MIST 5740s Test 3
A good project metric must be
- Understandable (Intuitive) - Quantifiable (Objective -> no bias) - Cost Effective (Easy and inexpensive to create) - Proven (What gets measured gets done) - High Impact (Otherwise why bother?)
Prioritize their attention/efforts
1) Critical path 2) LF-EF = 0 then no slack
Components of EPM model
1) Establish consistent EPM processes 2) technology enable EPM processes 3) the people who deliver projects 4) organization/support project management
Benefits of formalizing PM
1. Agreement among the project team, customer, and management on the goals of the project 2. A plan that shows an overall path and clear responsibilities, which is also used to measure progress during the project 3. Constant, effective communication among everyone involved in the project 4. A controlled scope 5. Management support
traditional problem solving process
1. Identify the problem 2. Gather data to analyze the causes and consequences of the problem 3. Explore alternative solutions 4. Evaluate the alternatives 5. Select the appropriate solution 6. Implement the solution 7. Evaluate the results
How can you build a WBS
1. begin at the top 2. name all tasks required to produce deliverables 3. organize the WBS 4. be sure that summary tasks are meaningful
Exemplary Leadership
1. model the way 2. inspire a shared vision 3. challenge the process 4. enable others to act 5. encourage the heart
How do you know if a work package is completed and was done correctly?
8/80 rule: No task should be smaller than 8 labor hours or larger than 80 Reporting period rule: No task should be longer than the distance between two status points. In other words, if you hold weekly status meetings, then no task should be longer than one week. This rule is especially useful when it is time to report schedule status, because you will no longer have to hear about task statuses that are 25, 40, or 68 percent complete. If you've followed a weekly reporting rule, tasks will be reported as either complete (100 percent), started (50 percent), or not started (0 percent). No task should be at 50 percent for two consecutive status meetings "If it's useful" rule: The task if easier to estimate, The task is easier to assign, The task is easier to track Completion criteria: Peer reviews checklists Systematic testing
Include a buffer
A buffer, normally referred to as management reserve, should be allocated to the project budget. The management reserve is primarily there to deal with known risks (a risk response), the estimating uncertainty factor, and the overall planning uncertainty factor (hidden work, rework, hidden costs, and change requests). In addition, if you have a long-term project or an international project, you might need a buffer for monetary factors such as inflation and exchange rates. Of course, these should be noted as risks in these situations.
Gantt Chart
A project management tool that illustrates a project plan. It typically includes two sections: the left side outlines a list of tasks the right side has a timeline with schedule bars that visualize work It can also include the start and end dates of tasks, milestones, dependencies between tasks, and assignees
Project
A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result with a definite beginning and end that adds measurable value
Elapsed time
Accounts for partitioning tasks & absence if sum of T2 = 10 then 10x(5/4) = 6.25 elapsed = 6.25
Shift in project acceptance criteria
Addresses changes in either the targeted completion date, financial return on investments, client satisfaction ratings, quality levels, other expected benefits, or the stakeholders who need to approve.
Project lifecyle - plan
After the rules are approved, the PM begins building the project plan. As the details of how to execute the project are worked out, it is likely that some of the decisions in the project rules will change. At the end of the planning phase, all parties must approve the plan and any changes made to the rules.
Risk Management
All project management is risk management. The current approaches and rules of modern project management—especially those surrounding portfolio management, project definition, and project planning—are all risk management focused. From past experiences, we now know how to structure a project for total success and how to greatly increase the likelihood the project will achieve its objectives
Engaged stakeholders
Although formal sign-offs do act as strong "stick" incentives to get stakeholders involved, there is nothing like having professional, knowledgeable, and engaged stakeholders who are committed to doing their best as the best weapon against unplanned scope expansion. A team of people who want to work together and get the job done can accomplish the work at hand with a less formal level of project management.
Defer to post implementation
Another technique that will not prevent change requests, and that might not be applicable to all project situations; however, if it does work, it can reduce impact on the project success factors. If the change request is legitimate but is not absolutely critical to the initial release (there is not a workaround, it does not adversely affect the customer experience), you can guide the CCB to defer the request to a future project or a post-implementation phase.
Risk Management Framework HASCRF
"Healthy paranoia" Appropriate Systematic Continuous Relentless Focused
Focus on buy-in
Especially on proposed scope changes, make sure the right stakeholders are involved, understand the need and impact of the proposed change, and agree to the action plans before proceeding.
Balancing the competing demands
Every project is defined to produce one or more deliverables (scope) within a defined time period (time), under an approved budget (cost) with a specified set of resources. In addition, the deliverables must achieve a certain performance level (quality) and meet the approval of the key stakeholders (expectations). Each of these factors can affect the others, as Figure 1.2 illustrates. For example, if additional functionality (scope, quality) is desired, the time and cost (resources needed) of the project will increase. This is a key focus of an effective project manager.
inspire a vision
Exemplary leaders have an exciting vision or dream that acts as a force to ignite a passion for what the future could be (i.e., inventing the future) This vision should inspire people so that they become committed to a purpose by Understanding their needs, interest, and language Engaging in dialogue, not monologue
Encourage the Heart
Exemplary leaders rally others to carry on by encouraging the heart Can be simple gestures such as a thank you or can be dramatic The leaders should show appreciation for people's contributions and create a culture to recognize accomplishments Recognition and celebration should not be phony or lame Must visibly link rewards with performance Authentic rituals and celebration that align with a team's values can build a strong collective identity and spirit that can carry the team throughout the project journey
Challenge the Process
Exemplary leaders venture out and accept challenges not the status quo They look for new opportunities to innovate, grow and improve But most leaders do not create, develop, or come up with new products, services, or processes They are often good listeners who recognize good ideas, support those ideas, and then challenge the process to make those ideas happen They minimize the risk of failure for others while making people feel safe and comfortable in taking
Focused
Focus on the risks that you can control—starting with the high-priority risks.
outcome frame model
Focuses on what you think you need or want. It closes the gap from the present state to the desired state. The outcome frame model focuses on the desired outcome instead of directly focusing on solving the problem. It directs you toward accomplishing a satisfying outcome.
Followership
Followership is the art of leading from behind, the art of leading up, and committing one's talents and knowledge in support of organizational goals in response to the influence of a leader or in anticipation of this influence Love and fear (you should lead from love, not fear) - Two major human emotions that Dr. H. believes are the foundation for all leadership actions - Intro to Leadership slide deck /whiteboard/notes
Determine probability
For each risk factor that has been identified, determine the likelihood that the risk event will occur. The goal is to quantify the uncertainty as much as possible, although in reality, this is still a judgment call. Common methods include numeric scales (1-5, 1-10) and subjective scales (High, Medium, Low).
Assess impact
For each risk factor, determine the potential impact the risk event would have on the project critical success factors if it occurred. Like the probability element, the goal is to quantify the potential impact as much as possible. Generally, the same type of scale is used here, too. It is a good idea to document the specific impact (which critical success factor) and the magnitude of the impact.
Over-communicate
For effective stakeholder management, make sure that all project changes are clearly communicated and understood by all key project stakeholders.
Formal acceptance sign-offs
Formal sign-offs are a key aspect of change control management, especially for client-vendor oriented projects. The formal record of review and acceptance of a given deliverable helps to keep expectations aligned and minimize potential disputes.
Over-reliance on formal sign-offs
Formal sign-offs are important and valuable; however, they should represent genuine agreement and understanding. Verify that you have real understanding and buy-in before proceeding.
estimate when the project will finish
Forward pass - biggest num Backward pass - smallest num
How can a project manager respond to risk using steps in the risk framework
Identify Determine probability Assess impact Prioritize Develop responses Get buy-in Monitor
Poor scope statement
If the scope statement is incomplete, ambiguous, inconsistent with project assumptions, or does not address the complete business workflow process, you are much more likely to have project scope changes. Of course, this would happen only on projects that you inherited and would never happen on projects that you helped define.
Set up a change control system
If your organization does not already have a defined procedure for project change control, then you need to set up a change control system for your project. We discuss the details later in this chapter. The key benefits for establishing a formal change control system include the following: Helps protect the integrity of the project performance baselines Ensures that the right people are involved in the decision-making process Helps manage stakeholder expectations Enhances the credibility and professionalism of the project manager Prevents issues and confrontations when changes do occur
Aligned with contract
If your project involves contractual arrangements, make sure the project's change control process is aligned with the change control process used to manage the contract with the vendor(s).
You have no choice
In many environments, there are legal, regulatory, or process compliance requirements that must be met. In each of these cases, having control over work product changes is an absolute must. Most of this activity is focused on protecting the integrity of the work product and providing associated audit trials (evidence).
The impact of the change
In most cases, the individuals who need to assess the impact of a proposed change, especially scope changes, are members of the existing project team—who have current work assignments. Be aware of the impact that this unplanned effort could have on the project, and guide the CCB accordingly.
Healthy Paranoia
It's all attitude, even if it is a little psycho. Effective project managers take responsibility for managing risks on their project—believe me, no one else wants the job. As a result, you must strike the balance between having a paranoid outlook about your project (constantly thinking about what could go wrong) and doing everything you can to make sure the project is executed as planned.
Management of Self
Knowing one's skills and deploying them effectively. Know your strengths and nurture them. Develop an ability to accept and take intelligent risks.
Backward pass
LS and LF
Management of Meaning
Leaders must communicate their vision. Not mere explanation or clarification but the creation of meaning. Leaders integrate facts, concepts, and anecdotes into meaning for others.
Enable Others to Act
Leaders must get others to act by encouraging collaboration and building trust among the project stakeholders Leaders provide an environment that makes it possible for others to do good work People should feel empowered and motivated to do their best, feel a sense of ownership, and take pride in what they do Leaders should give power away, not hang on to it In short, a leader must turn his or her followers into leaders themselves
Work packages
Lowest level sub-tasks in the work breakdown structure They are relatively short in time span; measurable by cost, assignable to an individual, department or company. Although this may differ from project to project, most project managers concur that the 8/80 rule can be applied to measure a work package. This rule says that no work package should be less than 8 hours and greater than 80 hours.
Bennis' Four Competencies (ATMS)
Management of Attention Management of Meaning Management of Trust Management of Self
Solid requirements definition
Mentioned before when we looked at the common reasons for scope changes.
Model the way
Most effective leaders lead by example A leader's behavior wins respect, not title or position Find your own voice based on your personal values and beliefs, but what you do is often more important than what you say Modeling the way sets an example of what the leader expects from others and gives the leader the right to lead others
Poor requirements definition
There are entire training courses on requirements definition and requirements management due to the importance they play in project success. Suffice to say, the more gaps that you have in your requirements, the more scope changes you are likely to have. For your awareness, here is a list of the leading reasons for poorly defined requirements: Ineffective or wrong techniques used to gather requirements Communication breakdowns between analysts and stakeholders Requirements are not aligned with project scope Requirements do not address complete process workflow Documented requirements are not meaningful to targeted audience Requirements not reviewed for inconsistencies Requirements not verified for correctness and completeness Missing stakeholders Users sign off without a real understanding of what the documented requirements mean
Trace requirements
There is nothing like linking any work specification to its original source to control project scope. By tracing and showing the relationship from the original business objectives down to the detail design specification, you can identify (and possibly eliminate) any scope expansion when it is first proposed. If the proposed feature does not link directly to a higher-level specification, it is a potential scope change.
Track assumptions and constraints
This definitely is part of your risk response plan, too, but part of your watchdog mindset is to keep a close eye on the project assumptions and constraints. If these change, your project will definitely be impacted.
Identify
This is the critical step of identifying the risks to the project. The best way to start this process is also the best way to leverage the lessons from the past—use a risk profile. A risk profile, also referred to as a risk checklist or risk assessment form, lists the common sources of project risk that you need to consider. Although most risk profiles help you evaluate the majority of risk factors that are common to all projects, including the listing later in this chapter, the best risk profiles are ones that are specific to your industry, organization, and project type. In addition, the less experience that you have in project management or in the project domain, the more you should facilitate this process with the key stakeholders and subject matter experts on your project team.
Minimize scope changes
This is the great balance of managing project changes. On the one hand, you plan for changes and set up a system to manage those changes when they do occur; on the other hand, you work diligently on influencing those factors that are responsible for project changes, especially scope changes, to minimize their occurrence. The keys here include the following: Keep the team focused on the project objectives, the big picture. Listen carefully. You must understand immediately when a critical gap is identified. Limit, if not totally avoid, any unnecessary changes by either the customer or the team. Educate stakeholders on the impact of their change request. Encourage any scope change request that is not an absolute, must-have feature to be scheduled for a follow-up project (cycle, iteration, or phase).
Project lifecycle - closeout
This is the smallest phase of the project. Closeout activities perform 3 important functions. 1. making the transition to the next phase 2. establishing formal closure of the project in the eyes of the customer. 3. reviewing project successes and failures with a view to improving future projects.
Project lifecycle - execute
This is the stage of performing the project. This phase takes about 90 percent or more of the project's effort. The execution phase of the project is complete when the goal of the project is reached.
Use the system
This might seem obvious, but it is a common pitfall. Make sure to utilize the change control system that you have defined. If the project manager does not consistently follow the process, no one else will either.
Project lifecycle - define
This phase begins when a project and project manager are named in a project charter and it is completed when the project rules are approved. Approving this document means that all parties agree on the project goals, approaches, and triple constraints
Use the right project approach
This technique is more about risk management, but change control and risk management are very intertwined. As mentioned before, if you know there is likely to be a high degree of change, structure your project in a manner that allows for deliberate, planned scope expansion (prototyping, iterations, cycles, early and frequent product reviews, and so on). For all projects, the following approaches help reduce the number of project changes: Emphasis on project definition and planning Shorter timeframes (1 year or less is preferred) Pilot tests Phased implementations Go/no-go decisions at phase ends
Dealing with the impossible fighting fires
Organizing for project management. Rather than making the excuse that your projects are too fast or too fluid for these project management techniques, remember that a systematic method for using all of them will increase your ability to respond quickly to any situation. Fire department folks—who literally fight fires for a living—don't wing it. When their fire bell rings, they know all the right questions to ask to define the project, identify the risks, and make a plan. They don't call them project managers, but they have a designated leader whose job it is to monitor, coordinate, and communicate. So take a tip from the real firefighters: Get organized before the fire starts.
Allocate resources
Partition and elapsed times delegate/empower (requisite authority and resources)
Components of project control
Performance reporting Change control management Configuration management Issue management Risk management Quality management Procurement management Requirements management
Fundamentals of managing project change
Plan for change Set up a change control system Educate stakeholders Use the system Minimize scope changes Over-communicate Be a watchdog
Use the WBS to illustrate impact
This technique might not prevent change requests from being submitted, but it can help you classify something as a change (and not part of the intended scope), and it can help you communicate the effect of the proposed change. By reviewing your detailed WBS, you can show that the work for the proposed feature was never accounted for, and you can show what other work items will be affected by adding the proposed change.
What challenges are involved in managing projects
Uncharted territory Multiple expectations Communication obstacles Balancing the competing demands
Can't say no
Use your change control system and don't automatically agree to accept a scope change request without running it through the process. This is a common issue with project managers who have a fear of confrontation. Use your system as an objective third party to minimize direct confrontations.
Management of Attention
Vision, dream, communicate and extraordinary focus of commitment. Draw others to them.
Key inputs for building a schedule
WBS effort estimates task relationships resources risk responses
Reasons why we should do configuration management
Where is that file? Lost productivity Baseline? Who made that change? Who approved that change? That will never happen to us We said we would do what? I've got your official sign-off right here You have no choice The ultimate reason: negotiating power
Educate stakeholders
Whether you adopt an existing change control system or develop your own, you need to step through the change control process with your stakeholders. Do not assume that because the procedure is documented that individuals understand it or their roles and responsibilities within it.
Justifying project investment
With more projects accountable to a project selection process and to financial return on investment expectations, it is increasingly
Shift in technology
With the move to shorter duration and phased projects, this is not as much of an issue as it has been in the past. However, there are still times when new technology becomes available during a project that will significantly meet the needs of the customer much better than what is currently planned.
Inadequate impact analysis
You are exercising your change control system. The change request is being assessed. You are in good shape—right? Probably. Just make sure the analysis performed on the impact is complete. At the minimum, verify the following on any change request assessment: Has the total work effort been accounted for? All supporting processes? All impacted deliverables? Have the implications of the request been completely considered? Have all impacted stakeholders been considered?
Present State to Desired State
You can get from the present state to the desired state through resources and action steps
Follow the money
You should have determined this as part of project definition, but just in case you haven't, make sure you are totally clear on who is financially sponsoring the project and who controls any finance-based decisions to be made about your project. This awareness is key in your efforts to manage expectations and to understand the political aspects of your project.
Cash flow management tool
Your schedule drives the timing of your resource needs. Especially in organizations where resources are shared across projects or centrally managed, the accuracy of the schedule is key to efficient resource management.
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
a breakdown of the work in the project (more specifically break down the things in the scope statement) budget and schedule come from the WBS
Portfolio
a collection of diverse projects managed collectively to align with the organization's strategy and overall plan to achieve competitive advantage
Network diagrams
a graphical tool that shows the logical linkages between activities in a project
That will never happen to us
a major or minor disaster occurs that wipes out one or more work products. Where is your backup copy? Can you recover?
Four components of EPM and how do they relate to each other
Standardized processes are the accepted methods for managing projects and for management activities at the program and project portfolio levels. Technology consists of the information and telecommunication technology that enables people to follow the processes. A project management office, or PMO, is an organization structure with specific responsibility for implementing and maintaining the other elements of EPM. Finally, the people in the model are the people who both manage and work on projects. The skills of the people must be adequate to use the technology, follow the processes, and perform project work.
Establish consistent EPM processes
a process is a repeatable set of actions that leads to a goal. If we can have org-wide processes for managing processes, it makes things more efficient and defined by the project life cycle; create standard deliverables and approvals for each project phase; separate project management practices from development practices (standardize how you manage, not how you perform); different kinds of projects deserve different project management practices (small internal/external types of projects with different ways to manage each but consistent within that type)
Managing expectations
The budget impacts stakeholder expectations in several ways. The initial budget sets the expectation of what the total project costs should be. If the budget is not developed properly, then you are bound to have an expectation issue. If the project budget is predefined and serves as a cost ceiling for the project, then it helps you to set stakeholder expectations regarding project schedule and project scope.
Comprehensive
The budget should account for all project costs. There is a tendency to only account for obvious resources needed for the project (labor or new equipment). As part of our focus on making the budget (like the schedule) complete and realistic, we cover all the costs that need to be considered later in this chapter.
Total lifecycle
The budget should address the total project lifecycle. This is a common oversight, especially for the operational phases of the project.
Multiple paths
The change control system should consider multiple process paths based on estimated impact of the change request and the thresholds negotiated with senior management. This allows the appropriate stakeholders and management levels to be involved when needed and at the right time.
Critical Path
The critical path determines the earliest (the soonest) your project can be completed given the current task relationships and estimated durations. As a project manager, you want to be very clear about which tasks comprise the critical path for two reasons: If you can reduce this critical path (or change it), you might be able to complete the project sooner Any slippage in the completion of a critical path task pushes out the completion date for the entire project
Continuous
The identification of risks is an iterative process. Risk identification is repeatedly performed throughout the project, not just at the beginning.
Appropriate
The level, type, and visibility of risk management should be consistent with the level of risk and the importance the project has to the organization. The cost of the risk response should not be greater than the impact loss the risk event might cause.
Clear project definition
The more effort spent upfront to get agreement on clear project objectives and success criteria from the appropriate stakeholders, the less likely we are to get change requests during the project.
Common Project Control Challenges
The obvious Can't say no Can't say yes Over-reliance on formal sign-offs Not the gold you want Is it really a change The impact of the change Inadequate impact analysis Beware of the little guys
Relentless
The project manager and the organization must be committed to risk management for the entire project lifecycle.
Re-baseline
The project plan should be updated to reflect the acceptance of any change to the critical success factors. A new performance baseline should be established.
Essential elements of a project control system
Any proposed scope change is documented, evaluated, and approved before it is implemented. The appropriate stakeholders are involved in the evaluation and approval process. Any change request is thoroughly assessed for impact to other project critical success factors, especially project schedule and budget. The appropriate management level approves any change request before it is implemented. All project changes are documented and communicated to all stakeholders. Any stakeholder is permitted to submit a project change request. The rules are firm, the roles and responsibilities are clearly defined, and the workflow process meets the needs of all stakeholders. Re-baseline Multiple paths Focus on buy-in Aligned with contract
Be a watchdog
As a project manager, you must be continuously alert and mindful about anything that could impact your critical success factors. In particular, you need to understand what can cause unplanned scope changes to occur—and then work to prevent their occurrence.
Effort time
Assumes one person and no absences Sum of all tasks in the WBS (longest)
I've got your official sign-off right here...now where did that go?
Assuming you have official client acceptance of your key deliverables, make sure you have a way to protect this evidence going forward.
Differences between Project v. Program v. Portfolio Management
At the lowest level, project management focuses on the efficient execution of selected projects, the subject of all previous chapters. The next tier, program and multi-project management, serves to coordinate projects and the resources that all projects share—particularly the people. The highest tier, project portfolio management, connects the selection of projects and programs to the strategic goals of the organization.
Partition Time
accounts for partitioning but does NOT account for reality Shortest because doesn't account for handoffs, sickness, vacation, etc Example: 10 effort with 2 resources partition time =5 (10/2)
Baseline
avoid instances where you cannot go back or restore previous versions of work products
Benefits of portfolio management
balancing all project investments according to risk and reward encouraging a focus on meaningful results directly supporting strategic goals investing in the right projects with enough resources to accomplish them using strategic priorities to be the guide for resource allocation
The people who deliver projects
best projects performed by best people but best people use best practices so try to get people to use the best practices; institutionalize them through training and day to day experience with the tools and processes
Powerful techniques for minimizing project changes
clear project definition solid requirements definition effective traceability of requirements getting formal acceptance sign-offs implementing the right project approach assembling a team of engaged stakeholders
Schedule development process should generate a project schedule that meets the following criteria
complete realistic accepted formal
Configuration management plan
configuration management plan: the project planning document that defines the process that the exact nature and details of the configuration management process will vary by project and the types of deliverables involved. It is first defined during the project planning process and is part of the overall project plan. Like all planning documents, the level of detail included in the CM Plan should be consistent with the risk levels, compliance requirements, and composition of the project team. it is often neglected because it is an unglamorous, mundane aspect of project management that requires a certain discipline to carry out. In addition, this area of project management tends to fall victim to many ill-advised assumptions and the notion that this is just common sense and will just happen automatically. Real-world experience would say otherwise.
What is the project lifecycle?
define, plan, execute, closeout - life cycle is linear and the phase boundaries represent decision points. The functions are the daily responsibility of the project manager, but the phases of the project each occur one time.
Project Defintion Phase
determines the purpose, goals, and constraints "Why are we doing this" &"What does it mean to be successful" are foundations for all decisions because describes the cost-schedule-quality equilibrium and connect the project to the mission of the organization clarifys the chain of command, communication strategy, and change control process
Organization/support project management
enforces EPM principles; can be a center of excellence (provide support and advice), a project support office (handle some scheduling and estimating processes for projects), a project management office (same as project support but holds all project managers), a program management office (over a specific program and ends when program completes), or an accountable project office (most involved and directly responsible for project's success)
Seven key management principles for effective project change control
expect and plan for changes set up a change control system educate stakeholders on process use the system work to minimize scope changes ensure that all changes are communicated and understood be alert to anything that could impact the critical success factors
Completion criteria should be captured
for any scope-related change request
Greatness Video by Marquet
give control and create leaders
Project control
includes all the activities that keep the project moving toward the goal progress measurement: measuring progress identifies problems early - easier to solve - feedback mechanism because it validates estimates in the plan the cost-schedule-quality equilibrium communication: keeps coordination and awareness of project progress and changes corrective action: day-to-day responses to all the obstacles and problems a project may encounter
What are the principles of an effective budget
iterative process total lifecycle time-phased comprehensive include a buffer document assumptions
Basics of managing project deliverables
managing project deliverables: the process by which the project work products are controlled work products = anything resulting from project activities, including any deliverable, document, or project management item control means managing the changes to the actual work products themselves most common term for this process is configuration management
How do projects create measurable organizational value?
on time, on budget, high quality
Earned value
performance measurement that tells us how much of the budget we really should have spent for the work that was completed
Project planning
planning puts together the details of how to meet the project's goals, given the constraints Common estimating and scheduling techniques will lay out just how much work the project entails, who will do the work, when it will be accomplished, and how much it will cost. risk management activities will identify the areas of greatest uncertainty and create strategies to manage them. The detailed strategy laid out in the plan becomes a reality check for the cost-schedule-quality equilibrium developed during project definition.
Management (POLC)
planning, organizing, leading, controlling
Project Metric
qualitative measurement of some attribute of the project should focus on scope schedule budget resources quality risk
Chief causes of unplanned scope changes
shifts in business drivers project acceptance criteria technology inadequate scope statements and requirements definition
Technology enables EPM processes
should have project management, team communication/collaboration, visibility of inter project dependencies and of resource use across projects, project portfolio summary, project status reporting, cost accounting, and interfaces to complementary systems capabilities; configure and customize software to work for organization
Stakeholder
someone with influence and interest in the project
Where is that tile
the ability to quickly locate project information for a key stakeholder or to help resolve an important issue
Project Management
the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements
EPM
the conscious integration of processes, technology, or organization structure, and people in order to align strategy win the execution of projects
Project portfolio management
the process for choosing which projects to pursue and regularly monitoring them
The ultimate reason: negotiating power
there is tremendous political power in having tight control over project work products. If targeted work products are officially approved, you have a clear audit trail on any changes to those work products, and those official sign-offs are protected, you are well positioned to deal with any scope or requirements dispute. In addition, a historical record of all project management work products, such as project schedules, issue logs, status reports, and meeting minutes can be very valuable in negotiating new issues.
If you have slack
you have flexibility
Develop responses
Document a response plan for each risk using one of the five risk response options detailed later in this chapter. Planning efforts are iterative in nature because risk response strategies might entail the allocation of additional resources, tasks, time, and costs to the project plan.
Monitor
Don't stop. Nothing stays the same. Continue to keep your eye on the risk factors—watch for triggers to activate other planned responses, be mindful of the appearance of new risk factors, and don't totally forget about the low-level risks. Either via circumstances changing or initial miscalculations, you might find some of these have a higher probability of occurring (or higher impact) than originally perceived.
Communication obstacles
Due to natural organizational boundaries, communication channels, and team development stages, communication of project information must be proactively managed to ensure proper flow.
Shift in business drivers
Due to the dynamic nature of the business world today, things can change quickly. These business changes can have an immediate impact on existing projects. Examples of business drivers that can alter a project's scope include Available budget/funding for the project New government regulations Changing target market for the product Time-to-market pressures New business opportunities Changing customer priorities Unexpected market or world events
Forward pass
ES and EF
Multiple expectations
Each project has multiple stakeholders that each have their own needs and expectations for the project.
Uncharted territory
Each project is unique. The work to be done has likely never been done before by this group of people in this particular environment.
Systematic
Any factor or risk that could impact the project should be identified, quantified, and assessed for possible effects to the project. This includes all people, process, technology, organizational, and environmental influences.
What is the impact of the project budget
Do it anyway Follow the money Planning validator Performance measurement Managing expectations Cash flow management tool Justifying project investment
Lost productivity
Avoid instances of lost productivity when the work of one team member is overwritten by another team member, or when the product configuration you are testing does not have the latest versions of all components—thus making the test run invalid.
Who approved that change
Avoid instances where changes are made to work products that are not properly reviewed and approved. To say the least, this can lead to quality and customer satisfaction issues
Who made that change
Avoid instances where you cannot clearly tell (or explain) when changes were made and who made them.
Not the gold you want
Be on the lookout for gold-plating. This is the term given to extras or features added to the work product by the project team but not requested by the customer. This is a common reason why schedule delays occur and why unnecessary risks occur on projects. Also, the same issue can manifest itself in a work process. A technician might want their work to be perfect rather than just meet the specifications for the project. This is another reason why a team approach to estimating and planning can be so valuable.
The obvious
Be sure to set up a change control system as part of your approved project plan—and then use it.
Planning validator
Because the project schedule is a main driver for the project budget, the budget can serve as an excellent cross-reference for the validity of the schedule and vice versa. By looking at the schedule from a cost perspective, you might see resource or budget issues that were not obvious before. Inversely, the schedule input is key for validating the project budget because the budget needs to account for all the time a resource is required on the project.
Document assumptions
Budget assumptions are documented like all other project assumptions. Any assumption made as part of the budgeting process should be documented and clearly communicated. As with all assumptions, you can document them within the targeted deliverable (in this case the budget document spreadsheet), or add them to the designated repository for project assumptions (commonly either a separate assumptions document, the project definition document, or project plan).
Iterative process
Budget development is an iterative process, just like all project planning. The various facets of project planning interrelate and have natural feedback loops. With the project budget, there are strong dependencies on organizational policies and on the schedule development process. As a result, it usually takes several cycles to fully develop the budget and come to an agreement.
Performance measurement
By measuring project progress against a cost baseline, you can better measure the true performance of your project along the way, and in most cases, identify issues and risks much sooner. This is the basis for an advanced project controlling technique called earned value management
Plan for change
Change control does not mean preventing changes at all costs. Conversely, project changes should be expected, planned, and well managed. The two keys here are selecting the proper project approach (methodology) and setting up a project change control system (to be discussed next). For projects with an innovation focus or a volatile set of requirements, an iterative development-type approach that expects deliberate scope expansion or scope clarification should be utilized.
Responsibility beyond your authority
Charter. Ask your sponsor to publish a charter for all the stakeholders. Make sure that it strongly designates your authority on this project. Statement of work. Explain the reason behind the project, and give them the background necessary to understand its importance to the organization. Communication plan. Involve them in setting up your primary means of communication. If they are outside your organization, you'll probably need a formal means of keeping them up-to-date. Make sure that this is a two-way medium so you'll know that they are up-to-date and involved. Small work packages with strong completion criteria. Make assignments easy to understand and track. Involve them in estimating the cost and duration of tasks and in defining completion criteria. The more they are involved in developing the plan, the more ownership and commitment they'll feel. Network diagram. Show them how they fit into the project; emphasize the importance of their input and the probable impact on the project if they fall behind on their schedule. If they have tasks with a lot of float, you can let them set their own schedules, but be sure to let them know that you expect them to meet the planned start and finish dates. Project status meetings with an open task report. Give them updates on the project, even during times when they aren't actively involved. Invite them to status meetings when their tasks are near enough to appear on the open task report. Hold them accountable to the schedule and to the rest of the project team. Sponsor. Develop a strong relationship with your sponsor by keeping him or her informed of your plans and your progress. You may need the sponsor's help in overcoming organizational obstacles.
Minimize project change
Clear project definition Solid requirements definition Trace requirements Formal acceptance sign-offs Engaged stakeholders Use the right project approach Use the WBS to illustrate impact Defer to post-implementation Track assumptions and constraints
Three project management functions
Definition Planning Control
Risk statement
Definition: Condition & Consequences Probability Strategy
risk
Degree of uncertainty of return on an asset; in business, the likelihood of loss or reduced profit.
Do it anyway
Develop a project budget anyway. This exercise builds your project management skills, enables you to recognize project performance issues sooner, and better prepares you for senior management discussions about your project.
When the customer delays the project
Network diagram. First look for other activities that the team can shift its attention to. The network diagram will show you what other tasks you can be pursuing while you are waiting for the customer. The network is also the tool for assessing the impact of the delay. Is the customer working on a critical path task? If not, how much float is there? Use the network to demonstrate the customer's impact on the schedule. Change control. Determine the cost and schedule impacts of the delay. Even if the customer isn't on the critical path, there may be costs associated with changing your plan. Document the reason for the delay as well as the cost and schedule impacts, and bring it to the customer's attention without delay. You can show the 399 THE FAST FORWARD MBA IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT unexpected delay on the project plan by adding a task to the work breakdown structure called "Delay due to ____________________"; insert the delay in the network diagram, too. If the delay idles any of your team members, you can start assigning their hours to the delay task. Even though you must keep a positive attitude when working with the client to stay on schedule, these actions will send a clear message that the cause of the delay is well understood by all stakeholders.
Common challenges and pitfalls even if you follow a configuration management plan
Not following the plan: one of the first things to go when the realities of the project hit is execution of the CM plan. There are two things you can do to help make sure the CM Plan is executed: Use an independent auditor (such as a QA Lead) and include the CM activities as part of the quality review process. Make sure to include the CM activities in the WBS and project schedule. Tool difficulties: Tools should be leveraged whenever possible, and in some cases, they are absolutely mandatory. That being said, the proper use of these tools is not automatic. If you are going to use a tool, you need to make sure the right team members are trained on how to properly use the tool, and you need to verify that the tool works correctly
Time-phased
Not only do we need to budget cost totals, but we need to know when these costs will be incurred for both cash flow management and project control reasons. The goal of the project budgeting process is to establish a cost baseline.
Is it really a change
Not that this ever happens, but sometimes stakeholders do not agree on what really is an official change. I know—it's hard to believe. Especially in contractual arrangements, the issue isn't always "Is it a change?" but rather "Do I have to pay for it?"—a slightly different matter. There are no silver bullets here. Most of the disagreements occur because of ambiguity or inconsistencies in the specifications. Just do the other things we mentioned, and you should have a solid foundation to deal with this, if it ever happens.
Prioritize
Now that we have a probability and an impact level, tabulate a final ranking for each risk factor by combining the two values. If you have used numeric scales, this is straightforward; just multiply the two values together to get a final score. If you have used qualitative scales (L, M, H), you should be able to easily translate these to numeric values (1, 2, 3) to figure your final score. This step shows you the highest priority, most important risks, and the ones where you need to focus your initial efforts.
Triple constraints
Old: time, resources, scope New: time, resources/cost, scope/quality, expectations
Beware of the little guys
On most projects, there will always be one or more of those small, minor scope changes. Sometimes they are clear changes; other times, they fall into a gray area. In an effort to build relationships and please the customer, many project managers do not document these if they feel the change requires minimal effort to implement. Be very careful here. Before you know it, you can easily have a series of these little changes that, when added up, can affect your project. In addition, you must manage the expectations you are setting if you overuse this technique. As a rule, I would encourage you to at least document every change—no matter how small. For small ones, you might choose to group them into a single change request.
We said we would do what
On projects with numerous deliverables and work products, it is easy to lose sight of the minor or auxiliary work items. A basic deliverable tracking mechanism can go a long way in preventing this from occurring.
Management of Trust
Reliability, constancy, focus. "She is all of a piece. Whether you like it or not, you always know where she is coming from, what she stands for.
Triple constraints
Resources (cost or budget), schedule (time), and scope (what are we supposed to do to create value for)
Get buy-in
Review the risk response strategies with the key stakeholders to increase their awareness, get their feedback (if you have not already), and get their acceptance of the planned approaches.
What can cause unplanned scope changes
Shift in business drivers Shift in project acceptance criteria Shift in technology Poor scope statement Poor requirements definition
Can't say yes
Some project managers take the other extreme. They are so paranoid about scope creep that they do not listen to consider legitimate scope changes, often overlooking changes that are needed to meet the project objective. Again, keep the focus on the big picture (the project objectives) and exercise your change control system.
The impossible dream
Statement of work. Be extremely clear about the project's purpose, scope, and deliverables. Make sure that the scope and deliverables are really necessary to accomplish the purpose. Learn all the schedule and cost penalties. Project plan. Putting on your best can-do attitude, develop at least three options for what can be done. You must be able to demonstrate the trade-offs available to the managers. Then recommend the option that seems to match their cost-schedule-quality priorities. Figure out the maximum number of people you can usefully apply to the project, using the network diagram and resource spreadsheet. Then look for the schedule adjustments that will bring the greatest cost reductions. Finally, use a crash table to analyze the most cost-effective tasks to compress. Risk management. Because this project will have risks that affect both cost and/or schedule, you will have to perform risk assessments at both the high level and the detail level to find your danger points. You can then take appropriate steps to mitigate the risk, including frequent monitoring and watching for new risks. Status reports. If you are attempting to meet a schedule that you believe is impossible, don't give up on changing your stakeholders' expectations. Let them know with every status report how diligently the team is striving to meet the goals and what the actual progress is. Raise the alarm frequently that, if early progress is an indicator, actual cost and schedule performance won't match the plan. They may not believe you the first time, but as the evidence builds that this is a well-managed project that was underestimated, they will be forced to come to terms with reality.
Manage professionals like volunteers
Statement of work. Build enthusiasm and a common vision by focusing on the purpose and deliverables. Sharing the purpose engages team members emotionally, and focusing on the deliverables will keep the scope limited. (Controlling the scope is particularly important for a volunteer project around which it may be difficult to rally the team to spend extra hours.) Small tasks with strong completion criteria. Make it easy for each person to succeed by giving everyone clear direction and little latitude for straying from the task. Project plan. You must be extremely organized and very aware of the critical path and the float. People may procrastinate early in the project if they don't perceive any urgency. Volunteers are often very busy people, so you will need to do some resource analysis. Without it, you may end up with a few people trying to accomplish everything at once. Communication plan. Develop a method of staying in touch with everyone without a lot of effort or frequent meetings. They will want to spend their limited volunteer time getting things done, not attending meetings. Status meetings. Frequent status checks will keep you in touch with progress, but periodic status meetings provide opportunities 401 THE FAST FORWARD MBA IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT to energize the group, build relationships, and make project decisions. Celebrate the progress. Use good meeting management techniques to ensure that these are productive meetings that people will want to attend.
Reducing Time to Market
Statement of work. Fast, focused performance demands a solid foundation. Getting agreement on authority, decision structures, and responsibilities among the participating groups will ensure that you don't waste time fighting organizational battles during the project. Fixed-phase estimating. Since you'll be working through the entire product development life cycle, there's no point in generating a detailed schedule from start to finish. Instead, choose several review points where you can reevaluate the functions of the product against the available resources and deadline. These review points 398 SOLVING COMMON PROJECT PROBLEMS constitute phase-end milestones. You can determine the duration of these phases using performance data from previous development efforts. You will need to stick to these review dates; for the team to meet the deadline, it must meet every phase-end milestone. Project plan. Develop a detailed plan for every phase. Using a network diagram, identify all possible concurrent tasks. The concurrent tasks are the opportunities for performing more work at the same time; these are the places where adding people to the project can compress the schedule. You can use this technique to determine the largest number of people who can work on the project productively. (Don't forget the resource-leveling guidelines, though.) Just remember that compressing the schedule by adding people may result in higher project costs. Completion criteria. Build quality checks into the project every step of the way. Although it may be tempting to skip some of the early quality-related activities in order to save time, you need to stay the course. It really is faster to do it right the first time. Project status meetings. Be clear about responsibilities and track schedule progress rigorously. Create a culture of schedule accountability by having strong completion criteria, and show clearly that falling behind, even by a little bit, is not acceptable. Build enthusiasm and a positive attitude by celebrating victories all along the way
Disaster Recovery - project is off the rails
Statement of work. Start at the beginning with this project. What are its goals? Prioritize the remaining scope and clarify the penalties for missing the deadline or running over budget. Project plan. Using the work breakdown structure and critical path analysis, figure out the best possible schedule scenario, assuming infinite resources. This will give you the absolute shortest possible 397 THE FAST FORWARD MBA IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT schedule. Next, negotiate for more resources, more time, or less scope (or all three) based on your plan. You can use your critical path schedule to show management which resources you will need to perform the project as fast as possible. If you do use more people, you shouldn't expect them to be productive immediately; you will need to allow for some learning time. There will be a lot of pressure on you to come up with a schedule that shows you will meet the deadline. At this point, resist this pressure and remember that an unrealistic schedule will benefit nobody. Because there is already recognition that this project wasn't being managed correctly, you are likely to persuade management to agree to a realistic schedule if you present your facts confidently. In a situation like this, the project team needs a leader with a firm resolve to stick to the discipline. Work package estimates. Use the actual performance so far to create realistic estimates, and include the team in the estimating process. You'll be dealing with an exhausted, frustrated team— don't alienate team members by ignoring their experience as you create the plan. Project status meetings. Frequent status meetings focused on completing near-term tasks will keep you on top of progress and allow you to solve problems early. Use the open task report to keep your meetings brief and productive. Graph the progress on the plan so it's plain to everyone, especially the team, that there is tangible progress. Celebrate the small victories.
