Introduction to project management

Editor's Notes

• #10: SCOPE MANAGEMENT – Ensuring all the appropriate work within the project scope is completed and only the work within scope is being conductedTIME MANAGEMENT – Schedule ManagementCOST MANAGEMENT – How costs are controlled and incurred costs are paidQUALITY MANAGEMENT – Quality Assurance Plan – How quality control is measured and satisfiedHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT – Development of the project team, reporting structure, resource capacityCOMMUNICATIONS MANAGEMENT – How project communications will be handled to ensure all project stakeholders are informedRISK MANAGEMENT – Risk Management plan to have all project stakeholders in agreement on how project risks will be handled (aversion, mitigation or assumption)PROCUREMENT MANAGEMENT – Procurement process, contract processesINTEGRATION MANAGEMENT – Integration of all areas of project management to develop a cohesive project plan
• #11: This component is used to communicateHow the scope was definedHow the project scope will be managedWho will manage the scope (e.g., PM, QA)Change Control
• #12: Issues not easily resolved are escalated for resolution. Issues are typically identified throughout the project and logged and tracked through resolution.In this section of the plan the following processes are depicted:Where issues will be maintained and trackedThe process for updating issues regularlyThe escalation processThe vehicle by which team members can access documented issuesIssue… already impacting the cost, time or quality Risk… POTENTIAL negative impact to project
• #13: Resource Planning - Full Time Employees, Professional Services, Cost, and ContingencyResource Planning - The physical resources required (people, equipment, materials) and what quantities are necessary for the projectBudget Budget estimatesBaseline estimatesProject Actuals
• #14: What is Quality - conformance to requirements’ - Crosby ‘fitness for use’ - Juran ‘the totality of characteristics of an entity that bear on its ability to satisfy stated and implied need’ - ISO 8402:1994 Customer-Based -> Fitness for use, meeting customer expectations. Manufacturing-Based -> Conforming to design, specifications, or requirements. Having no defects. Product-Based -> The product has something that other similar products do not that adds value. Value-Based -> The product is the best combination of price and features. 5. Transcendent It is not clear what it is, but it is something good...via:Quality Planning, Quality Assurance, and Quality ControlClearly Defined Quality Performance StandardsHow those Quality and Performance Standards are measured and satisfiedHow Testing and Quality Assurance Processes will ensure standards are satisfiedContinuous ongoing quality control
• #15: Communications planning: Determining the needs (who needs what information, when they need it, and how it will be delivered)Information Distribution: Defining who and how information will flow to the project stakeholders and the frequencyPerformance Reporting: Providing project performance updates via status reporting.Communications planningInformation DistributionPerformance ReportingDefine the schedule for the Project Meetings (Team, OSC, ESC), Status Meetings and Issues Meetings to be implemented
• #17: Formal change control is required for all of the followingScope ChangeSchedule changesTechnical Specification ChangesTraining ChangesAll changes require collaboration and buy in via the project sponsor’s signature prior to implementation of the changes
• #27: Process ResponsibilitiesThe project manager normally is responsible for defining and planning the project. This results in the completion of a Project Definition and a project workplan. Once the project starts, the project manager must successfully manage and control the work, including: Identifying, tracking managing and resolving project issues Proactively disseminating project information to all stakeholders Identifying, managing and mitigating project risk Ensuring that the solution is of acceptable quality Proactively managing scope to ensure that only what was agreed to is delivered, unless changes are approved through scope management Defining and collecting metrics to give a sense for how the project is progressing and whether the deliverables produced are acceptable Managing the overall workplan to ensure work is assigned and completed on time and within budget To manage the project management processes, a person should be well organized, have great follow-up skills, be process oriented, be able to multi-task, have a logical thought process, be able to determine root causes, have good analytical ability, be a good estimator and budget manager, and have good self-discipline. People ResponsibilitiesIn addition to process skills, a project manager must have good people management skills. This includes: Having the discipline and general management skills to make sure that people follow the standard processes and procedures Establishing leadership skills to get the team to willingly follow your direction. Leadership is about communicating a vision and getting the team to accept it and strive to get there with you. Setting reasonable, challenging and clear expectations for people, and holding them accountable for meeting the expectations. This includes providing good performance feedback to team members Team building skills so that the people work together well, and feel motivated to work hard for the sake of the project and their other team members. The larger your team and the longer the project, the more important it is to have good team-building skills. Proactive verbal and written communicator skills, including good, active listening skills.  Multiple RolesDepending on the size and complexity of the project, the project manager may take on other responsibilities in addition to managing the work. For instance, the project manager may assist with gathering business requirements. Or they may help design a database management system or they may write some of the project documentation. Project management is a particular role that a person fills, even if the person who is the project manager is working in other roles as well. 
• #30: This component is used to communicateHow the scope was definedHow the project scope will be managedWho will manage the scope (e.g., PM, QA)Change Control
• #31: Issues not easily resolved are escalated for resolution.
• #32: Resource Planning - Full Time Employees, Professional Services, Cost, and Contingency
• #33: What is Quality - conformance to requirements’ - Crosby ‘fitness for use’ - Juran ‘the totality of characteristics of an entity that bear on its ability to satisfy stated and implied need’ - ISO 8402:1994 Customer-Based -> Fitness for use, meeting customer expectations. Manufacturing-Based -> Conforming to design, specifications, or requirements. Having no defects. Product-Based -> The product has something that other similar products do not that adds value. Value-Based -> The product is the best combination of price and features. 5. Transcendent It is not clear what it is, but it is something good...
• #34: Communications planning: Determining the needs (who needs what information, when they need it, and how it will be delivered)Information Distribution: Defining who and how information will flow to the project stakeholders and the frequencyPerformance Reporting: Providing project performance updates via status reporting.