LECTURE # 03

WHAT IS PROJECT MANAGEMENT?

 Definition of Project Management
Project management is an organized common-sense
approach that utilizes the appropriate client involvement in
order to deliver client requirements that meet expected
incremental business value.
Project
Management
The Fundamentals of Project Management
Project management is a set of tools, templates and process designed to
answer the following six questions:
 What business situation is being addressed by this project?
 What does the Business need to do?
 What will you do?
 How will you do it?
 How will you know you did it?
 How well did you do?
Challenges to Effective Project Management
 Flexibility and Adaptability
 Deep Understanding of the Business and Its Systems
 Take Charge of the Project and Its Management
A Business Value Definition of Requirements
A requirement is a desired end-state whose successful integration into the
solution meets one or more needs and delivers:
 specific
 measurable
 incremental business value to the organization.

The set of requirements forms a necessary and sufficient set for

achieving expected business value.
Generating Complete Requirements Is Not Likely
 Changing market conditions
 Actions of competitors
 Technology advances
 Client discovery
 Changing priorities
Definition of a Project Management Life Cycle
A project management life cycle is a sequence of processes that
includes:
 Scoping
 Planning
 Launching
 Monitoring & Controlling
 Closing
NOTE: Every valid project management approach must include
these processes.
GOAL AND SOLUTION CLARITY
SOLUTION
Clear Not Clear

MPx xPM
The
Not Clear Emertxe Extreme four
quadrants
GOAL
TPM APM
of the
Clear
Linear Iterative project
Incremental Adaptive
landscape
DISTRIBUTION OF PROJECT TYPES
Extreme
10%
Traditional
20%

Agile
70%

Agile Traditional Extreme

TPM – Traditional Project Management
 Projects that fall into the TPM quadrant are
SOLUTION familiar to the organization.

Clear Not Clear  Many infrastructure projects will fall in the

TPM quadrant.

Not Clear  Perhaps they are similar to projects that

have been done several times before.
GOAL
 There are no surprises.
Clear
TPM
 The client has clearly specified the goal, and
the project team has defined how they will
reach that goal. Little change is expected.
TPM – Traditional Project Management
SOLUTION
Clear Not Clear Characteristics
 Low Complexity
 Few Scope Change Requests
Not Clear
 Well-Understood Technology
GOAL Infrastructure
 Low Risk
Clear  Experienced and Skilled
TPM
Project Teams
 Plan-driven TPM Projects
Linear PMLC Model

The linear PMLC is change intolerant and life is not.

All the simple projects have all been done.

Linear PMLC Model

Note that the five process groups are each executed once in the order shown in the figure.
There is no looping back to repeat a process group based on learning from a later process
group.
This is a major weakness of all Linear PMLC models in that knowledge gained from one
process group, such as Launching, cannot be used to revise and improve the deliverables from
a previously completed process group, such as Scoping.
There is no going back to improve deliverables.
 Incremental PMLC Model

 On the surface, the only difference between the Linear and Incremental approaches is that the
deliverables in the Incremental approach are released according to a schedule.

 That is, a partial solution is initially released, and then at some later point in time, additional parts
of the solution are added to the initial release to form a more complete solution.

 Subsequent releases add to the solution until the final increment releases the complete solution.
APM – Agile Project Management
SOLUTION Characteristics
 A Critical Problem without a
Clear Not Clear
Known Solution
 A Previously Untapped Business
Not Clear Opportunity
 Change-driven APM Projects
GOAL  APM Projects Are Critical to the
Clear Organization
APM  Meaningful Client Involvement is
Essential
 Use Small Co-located Teams
 Iterative PMLC Model

• As soon as any of the details of a solution are not clearly defined or even missing, you should favor
some form of Iterative PMLC model.
• This is quite similar to production prototyping.
• A working solution is delivered from every iteration.
• Objective is to show the client an intermediate and perhaps incomplete solution and ask them for
feedback on changes or additions they would like to see.
• Those changes are integrated into the prototype, and another incomplete solution is produced.
• This process repeats itself until either the client is satisfied and has no further changes to recommend
or the budget and/or time runs out.
 Adaptive PMLC Model

 Adaptive models are more useful than Iterative models in those situations where very little is known
about the solution.

 Unlike the Iterative PMLC model where some depth of the solution is not known (features, for
example), the Adaptive PMLC model is missing both depth and breadth of the solution
 Adaptive PMLC Model

 Each iteration in the Adaptive models must address not only task completion for newly defined
functions and features but also further solution definition through function and feature discovery.
 An Adaptive PMLC model consists of a number of phases that are repeated in cycles, with a feedback
loop after each cycle is completed.
 Each cycle proceeds based on an incomplete and limited understanding of the solution. Each cycle
learns from the preceding cycles and plans the next cycle in an attempt to converge on an acceptable
solution.
 At the discretion of the client, a cycle may include the release of a partial solution.
xPM – Extreme Project Management
SOLUTION
Clear Not Clear
Characteristics
 R&D Project
Not Clear xPM  Very High Change
GOAL  Very High Risk
 Very High Failure Rate
Clear  Often High Speed
 Very Heavy Client Involvement
Extreme PMLC Model
Emertxe Project Management
SOLUTION
Clear Not Clear
Characteristics
 A New Technology without a
Not Clear MPx Known Application
GOAL  A Solution out Looking for a
Problem to Solve
Clear
Examples of Each Project Type
TPM Install an intranet network in field office
APF Put a man on the moon by the end of the decade and return him safely
xPM Cure the common cold
SOLUTION
MPx Give an example
Clear Not Clear

Not Clear MPx xPM

GOAL

Clear TPM APM

Project Management Life Cycle Approaches
The 5 PMLC Models
RECAP OF THE PMLC MODEL
SIMILARITIES
◦All 5 Process Groups are used in each PMLC model
◦Each PMLC model begins with a Scope Process Group
◦Each PMLC model begins ends with a Close Process Group
RECAP OF THE PMLC MODEL
Linear
• Uncertainty Increases
Incremental •
DIFFERENCES:

Just-In-Time project
• Planning increases
Iterative • Risk Increases
• Client Involvement Increases
Adaptive
Extreme
RECAP OF THE PMLC MODEL
DIFFERENCES:
■ The models form a natural ordering (Linear, Incremental, Iterative, Adaptive, Extreme) by
degree of solution uncertainty.
■ The processes that form repetitive groups recognize the effect of increasing uncertainty as you
traverse the natural ordering. Those groups move more toward the beginning of the life cycle as
uncertainty increases.
■ Complete project planning is replaced by just-in-time project planning as the degree of
uncertainty increases.
■ Risk management becomes more significant as the degree of solution uncertainty increases.
■ The need for meaningful client involvement increases as the degree of solution uncertainty
increases.
Choosing the Best-Fit
PMLC Model
Choosing the Best-Fit
PMLC Model
When to Use
Linear
Clearly defined solution and requirements
Not many scope change requests
Routine and repetitive projects
Uses established templates

Incremental
Same as linear but delivers business value early and often
Can accommodate minor scope change requests between increment
Iterative
Most but not all of the solution is clearly known.
Learn by doing and by discovery
Think of the Iterative PMLC model as a variant of production prototyping
When to Use
Adaptive
Adaptive PMLC model is missing both depth and breadth of the solution
Adaptive PMLC model is used for projects that meet the conditions of an incomplete solution due to
missing features and functions.

Extreme
Typically for R&D projects
Goal and solution not known
Each phase learns from the preceding ones and redirects the next phase in an attempt to converge on
an acceptable goal and solution
REFERENCE
Chapter – 2
Effective Project Management – Traditional, Agile, Extreme by Robert K. Wysocki
https://www.safaribooksonline.com/library/view/effective-project-
management/9781118016190/ch010-sec038.html