Project Management Key Facts

Project Manager

The role of the person ultimately responsible for the project. The project manager has the authority to spend project budget and to assign project resources in order to realize the project goals.

Project Expeditor

"Time Keeper" The project role that has some project responsibility but little organizational authority. Project expeditors ensure that tasks are completed on time and that the project is progressing as planned; however, they cannot assign project resources or spend project funds. Project expeditors report to someone from senior management who has ultimate responsibility for the project.

Project Charter (Output)

-Created during Develop Project Charter process -Create based on business need, customer request or market force -signed by senior management -it names the project management and gives authority -includes high-level project requirements -high-level milestone view of project schedule -high level document without project details -preliminary project budget

Integration Management Processess

-Develop Project Charter, Initiation -Develop Project Management Plan, Planning -Direct and Manage Project Execution, Executing -Monitoring and Control Project Work, Monitoring and Controlling -Closing Project or Phase, Closing

Integration Management Process Key Outputs

-Develop Project Charter, Project Charter -Develop Project Management Plan, Project Management Plan -Direct and Manage Project Execution, Deliverables, Work Performance Information, Change Request -Monitor and COntrol Project Work, Change Request -Perform Integrated Change COntrol, Change Request, Status Updates -Close Project or Phase, Final Product Service or Result Transition

Project Management Plan (Output)

-Formal, written piece of communication -Single document of 13 approved plans - an approved plan - defines how the project is managed, executed and controlled - project plan may be detailed

Project Plan Components

-Scope Management Plan -Requirements Management Plan -Schedule Management Plan -Cost Management Plan -Quality Management Plan -Process Improvement Plan - Human Resource Plan - Communications Management Plan -Risk Management Plan - Procurement Management Plan - Schedule Baseline - Cost Performance Baseline

Foundational Process Groups

1. Initiating, 2. Planning, 3. Executing, 4. Monitoring and Controlling, 5. Closing

Project Office

A department that can support project managers with methodologies, tools, training, etc. or even ultimately control all of the organization's projects.

Project Life Cycle

A group of project phases specified by an organizations project management methodology. The project life cycle is made up of all the project phases, viewed as a whole. Projects are divided into phases in order to create logical management and decision points.

Portfolio

A group of projects intended to achieve a business result. A portfolio usually refers to all of the projects in an organization.

Program

A group of related projects, managed together, usually to realize some common efficiencies. Programs may also include ongoing operations, which individual projects do not have.

Phases

A grouping of project activities. Man projects are divided into two or more phases in oder to provide a point where the deliverables can be evaluted. Phases are separated by exit gates or kill points where someone who does not directly work with the project (the gate keeper) evaluates the deliverables to determine whether or not the next phase is initiated. Phases should not be confused with process groups.

Direct and Manage Project Execution (Executing)

A high-level executing process as part of integration management that focuses on carting out the project plan. Direct and Manage Project Execution is closely tied to the process Monitor and Control Project Work, where the performance and quality of the execution is measured against the plan.

Monitor and Control Project Work (Monitor and Controlling)

A high-level integration process used to ensure that the project work being performed matches the plan. If the results do not line up with the plan, either the way the work is being performed is altered, or the plan is changed to reflect a more realistic scenario.

Matrix Organization (Functional & Projectized)

A hybrid organization where individuals have both a functional manager for human resources and a project manager for projects. In a strong matrix, the project manager carries more weight. In a week matrix, the functional manager has more authority. In a balanced matrix, the power is shared evenly between the functional and project managers.

Develop Project Charter (Initiating)

A initiating process where the project charter is produced. This process typically occurs very early in the project, but also may take place in the beginning of each project phase. The output of the process formally authorizes the project to begin names the project manager and provides resources for the project.

Functional Manager

A manager of a department or functional group within an organization. Functional managers are vital to most companies since they have deep expertise within a given area and perform the human resource management duties for the employees of their departments. Project managers experience most of their conflict with functional managers.

Control Scope (Monitor and Controlling)

A monitoring and controlling process that ensures that changes to the scope baseline are properly controlled.

Control Schedule (Monitor and Controlling)

A monitoring and controlling process where the planned schedule is compared with the work performance measurements. If the project is ahead of schedule or behind schedule, corrective action in the form of change request or updates to the plan may be necessary.

Deliverables

A pert of the product, or the product itself, that is presented to the customer or stakeholders for acceptance.

Collect Requirements (Planning)

A planning process in scope management that documents the stakeholders needs for the project. The resulting requirements documentation focuses on how the requirements, once it is built, will satisfy the underlying need or meet the opportunity that drove it.

Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis (Planning)

A planning process to look at non-quantifiable aspects at each risk. Perform Qualitative Risk Analysis prioritizes the risks using the probability impact matrix according to which risk have the highest factors of likelihood and potential impact.

Program Manager

A program manager is reponsible for programs. A program is multiple coordinated projects and the program manager manages these at a higher level than the project manager does.

Process

A set of inputs, tools and tehniques used together to produce one or more specific output for the project. There are 42 processess of management which make up the core of the PMBOK Guide, Each process is organized so that it belongs to one knowledge are and one process group.

Project

A time-limited undertaking to deliver a unique product, service or outcome. In this definition, "unique" means that it has never been performed by this organization before. Projects do not include ongoing operations, although they do need to consider them up front.

Acquire Project Team (Executing)

An executing process focuses on getting the right people to work on the project at the right time. Acquire Project Team is executed according to the human resource management plan.

Progressive Elaboration

An iterative approach where planning occurs in cycles rather than up front. Projects which use progressive elaboration typically do some planning, some execution, some monitoring and controlling and then repeat that cycle.

Historical Information

Any information from previous projects that has been achieved by the performing organization. Historical information can be used to help evaluate future project decisions. "Organizational process assets"

Change Request

Any requested change to a a documented baseline. Change requests are typically only implemented once the scope, cost, schedule, or quality is "baselined." Since change request are formal, before project baselines exist a less formal method is generally used. Change requests are processed according to the change control system.

Change Control Meetings

Deliberately managing change to a project, whether that change is to the scope, cost, schedule or quality baseline. In change control, change requests go through a formal process before they are approved or rejected.

Deliverables Triangle

Direct and Manage Project Execution (Deliverables) to Perform Quality Control (Change Request) to Perform Integrated Change Control (Approved Change Request) back to Direct and Manage Project Execution

Work Performance Information

Information on how the work is being performed, gathered during the executing processes. Work performance information begins to flow as soon as the work is executed. Among other things, it includes the states of deliverables, how things are performing against cost and schedule goals and how the product measures up against quality standards.

Organizational Process Assets

Information, tools, documents, or knowledge the organization possess that can help you plan your project. (Templates, Project Plans, Organization Policies, Procedures and Guidelines, Software Tools, Budget Schedule, Historical Information, Lessons Learned, Knowledge Base)

Integration Management

Integration Management is the practice of making certain that every part of a project is coordinated. In Integration Management the project is started, the project manager assembles the project plan and verifies the results of the work and then the project is closed. At the same time, the project manager must prioritize different objectives that are competing for time and resources also keep the team focused on completing the work.

Project Managers Management Skills

Leading - Motivating people and inspiring them to commit. Communicating - Exchanging information clearly and correctly. Negotiation - Working to reach a mutual agreement. Problem Solving - Defining the problem and dealing with the factors that contribute to or cause the problem. Influencing - Accomplishing something without necessarily having formal power.

Project Manager's Power

Level of empowerment and the type of organizations (Functional - low, Matrix - balanced, Projectized - high)

Close Procurements (Closing)

One of two closing processes that focuses on making sure the procurement is completed, the product or service is accepted, and the contract is terminated early, the process of Close Procurements should be carried out.

Environmental Factors

Organizational Structure, Organization's values and work ethic, Laws and Regulations, Willingness Stakeholders Accept Risk, State of the marketplace, Organization's infrastructure, Appetite for risk

Work Authorization System

Part of the overall project management information system (PMIS), the work authorization system is used to ensure that work gets performed at the right time and in the right sequence. It may be an informal email sent by the project manager to a functional manager, or a formal system to get an assigned resource released to complete scheduled work.

Performance Reports

Performance Reports are an important input into the process, since they give you the essential information you need to monitor and control. The performance reports tell you how the project is processing. This information is brought into Monitoring and Control Project Work so that you can evaluate and take any necessary corrective action.

Performance Reporting (Monitor and Controlling)

Performance Reports: The primary output of the Report Performance process. Performance reports give performance information on past, present, and forecasted future performance.

Project Management Methodology

Project management is made up of 42 processes, the strategy for how the processes are used is the methodology.

Develop Project Team (Executing)

The executing process of enhancing the project team. Develop Project Team focuses on improving the overall sense of teamwork and the individual skills and abilities of the project team members.

Project Statement of Work "SOW" (Input)

SOW is a written description of the project's product, service or result. Supplied by the customer or sponsor. -What is to be done -Business reason the project supports the organizations strategy

Outputs

Something coming out of a process. For example in the project Create Work Breakdown Structure, the work breakdown structure is the output. Every process contains an output.

Inputs

Something needed or used by a process to create the outputs for that process. The inputs are the starting points for the process.

Stakeholders

Stakeholders are individuals who are involved in the project or whose interest may be positively or negatively affected as a result of the execution or completion of the project. Most important or influentional ones on the project.

Business Case (Input)

The business case explains why this project is being undertaken, the problem it will solve and the benefit cast analysis. Reasons for: -Market demand -Business need -Customer request -Technological advance -Legal requirement -Social need

Close Project or Phase (Closing)

The closing process that administratively closes a phase or the overall project. In Close Project or Phase, all final project documentation and project files are completed and lessons learned are documented.

Conduct Procurements (Executing)

The executing process in procurement management, where the seller responses are gathered, a seller is selected, and the contract is awarded. Conduct Procurements will only be preformed on projects that procure goods or services from outside the organization, but on those projects it may be performed multiple times as needed.

Manage Project Team (Executing)

The executing process of directing the project team to complete the work of the project plan, monitor their performance and working to improve performance and resolve issues where necessary.

Perform Quality Assurance (Executing)

The executing process that focuses on the overall quality activities to ensure that all of the plans are being followed and that the project meets the quality requirements. Contrast with "Perform Quality Control"

Distribute Information (Executing)

The executing process where information is distributed to the stakeholders according to the communication management plan.

Manage Stakeholders Expectations (Executing)

The executing process where the project team communicates with stakeholders to ensures their needs are addressed and their issues are resolved.

Lessons Learned

The formally documented information the team has acquired during executing of the project. Lessons leaned specifically focus on variances in the project and document how the team would plan or execute differently if they had a specific component of the project to perform again.

Identify Stakeholders (Initiating)

The initiating process where all of the group or people who will be considered on this project are identified. The resulting stakeholder register documents their names their involvement on the project.

The Triple Constraint

The intersection of scope, time, and cost on a project. The triple constraint emphasizes that one of these cannot change without affecting at least one of the other two.

Verify Scope (Monitor and Controlling)

The monitoring and controlling process of inspecting project deliverables and gaining their formal acceptance from the appropriate stakeholders.

Administer Procurements (Monitor and Controlling)

The monitoring and controlling process performed by the buyer to ensure compliance by the seller or other party. Administer Procurements compares performance against terms and conditions specified in the contract to make certain that the seller meets his or her contractual obligations. The sellers performance is typically rated or evaluated by the buyer and his communicated back to the seller.

Perform Quality Control (Monitor and Controlling)

The monitoring and controlling process that focuses on work product quality. Perform Quality Control is different from Perform Quality Assurance looks at the overall quality process to ensure that it is being followed and that it is working effectively.

Perform Integrated Change Control (Monitor and Controlling)

The monitoring and controlling process where requested and unrequested changes are reviewed according to the change control system. Perform Integrated Change Control focuses on change to the product, services or result as well as the organizational process assets that endure past the project.

Projectized Organization

The organization is structured according to project instead of functional departments. The project manager is both the manager of the project and of the people. He is highlt empowered and has the highest level of control. It is more commonly found in consulting environments.

Baseline

The original approved scope, cost or schedule plus all approved changes. Baseline represent the approved plan, and they are especially useful for measuring how actual results deviate from the plan. It is important to remember that baselines can and typically do change throughout the life of the project as changes are approved. Baselines occasionally apply to other measured areas such as performance and quality.

Sponsor

The person responsible for funding the project. The sponsor is typically someone from senior management and may not be the same person as the customer.

Project Management Plan

The plan for how he project will be managed. Thee project management plan is a formal, approved document composed of the planning documents. Once approved, the project management plan is placed under control. The project management plan is also known, more as the project plan. - Guides your work on the project - Specifies, who, What, When, Where and How

Create WBS (Planning)

The planning process for creating the work breakdown structure (WBS). The process decomposes all of the work necessary to perform the project and organizes it into the work breakdown structure (WBS). The WBS dictionary, which provides expanded information on the WBS, is also an output of this process.

Develop Project Management Plan (Planning)

The planning process in what all subsidiary components of the project plan are integrated into a single plan that will drive the rest of the project. The subsidiary components include: -Scope -Schedule -Cost -Quality _Process Improvement -Communications -Risk -Schedule Baseline -Change -Configuration -Cost Performance Baseline

Sequence Activities (Planning)

The planning process of Sequence Activities takes the schedule activities from the activity list and sequences them according to the order in which they must be performed. This is accomplished by determining which activities are dependent upon other activities. This process produces project network diagrams as its primary output, and these are used later to create the schedule.

Identify Risk (Planning)

The planning process of anticipating all of the risk that could happen on the project. Common tools used to facilitate risk identification includes checklist analysis, diagramming techniques, SWOT analysis, and expert judgment.

Estimate Cost (Planning)

The planning process of estimating the costs of activities which have not been performed. Estimate Cost is performed after the scope has been defined, the activities have been decomposed and the duration and resources for each activity have been estimated. The cost estimates are later mapped back to the work breakdown structure and are used to create the budget.

Plan Communications (Planning)

The planning process that analyses the project, the stakeholders, and the communications needs of the project and creates the communications management plan.

Estimate Activity Durations (Planning)

The planning process that estimates how long a schedule activity should take. These estimates may be expressed as a specific number (es. 2 weeks) or as a range (es. 1 to 3 weeks). Activity durations are derived through a variety of methods, but are generally a function of the amount of work to be done, the resources applied to the task, expert judgment, and historical information.

Estimate Activity Resources (Planning)

The planning process that estimates the material and human resources needed to perform a schedule activity to completion. This process may be performed before, after, or in parallel with the process of Sequence Activities.

Define Scope (Planning)

The planning process that results in the project scope statement. The goal of this process is to develop a detailed understanding of the scope and to document that understanding.

Perform Quantitative Risk Analysis (Planning)

The planning process where all risk are analysis and assigned a value as it relates to the risks impact on the project. Risks are typically quantified in terms of potential impact on budget or schedule so they may be weighed against the risk tolerance of the key stakeholders.

Plan Quality (Planning)

The planning process where quality targets are identified. Plan Quality also determines how these targets will be met and spells out how the other quality processes (Perform Quality Assurance and Perform Quality Control) will be carried out.

Develop Schedule (Planning)

The planning process where the activities are arranged on a calendar to create a schedule. The project schedule may take several forms and have varying degrees of detail.

Determine Budget (Planning)

The planning process where the individual cost estimates are complied into the cost performance baseline. The cost baseline is a time phased representation of costs so that stakeholders can see what funds will be needed and when they will be needed.

Plan Procurements (Planning)

The planning process where the project team performs make-or-buy analysis and decide what goods and services will be created or performed internally and what will be procured from external sources. Additionally, the procurement documents are created, and potential sellers are identified.

Plan Risk Management (Planning)

The process that creates the risk management plan. Plan Risk Management focuses on planning for the five subsequent risk processes.

Develop Human Resources Plan (Planning)

The process that determines how that project will be organized in terms of the personnel. Develop Human Resources Plan determines the project roles, the project organizational chart, and the responsibility assignment metrics. The most significant output of this process is the human resources plan, which is a primary component of the project plan.

Monitor and Control Risk (Monitor and Controlling)

The process that reviews the risks that have and have not occurred on the project and evaluates how the execution of the risk management plan lines up to the plan itself.

Define Activities (Planning)

The process that takes work packages from the work breakdown structure (WBS) and further decomposes them into schedule activities.

Control Cost (Monitor and Controlling)

The process to monitor and control project costs to ensure they align with the plan. Control Costs is proactive to anticipate change and risk factors, as well as reactive to actual factors that affect project costs.

Plan Risk Responses (Planning)

The processes that creates the risk management plan. Plan Risk Management focuses on planning for the five subsequent risk processes.

Project Coordinator

The project role that is weaker than a project manager in terms of authority. A project coordinator can typically assign project resources but is not authorized to spend project funds. When the role of the project coordinator exists on a project, it is in the place of a someone from senior management who has ultimate responsibility for the project.

System

The rules, process, procedures, people and other elements that support an outcome or process. Several systems are defined in project management, including the project management information system, the change control system and the work authorization system.

Senior Management

The senior manager is anyone who has authority than the project manager. To help prioritize projects and access to resources. May be called upon to resolve conflicts within the organization.

Project Management Information System (PMIS)

The system used to support management of the project. It servers as a repository for information and a tool to help with communication and technology. The PMIS supports the project from beginning to end.

Final Product, Service, or Result Transition

This output represents not so much the product itself, but acceptance and handover of responsibility to the receiving party (the customer, operations, support group or another company). The transition implies that the product has been accepted and is ready for this handover.

Tools and Techniques

Tools and techniques are the actions or methods that are used to transform input into outputs. Tools can be software, techniques can be methods, like a flowchart.

Updates

Updates to plans come out of planning, executing and monitoring and controlling processes.

Expert Judgement

Using knowledge groups or individuals to assist in project decisions. Expert judgement is a highly favored technique within project management.

Functional Organization

Very common organizational structure where team members work for a department, such as engineering or accounting, but may be loaned to a project from time to time. The project manager has lo influence or power and could even be part time.