Project management artifacts

In the introduction video to this course, you learned that you will record project
details and create project documents as you observe Peta, Sauce & Spoon’s new
project manager, planning and executing project deliverables for the pilot tablet
rollout. By the end of this course, you’ll have developed a portfolio of project
management documents that will demonstrate your ability to manage stakeholders
and teams, organize plans, and communicate project details.

But what does this mean?

Throughout the activities in this course, you will be building and creating project
management documents, commonly referred to as artifacts, to apply what you
have learned. Many of these artifacts may be applicable to projects in your current
line of work or helpful in showcasing your skills when applying for a new project
management role.

We recommend saving these templates and completed artifacts in a digital folder or

online storage drive for future reference. Organizing your work in one place will
enable you to easily share your artifacts with future project managers, team
members, and employers, as needed.

Stakeholder management: Tips and

takeaways
Stakeholder management is the process of maintaining good relationships
with the people who have the most influence on your work. Efficiently managing
stakeholders is an integral part of every project because it encourages good
communication, teamwork, trust among members, and so much more. Without
effective stakeholder management, a project is less likely to be successful. Read on
for some tips and best practices for effective stakeholder management.

Stakeholder management during project initiation

 Identify all the stakeholders at the beginning of your project

or initiative. Get everyone involved as early as possible to set clear
expectations, responsibilities, and boundaries. Identifying your stakeholders
early on gives them ample time to voice any concerns they may have about the
project or their role within it. If they feel a sense of ownership from the
beginning, your stakeholders may be more likely to embrace their roles, give
appropriate input, and help remove barriers to allow the project to move
forward.
 Keep the project vision clear. The project vision describes the need
the project is fulfilling. It is important to have a clear, specific project vision
because, as we have learned, stakeholders may apply pressure to increase the
requirements, shorten the timeline, or cut resources. Ensuring that stakeholders
have agreed upon the vision—and, more specifically, what "done" looks like—
provides clarity for everyone involved with the project. Including highly-influential
 stakeholders in the strategic planning processes will make sure that all team
members are aligned with project vision.
 Equip your stakeholders with user-friendly resources at all
times. This could mean creating a one-pager (a one-page document that
provides an overview of your project) or weekly status report with the latest
information and links to the main project artifacts. It may also mean ensuring
everyone has access to necessary documentation.

Stakeholder management throughout the project life cycle

As you work your way through the project life cycle, you will have to maintain good
relationships with all of your stakeholders to ensure they are satisfied and
contributing to the team. The following strategies can help you get to know your
stakeholders’ interests, concerns, and communication preferences and enlist their
help throughout your project’s life cycle:

 Find out what stakeholders care about and why. Ask your
stakeholders: What are your most important priorities and goals? What role
would you like to play in this project? How will this project support you and your
most important priorities?
 Adjust your communication frequency and approach based on
stakeholder roles and preferences. Tell your stakeholders: Here’s how
I plan to keep you informed—does that work for you?
 Enlist the help of senior stakeholders when necessary. Ask your
stakeholders: Who else do you recommend I reach out to regarding this
project?
 Once stakeholders have a vested interest, bring project
problems to them. Ask your stakeholders: How would you handle this
situation? What solutions come to mind?

Key takeaway

Stakeholders can be your biggest allies as a project manager. Practicing your

stakeholder management skills can help you enlist your stakeholders' support and
keep them engaged throughout your project.

Negotiating scope with stakeholders

Even after you’ve established the project’s scope, some stakeholders may want to
discuss adjusting it. They may feel that the project’s current scope will require too
much work with too few resources, that the timeline isn’t realistic given the scope, or
that the project requires additional tasks and objectives. When your stakeholders ask
to revisit a project’s scope, you should meet with them so they can raise their
concerns. Knowing how to effectively facilitate scope negotiations will allow you to
reach solutions that are suitable for everyone.
Tips for navigating scope with stakeholders

 Understand motivations. Before your discussion, consider each

stakeholder's motivations for wanting to adjust the project’s scope. Some of
those motivations are budgetary (such as wanting to reduce the project’s costs),
some are interpersonal (such as wanting more time to complete tasks), and
some are related to personal career goals (such as maintaining their current
position or striving for a promotion). Understanding your stakeholders’
motivations can help you work together to find a compromise.
 Set the scene. Start the discussion with a reflection on why you are meeting.
Remind your stakeholders why you are engaged in this project, and assure
them that you all share a common goal.
 Listen first. Hear what your stakeholders have to say before you present
your views. This will demonstrate your desire to understand the other party’s
perspective. Acknowledging their point of view may make it easier for them to
accept your suggestions or solutions when their ideas or opinions differ from
yours.
 Ask questions to define goals. Be thorough and ask as many questions
as you feel necessary to understand what the stakeholder wants. This might
include getting them to define their customer or business goals. Strive for getting
specific, measurable details from your stakeholders, so that later, you’ll be able
to determine whether you’ve successfully met their goals. Eliciting language that
is measurable (rather than subjective or unclear) will help you define goals. An
example of a specific, measurable goal could be: “We want to cut the amount of
time it takes customers to sign up for our newsletter by at least 30 percent.”
 Explain the “why” before the “what.” When attempting to persuade
stakeholders—or anyone, for that matter—to see things your way, explain the
reasons for your request before describing what you want. For instance, start by
explaining the value that could be added to your company or project by defining
scope in a certain way. If stakeholders understand where you’re coming from
first, they’re more likely to grant your request when you ask for it.
 Do not oversell. Sometimes it’s best to state your case and give others
some time to respond. After you have presented your reasons, position, and
request, withdraw slightly to give your audience time to process what you have
said. Think of your silence, in this situation, as a sign of respect for your
stakeholders; it shows them you want to hear from them. And, if they are quiet
for a while, it means that you have stimulated thought.
 Be creative. Working to find alternative solutions can quickly turn a heavy
negotiation into an inspiring team effort. To find real solutions to negotiation
stalemates, think creatively about all the aspects of the project. You may find
that there is more than one solution to differing opinions.
 Do not make it personal. Always focus on what is good for the project. If
personal considerations enter into the discussion, reframe the conversation by
bringing up objective facts.
 Seek a win-win outcome. Finally, consider what it will take for the other
side to be satisfied. Then, try to identify a way to ensure you are satisfied as
well. There will be times when one party may have to compromise more than
the other, but a mutually beneficial agreement (an agreement that
benefits all parties involved) should always be the goal. The next reading will
cover strategies for achieving mutually beneficial agreements with stakeholders.
 

Achieving a win-win outcome

In the last reading, you learned about effective ways to negotiate a project’s scope
with stakeholders. The goal when negotiating with stakeholders should always be
achieving a win-win outcome, or a mutually beneficial agreement. This is an
agreement that benefits all parties involved. Mutually beneficial agreements aren’t
only for internal stakeholders, though. They are an important part of the process for
negotiating with vendors, contractors, suppliers, and more.

Best practices for reaching a mutually beneficial agreement

 Share information. Sometimes in negotiations, one or both parties might

think they need to withhold information in order to not give too much away. This
isn’t very effective, though. It is best to strive for open lines of communication,
where each party shares their worries and preferences. For instance, if your
team’s last supplier provided you with low quality products, you might voice this
as a concern so your expectations around quality are clear.
 Ask questions and listen actively to responses. Just like you
shared your concerns and expectations, you can ask the other party questions
to clarify what their concerns and expectations are. That way, both parties will
have shared all the necessary information to achieve a mutually beneficial
agreement.
 Propose multiple options whenever possible. In negotiations,
presenting only one option or solution can set you up for failure because the
other person might think your first offer is the only one. If the other party rejects
all of your proposals, ask them to communicate which one they like best, as that
may point you in the direction of finding a solution that works for everyone.

Tips for defining project tasks

The process of identifying project tasks and defining them is one that requires
practice. Breaking tasks down into workable parts is challenging because you have
to decide which tasks may require additional subtasks and which tasks do not. For
instance, if you are managing a cross-country move, you do not need to break down
the task of unloading boxes from the car into which box should be moved first.
However, you may need to break down the movers’ tasks into smaller, more detailed
steps. As you progress in your career, you will get better at breaking tasks down. In
the interim, here are some guidelines to help you improve this very important project
management skill.

Define project tasks in one or two sentences

When writing descriptions of project tasks, keep them to one or two sentences long.
If you find that a certain task description needs to be longer than one or two
sentences, this indicates that the task is complex and could be broken down into
smaller tasks or that it may need further clarification.
Look at project task dependencies

When looking at how you might break certain parts of the project down into tasks,
consider task dependencies, or what has to be completed or handed off from one
person to another before work on each task can begin. Identifying dependencies can
help you decide how much a task needs to be broken down. For instance, if you are
managing a project that includes an awards ceremony and one of the tasks is to set
up the stage, the dependencies for this task could include getting estimates from an
audiovisual (AV) contractor, procuring necessary equipment, and constructing the
stage backdrop.

Enlist help from team members

It is often helpful for your team to be involved in the task breakdown process. You
might have a meeting where you discuss each broad goal or major task with the
team. This way, team members can present varying perspectives as they work
together to break down tasks. For example, if someone on your team has had
experience on a similar project, they may suggest a certain task actually be broken
down into three different tasks.

Define project tasks by the amount of time they will take to complete

Defining project tasks by the amount of time they’re expected to take will reveal any
especially lengthy tasks. If a task is expected to take a long time, it could indicate
that there are additional subtasks that need to be defined. Identifying tasks by time is
helpful for scheduling other tasks or events around the longer tasks. This strategy
also helps you determine appropriate milestones, as milestones are often the
culmination of a series of tasks. Acknowledging the completion of a large and
lengthy task is also a great way to celebrate success, learn from the process, and
keep the project on track.
Identify project tasks by their “done” factors

Begin with the end in mind: What does it mean for the task to be considered “done”?
From there, you can work backwards to see if you’ve missed any steps and identify
checkpoints for completion along the way.

The three-point estimating technique

Estimating is a crucial aspect of project management. Project managers are
expected to accurately estimate essential elements of the project, such as costs,
scope, and time. There are many different estimation techniques that can be used,
depending on what aspect of the project needs an estimate. Estimation techniques
allow project managers to provide better forecasts to stakeholders and clients and
more accurately budget the funds and resources they need for project success.

The three-point estimating technique can be used to help determine the most
realistic time estimate for a task. It uses optimistic, pessimistic, and most
likely calculations, meaning calculations are based on the “best case” (optimistic),
“worst case” (pessimistic), and most probable scenarios.

Three-point estimation

In this technique, each task receives three estimates: optimistic, most likely, and
pessimistic. Each of these three estimates is then associated with the corresponding
amount of time that task is expected to take.

Optimistic Assumes the best case scenario that issues will not occur Most Likely Assumes some
issues might occur and based on how long the task usually takes under normal circumstances
Pessimistic Assumes the worst case scenario that issues will definitely occur

The three-point estimating process

For each task, add a duration estimate in each category: optimistic, most likely, and
pessimistic. You can get these estimates by doing research on the task or by asking
a task expert. As a best practice, add notes about the conditions that determine each
estimate.

Optimistic = Vendor is well-qualified, has all the materials, and shows up on time; Staff shows up in
time and successfully completes training within scheduled amount of time; All equipment works. 4
Hours Most Likely = Vendor is qualified but might not have all the materials; Vendor is new and
needs extra time to prepare; Extra training time has to be scheduled for absentee staff; Minor
glitches with equipment; Training has to be rescheduled. 6 Hours Pessimistic = Original vendor quits;
New vendor has to be hired; Staff no-shows or turnover right before the training; Equipment isn’t
delivered on time or doesn’t work; Training can’t happen until new equipment arrives. 6 Days

Determining a final estimate

To determine your final estimate—the estimate you’re going to use in your project
plan—examine the optimistic and pessimistic timing, then compare it with the most
likely timing. Consider the conditions that are likely to exist while the task is being
completed. Does it seem reasonable that the most likely time can be met? If your
team has never completed this task before, or if dependencies for the task are
unknown, then the final estimate should be closer to the pessimistic estimate. If your
team is familiar with the task and you’re able to confirm the conditions for an
optimistic estimate, then the final estimate can be closer to the optimistic estimate.
Alternatively, simply use the most likely estimate, especially if the difference between
the optimistic and pessimistic estimates is minimal (a few hours or no more than one
or two days). A good practice is to build in a “buffer” that accounts for risks that are
likely but still keeps the project progressing at an efficient rate.
Three-point estimation formulas

Some projects will require you to calculate specific numeric values for task time
estimates. There are many online resources that provide more instruction for how to
calculate estimates, but we’ve provided two popular formulas: the Triangular
Distribution and the Beta (PERT) Distribution.

For each formula: E is Estimate (the final estimate you’ll assign to the task), o =
optimistic estimate, p = pessimistic estimate, and m = most likely estimate.

The Triangular Distribution

The weight of each estimate in this equation is identical, which means the most likely
case does not affect the final estimate more than the optimistic or pessimistic
estimates.

The Beta (PERT) Distribution

The Beta (PERT) distribution is a weighted average. The most likely estimate
receives a multiplier of four, while the overall divisor is increased to six.
This method takes into account that the most likely case is more likely to occur, so
it’s given more weight. The added weight is reflected in the multiplier of four.

Placing more weight on the most likely estimate increases the accuracy of the
estimate. In most cases, the Beta (PERT) Distribution has been proven to be more
accurate than three-point estimating and is often used to calculate both cost and
time estimates.

Evaluation presentations: Components

and tips
In a prior activity, you created survey questions for your evaluation. Once you've
administered your survey and collected all the data for your evaluation, you'll have all
the information you need to prepare an evaluation presentation. An
evaluation presentation examines how well your project is working according to an
identified set of standards.

What to include in your evaluation presentation

Introduction

The introduction serves as a summary of your presentation and includes an overview

of the project’s goals and desired outcomes. It should include a summary of your
findings, lessons learned, and recommendations moving forward. This is a very
important section of your presentation, but keep it brief. Your introduction should be
no more than a paragraph and only include the most necessary information.

What is being evaluated and why

Here is where you will state the purpose of the evaluation. Remember, in the context
of project quality management, the purpose of evaluation is to measure how well
your project is meeting the established quality standards. Presenting evaluation
findings to your stakeholders shows them how well the project is meeting quality
standards and informs them of the project’s success. To do this:

 State the goal, milestone, or deliverable that is being evaluated and the quality
standards that were defined for that aspect of the project.
  Include the evaluation questions and indicators that were used to evaluate each
quality standard.
Pro tip: Remember, your stakeholders have limited time. When preparing your
presentation, only select the most important standards and questions.

Evaluation findings

Now it’s time to state your findings. Give each standard its own section within this
portion of the presentation, and summarize what the findings mean for each
standard. Make a clear judgement about the findings: What did you learn? What can
you take away from the data? Tell the story of what the data means for the future of
the project and for the stakeholders.

 Example: "The data reveals that 36% of users felt their dining experience was
negatively impacted by the tablets." It’s up to you to synthesize that data and
determine why that might be. Maybe it’s because the tablet software wasn’t
installed properly, resulting in glitchy technology. Or maybe it’s because the staff
wasn’t trained effectively, and therefore the ordering process was seriously
delayed. Maybe some customers just don’t want tablets taking their orders, and
they prefer to deal with wait staff. Explain what the data means in a way that
allows stakeholders to make decisions or declare this aspect of the project
successful or not.
Pro tip: Visualize the data with graphs or charts to quickly convey the message of
the findings.

Conclusion with recommendations

In your conclusion, state your findings again and propose a couple of

recommendations for how to apply the findings to the next phase of the project. You
can also outline how these findings may be used in future projects.
How to format your presentation

Slide-based presentations can be created using digital applications like Google

Slides or Microsoft PowerPoint. This type of presentation uses images and succinct
bullet points to provide the necessary information to stakeholders. Slide-based
presentations typically include summarized information rather than lengthy, in-depth
paragraphs. They are great tools for high-level presentations, when your
stakeholders do not need to know every single project detail.

Additional tips

 Tailor communications to stakeholders: When it comes to

communicating important milestones to stakeholders, consider whom you are
presenting to. Tailor your presentation to your audience in a way that they will
understand and enjoy.
 Start with an interesting hook: Begin your presentation with an ice
breaker, joke, or an interesting visual aid to get your stakeholders’ attention right
away.
 Use visuals throughout your presentation: The use of visuals
creates interest and keeps the audience engaged in your presentation.