IT Project Management

Chapter #1: Introduction

to IT Project Management

Course Supervisor: Dr.

Abdullah Ayub
Bahria University
Karachi Campus
“IT Project Management”

Lecture
#1
Course Introduction

Course Code
IT-

Course Title
IT Project Management

Credit Hours
3(3+0)
What is Management
Key Management Concepts
 Key Aspects of the Management Process
The key aspects of the Management Process can be explained with the
help of the following diagram:
 Management Functions
Planning, Organizing, Leading & Controlling
 Project
• A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken
to create a unique product, service, or result.

• J. M. Juran defined that “a project is a problem

scheduled for solution.” Problem refers to the
gap between where you are and where you
want to be, with an obstacle that prevents easy
movement to close the gap.

• Thus projects have a clear beginning and an

end – when the product or service is
completed.
• So although some projects may take years to
complete, they are still temporary.
 Project
Short Range Projects:
These projects are completed within one year, and are focused
towards achieving the tactical objectives. They are less rigorous;
require less or no risk. They are not cross functional. These projects
require limited Project Management tools, and have low level of
sophistication. It is easy to obtain approval, funding and
organizational support for short range projects.

Long Range Projects:

These projects involve higher risk and a proper feasibility analysis is
essential before starting such projects. They are most often cross
functional. Their major impact is over long period of time, on
internal as well as external organization. Large numbers of resources
are required to undertake long range projects and they require
breakthrough initiatives from the members
 Why Projects are initiated?
Projects are initiated in the following scenarios:

• When starting a new business.

• In order to develop/ modify a product or service.
• For relocating and/or closing a facility.
• For some community issues.
• In order to re-engineer the process so as to reduce
complaints, reduce cycle time, and eliminate errors.
• For implementing a new system or process.
• To introduce new equipment, tools or techniques.
 Attributes of a Project
Projects focus on a single goal as compared to a program. They
have customers who are affected by the end results. They have to
be completed within specified time frame (completion date), within
budget (limited resources including, people, money, machines) and
should be according to the specifications (with a certain level of
functionality and quality).

In brief projects are:

• Directed towards achieving a specific result.

• Coordination of undertaking of interrelated activities.
• Of limited duration, a beginning and an end.
• Prone to risks, that is, every project has a certain amount of risk.
 Characteristics of Projects
As already mentioned projects are temporary with a definite
beginning and a definite end.

• Have temporary opportunities and temporary teams.

• Projects are terminated when the objectives are achieved, or
conversely, if the objectives cannot be met.
• Most of the projects last for several years. However, they have a
finite duration.
• They involve multiple resources (human and non-human) and
require close coordination.
• They are composed of interdependent activities.
• At the end of the project, a unique product, service or result is
created. Some degree of customization is also a characteristic of
projects.
• Projects encompass complex activities that are not simple, and
may require repetitive acts.
 Characteristics of Projects
• They also include some connected activities. Some order
and sequence is required in project activities. The output from
one activity is an input to another.
• Project Management lives in the world of conflict. The
management has to compete with functional departments for
“resources and personnel”.
• There exists a constant conflict for project resources and for
leadership roles in solving project problems.
• In every project, clients want changes, and the parent
organization aims at maximization of profits.
• There can be two bosses at a time and that too with
different priorities and objectives.
 Project Environment
All projects are planned and implemented in a social, economic,
environmental, political and international context.
• Cultural and Social Environment is that how a project affects
the people and how they affect the project. This requires
understanding of economic, demographic, ethical, ethnic, religious
and cultural sensitivity issues.
• International and Political Environment refers to the
knowledge of international, national, regional or local laws and
customs, time zone differences, teleconferencing facilities, level of
use of technology, national holidays, travel means and logistic
requirements.
• Physical Environment is the knowledge about local ecology and
physical geography that could affect the project, or be affected by
the project. .
Project Environment
 Project Management

Project management is the

discipline of organizing and
managing resources (e.g. people)
in such a way that the project is
completed within defined scope,
quality, time and cost constraints

Source: Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project
_management
 Project Management [PM]

The application of knowledge, skills, tools,

and techniques to project objectives to meet
stakeholder needs and expectations

Scop
e

Quality

Scop
 Operation Management

Operations are an organizational function performing

the ongoing execution of activities that produce the
same product or provide a repetitive service
 Program
Program is a group of related projects and
other work managed in a coordinated way
to obtain benefits and control not available
from managing them individually.
Programs may also include elements of
related work outside of the scope of the
discrete projects in the program - for
example, ongoing operations at a
publishing house or automobile
manufacturer.
Programs also involve a series of repetitive
or cyclical undertakings, such as an annual
construction program or the publishing of a
newspaper or magazine.
 Portfolios
A portfolio is a collection of projects or
programs and other work, brought together
with the purpose of facilitating effective
management of that work to meet strategic
business objectives.
The projects or programs in the portfolio are
not necessarily interdependent or directly
related. However, the alignment of programs
and projects with the strategic goals of the
organization should be used to effectively
manage work portfolios.
So a portfolio is a measure of an
organization's intent, in that it should identify
key objectives and classify and rank various
endeavors according to business priorities.
 Portfolio, Program, & Projects
Portfolios, programs, and projects
interact hierarchically – with portfolios
at the top of the hierarchy and projects
at the bottom.
Portfolios are active at the conception
of work components and are
responsible for allocating resources to
them.
Projects are the end result of this
allocation process.
Programs interact between the two to
ensure that benefits aligned with a
portfolio's strategic goals are
implemented through projects
Project & Program Interaction
Program & Portfolio Interaction
 PPP Comparison
Comparison
Factor Projects Programs Portfolios

Scope Narrow Wide Business

Change Minimized Expected Continual
Triple constraint ROI, new capabilities, Collective results of the
Success benefits delivered portfolio
satisfied
Leadership Managing relationships and
focuses on Task delivery Adding value
resolving conflicts
Who is Project managers Program managers manage Portfolio managers may
managed manage resources project managers or may not manage staff

Project managers Program managers are Portfolio managers are

Role are team players leaders leaders
Managing processes and
Planning Detailed High-level communications
Monitoring Tasks Projects Overall performance
 Organizational influences

• What are Organizational influences?

Organizational influences directly affect a
project’s success—either positively or negatively.
These influences include the organization’s
culture, its structure and its general style.
 Organizational Culture:

• Culture is an important consideration because

it alone can determine the success of a project.
• Organizational culture is shaped by the
common experiences of members of the
organization and most organization have
developed unique cultures over time by
practice and common usage.
 Organizational communications

• Project management success in organization

is highly dependent on an effective
organizational communication style,
especially in the face of globalization of the
project management profession.
 Organizational Structures :

• Firm structure is another organizational

influence. It might be:
* a functional organization
* a projectized organization
* a matrix organizations
 Functional Organization

• This organization is the most common form of

an organization. Organizational departments
are grouped by areas of specialization within
different functions. In these organizations,
projects generally occur in silo environments,
i.e. within the same function. Team members
complete the project work over and above
their responsibilities to normal departmental
work. Communication primarily occurs within
the same function.
Functional Organization
Projectized Organization

• In a project-centric organization environment,

the entire company is organized by projects,
and the project manager is in control of the
projects. Individuals or employees are assigned
to projects and report into a project manager.
Once the project is over, they need to be
assigned to another project. Communication
primarily occurs within the same project.
Projectized Organization
Matrix Organizations

In a matrix organization, the team members

report into two bosses: the functional manager
and the project manager. Communication goes
from team members to both bosses. The matrix
organization is created to get the best potential
from both functional and project-centric types of
organizational structure. Team members have
departmental work and they also do project
work.
Weak Matrix Organization
Balanced Matrix Organization
Strong Matrix Organization
Organizational Influences
Project Stakeholder and Governance

Project Stakeholders
*All members of the project team as well as all
interested entities that are internal or external to
the organization or positive and negative and
performing and advising stakeholders in order to
determine the project requirements and
expectations of all parties involve.
*Stakeholders have a varying level of
responsibilities and authority when participating
on project.
Project Stakeholder and Governance
The typical key project stakeholders you’ll find in any
project will include some of the following:
• Customers: the direct user of a product or service, often both
internal and external to the company executing the project
• Project manager: the project’s leader
• Project team members: the group executing the project
under the project manager’s leadership
• Project sponsor: the project’s financier
• Steering committee: advisory group providing guidance on
key decisions. Includes the sponsor, executives, and key
stakeholders from the organization
• Executives: the top management in the company executing
the project, those who direct the organization’s strategy
• Resource managers: other managers who control resources
needed for executing the project
Project Stakeholders
Project Stakeholder and Governance

• Project Success
*The success of the project should be measured in
terms of completing the project within the
constraints of scope, time, cost, quality,
resources, and risk as approved between the
project manager and senior management.
*Project manager is responsible and accountable
for setting realistic and achievable boundaries for
the project within the approved baseline.
Project Stakeholder and
Governance

• Project Team
*Includes the project manager and the group
of individuals who act together in performing
the work of the project to achieve its
objective
*Project team includes: project management
staff, project staff, supporting experts, user
and customer representatives, sellers,
Business partner members.
Project Stakeholder and Governance

 Composition of project teams:

*It based on factors such as organization
culture, scope, and location.
*Basic project team composition:
- Dedicated
-Part-time
Project life Cycle

• Project life cycle

It’s series of phases that a project passes
through from its initiation to closure.
Project life cycle defines:
- What technical work to do in each phase
- What deliverables are to be generated in
each phase and how they are reviewed,
verified and validated
- Who is involved in each phase
- How to control and approve each phase
Project life Cycle

• The Project Management Life Cycle has

four phases: Initiation, Planning, Execution
and Closure. Each project life cycle phase
is described below, along with the tasks
needed to complete it. You can click the
links provided, to view more detailed
information on the project management life
cycle.
The Project Life Cycle Structure
Common characteristics for life cycles:

- Phases are generally sequential

- Cost and staffing levels are low at the start, peak
during intermediate phase and drop rapidly on
closing phase.
- Highest level of uncertainty, greatest risk of
failing to achieve the objectives at the start of
project
- Highest influence of stakeholders on project's
product and final cost at the start of project
because the cost of change increase as project
progressing.
Characteristics of The Project Life Cycle
Project Phases

Project may be divided into many number of phases

• A project phase is a collection of logically related
project activities that culminated in the completion
of one or more deliverables.
• The phase structure allows the project to be
segmented into logical subsets for ease of
management, planning, and control.
• For reason of size, comlexity, level of risk and cash
flow constraints, project phases can be subdivided
in to sub phases aligned with one or more specific
deliverables for monitoring and control.
Project Phases

 Phase-to-Phase Relationship
When projects have more than one phase, the phases
are part of generally sequential process designed to
ensure proper control pf the project and attain the
desired product, service or results.
 Sequential relationship:
The phase starts only when the previous phase is
completed.
 Overlapping relationship:
A phase starts prior to completion of the previous
one.
Project Phases

 Predictive Life Cycles

 known as fully plan driven
 They are ones on which the project scope, and
the time and cost required to deliver that scope
as early in the project life cycle as practically
possible.
Project life cycle and product life cycle

 Product life cycle starts with the business plan,

through ideas to product, ongoing operations
and product divestment.

 The project life cycle goes through a series of

phases to create the product.
Thanks