Project Management: Choosing the Right Tools and Approach
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The document discusses project management principles, focusing on the importance of selecting appropriate tools and methodologies to effectively manage projects. It covers various project management approaches, including Waterfall and Agile, detailing their structures, benefits, and key components such as project plans, communication strategies, and task management tools. Additionally, it highlights various project management tools available, including Microsoft Project, Jira, and Basecamp, catering to different project needs.
Project Management: Choosing the Right Tools and Approach
- 1. Project Management: Choosing the Right Tools and Approach #13NTCTools Peter Campbell Project Management 1
- 2. What Is A Project? Slide 2Project Management Picture: Laurensvanlieshout from nl
- 3. Project Factors • Distinctness – Is it a change from your routine tasks? • Scope – Is it ambitious or important enough to track? • Duration - Will it be done before the plan is written down? • Complexity - Is this simple enough to trust that it can be done without oversight? • Budget - Is the cost inconsequential? • Impact – Will anyone notice when the project is completed? Project Management 3
- 4. What Does A Project Plan Do For You? • Summarizes an initiative’s goals • Sets scope, milestones and schedule • Keeps multiple parties on task • Identifies pre-requisites and risks • Manages workloads • Provides marketing data Project Management 4
- 5. What Does A Project Plan Fail To Do? • Go as planned • Keep anyone on task • Do the job for you • Communicate Project Management 5
- 6. Communication • “90% of a Project Managers time is spent communicating” – Project Management Institute • “And the remaining 10% is spent communicating” – Jeff Herron, Beaconfire Project Management 6
- 7. Communication Styles • Agreement on communication protocols can greatly support a project’s success • All the same, a great Project Manager understands and adapts to the team’s individual styles – Traits of a Successful Project Manager – Beaconfire Blog • In addition to the project plan, large projects also benefit from communications plans Project Management 7
- 9. Waterfall • Traditional Project Management methodology • Focuses on plan, dependencies, resource allocation • Deadline driven • Best for large, structured projects with clearly defined outcomes – Construction, Bridges Project Management 9
- 10. Work-Breakdown Structure • A work-breakdown structure makes a project manageable by iteratively identifying the subprojects that make up the whole project Project Management 10
- 11. Project Charter • Short description of the project and it’s goals • Must effectively communicate why the effort is being taken • Best to have three or four high-level goals • Make them your mantra! Project Management 11
- 12. Work-Breakdown Structure (WBS) • Draft project summary • Break into subprojects – Tip: look at each deliverable as a subproject • Iterate until manageable • Assign tasks • Define relationships ( Identify predecessors) • Assign dates and milestones Project Management 12
- 13. WBS Example • Project: Replace Email Marketing System – Sub 1 Deliverable: Requirements Gathered • Tasks: Discuss needs, prep requirements doc – Sub 2 Deliverable: Suitable Replacements IDed • Tasks: Research, evaluation – Sub 3 Deliverable: Product Decided On • Tasks: schedule demos, view demos, decide – Sub 4 Deliverable: Product Purchased • Tasks: Negotiate contract… Project Management 13
- 14. Dates, Deliverables and Dependencies • Deliverables – components of the project that are produced – measurable • Dependencies – Pre-requisites – Key to tracking and adjusting to project delays • Dates – Targets that can be adjusted as plans change Project Management 14Picture by Claude Covo-Farchi
- 16. RACI Matrixes • RACI is an acronym for: – Responsible • Those who perform the project tasks – Accountable • Those who approve the project work – Consulted • Those who advise on the project – Informed • Those who are reported to on project status Project Management 16
- 17. Allocating Resources • Time and effort allocations are ambitious – Identify project vs general duty hours – Consider tracking time • Task Labor = Effort / Employees – If it takes 80 hours to input the legacy data into the system, and two people are assigned – Effort = 40 hours for each person. Project Management 17
- 20. Agile • Modern approach • Prioritizes communication, constant review, collaboration • Highly adaptable timeline • Best for opportunistic projects with flexible outcomes: – Software applications, web sites, some campaigns Project Management 20
- 21. 12 Principles of Agile Development Per Kent Beck, source: Wikipedia •Customer satisfaction by rapid delivery of useful software •Welcome changing requirements, even late in development •Working software is delivered frequently (weeks rather than months) •Working software is the principal measure of progress •Sustainable development, able to maintain a constant pace •Close, daily cooperation between business people and developers •Face-to-face conversation is the best form of communication (co-location) •Projects are built around motivated individuals, who should be trusted •Continuous attention to technical excellence and good design •Simplicity—the art of maximizing the amount of work not done—is essential •Self-organizing teams •Regular adaptation to changing circumstances Project Management 21
- 22. Kanban Project Management 22Picture by Jeff.lasovski
- 23. SCRUM • Is not an acronym, so give it up! • Is a project planning methodology • Iterative and incremental • Incorporates frequent feedback loops btw: – Product Owner/Customer – Development Team – Scrum Master (Servant/Leader) • Gives decision-making authority to developers Project Management 23
- 24. Sprints • Coding Sprints meet short term objectives in a SCRUM environment • A SCRUM board will list the issues to be addressed by the sprint • A Burndown chart will track the progress as issues are checked off. Project Management 24
- 25. Issue Lists • For agile projects, issue lists contain all of the items to be addressed. • Issue lists are rapidly modified as issues are added and marked off. Project Management 25
- 27. Microsoft Project • Grandaddy of Waterfall Planning Tools • Optimal for building bridges, planning the Olympics • Much improved in 2010 version, but still suffers from poor collaboration • Project Server is collaborative product – Requires Sharepoint + Project ($$$) Project Management 27
- 28. Salesforce • Dream Team – waterfall, NPO discounts • Milestones PM – Popular free task management • Do – Salesforce’s free task management • Lots more here: – https://appexchange.salesforce.com/category/pr oject-management Project Management 28
- 29. Sharepoint • 2013 has many of the basic PM features built- in: – Task lists, wikis, document management, calendars, social networking • Relatively inexpensive (TechSoup) • Requires lots of hardware, though • Difficult licensing for external parties Project Management 29
- 30. Jira • Powerful, flexible task and issue management • Free for Nonprofits • Integrates w/Confluence Wiki and Greenhopper Agile PM tool • Highly extensible • SQL-based macros! (I’m a geek, I admit it) Project Management 30
- 31. Basecamp • Cloud-based agile tool • Elegantly simple web task management • Strong calendaring and email integration Project Management 31
- 32. GANTTProject • Cross-platform (JAVA) tool for creating GANNT Charts • Mini-MS Project, if you want • Imports/exports to spreadsheet, graphics, Project – http://www.ganttproject.biz/ Project Management 32
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