Project Management

Lecture 1

Understanding Project Management

 By the end of this Course you will be able to:

 Understand what is meant by a project.

 Recognize what steps must be taken to complete projects on time and on budget.

 Have a better ability to sell ideas and make presentations.

 Know simple techniques and tools for planning and tracking your project.

 Have methods for keeping the team focused and motivated.

 Content

 What is a Project?

 What is Project Management?

 Projects’ Life Cycle

 Selling a Project

 The role of the Project Manager

 What is a Project?

A project could be defined as a unique venture ,

that has a start and an end,

that is conducted by people

to meet established goals

within parameters of cost, schedule, and quality.

How do projects differ from regular work?

 How do projects differ from regular work?

Project Regular Work

Temporary Ongoing

Output is Unique Output is Repetitive

Purpose is to attain its objective Purpose is to sustain the business

and then terminate

Concludes when its specific objectives Adopt a new set of objectives and
been attained the work continues
 What is Project Management

 A set of tools, techniques, and knowledge that helps you produce better results for your project.

 The application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to a broad range of activities
in order to meet the requirements of the particular project and its goals.

 Project management processes can be placed into five process groups:

 Conceptualizing

 Planning

 Executing

 Closing

 Controlling

All of these processes except Controlling correspond to the project life cycle we will discuss .
(Controlling is done during all phases.)


 Project Management Basics

Processes can also be placed into nine knowledge areas:

1.Integration Management

2.Scope Management

3.Time Management
Project management
can be applied to any project
4.Cost Management regardless of size, budget, or timeline.

5.Quality Management

6.Human Resource Management

7.Communications Management

8.Risk Management

9.Procurement Management
 What might some resources be for a project?

 They can be people, equipment, facilities, funding, or anything else capable of definition
required for the completion of a project activity.

 The lack of a resource will therefore be a constraint on the completion of the project activity.

 Resources may be storable or non storable.

 Storable resources remain available if not used and depleted by usage. (water, Fule)

 Non-storable resources must be renewed for each time period,

even if not utilized in previous time periods. (energy, sunlight, human & their work..).
 Pre-Assignment Review
 Background information about your company or organization

 Name of your project

 Why you are doing it (the purpose)

 Who will be involved?

 Is this a project you have asked to do or was it assigned to you?

 How it will benefit you, your department, a specific group of individuals,

or your organization as a whole?

 How much time you expect it to take?

 Whether you have identified any costs or not (remember, time is a cost!)?

 What planning and tracking tools you will use?

 Pre-Project Questions
 Scope : What is the expected outcome and final product.
Clearly define what the project will not encompass,

 Time: Time required to see this project through to completion.

 Money: Equipment, materials, labor or staffing needs, financing or real estate

 Quality: Is there a need as outlined by the organization or the clients for the outcomes
to meet certain standards?

 Communication: Who needs to be told of project progress? Why must they be told?
What should they be told? How or what medium will be used to communicate?

 Human Resources Who will be involved? Why those individuals?

Is there a need on the project for special skills/needs or qualifications?
How will they be motivated?

 Contracts: Are there contracts? With whom? Are they third party
(outside of the supplier and customer, such as subcontractors)?
Is there a requirement for training and development?

 Risk: How much risk is associated with the project?

How much can be risked? Who decides the level of risk?
 Benefits: How Can Projects Help Me?

 There are really two types of projects:

 Those that have been assigned to you

 Those you want to take on.

 What is the advantage to you or to me to take on an extra project,

when we already feel worked to the max?

 Sometimes we feel overwhelmed by the thought of taking on one more project, feeling like we are sinking.

 What do you do when that happens?

(e-learning I)
 A Projects’ Life Cycle

Execution Phase
Project Planning Phase
Activity
Conceptual Phase Termination Phase

Time
 A Project’s Life Cycle
Milestones

 First three milestones in every project are the “go or no go” phase gates

1. After all the preliminary work has been done to shape what the project will look like a critical decision
has to be made.

Is this project worth doing? Shall we move forward with it?

2. Has all the planning been done? If No? Go back and finish it.
Is this project still something we want to do? In that case, let’s move forward.

3. At the end of execution. Have all the deliverables been given to the customer?

If no, then back you go to finish the job.

If the final deliverable has been completed, then you can move to the final phase
 A Project’s Life Cycle
Phase I : Conceptual Phase

 The first phase is Initiation, sometimes called the Conceptual or Create phase.

 This phase shapes the project. It often begins after the project has been selected.

 The purpose of this phase is

 to provide direction to the team

 to decide what is to be accomplished

 to identify constraints and risks.

 A Project’s Life Cycle
Phase I : Conceptual Phase
Once the team has been formed, they must:

 Study, discuss, and analyze

 Write the project definition

 Set an end results objective

 List imperatives and desirables

 Generate alternative strategies

 Evaluate alternatives

 Determining feasibility

 Choose a course of action

 A Project’s Life Cycle
Phase II: Planning Phase

 The Planning phase, sometimes called the Sell stage.

 This is where the project team identifies the steps and develops the plan for how and when
the project will be accomplished.

 This is the most critical and most often neglected phase of the project.

 Poor planning or lack of planning here can have consequences all down the line.

 If everybody knows what is to be done and they are all on the same page,
the project will go much more smoothly.
 A Project’s Life Cycle
Phase II: Planning Phase
Planning usually includes the following steps:

 Establish the project end objective.

 Choose a basic strategy for achieving the objective.
 Break the project down into subunits or steps.
 Determine the performance standards for each subunit.
 Determine how much time is required to complete each subunit.
 Determine the proper sequence for completing the subunits and aggregate this information
into a schedule for the total project.
 Determine the cost of each subunit and aggregate costs into the project budget.
 Design the necessary staff organization, including the number and kind of positions and
the duties and responsibilities of each.
 Determine what training is required.
 Develop the necessary policies and procedures.
 Determine how to test the results.
 A Project’s Life Cycle
Phase III: Execution Phase

 After the project plan is approved, the execution phase starts,

where the plan must then be executed or put into action.

 Here is where you get down to working on the project and creating the deliverables.

 To make sure the work is on track, the team (or the project manager) must monitor progress,
and if required, recommend changes.

 Progress reports go to the stakeholders.

 Execution Phase consists of tasks or control the work in progress.

 A Project’s Life Cycle
Phase III: Execution Phase
I. Tasks Include:

 Finding the time

 Obtaining money

 Recruiting people

 Getting equipment

 Meeting and leading the team

 Communicating with all stakeholders

 A Project’s Life Cycle
Phase III: Execution Phase
II. Controlling the work in progress means:

 Establishing standards

 Monitoring performance

 Inspection

 Interim progress reviews

 Testing

 Auditing

 Taking corrective action

 A Project’s Life Cycle
Phase III: Execution Phase
Taking corrective action
 Renegotiate: Ask the sponsor for more time or more money.
 Recover: Get the team back on track with the original plan.
 Narrow project scope: Remove some items from the project.

 Deploy more resources: Get more people, time, or money on the task.

 Accept substitution: If a certain part of the project needs to be removed,

perhaps the sponsor will accept another item in its place.

 Seek alternative sources: Can you outsource part of the project?

 Accept partial delivery: Perhaps you can deliver part of the project on time,
and another part a bit later.

 Offer incentives: Offering the project team a bonus for completing

on a certain date can help you meet your goals.
 A Project’s Life Cycle
Phase IV: Termination Phase

 Closeout or Termination is the final phase in a project.

 The customer decides whether he or she is satisfied with the project.

 The sponsor assesses the project in terms of goals met and costs incurred.

 The team discusses lessons learned and ways the next project can be improved upon.

 A final status report is issued and sent to all key stakeholders.

 This is also the time to celebrate success and thank everyone involved with the project.
 A Project’s Life Cycle
Phase IV: Termination Phase

Tasks can include:

 Project completion checklist & test project output to see if it works

 Write operations manual & complete final drawings

 Deliver project output to client & train client's personnel to operate project output

 Reassign project personnel

 Dispose of surplus equipment, materials, supplies & Release facilities

 Summarize major problems encountered and their solution

 Document technological advances made

 Summarize recommendations for future research & development and the lessons learned
 A Project’s Life Cycle
Phase IV: Termination Phase
 Three Ways to End a Project:

 Extinction
The end of all activity on a project, usually before meeting its stated objectives.

 Inclusion
Incorporating the project operations and team into the organization as an ongoing entity.
The project work still exists, but the project is no longer separate from the business operations.

 Integration
Bringing project team members back into the organization and distributing project results and
outcomes among existing functions.

The project as an entity no longer exists after integration.

 A Project’s Life Cycle

Failure Factors Reasons to Succeed

 Poor planning  Good planning

 No communication  Pre-defined communication plan

 Lack of resources/money  Enough time and money

 Lack of commitment/team problems  Team commitment

 Poor choice of leader  A good team leader

 Setting unrealistic goals  Realistic goals and time frame

 Lack of experience  Experience with project planning and

experienced team members

 Unclear objectives  Clear goals

 Selling a Project “When to accept a Project?”
(e-learning 1)

 “Never, ever, accept a project or assignment as it is given. Resist the status quo.”

 Have any of you ever taken an assignment and truly ran with it?
Taken it to a new level? And made it more valuable than it might otherwise have been?

 Project ideas are all around us and if you feel ready to tackle them,
don’t wait for someone to notice you. Bring your idea forward.

 Is there a need or an opportunity for this project?

 What is the relative cost in time and money for this project?

 Is there any risk of failure? What would this mean to me?

 Can I get support for my project?

 Will this project impact the bottom line profitability of my organization?

 Selling a Project

 The Priority Matrix : If there are only 2 factors:

 Selling a Project
 The Priority Matrix :

If there are multiple factors.

You can make this work by assigning points to each criterion, say on a scale of 1-10,
or you may assign points depending on their overall value.

For example: Contribution to priority area may rate 15 points, while benefit rates 10 points,
and easy to do rates 5 points.

Project Benefit Easy to do Contribution to priority area Total

D
 The Role of a Project Manager

 The success of a project can do wonders for anyone’s career.

 Sit down with your supervisor to discuss his or her expectations.

 Complete a proposal form.

 Part 1 – To Be Completed By Proposer

 Part 2 – To Be Completed By Proposer’s Manager

The Role of a Project Manager
 The Role of a Project Manager

Part 2 – To Be Completed By Proposer’s Manager

Yes No  
This proposal is within my
authority:  

This proposal is approved:  

Agreed Sponsor:

Agreed Team Leader:

Agreed Facilitator:

This proposal is declined because:

This proposal is not within my authority and is hereby forwarded to:

Signed:
 The Role of a Project Manager

 If the project team is to be made up of members of your department,

hold a meeting to discuss the upcoming effort and define the objectives.

 Give project assignments based on what your staff members are capable of handling.

  If you are charged with the task of selecting a project team,
you should consider exactly what skills will be needed before making any team assignments.
 The Role of a Project Manager
Key Skills

 Flexible

 Well rounded

 Good at ensuring goals are met as soon as possible

 Applies knowledge, skills, and techniques

 Good at balancing competing demands

 Able to work with a mixture of people and technology

 Good at multi-tasking

 Able to define the scope of the project

 Able to define goals the team can meet and keep them

 Time management skills

 Strong project management identity

 Good at documenting steps

Thank You