Prof. Roy Levow Session 7. Considering Resource Availability Leveling Resources Acceptably Leveled Schedule Resource-Leveling Strategies Cost

Prof. Roy Levow

Session 7

Considering Resource Availability Leveling Resources Acceptably Leveled Schedule Resource-Leveling Strategies Cost Impact of Resource Leveling Implementing Micro-Level Project

Planning Work Packages

Considering Resource Availability Leveling Resources Acceptably Leveled Schedule Resource-Leveling Strategies Cost Impact of Resource Leveling Implementing Micro-Level Project

Planning Work Packages

Copyright 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Chapter 7 3

Understand why resources should be leveled

Utilize various approaches to leveling resources

Determine the appropriate use of substitute resources

Define a work package and its purposes Describe the format and explain the

contents of a work package Know when to require a work package

descriptionCopyright 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Chapter 7 4

Final part of the plan is to assign resources to the schedule

Resources may not be available at scheduled time

Resource Leveling – process to schedule how each resource is allocated to accomplish the task within the scheduled dates of the tasks

Purpose is to avoid overscheduling and to have a smooth flow of resources

Utilize available slack Shift the project finish date Smoothing – use overtime

Further decompose the task to accommodate resource’s schedule

Stretch a task Assign a substitute resource

No cost impact if resources are billable based on expended labor

Cost impact if resources are charged on calendar basis

Cost impact if there are incentives for early completion or penalties for late completion

Decomposition of tasks assigned to an individual – subtasks

Responsibility for completing task is assigned to task manager and subteam (can be one individual)

Can create mini-Network Diagram and Time-Scaled Resource Schedule

“Statement by the each task manager as to how he or she plans to complete the task within the scheduled start and finish dates.”

The Importance of Planning Joint Project Planning Sessions Project Proposal Contents of the Project Proposal

• Understand the importance of planning to a TPM project

• Understand the purpose of the Joint Project Planning session

• Know how to plan a Joint Project Planning session

• Decide who should attend the Joint Project Planning session

• Understand all of the deliverables from the Joint Project Planning session

• Explain the purpose of the project proposal• Know the contents of the project proposal

Reduces Uncertainty Increases Understanding Improves Efficiency

Objective: Develop a project plan that meets the Conditions of Satisfaction (COS) as negotiated between the requestor and the provider, and as described in the Project Overview Statement.

Facilitator Project Manager Another Project Manager JPP Consultant Technographer Core Project Team Customer Representative Resource Managers Project Champion Functional Managers Process Owner

Comfortable (up to three days in one room) Preferably on-site (minimize distractions) Space enough for groups of four or five

have separate tables, chairs, and flip charts.

No breakout rooms Plenty of wall space to tape up charts Whiteboard space Equipment

Post-It Notes, tape, scissors, and colored marking pens

LCD projector and PC

Session 1 Negotiate COS

Session 2 Write POS

Session 3 (JPP Session) First-level WBS Decompose WBS Estimate activity durations and resource requirements Project Network Diagram Determine critical path Revise and approve project completion date Finalize resource schedule Gain consensus on project plan

Work Breakdown Structure Activity Duration Estimates Resource Requirements Project Network Schedule Activity Schedule Resource Assignments Project Notebook

Background Objective Overview of the approach to be taken Detailed statement of the work Time and cost summary Appendices

Project Manager vis-à-vis the Functional Manager

Projects as Motivation and Development Tools

Recruiting the Project Team Establishing the Team Operating Rules Managing Team Communications Managing Multiple Team Projects Executing a Multiple-Team Project

Explain the relationship between the project manager and the functional manager

Use projects for motivation and development

Understand the concept of job design and how it relates to project management

Define the three components of a project team

Describe the characteristics of an effective project manager

Describe the characteristics of an effective project team member


Understand the different roles and responsibilities of core versus contracted team members

Help contracted team members become part of the team

Establish team operating rules for problem solving, decision making, and conflict resolution

Know the types of team meetings and when to use each type

Establish and use a team war room Know project communications requirements

and use Organize the project team


Understand the complexities and challenges of managing multiple-team projects

Understand the various requirements gathering processes

Define scope change processes and change management processes

Understand and use the Project Office, Core Team, and Super Team structures to manage a multiple-team project

Know how to select the best-fit project organizational structure for a multiple-team project


Project Manager’s objective – to complete the project on time, within budget, and to customer’s specifications

Functional Manager’s objective – to develop staff skills to meet project requirements and deployment of staff to projects

The conflict – assigning a trained professional to a project (training burden on Functional Manager) or an inexperienced professional to a project (training burden on Project Manager)


Hygiene Factors• Company Policy• Administrative Practice• Working Conditions• Technical Supervision• Interpersonal Relations• Job Security• Salary


Motivators• Achievement• Recognition• Advancement and

Growth• Responsibility• Work Itself

Hertzberg’s Theory of Motivation

Motivations from project work Challenge Recognition Job Design

Skill Variety Task Identity Task Significance Autonomy Feedback


Three separate components Project Manager Core Team Contracted Team

Selecting a Project Manager When: Ideally at the beginning of the project Selection Criteria

Background and experience Leadership and strategic experience Technical expertise Interpersonal competence Managerial ability


Selecting the Core Team When: At least before the Joint Project Planning Session Selection Criteria

Commitment Shared Responsibility Flexibility Task-Orientedness Ability to Work within Schedules and Constraints Willingness for Trust and Mutual Support Team-Orientedness Open-Mindedness Ability to Work across Structure and Authorities Ability to Use Project Management Tools


Contracted Team Members When: Shortage of staff and/or skills Implications:

Must be briefed on project and their role Priorities may lie elsewhere Quality may be poor because of poor

commitment Often require more supervision


Steps in the Process Identify needed skills, number of resources, and

timeframe List companies to invite a proposal from Write the request for proposal (RFP) Establish selection criteria for selecting vendors Distribute RFP Evaluate responses Reduce list to the few who will make formal

presentation Conduct on-site presentation Choose final vendor(s), prepare contract, and execute


Types of Proposals Request for Information Request for Proposal Request for Quote

Types of Contracts Retainer Time and Materials Time and Materials – Not to Exceed Fixed Bid


Contract Administration Written guidelines for managing the contract

Contract Cancellation Clear guidelines on the conditions for

cancelling the contract Contract Closing

Acceptance criteria has been met Debriefing sessions


Authority Usually given to the project manager Important to keep functional managers in the

loop Responsibility

Project manager solely responsible for finishing project on time, within budget, and according to customer specifications

Keep in constant communication with task managers


Measuring Balance Kolb’s Learning Styles

Assimilating Diverging Accommodating Converging

Develop a Team Deployment Strategy Determine where the imbalance is

Develop a Team Development Plan Use conflict resolution management techniques Sensitivity training


Situation requiring team operating rules Problem solving Decision making Conflict resolution Consensus building Brainstorming Team meetings



Couger’s Creative Problem Solving (CPS) Model

Decision Making – Three Major Types Directive: The person with authority makes all

of the decisions Participative: Everyone on the team

participates in the decisions Consultative: The person with authority

makes all of the decisions but only after consulting with the team

Deciding which type to use Time constraints The importance of the decision


The Six Phases of the Decision-Making Process


PHASE DESCRIPTIONLEARNING STYLE

Phase I: Situation definition

Discovery phase. The team investigates, discusses, clarifies, and defines the situation. It is important for the team to under-stand the root causes and evidence that led to the need for a decision.

Assimilator

Phase II: Situation decision generation

Continuation of Phase I. Characterized by brainstorming and searching for new ideas and alternatives for resolving the situation, which should lead to better choices for the decision. Above all, the team needs to avoid a rush to judgment.

Diverger




Phase III: Ideas to action

Define the criteria for evaluating the alternative decisions. This involves identifying the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative. Whatever approach is used, the result should be a ranking of alternatives from most desirable to least desirable.

Converger

Phase IV: Decision action plan

Begins once the alternative is chosen. This is the planning phase for the project team. The team determines tasks, resources, and time lines that are required to implement the decision. This phase requires a concerted effort to obtain buy-in from all affected parties.

Converger




Phase V: Decision evaluation planning

Learning opportunity for the project team. The team identifies what did and did not work, as well as areas in which it can improve and how to do so. The value of this discussion lies in the team’s willingness to be honest and straightforward with one another.

Accommodator

Phase VI: Evaluation of outcome and process

Focuses on the quality of results. The team evaluates the situation: Was the situation improved satisfactorily, or will another round be required? Was the situation defined correctly, or is revision required? Did the process work as expected, or will it need adjustment for the next attempt?

Assimilator

Conflict Resolution Avoidant: Person tends to avoid direct

confrontation Combative: Person tends to seek out conflict

or will instigate conflict at the slightest provocation

Collaborative: Person looks for win-win solutions. Will not avoid conflict but will try approach conflict in a reasonable manner


Consensus Building Reaching agreement through discussion Not majority rule All team members must agree on course of

action Brainstorming

Technique to focus creativity of the team


Team Meetings Procedural Matters

Meeting Frequency Agenda Preparation Meeting Coordinator Recording and Distributing Meeting Minutes

Types of Meetings Daily Status Problem Resolution Project Review


Team War Room: a common meeting place that the team “owns” during the lifetime of the project Physical Layout

Plenty of whiteboards Large room or several small rooms with a

common meeting room Private work areas but within line of sight of

each team member Project artifacts within easy access


Timing Too soon and the information will be forgot Too late and the information will not be useful for the

situation Content: Determine what information the team members

need to be successful Channels:

Face-to-Face Videoconferencing Email: Consider Volume, Tone, and Quality Written Materials Phone


Communication with the Sponsor Ask the sponsor what he or she wants to know Communicate on a regular basis with the

sponsor Upward Communication Filtering and “Good News”

Spinning bad news by making it sound like good news

Withholding bad news Communicating with Other Stakeholders

Ask the stakeholders what they want to know Communicate on a regular basis with the

stakeholdersCopyright 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Chapter 9 49

“Any project that requires the involvement of two or more independent teams, who may have their own tools, templates, and processes.”


Challenges Working with Fiercely Independent Team Cultures Establishing a Project Management Structure Establishing One Project Management Life Cycle Defining a Requirements Gathering Approach Establishing a Scope Change Management Process Defining the Team Meeting Structure Establishing Manageable Reporting Levels Searching Out Your Seconds Building an Integrated Project Plan/Schedule Sharing Scarce Resources Across Teams Managing Team Member Commitment to Their Home

Business Unit Managing Lack of Ownership



PROJECT OFFICE CORE TEAM SUPER TEAM

Fiercely independent teams L M HEstablishing a project management structure M L H

Establishing one project management life cycle

M L H

Defining a requirements gathering approach H M L

Establishing a scope change management process

M M L

Defining a team meeting structure L L LEstablishing manageable reporting levels L L M

Searching out your seconds H M HBuilding an integrated project plan/schedule H M L

Sharing scarce resources across teams H L L

Managing team member’s commitment to their home team

H H M

Managing lack of ownership H L L

“A temporary management structure established to coordinate and support the work of two or more independent teams who are concurrently working on a single project that has dependencies across the team task assignments”


Roles and Responsibilities of Project Office Manager Organizing and managing the entire project Developing the high-level project plan with the project

team managers Integrating and coordinating the project plans of each

team Maintaining the overall project schedule Monitoring and managing resource use Preparing and distributing project status reports Planning and conducting team meetings Processing scope change requests Solving project problems escalated from the individual

project teams Negotiating and resolving problems between teams


Strengths Scales to Very Large Projects Allows Teams to Maintain Their Practices

Weaknesses Managing Across Disparate Practices Team Members Will Have to Manage

Competing Practices May Have to Use a Cumbersome Scope

Change Management Process


Impact on the Project Life Cycle


PHASE ARTIFACT SUMMARY COMMENTS

Scoping (1) Requirements Gathering

(1) Build integrated plan for conducting process. This might be a completely integrated process or one that integrates the results from each team.

Planning

(1) WBS

(2) Estimation

(3) Dependency Diagrams

(4) Project Schedule

(5) Risk Management (6) Communications

(1) Integrated plan to develop complete WBS is needed (2) Needs systems integration estimates (3) To document interproject team dependencies (4) Minor except for resource scheduling (5) Straightforward(6) Complex but can be managed

Launching(1) Team operating rules (2) Work packages

(1) Straightforward(2) Maintain out of Project Office



PHASE ARTIFACT SUMMARY COMMENTS

Monitoring and Controlling

(1) Project performance reports (2) Scope change management (3) Problem resolution/escalation

(1) Coordinate from Project Office (2) Must establish a single process

(3) Complex but can be managed

Closing (1) Requirements validation(1) Must have an integrated process

“A temporary structure comprised of a small number of subject matter experts (SMEs) chosen and managed by the Core Team Manager. The SMEs of the Core Team consult, advise, and support the work of all the teams working on the project.”


Roles and Responsibilities of the Core Team Advising each project team on technical and business matters Supporting each project team as needed Collaborating with the core team manager as needed Negotiating and helping resolve problems and cross-team conflicts Organizing and managing the entire project Developing the high-level project plan with the project managers Integrating and coordinating the project plans of each team Maintaining the overall project schedule Monitoring and managing resource use Preparing and distributing project status reports Planning and conducting team meetings Processing scope change requests Solving problems escalated from the individual project teams


Strengths Hand-picked by the core team manager Provides the best available advice to the core team

manager Coordinates the work of several project teams Allows teams to maintain their practices

Weaknesses May not scale to the largest projects Must manage across disparate practices Team managers will have to manage competing

priorities Repeatedly choosing SMEs does not enable

development of new core team members



PHASE ARTIFACT SUMMARY COMMENT

Scoping (1) Requirements Gathering(1) Build integrated plan for conducting process

Planning

(1) WBS (2) Estimation (3) Dependency Diagrams (4) Project Schedule (5) Risk Management(6) Communications

(1) Leave each WBS independent (2) Estimate each plan independently (3) Determine project dependencies (4) Integrate project schedules (5) Add integration risks(6) Complex but can be managed

Launching(1) Team operating rules(2) Work packages

(1) Straightforward(2) Maintain out of Core Team Manger’s Office


(1) Project performance reports

(2) Scope change management (3) Problem resolution/escalation

(1) Coordinate from Core Team Manager’s Office

(2) Must establish a single process

(3) Complex but can be managed

Closing (1) Requirements validation (1) Must have an integrated process


“A temporary management structure that integrates several dependent teams into a single project team managed by a senior-level project manager.”


Roles and Responsibilities of the Super Team Manager Organizing and managing the project Developing the project plan Maintaining the overall project schedule Monitoring and managing resource use Preparing and distributing project status

reports Planning and conducting team meetings Processing scope change requests


Strengths Managed from a single integrated plan Integrated resource management control Standardizes on a set of tools, templates, and

processes Weaknesses

Establishing standardization Does not scale to very large projects Team members must manage competing

priorities



Impact on the Project Life CyclePHASE ARTIFACT SUMMARY COMMENT

Scoping (1) Requirements Gathering(1) Build integrated plan for conducting process

Planning

(1) WBS (2) Estimation (3) Dependency Diagrams (4) Project Schedule (5) Risk Management (6) Communications

(1) Straightforward (2) Straightforward (3) Straightforward (4) Straightforward (5) Straightforward (6) Straightforward

Launching(1) Team operating rules (2) Work packages

(1) Straightforward (2) Maintain out of Super Team Manager’s Office


(1) Project performance reports

(2) Scope change management (3) Problem resolution/escalation

(1) Coordinate from Super Team Manager’s Office

(2) Straightforward (3) Straightforward

Closing (1) Requirements validation (1) Straightforward


VARIABLESPROJECT OFFICE

CORE TEAM

SUPER TEAM

Complexity/Risk L M H

# of customer areas H L M

# of teams involved H L M

Total project team size H L M

Type of project (new/enhanced) M/M L/L H/H

Resource contention L M H

Criticality of deliverables L H M

Need for integrated plan L M H

Need for integrated schedule L M H

Documents

Prof. Roy Levow Session 7. Considering Resource Availability Leveling Resources Acceptably Leveled Schedule Resource-Leveling Strategies Cost