Chapter 2

The Organization and Process

2.1. The Organization
* Understanding Organizations
Structural frame: Human resources frame:
Focuses on roles and Focuses on providing
responsibilities, harmony between needs of
coordination and control. the organization and needs
Organizational charts help of people.
define this frame.
Political frame: Symbolic frame: Focuses
Assumes organizations on symbols and meanings
are coalitions composed related to events. Culture
of varied individuals and is important.
interest groups. Conflict
and power are key issues.
Project managers must learn to work within all four
organizational frames to function well in organization.
* Many Organizations Focus on the Structural Frame

 3 basic organizational structures

 functional
 project

 matrix

Functional
* Many Organizations Focus on the Structural Frame

Functional
* Many Organizations Focus on the Structural Frame
Project
* Many Organizations Focus on the Structural Frame

Matrix ()
* Many Organizations Focus on the Structural Frame

Strong Matrix
* Many Organizations Focus on the Structural Frame

Weak Matrix
* Many Organizations Focus on the Structural Frame

Balanced Matrix
* Many Organizations Focus on the Structural Frame
Comparing Matrix Structure
* Suggested Skills for Project Managers

 Project managers need a wide variety of skills

 They should be comfortable with change,
understand the organizations they work in and
with, and be able to lead teams to accomplish
project goals
 Project managers need both “hard” and “soft”
skills. Hard skills include product knowledge and
knowing how to use various project management
tools and techniques, and soft skills(or human
relations skills ) include being able to work with
various types of people
* Suggested Skills for Project Managers

 Communication skills: listening, persuading

 Organizational skills: planning, goal-setting,
analyzing
 Team Building skills: empathy, motivation, esprit de
corps
 Leadership skills: set examples, be energetic, have
vision (big picture), delegate, be positive
 Coping skills: flexibility, creativity, patience,
persistence
 Technological skills: experience, project knowledge
* Fifteen Project Management Job Functions

1) Define scope of project 8) Identify and evaluate risks

2) Identify stakeholders, 9) Prepare contingency plan
decision-makers 10) Identify interdependencies
3) Develop detailed task list 11) Identify and track critical
(work breakdown structures) milestones
4) Estimate time requirements 12) Participate in project phase
5) Develop initial project review
management flow chart 13) Secure needed resources
6) Identify required resources 14) Manage the change control
and budget process
7) Evaluate project requirements 15) Report project status
* Most Significant Characteristics of Effective
and Ineffective Project Managers

Effective Project Managers Ineffective Project Managers

 Lead by example  Set bad examples
 Are visionaries  Are not self-assured
 Are technically competent  Lack technical expertise
 Are decisive  Are poor communicators
 Are good communicators  Are poor motivators
 Are good motivators
 Stand up to upper
management when necessary
 Support team members
 Encourage new ideas
2.2. The Process

* Project Phases and the Project Life Cycle

 A project life cycle is a collection of project
phases
 Project phases vary by project or industry,
but some general phases include
 concept focus on planning and are often
referred to as project feasibility
 development
 implementation focus on delivering the actual
work and are often referred to as
 support or close-out project acquisition
* Phases of the Project Life Cycle
* Project Management Process Groups

 A process is a series of actions directed toward a

particular result
 Project management process groups progress from
initiation activities to planning activities, executing
activities, controlling activities, and closing activities.
 Each process is described by:
 Inputs
 Tools and techniques
 Outputs
Figure 2.1. Overlap of Process Groups
in a Phase (PMBOK® Guide, 2000, p. 31)
* Process Links
* Characteristics of the Project Process Groups
1) Project Initiation or Initiating Processes

 Initiating a project includes recognizing and

starting a new project or project phase
 The main goal is to formally select and start off
projects
 Key outputs include:
- Assigning the project manager
- Identifying key stakeholders
- Completing a business case ()
- Completing a project charter and getting
signatures on it
2) Project Planning or Planning Processes

 The main purpose of project planning is to

guide execution
 Every knowledge area includes planning
information ()
 Key outputs include:
- A team contract
- A scope statement
- A work breakdown structure (WBS)
- A project schedule, in the form of a Gantt chart with
all dependencies and resources entered
- A list of prioritized risks
3) Project Executing or Executing Processes

 It usually takes the most time and resources

to perform project execution since the
products of the project are produced here
 The most important output of execution is
work results
 Project managers must use their leadership
skills to handle the many challenges that
occur during project execution
4) Project Controlling or Controlling Processes

 Controlling involves measuring progress

toward project objectives, monitoring
deviation from the plan, and taking corrective
actions
 Controlling affects all other process groups
and occurs during all phases of the project
life cycle
 Status and progress reports are important
outputs of controlling
5) Project Closing or Closing Processes

 The closing process involves gaining

stakeholder and customer acceptance of the
final product and bringing the project, or
project phase, to an orderly end
 Even if projects are not completed, they
should be closed out to learn from the past
 Project archives and lessons learned are
important outputs. Most projects include a
final report and presentations
Relationships Among Process Groups and Knowledge Areas

Knowledge Area Project Process Groups

INITIATING PLANNING EXECUTING CONTROLLIN CLOSING
Integration Project plan Project plan Integrated
development execution change control
Scope Initiation Scope planning Scope
verification
Scope definition Scope change
control
Time Activity definition Schedule control
Activity sequencing
Activity duration
estimating
Schedule
development
Cost Resource planning Cost control
Cost estimating
Cost budgeting
Quality Quality planning Quality Quality control
assurance
Relationships Among Process Groups and Knowledge Areas ()

Human resources Organizational Team

planning development
Staff acquisition
Communications Communications Information Performance Administra
planning distribution reporting tive closure
Risk Risk management Risk
planning monitoring and
control
Risk identification
Qualitative risk
analysis
Quantitative risk
analysis
Risk response
planning
Procurement Procurement Solicitation Contract
planning close-out
Solicitation Source
planning selection
 Questions

Please read the following items:

1- Understanding organization
2- Suggested skills for project managers
3- Project management job function
4- Most significant characteristics of effective
and ineffective project managers
5- Project management process group
Business Case ()

 A business case is a document which justifies

the start-up of a project. It includes:
 a description of the problem or opportunity
that exists in the business;
 a list of the available options for delivering a
solution to resolve the problem;
 a list of the costs and benefits associated with
each solution option;
 a description of the preferred solution.