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Doctoral training workshop programme

1st Year Postgraduate Research Students

PROJECT MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP – Roger PITFIELD

October 2010

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Workshop objectives

Overview of project management principles – why manage your work?

A little inspiration! Some guiding precepts for success!!

Keeping on track! (The ‘Control loop’ model)

Other fundamental Project Management ‘tools’

Work starts here! (A kick-start) Be glad you were here!!

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Project management principles – why manage your work?

Nobody else will! (Rule 1)

It makes life a whole lot easier!! Provides a basis for control – targeting success! (Rule 2)

Coordinate disparate but linked activity streams (coherence and congruence) (Rule 3)

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Project management principles – why manage your work?

Identify potential problems – gaps, bottlenecks etc (Rule 4)

Stimulate thinking (forward thinking - and ‘reflection’!) (Rule 5)

Motivation/inspiration (Rule 6)

Bonus ball: It doesn’t guarantee success – but it HELPS!

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A little “inspiration/…”

“Badly planned work will take three times longer than expected - well planned work will only take twice as long as expected!”

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

“It’s a job that’s never started that takes the longest to finish.”

“Time saved at the start of a project is just as effective as time saved at the end of a project.”

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More “inspiration/…”

“Good intentions get delayed by weeks/months/years one day at a time!”

“A two year project will take three years, a three year project will never finish.”

“If you’ve got to eat a frog don’t sit there looking at it!”

“Look where you slipped, not where you fell.”

“Activity does not equate to results or achievement.”

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So hopefully you will /…

Show initiative Work independently – under own steam Work out key tasks Set milestones Have a plan/plans Acquire necessary resources Acquire necessary skills Build relationships Be passionate and thorough!

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Planning and (-v-) ControlPlanning Control Setting clear objectives

Monitoring progress

Identifying the tasks you need to do

Reviewing and revising your plan/s

Linking tasks to a schedule (people/time/resources)

Evaluating outputs and processes

Pulling together a plan/s that meets your needs

Reviewing objectives as/if necessary

Customers and client

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Keeping on track!

Revise objectives

Stay on course

Adjust tasks

1Set objectives

2Plan, identify markers

and carry out tasks

3 Monitor progress

4Act on results of

monitoring

“Perseverance is not a long race: it is many short races one after another!”

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S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Objectives

S. = Specific M. = Measurable A. = Agreed R. = Realistic T. = Time-bound E. = Ethical R. = Recorded

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Monitoring (techniques) And Evaluation (types)

Monitoring Keeping records Regular reporting Exception/critical incidents Discussion/s and questioning (network)

Evaluation Results Your process/es Composite

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Other essential PM tools/…1. Gantt (bar) chart [c.f. network or

critical path analysis (CPA)]

2. Task breakdown chart

3. Key events lists

4. Force Field Analysis [Exercise 2]

5. Potential Problem Analysis

6. Matrices: eg (Communication/Actor-Issue/other)

Bonus tool: ‘HAVES/WANTS’ Matrix [Exercise 1]

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1. Gantt chart

 

    Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Month 4

  Research SurveyWk 1

Wk 2

Wk 3

Wk 4

Wk 1

Wk 2

Wk 3

Wk 4

Wk 1

Wk 2

Wk 3

Wk 4

Wk 5

Wk 1

Wk 2

Wk 3

Wk 4

1 Early working - eg define population

2 Construct sampling frame                                  

3 Decide sample size                                  

4 Choose sampling method                                  

5 Define survey content                                  

6 Decide delivery methods                                  

7 Design survey instrument/s                                  

8Devise schedules and incentives as appropriate                                  

9 Conduct pilot survey                                  

10 Review and amend as necessary                                  

11 Deliver survey                                  

12 Analyse and interpret results                                  

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2. Task breakdown chart

Research/erobjectives

Researchdesign

Researchperiod

Communicateresults

Research question/s

Research methods

Plan for research period andcommunicating results

Collect data

Analyse data

Develop conclusions

Develop recommendations

Review Develop communications plan

Publicise/use results

Research environment

Research aims

Research context

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3. Key events list

Date Key event Notes

APRIL

9 April Return from holiday Easter break - Iceland

25 April Finalise main conclusions Research survey with FSB

MAY

9 May Faculty meeting

16 May Writing retreat Special Interest Group

17 May Ditto

30 May Review deadline for joint research proposal: ‘How well do management survey instruments work?’

Possible new project – via RDA

JUNE

20 June Deadline with journal publisher ‘Long Range Planning’

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5. Potential Problem Analysis

Potential problems Consequences Possible causes Bullet proofing action Contingency plan

Data analysis problems

• Delays to research project

• Difficulty in drawing robust/meaningful conclusions

• Incomplete results

• Poor research design

• Inappropriate research method

• Weak instrument data collection

• Careful planning/design

• Pilot study

• Consultation with peers/colleagues

• Walk throughs, etc

• Allow ‘slack’ for taking longer to derive results or revisiting data captured

Final drafting process takes too long

• Missed journal deadline

• Loss of trust

• Other deadlines suffer

• Other pressures

• Loss of motivation

• Writer’s ‘block’

• Unanticipated/problematic results

• Allow some contingency time in writing plan

• Prepare for the writing task in advance

• Leverage peer support, eg advice and guidance

• Don’t procrastinate

• Simplify

• Increase time available or assigned to the task by ‘delegating’/’offloading’ other tasks

Rejectional journal article

• Frustration/disappointment

• Loss of potential impact and opportunities

• Perceptional wasted effort

• Flawed analysis/argument

• Inappropriate ‘timing’

• Inappropriate journal selection

• Internal peer review

• Mentoring

• Alternative journals in pipeline

• Scope to reframe/recast context of paper for a different purpose/audience.

Adverse or poor press coverage/PR

• Damage to personal reputation

• Further projects/opportunities hindered

• Reputational risk at international level

• Carefully prepared communications/dissemination strategy

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6. Matrices: Communication/Actor-Issue matrix (example)

Research components

Peers/colleagues

Line manager/supervisor

Research grouping/centre, etc

Faculty administra-tion (research administra-tors, etc)

Faculty management(Dean, AD(R), department head)

Institutional administra-tion (Research School, etc)

Institutional leadership (PVC Research, etc)

Discipline community

User community

Research Design and Proposal

Funding

Ethical issues

Data collection/construction

Determine findings and conclusions

Dissemination

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6. Matrices: evaluating/comparing survey channels

Context issues Face-to-face interview

Telephone interview

Postal questionnaire

E-mail Web

Does the mode of administration give respondents the opportunity to consult others for information? Does the mode of administration minimize the impact of interviewers’ characteristics (gender, class, ethnicity)?

Does the mode of administration minimise the impact of the social desirability effect? Doest the mode of administration allow control over the intrusion of others in answering question? Does the mode of administration minimise need for respondents to have certain skills to answer questions?

Does the mode of administration enable respondents to be probed?

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Aims of the HAVES/WANTS MATRIX Exercise

to help you to start to think about what you need in relation to your studies

to help you explore both general and specific issues with others

to introduce you to a simple but very effective tool that you can use throughout your studies (and beyond!)

to provide an example of how simple practical tools/devices can be useful

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HAVES/WANTS MATRIX

HAVE

WANT

Yes

No

No Yes

No Yes

No

Yes

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Guidelines – HAVEs/WANTs

One thing per post-it note. Write neatly. Be serious. Be specific. Identify five or six items each silently –

and then share. Trigger further ideas. Look at which quadrant/s are more or

less populated – what does that tell you?

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HAVES/WANTS MATRIX

WANT

No Yes

HAVE

Yes

AVOID

DIVEST

NURTURE

ACQUIRENo

No Yes

No

Yes

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Aims of the FORCE FIELD ANALYSIS (FFA) Exercise

to help you to think about the ‘project management’ process in relation to your studies

to help you explore both general and specific issues with others

to help you identify ways to overcome ‘negative’ issues/contexts

to help you identify ways of building on ‘positives’

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Guidelines – FORCE FIELD

One thing per post-it note. Statement – of 6 to 12 words. No single words. Write neatly. Identify five or six items each silently –

and then share and trigger further ideas.

The locate on flipchart sheet. [Close to centre equals BIG IMPACT; thin arrow equals easy to deal with.

Be serious and specific.

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Using Force Field Analysisto surface your PM issues

RESTRAINING FORCES

DESIRED STATECURRENT STATE

DRIVING FORCES EQUILIBRIUM

BARRIER

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PROJECT MANAGEMENT WORKSHOP – Roger PITFIELD

October 2010

Methods Conference1st Year Postgraduate Research Students

Thank you and GOOD LUCK!