Project Management Ch 1

List and discuss the at- tributes of a project

1. A project has a clear objective 2. A project is carried out through a set of interdependent activities (also referred to as tasks) 3. A project utilizes various resources to carry out the activities. 4. A project has a specific time frame or finite life span. 5. A project may be a unique or one-time endeavor. 6. A project has a sponsor or customer. 7. Finally, a project involves a degree of uncertainty.

Define what a project is

A project is an endeavor to accomplish a specific objective through a unique set of interrelated activities and the effective utilization of resources.

Explain 7

Before a project is started, a plan is prepared based on certain assumptions and estimates. It is important to document these assumptions because they will influence the development of the project work scope, schedule, and budget. A project is based on a unique set of interdependent activities and estimates of how long each activity should take, various resources and assumptions about the availability and capability of those resources, and estimates of the costs associated with the resources. This combi- nation of assumptions and estimates causes uncertainty that the project objective will be completely accomplished.

What is the closing phase?

In the closing phase, project evaluations are conducted, lessons learned are identified and documented to help improve performance on future projects, and project documents are organized and archived.

What is the initiating phase?

In the initiating phase, projects are identified and selected. They are then authorized, using a document referred to as a project charter.

What is the performing phase?

In the performing phase, the project plan is executed, and activities are carried out to produce all the project deliverables and to accomplish the project objective. During this phase, the project progress is monitored and controlled to assure the work remains on schedule and within budget, the scope is fully completed according to specifications, and all deliver- ables meet acceptance criteria. Also, any changes need to be documented, approved, and incorporated into an updated baseline plan, if necessary.

Explain 4

It has a start time and a date by which the objective must be accomplished. For example, the refurb- ishing of an elementary school might have to be completed between June 20 and August 20.

What is project quality?

Quality expectations must be defined from the onset of the project. The proj- ect work scope must be accomplished in a quality manner and meet specifi- cations. For example, in a house-building project, the customer expects the workmanship to be of the highest quality and all materials to meet specifications. Completing the work scope but leaving windows that are difficult to open and close, faucets that leak, or a landscape full of rocks will result in an unsatisfied customer and perhaps a payment or legal dispute. Mechanisms such as stan- dards, inspections, audits, and so forth must be put in place to assure quality expectations are being met throughout the project and not just checked or inspected at the end of the project, when it might be costly to correct. All project deliverables should have quantitative acceptance criteria

Explain 5

Some projects, like designing and building a space station, are unique because they have never been attempted before. Other projects, such as developing a new product, building a house, or planning a wedding, are unique because of the customization they require. For example, a wedding can be a simple, informal occasion, with a few friends in a chapel, or a spectacular event, staged for royalty.

Explain 3

Such resources can include different people, organizations, equipment, materials, and facili- ties. For example, a project to perform a complex series of surgical opera- tions may involve doctors with special expertise, nurses, anesthesiologists, surgical instruments, monitoring equipment, prosthetic devices or transplant organs, and special operating facilities.

What is the project budget?

The budget of a project is the amount the sponsor or customer has agreed to pay for acceptable project deliverables.

What are the phases of the Project Life Cycle?

The generic project life cycle has four phases: initiating, planning, performing, and closing the project.

What is the planning phase

The planning phase includes defining the project scope, identifying resources, developing a schedule and budget, and identifying risks, all of which make up the baseline plan for doing the project work.

What/who are stakeholders

The project manager and team need to build relationships with, and engage, the various stakeholders who may influence or may be affected by the project, in order to gain their support.

What is 1.

The project objective is usually defined in terms of end product or deliver- able, schedule, and budget. It requires completing the project work scope and producing all the deliverables within a certain time and budget. For example, the objective of a project might be to introduce a new portable food prepa- ration appliance in 10 months and within a budget of $2 million. The project objective may also include a statement of the expected benefits or outcomes that will be achieved from implementing the project.

What is project scope?

The project scope is all the work that must be done in order to produce all the project deliverables (the tangible product or items to be provided), satisfy the cus- tomer that the deliverables meet the requirements and acceptance criteria, and accomplish the project objective.

What is a project schedule?

The schedule for a project is the timetable that specifies when each activity should start and finish.

Explain 6

The sponsor/customer is the entity that provides the funds necessary to accomplish the project. It can be a person, an organization, or a partnership of two or more people or organizations.

Key constraints within which a project must be managed

The successful accomplishment of the project objective could be constrained by many factors, including scope, quality, schedule, budget, resources, risks, customer satisfaction, and stakeholder support.

What is a project risk?

There could be risks that adversely affect accomplishing the project objective.

What is customer satisfaction

Ultimately, the responsibility of the project manager is to make sure the cus- tomer is satisfied. This goes beyond just completing the project scope within bud- get and on schedule or asking if the customer or sponsor is satisfied at the end of the project. It means not only meeting the customer's expectations but also devel- oping and maintaining an excellent working relationship throughout the project. It requires ongoing communication with the customer or sponsor to keep the cus- tomer informed and to determine whether expectations have changed.

What are project resources?

Various resources are needed to perform the project activities, produce the proj- ect deliverables, and accomplish the project objective. Resources include people, materials, equipment, facilities, and so forth

What is 2

a set of interdependent activities (also referred to as tasks)—that is, a number of nonrepetitive activities that need to be accomplished in a certain sequence in order to achieve the project objective.

unforeseen circumstances may jeopardize the achievement of the project objective with respect to scope, budget, or schedule.

• The cost of some of the materials is more than originally estimated. • Inclement weather causes a delay. • Additional redesign and modifications to a new sophisticated medical instrument are required to get it to meet performance specifications and government testing requirements. • Delivery of a critical component for an aviation control system is delayed several months. • Environmental contaminants are discovered when excavating for a new building. • A key project team member with unique technical knowledge decides to retire, which creates a gap in critical expertise.