Project Mgmt

Adaptive Methodology

"Change driven" or "agile" is iterative and incremental/typically no longer than 4 weeks/requires a high degree of customer involvement/used in projects in which scope frequently changes.

Iterative Methodology

"Rolling wave" Scope is tentatively determined early in the project, then clarified as the project proceeds. Work in the early phases is carried out while later phases are still in planning. Focus is on planning for the very near future.

Predictive Methodology

"Waterfall" or "plan-driven" The project proceeds through a series of sequential or overlapping phases. Attempt to determine time, cost, scope requirements as early as possible.

What inputs do you need to develop a project management plan?

-Change control procedure -Project charter -Project management information system -Stakeholder management plan

Outputs of the Initiating Process Group

-Change requests -PMP updates -Assumption log -Project charter -Stakeholder register -Project document updates

Project Phases

-End at natural decision points -End with a transfer of work or outputs -Include a discrete type of work -Repeat project management processes -Usually sequential

Summative Evaluation

-Evaluating performance -Determining if objectives were met -Ensuring regulatory compliance -Performing earned value analysis

Formative Evaluation

-Improving performance -Strategic planning -Continuity and succession planning

Project Charter

-Includes a description of the customer's needs, the project's purpose, a list of known risks, and a summary schedule and budget -An input to developing the project management plan

Enterprise Environmental Factors Examples

-Marketplace conditions -Stakeholder risk tolerances -Existing human resources -Organizational structure -Industry standards -Infrastructure (existing facilities, capital equipment) -Political climate

Planning Process Group

-Planning happens simultaneously and in an integrated manner across the Knowledge Areas -Project plans are updated as new information becomes available throughout a project

Organizational Process Assets Examples

-Standardized organization guidelines for completing work -Organizational policies and processes (ethics, safety and health, recruitment policies) -Performance measurement criteria -Project closure guidelines -Change control procedures -Quality policies and procedures -Historical information -Financial databases -Project files -Process measurement databases

What types of information should you include in a project management plan?

-Subsidiary management plans -Cost performance baselines -Information about the development approach

Relationship between Direct and Manage Project Work and the Monitor and Control Project Work process:

-The Monitor and Control Project Work process often generates change requests that, if approved, becomes inputs to the Direct and Manage Project Work process -Work performance data, an output of the Direct and Manage Project Work process, is processed and work performance information becomes an input to the Monitor and Control Project Work process

Tools and techniques used to to develop a project's charter:

-Using interpersonal skills to elicit key project information -Organizing and facilitating meetings or interviews -Getting experts to evaluate all the project charter inputs -Gathering data in a brainstorming session

Strategic style of project management

-focuses on business goals -focuses on strategy and mission fulfillment

Operational style of project management

-focuses on operations -focuses on requirements and constraints -emphasizes efficiency

Benefits of Lessons Learned

1. Ensure teams avoid repeating failures 2. Can be used to reinforce positive experiences and successes 3. Generates organizational knowledge 4. Provides tangible metrics and realistic expectations 5. Can be used to justify resources 6. Helps to determine project management methodology

Three Main Activities in the Close Project or Phase Process

1. Ensuring acceptance of deliverables 2. Carrying out administrative closure, and 3. Assessing project success

Tools for Directing and Managing Project Work

1. Expert judgement 2. Meetings 3. Project management and information system

Process Groups

1. Initiating 2. Planning 3. Executing 5. Monitoring & Controlling 6. Closing "I Prefer Eating Milk Chocolate"

Project Management Process Groups

1. Initiating process group 2. Planning process group 3. Executing process group 4. Monitoring and controlling process group 5. Closing process group

Project Management Knowledge Areas

1. Integration 2. Scope 3. Time 4. Cost 5. Quality 6. HR 7. Communications 8. Risk 9. Procurement 10. Stakeholder

Project Management Competencies

1. Knowledge-based 2. Performance-based 3. Personal

Project Integration Management

1. Managing stakeholder's expectations 2. Resource allocations 3. Managing the needs of competing objectives and knowledge areas

Ex. of Close Project or Phase Processes

1. Meeting with the project sponsor to obtain sign off 2. Checking that the system has passed all quality tests 3. Writing a report about problems encountered with quality testing during the project 4. Updating the company's procurement policy to reflect changes made during project implementation 5. Placing project files on record in a systematic way so they can be accessed later

Lessons Learned Process

1. Preparation 2. Information capture 3. Analysis 4. Distribution and verification 5. Storage

Life Cycle of a PRODUCT

1. Product inception and development 2. Market introduction 3. Market growth 4. Market maturity 5. Sales decline

Change Control Principals

1. Project manager needs to develop a method for identifying changes 2. Changes must be addressed in a timely manner 3. The impact of approved change requests must be documented 4. Reviewing, assessing, and deciding whether requested changes should go ahead are main activities of change control 5. Only approved changes should be implemented 6. Project baselines should be changed only when necessary, and 7. Approved changes must be coordinated across all the project management knowledge areas, such as cost, time, and scope management

Main aims of the processes in the Planning Process Group:

1. Refine project objectives 2. Define project scope 3. Determine the actions that must be taken to meet project objectives

Phases and the Project Life Cycle

1. Research phase 2. Design phase 3. Development phase (prototype, production, marketing, deployment) 4. Wrap-up phase

Life Cycle of a PROJECT

1. Starting the project 2. Organizing and preparing 3. Carrying out the work 4. Closing the project

Portfolio

A collection of lower-level portfolios, programs, projects, and ongoing work.

Project Phase

A division of project work that creates a district deliverable.

5 Why's

A form of deductive reasoning. The problem or issue is stated as was observed or discovered. Multiple reasons may be collected and a question is asked as to why each occurred.

Program

A group of related projects and operational work.

Cost Leadership

A strategy of selling products or services at a lower cost than competitors (ex: McCafe at McDonalds)

Project

A temporary body of work that produces a unique product, service, or result to meet a specific strategic objective or set of objectives.

Categorization Techniques

Allow the grouping of data to address similar issues and identify root causes. This technique is used for organization, technology, and process issues.

Project Management Plan Updates

Amendments that reflect approved changes that impact project baselines or subsidiary management plans.

Outputs of Monitor and Control Project Work

Change requests, work performance data, project management plan updates, and project documents updates

Progressive Elaboration

Clarifying and refining a project over time

Work Performance Information

Collected by the project manager to determine project performance in terms of factors like costs, the status of project deliverables, and scheduling.

Quality Knowledge Area

Concerned with ensuring that a project meets the standards and requirements that were set out for it.

Integration Knowledge Area

Concerned with identifying the work and processes needed in a project, and for coordinating these.

Procurement Knowledge Area

Concerned with obtaining a project's required goods and services from various suppliers (i.e. resources).

Change Requests

Created by members of the project team who notice issues while performing the work; or by the project manager when other stakeholders request changes to the scope, schedule, budget, or other performance parameters.

Measurable Objectives and Success Criteria

Defines the measurable business goals and objectives and factors that are deemed critical to the success of a project. These criteria are used to measure what must be done for the project to be acceptable to stakeholders.

Business Need

Describes the business reason for initiating the project, specifically stating the business problem that the project will resolve.

Milestones and Deliverables Schedule

Describes the deliverables, which are a set of outputs for each milestone delivery date. This information provides checkpoints for monitoring project progress and validating work.

Approval Requirements

Describes the quality objectives for each deliverable in terms of output standards and approval requirements. This includes all the product-related reviews and processes that will be carried out during the project.

Project Requirements

Describes what is needed to perform the work to the required specifications.

Differentiation

Development of a unique product or service that the customer is willing to pay extra for (ex: Starbucks - you get the coffee and the environment)

Incremental Methodology

Each phase (or increment) successively adds to the functionality of the product. The end of each phase is marked by a completed deliverable.

Operational Stakeholders

Employees of the performing organization who perform or manage business operations, such as: plant operators, help desk staff, customer service reps, salespeople, maintenance workers, call center personnel, line managers, & training officers.

Time Knowledge Area

Ensures that a project is completed according to schedule.

Communications Knowledge Area

Ensures that information throughout a project is correctly generated, collected, distributed, stored, and retrieved.

Risk Knowledge Area

Ensures that risks are identified and analyzed, and that appropriate responses are developed.

Nominated Project Manager

Establishes the authority of the named individual to make decisions and lead the project, and identifies this person's main responsibilities and authority level.

Organizational Process Assets

Existing assets gained from an organization's process and procedures or corporate knowledge base. They are used as inputs to the project management processes.

Vendors

External organizations that supply goods or services required by a project (aka "sellers").

Consumer

External to the organization delivering the product and expects the product to meet the advertised specifications.

Business Partners

Have a special relationship with the organization, often acquired through a certification process.

Flowcharts

Help document and analyze the steps in a process. When the process involves multiple individuals, organizations, and computer systems, these flowcharts are modified to show the processes performed by the various groups.

A project management plan must contain...

How you will... 1. perform configuration management 2. control project changes 3. monitor and manage issues

Scope Knowledge Area

Includes processes for identifying and defining all the work needed to meet project goals. It also involves managing a project's scope as it progresses.

New product development

Increasing growth by broadening commodity lines

Enterprise Environmental Factors

Internal and external factors that influence the circumstances around a project. They often provide constraints to project management.

Tactic Knowledge

Intuitive knowledge, usually applied to individuals, and is based on past experiences. This knowledge is very difficult to transfer (written or verbally) -Ex: natural talent (sports, music) -Ex: "A bank manager's gut feeling that a client would be a credit risk"

Stakeholder Knowledge Area

Involves ensuring that relevant stakeholders are identified and engaged in all project decisions and activities.

Declarative Knowledge

Knowledge of facts, rules, or procedures -Ex: declarative sentences that provide physical characteristics or attributes -Ex: "Someone recalling the reasons why a negotiation process failed"

Project Document Updates

May include requirements documentation issue log, stakeholder register, performance reports, risk register, lessons learned log.

Project Sponsor Approval

Names the person who has ultimate responsibility for the project and who has the formal authority to approve the project charter.

Benefits Management Plan

Outlines the benefits anticipated by the project

Summary Budget

Provides an itemized forecast of estimated or intended expenditures.

HR Knowledge Area

Relate to forming and managing the project team. This includes managing team members' roles and responsibilities, and needed changes to the team.

Cost Knowledge Area

Responsible for ensuring that budgets and cost estimates are created, and for controlling project costs.

Project Management Plan

Should include... -Descriptions of a project's life cycle and phases -Project management process and techniques that will be used -Explain how change will be monitored and controlled -How configuration management will be carried out -How performance will be measured -How project information will be shared among stakeholders -How key management reviews will be scheduled and decisions made

Explicit Knowledge

Skills-based and usually acquired through learning. This knowledge can be verified through certifications, experience, or qualifications -Ex: language or technical skills -Ex: A computer prgrammer's knowledge of advanced algorithms"

Sub-Project

Smaller portions of an overall project, created to enable easier management (smaller parts of a whole).

STEEPLE analysis

Social, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Political, Legal, Ethical -Helps business people and project managers identify changes in the external environment

SWOT analysis

Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threats -Creates understanding of internal strengths and weaknesses, identifies external factors that pinpoint opportunities, and identifies possible threats

Porter's Five Forces

Suppliers, Customers, New Competitors, Substitute Products, Rivalry in the Market -Identifies factors affecting the business within its industry and market

Deliverables

The outcomes specified in the project management plan that are achieved through carrying out the work of the project.

Customer

The people or organization that purchases or uses the product or service that results from a project. Internal-a person or group of people in your company who uses or depends on the result of a project. External-A buyer who has contracted your company to create a product or service (formal contract in place between the buyer and vendor companies).

Project Team

The people responsible for conducting a project.

Growth in Market Share

The percentage of a market that a company has for its products and services/the growth of a business by increasing market share is done to increase revenue

Project Manager

The person who is authorized to manage a project.

Break-even point

The point at which the revenues received equal the cost of the project (aka "cost recovery period")

Evaluative Knowledge

The result of understanding the quality of the information (including its correctness), the significance of that information to the specific situation, and the value of the information as compared to past results. -Ex: "An analyst understanding how lessons learned will contribute to future results"

Organizational Culture

The shared values, norms, beliefs, expectations, policies, procedures, and views of authority.

Sponsor

Typically, a senior executive of the organization or a management group for which a project is carried out.

Embedded Knowledge

Understanding of decisions that have been captured in documented manuals, procedure guides, or as unwritten cultural ethics and accepted behaviors and conduct. -Ex: "A manager that formalizes lessons learned directly into procedures and routines"

Assumptions Log

Used to record assumptions and constraints through the project

Diversification

When a company expands into new markets, related or unrelated, in order to increase revenue

Market Segmentation

When a company finds a particular niche in the market (ex: Whole foods in the organic food market)

6 W's

Who? What? When? Where? How? Why? Provides a good starting point and allows basic understanding of each issue.

Ongoing Work

Work that is repetitive and does not have a clearly delineated beginning and end.

Cause and Effect Diagram

You select a single issue and various potential root causes are identified. This method focuses on the cause of the issue and not on the effect that is the result.