Project Managing a PH D

And surviving the processPaul Hyland

IntroductionsWho are you?What is your project experience?What types of projects are you

involved in right now?Have you had any project

management training?What are your pain points?What would you like to get out of

this workshop?

Learning objectivesUnderstand how a Ph D can be

managed as a projectTake away a basic project planDevelop some skills in planning

and schedulingUnderstand that you need to

manage riskUnderstand the importance of

communication.

What is a project?“A Project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a” - PMI (Project Management of Knowledge

(Every project has a definite beginning and a definite end.)

Even a Ph D

Understanding the project

Do you understand your Ph D projectWhat are the key outputs?What do you have to do to

complete your PH D?What is your completion date?Who is critical to your success?

Benefits of PMDeliver projects successfullyAchieve project objectivesGoal clarity and measurementCoordinated resourcesRisk identification and

managementCost savingsEfficiency of repeatable

processes

Why projects succeed

◦ Vision, objectives and scope of project well defined and approved

◦ Strong support◦ Risk management◦ Project plan is realistic, achievable and approved◦ Change management process in place◦ Stakeholder communication◦ Competent project manager◦ Project management methodology

Top 10 reasons why projects fail

◦ Vision and goals not well defined◦ Student and supervisors not engaged during project◦ Lack of accountability◦ Insufficient skills or poorly aligned skills◦ Failure to manage risk◦ Uncertain dependencies◦ Resource competition (particularly with a busy

supervisor)◦ Scope changes◦ Communication deficit◦ Unrealistic deadlines

Components of a project

Scope

Budget

ScheduleResources

Deliverables

Issues and RiskCommunicati

on

Components explainedScope: Clearly define what’s in scope and

what is out of scope -- CRITICAL TO PROJECT SUCCESS

Budget: Costs and fundingDeliverables: Work accomplished,

acceptance criteria and approval Schedule: Tasks, duration, dependencies,

resources, and critical pathResources: Availability, utilization, task

assignment and statusCommunication: Status meetings, status

reporting, stakeholder managementIssues and risk: Track, manage, escalate,

contingency planning

Let’s start a personalised planWhat deliverables are required in

the next 36 months?What tasks need to be

completed?What resources do I need?Do I have a budget and where

will I allocate it?How much time will each task

take?

PM Process

Communicating with your peers and supervisor

Communication and RiskWho are the key stakeholders?How will I communicate with

them?When we I communicate with

them?

Do I understand the risks and uncertainties in the project?

When should I seek help?Who can help me if I have a

problem?

Executing your project Use the project plan to manage the project Conduct regular status meetings Create & distribute regular status reports Track planned vs actual and update project

plan Keep the project plan current Track and escalate issues and risks Quality assurance Track Lessons Learned