of
deliverables. Every time it changes, you lose time and resource, so Change
Control is critical. The scope needs to be clearly defined and then a process put
in place to ensure that change requests are formally approved.

h) Lengthy timeframes

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 The project timescale may simply be too long. Over time your customer's
requirements will change, so you need to break your project into smaller chunks
and deliver each as a project on its own.

i) Lack of tools
Not having the right tools to get the job done can also be a problem. Using good
quality tools such as templates, processes and a project methodology will lead
to project success.

j) Customer involvement
Lack of customer involvement has proved fatal on many projects. You need to
involve your customer throughout the project to ensure that what you are
building will meet their requirements. Remember, only if your customer is truly
satisfied will your project be a success.
Tips for Project Success

a) Clear targets: Make sure that when you start out your customer defines their
requirements in depth. You need to know exactly what it is that must be
delivered, to who and when. Make it specific, write it up formally and get them
to sign it off. This document will become the basis upon which to measure your
success.
b) Customer involvement: Involve your customers throughout the entire project
life cycle. Get them involved in the analysis and planning, as well as execution.
You don't have to seek their approval, just keep them informed. The more you
involve them, the greater their level of buy-in and the easier it is to manage their
expectations.
c) Timeframes management: Keep your delivery timeframes short and realistic.
Never agree to lengthy timeframes. Split the project into ―mini-projects‖ if you
need to. Keep each mini-project to less than 6 months. This keeps everyone
motivated and focused.
d) Clear Milestones: Break your project timeframe into "Milestones" which are
manageable pieces of work. Add delivery deadlines to your milestones and try to
deliver on every deadline, no matter what. If you're late, tell your customer about
it as early as possible.
e) Good Communications: Make sure you keep everyone informed by providing
the right information at the right time. Produce Weekly Status Reports and run
regular team meetings.
f) Scope management: Only authorize changes to your project scope if there is no
impact on the timeline. Get your customers approval to important scope changes
first and then get their buy-in to extend the delivery dates if you need to.
g) Quality management: Keep the quality of your deliverables as high as possible.
Constantly review quality and never let it slip. Implement ―peer reviews‖ so
that team members can review each other‘s deliverables. Then put in place
external reviews to ensure that the quality of the solution meets your customer's
needs.

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 h) Risk management: Jump on risks and issues as soon as they are identified.
Prioritize and resolve them before they impact on your project. Take pride in
keeping risks and issues to a minimum.
i) Deliverables/objective management: As each deliverable is complete, hand it
formally over to your customer. Get them to sign an Acceptance Form to say that
it meets their expectations. Only then can you mark each deliverable off as 100%
complete.
j) Team management: Great projects are run by great teams. Hire the best people
you can afford. Spend the time to find the right people. It will save you time
down the track. Remember, good people are easy to motivate. Show them the
vision and how they can make it happen. Trust and believe in them. Make them
feel valued. They will work wonders.

Key areas of Project Management

 Scope Management
 Issue Management
 Cost Management
 Quality Management
 Communications Management
 Risk Management
 Change Control Management
 HR Management
 Time management
 Resources management