Project Planning and ExecutionThe process of defining, planning, doing and evaluating the work is the hallmark of a well-run project.

- I understand the benefits of Project Management- I can describe and define the requirements and scope of a project- I can develop a project plan- I can Identify and manage risk on a project- I manage project resources as changes occur on projects- I describe best practices to follow at the end of a project

Definition of a Project

- I recognize a project, as distinguished from a business process.o Differs from standard business or people management

Project Characteristics Process CharacteristicsOne Time Event A repeated eventModerate to long duration Usually shorter durationTemporary cross-functional work teams Permanent work teams, usually in the same dept.Team members change for different projects Team members remain constant

- Some challenges of project management as opposed to business processeso Problems difficult to anticipate, as specific projects are uniqueo Keeping team members motivated, as projects take longer than established business

processes to completeo It may be difficult for project managers to coordinate between project teams and

exercise authority over project team members due to the temporary and cross-functional composition of project teams.

Common Problems in Projects (Effective project management can help to avoid these problems)

- I describe common problems that occur in projects. o Customers’ expectations on quality and functionality are not meto Deadlines are not meto Project team members feel overworkedo Communication on the project status is insufficient

Goal of Project Management

- State the goal of effective project management.o Scope of project is clearly defined

o Customer and team member expectations regarding scope, quality and schedule are understood and accepted.

o Everyone affected by the project has the desired level of involvement and information about the project

o Project-related issues are handled with minimal harm to the projecto The final project deliverable is of acceptable quality and is delivered as per scheduleo Results are evaluated. The relevant information from the evaluation exercise is

documented and analyzed for the benefit of future projects.

Project Stakeholders (It is important to collaborate with project stakeholders as soon as inititiated)

- Describe common project stakeholders o Stakeholders are people who have an interest in the results and activities of a project.

Project Stakeholder RoleProject Sponsor - Proposes the idea for the project.

- “Sells” the idea to senior management.- Supports the project.

Project Leader - Drives results of the project.- Coordinates activities of the project team.- Communicates status and issues.

Functional/Resource Managers - Provides resources to complete project.- Responsible for implementing and

sustaining final outcome of the project.Team Members - Provides input to the project

- Complete the work on the projectCustomers - Define the requirements for the project.

- Provide feedback on project deliverables.- Accept the final deliverable.

Generic Project Execution Process

- Describe a typical process for managing projects.1. Project Definition: Foundation for the project is established

a. Key players (stakeholders) are identifiedb. Vision of project is decidedc. Requirements for the final deliverable are establishedd. Scope of the project is definede. Issues the project will address and not address are definedf. All stakeholders accept

2. Planning Stage: Provides the specifics about how the project will be executeda. Project plan createdb. Accepted by stakeholdersc. Scheduled and lays out when important tasks will be completed

d. Critical to establishing a framework that is acceptable to all stakeholders

3. Development and Implementation Stage: Actual work is donea. Controlling and Handling changes in the projectb. Managing issues that pose a risk to the project outcomec. Communicating project statusd. Ensuring desirable progress is made toward the final deliverable

4. Review Stage: Results are evaluated and customer satisfaction is measured.a. Provides valuable input to future projects

Assessing requirements and defining scope

- The team needs to understand the specifics about the customer and the situation before designing a solution.

Understanding the Customer

- The process for determining the characteristics of the customer’s environmento The customer is the stakeholder who accepts the final deliverable of the project.o Define customer requirementso Analyze the characteristics of the customer environmento What is the problem or issue being addressed? Why is it a problem?o What is the current situation? How do things work now?o What is the ideal situation? How would things work in the perfect world?o How many people will be using the solution implemented by the project?o Are there any other characteristics of end-users that are important?

Gathering the requirements (the specifications for a project)

- The process for gathering customer requirements for a projecto Features and functions of the final deliverableo Timeframeo For efficiency, a brainstorming meeting or focus group would be an appropriate method

for gathering requirements.

Project Requirements Essential Helpful Optional

Defining Scope

- How to define the scope of a projecto States the issues to be addressed by the projecto Described what is included and excluded

Customer and environment characteristics in the description to help clarify why features have been included (or excluded) from the scope.

Requirements and relevant input from all groups that participated in the gathering of requirements.

Reality check of the final scope to ensure that it is manageable

Developing a Plan

- The project plan can be developed once the scope of the project is defined and accepted by the stakeholders.

- Outlines what is to be done and how it will be done

Components of a Plan

- The typical components of a project plano Describes all relevant aspects of a projecto Must be clear and completeo The plan will serve as a guide

Description of the problem or customer situation The names and roles of the project stakeholders List of project team members and their roles The requirements for the project The tasks and milestones to be accomplished Project schedule

Defining Tasks

- The rationale for defining tasks within a project- In order to plan the work for an entire project, the work needs to be separated into manageable

components called tasks.o Knowledge of work processes and skills required to complete them is essential to

developing a task list.o Each task should be such that one or two people can complete in a short period of timeo Being aware of the skills and abilities of the project team members helps define tasks of

a manageable size.

o Guidance and feedback to the team on tasks is an integral part of project execution

Developing a Schedule

- Technique for developing a project schedule1. Organize project tasks and milestones in chronological order2. Assign people to tasks3. Specify the time required to complete each task and subtask4. Review the schedule and make adjustments as necessary5. Lay out tasks in a calendar format

Task Assigned Resources Time Required

Problem Suggestions