Southwest Missouri State University Student STC Chapter 16 Mar 2004 1/32 Springfield, MO Project Management : Gaining Control Thomas L. Warren Technical

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Project Management : Gaining Control

Thomas L. WarrenTechnical Writing ProgramOklahoma State UniversityStillwater, OK 74078-4069

[email protected]://www.okstate.edu/artsci/

techwr

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Overview of Talk

• Definition and uses of project management

• Project Scope• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)• Conclusion• Questions/Discussion

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Resources

• A Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute, 2000. http://www.pmi.org; http://www.pmibookstore.org

• Penner, Donald D. The Project Manager’s Survival Guide: The Handbook for Real-World Project Management, 2nd edition. Columbus, OH: Battelle Press, 2002. http://www.battelle.org/bookstore

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Definition*

• ManagementApplying knowledge, skills, tools, and

techniques to meet or exceed stake holder's needs and expectations

• Project“A temporary endeavor undertaken to

create a unique product or service”Definite beginning and ending (temporary)Different from all other products or services

in some way (unique)

*A Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute, 2000, pp. 4, 6.

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Key Issues and Topics*

Integration Collaborative

project management and development

Scope—limitations

Time Cost

• Quality controls• Human resources• Communications• Risk

management• Legal issues and

proprietary information

• Procurement

*A Guide to Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute, 2000, pp. 7-8.

Become the sections of Project Plan

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Sample Projects

• Develop documentation for a new product or service

• Change structure, style, or staffing of an organization or department

• Develop/acquire new or modified information system

• Develop appropriate format for conveying needed information

• Develop a five-year documentation plan

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Sample Projects

• Something more immediatePlan a spring conferenceGet an “A” in a coursePrepare an outstanding seminar

paper

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8/32Springfield, MO

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Key Issues

• What will be done and for whom?• Who will do what?• When must it all be done?• When must the pieces be done?• How much will it cost?• What are the deliverables?• What happens if . . . ?

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Focus of Talk

• Project Scope (assume charter agreed)Listing of all deliverablesTells what the project will and will

not cover

• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)Identify specific tasksEstimate time required

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Scope: Inputs

Scope Statement: Written statement that

is basis for future project decisions

Constraints

Assumptions

Expert Input

NOTE: Same input types needed for all 11 sections of the Project Plan

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Scope: Constraints

• Project limitsTime?Money/budget?Staff?Customer

requirements (contractual provisions)?

Environment?

Scope Statement:

Written statement that

is basis for future project

decisions

Constraints

Assumptions

Expert

Input

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Scope: Assumptions

• Organization goals and objectives

• Product goals and objectives

• Customer needs• Product complexity• Project authorization

(charter)• Key personnel

availability

Scope Statement:



decisions

Constraints

Assumptions

Expert Input

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Scope: Expert Input

• Managers from similar projects

• Other organizational personnel (purchasing, human resources, e.g.)

• Consultants• Stakeholders• Professional and

technical associations• Industry groups

Scope Statement:



decisions

Constraints

Assumptions

Expert Input

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Scope Control

• Must prevent Scope creep• Establish specific procedure for

changing scopeChanges submitted by whom?Changes approved by whom?Areas that cannot be changed?Scope change notification

• Scope is key to WBS that is key to time management that is the key to …

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Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

• Sub-divide project deliverables into smaller and smaller unitsIdentify major deliverables (from

Scope statement)Use as criteria for subdividing

adequate cost and durationIdentify how work will be defined,

organized, and accomplished• Activity list itself is a deliverable• Example: FORUM, an International

Conference

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Items to Prepare

Publications

Call for Papers

Parts

PreSeedings

Program

Post Harves

t

PartsPartsParts

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FORUM 2000

FORUM 2003

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Sample Activities List for FORUM 2003

• Call for Papers• Poster• Delegate folder• Preliminary

Programme*• PreSeedings

• Supplemental PreSeedings

• Final Programme*

• Planning Guide for delegates

• Supplemental Final Programme*

• PostHarvest* International spelling

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Call for Papers Activities List

• Logo and art• Author

Instructions• Produce copy• Design and

layout cover and pages

• Format files• Send for proofing

• Proof files• Return for

correcting• Correct files• Send to vendor• Print• Distribute

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WBS, cont.

• Develop WBS based on finer and finer granularityLogo development tasks

Identify theme (comes from another team)Call for designs (separate publication)Evaluate designs based on criteria (from?)Feedback to designer(s) (by?)Revise designProofsReviewed (by?)Agreed

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WBS, cont.

• Develop WBS based on finer and finer granularity—when do you stop?Who are your potential resource

people?How “professional” are they—how

much do they know?Manager of Logo taskDesigner(s)

Fine line between managing and micro-managing

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Screen shot of Word WBS for three of the publications.

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Steps: Time Management

• Define the activityOverallMajor stepsTasks to accomplish steps

• Sequence activities—dependencies especially important (“A” must happen before “B”)

• Estimate activity duration• Develop a schedule• Control the schedule

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Estimating Time

• Use past experience• Should include a range

2 weeks 2 days Time = 8-12 working days

• Could indicate probability15% probability finish in 3 weeks85% probability finish within 3

weeks

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Class Paper: Start

• CharterStandard practiceSubject of seminarRequirements of instructorClass and personal goals Criteria for meeting goals

• ScopeSyllabusDiscussion by instructor

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Class Paper: Tasks

• What steps do you normally follow?Select topic—how does that happen? How

long does it take? Relies on?Research—how does that happen? How

long does it take? Relies on?Draft—how does that happen? How long

does it take? Relies on?Revise—how does that happen? How long

does it take? Relies on?Final copy—how does that happen? How

long does it take? Relies on?Proofread—how does that happen? How

long does it take? Relies on?

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Class Paper

• Other factors to considerManaging costs—budget for the

projectQuality control—measuring successPeople management—rely on whom?Communications—with whom and

how often?Risk management—whatever can go

wrong, willLessons learned report—for next

time you do a paper

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Conclusion

• Project and time management an important part of any

technical communicator’s job (and student’s)

something you know how to do (planning a document)

allows you to control your projectProjects have beginnings and endings

Management means handling the middle part

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Conclusion, cont.

• Been managing time and a project since you learned to write documents

• Good scheduling (scope, WBS, time allocation) the key to successful time and project management

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Questions

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Thank You

Please feel free to contact me [email protected] see our web page

www.okstate.edu/artsci/techwr

We offer graduate courses in publications management

Documents

Southwest Missouri State University Student STC Chapter 16 Mar 2004 1/32 Springfield, MO Project Management : Gaining Control Thomas L. Warren Technical