Successful Project Management 6e Chapters 1 - 5
List at least three ways projects are identified.
1. during an organization's strategic planning 2. in response to unexpected events, 3. or as a result of a group of individuals deciding to organize a project to address a particular need
Once a baseline plan has been established, it must included three elements and be executed
1. perform the work - all activities in the baseline plan (depicted in the network diagram) must be performed according to the project schedule and technical specs 2. monitor and control progress - to ensure everything is going according to plan - measure actual progress and compare it to planned progress 3. control changes
Project charter terms:
1. project title 2. purpose 3. description 4. objective 5. success criteria or expected benefits 6. funding 7. major deliverables
Elements of a project charter:
1. project title - concise and meaningful 2. purpose - summarizes the need and justification for the project 3. description - high-level description 4. objective - states what is expected to be accomplished 5. success criteria or expected results - indicated the expected quantitative benefits or outcomes 6. funding - total amount of money the sponsor authorizes for the project 7. major deliverables - major end products or tangible items expected to be produced at the end of the project 8. acceptance criteria - describe quantitative criteria for each major deliverable that the sponsor uses to validate that each deliverable meets certain performance specs and are the basis for the sponsor's accepting that the deliverable is done right and meets the sponsor's expectations 9. milestone schedule - list of target dates/times for the occurrence of key events in the project timetable 10. key assumptions - include those that the project rationale or justification is based on 11. constraints - such as a requirement to complete the project without disrupting the current workflow 12. major risks - identify any risk the sponsor things has a high likelihood of occurrence or a high degree of of potential impact that could affect the successful outcome of the project objective 13. approval requirements - define the limits of authority of the project manager 14. project manager 15. reporting requirements - state the frequency and content of project status reports and reviews 16. sponsor designee - person who the sponsor designates to act on his/her behalf 17. approved signature and date - indicates the sponsor has officially authorized the project
What is the lowest level of the WBS?
A Work Package
Six Sigma
A comprehensive and flexible system for achieving, sustaining, and maximizing business success; uniquely driven by close understanding of customer needs, disciplined use of facts, data, and statistical analysis, and diligent attention to managing, improving, and reinventing business processes.
work package
A deliverable at the lowest level of WBS, where it can be appropriately assigned to and managed by a single accountable person.
phase
A distinct stage in project development.
standard
A document that describes best practices for what should be done to manage a project.
stakeholder analysis
A document that provides information on key stakeholders to help manage relationships with them.
baseline
A starting point, a measurement, or an observation that is documented so that it can be used for future comparison; also defined as the original project plans plus approved changes.
The final decision of which projects to select is the responsibility of:
A well-rounded evaluation committee and information from project stakeholders increase the chances of providing the best information to the final decision maker, the organization's owner, president, or department head.
Monitoring and Controlling Processes
Activities that monitor the progress of the project to identify any variances from the project plan. The actions taken to measure progress toward achieving project goals, monitor deviation from plans, and take corrective action,.
Initiating process includes which activities?
All of the activities that lead up to the final authorization to begin the project, starting with the original project request.
project management office (PMO)
An organization entity created to assist project managers in achieving project goals.
Deliverable
An output or result that must be completed and approved before you can declare the project complete.
An assumption for a construction project could be:
Assumptions are not guaranteed; they are assumed to be true. The materials, regulations, codes, and building size are part of the project plan and are not assumed.
Define the initiating process
Authorizes the project to begin. The actions to begin or end projects and project phases.
Decomposition
Break down of the initial project requirements into manageable units of work.
What is the WBS dictionary?
Describes each of the deliverables and thier components and includes a code of accounts identifies, estimates, resources, criteria for acceptance and any other information that helps clarify the deliverables.
A contract might be for a fixed price; the customer will pay the contractor whatever the actual costs are for the materials and the time.
False
A contract might be for time and materials, in which case the customer will pay the contractor a fixed amount regardless of how much the work actually costs the contractor.
False
A project should have weekly project status review meetings supplemented with written project reports.
False
All projects require a project charter to start the project.
False
An RFP must indicate the funds the customer has available to spend on the project.
False
Some potential contractors will know more about an organization due to prior contracts and relationships. This is an unfair advantage for those contractors to submit a proposal to an RFP.
False
Surveys of stakeholders can be used to gather only quantitative data.
False
The RFP might state the approvals required by the contractor.
False
The RFP must include the customer requirements and the name of the sponsor's designee.
False
The acceptance criteria deals with the scope of the project, outlining the tasks or work elements the customer wants the contractor or project team to perform.
False
The major deliverables in the project charter describe the details of the work packages in the work breakdown structure.
False
The project charter should include as many risks as can be brainstormed to be sure to have enough funds for contingencies.
False
The purpose of preparing a request for proposal is to state, comprehensively and in detail, what is required, from the contractor's point of view, to address the identified need.
False
Name the 5 Process Groups
Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, and Closing
Cost Control is part of which process group
Monitoring and Controlling
organizational process assets
Policies and procedures related to project management, past project files, and lessons-learned reports from previous, similar projects.
Project Charter
Provides formal approval for the project to begin and authorizes the project manager to apply resources to the project. Document formally recognizes the existence of a project and provides a summary of the project's objectives and management.
The first step in project selection is to:
The first step in project selection is to develop a set of criteria against which the project will be evaluated. The criteria inform the types of data to be gathered, the assumptions that must be made, and evaluation that is made.
What is the highest level of the WBS?
The project name
A good RFP allows contractors or a project team to understand what the customer expects.
True
A request for proposals helps the organization decide which contractor to use.
True
An RFP might state the payment terms the customer intends to use.
True
An RFP must provide a statement of work.
True
It is fair to meet with potential contractors and provide information about the potential project while developing the RFP.
True
Some RFPs mention the type of contract the customer intends to use.
True
The RFP must state the project objective or purpose, including any rational or background information that may be helpful to contractors so that they can prepare thorough and responsive proposals.
True
The RFP should indicate the due date by which the customer expects potential contractors to submit proposals.
True
The RFP should list any customer-supplied items.
True
The RFP should provide instructions for the format and content of the contractor proposals.
True
The RFP should state the acceptance criteria the customer will use to determine if the project deliverables are completed according to the customer's requirements.
True
The RFP should state the required schedule for completion of the project and key milestones.
True
The RFP should state what deliverables the customer expects the contractor to provide.
True
The acceptance criteria describes the criteria necessary for the sponsor to approve the deliverables.
True
The approval date for the project is the project start date.
True
The constraints for a project include the requirement to outsource due to the organization's lack of having expertise with its own staff.
True
The initiating phase of the project life cycle starts with recognizing a need, problem, or opportunity.
True
The project charter is also called a project authorization or a project initiation document.
True
Fast Tracking a Project
When you start the next project phase before the prior phase has completed. This action will shorten the project schedule.
Project Management Institute (PMI)
a premier worldwide not-for-profit association for practitioners in the project management profession founded in 1969 - nearly 500,000 members in nearly 200 countries, about 270 chapters, and about 30 online communities where peers can collaborate on specific topics of interest - publishes guides and offers certification to earn credentials
The building constructed will have at least R-38 insulation rating for the ceiling and R-28 for the walls. This is an example of the ________________ in a project charter.
acceptance criteria
Define project.
an endeavor to accomplish a specific objective through a unique set of interrelated tasks and the effective utilization of resources.
network diagram
arranges specific activities in the appropriate sequence and defines their dependent relationships - a roadmap that displays how all the specific activities fit together to achieve the project work scope - also a communication tool for the project team because it shows who is responsible for each activity
Purpose of Scope statements
basis of the agreement between the project and the customer concerning what comprises the work of the project.
The project title should:
be concise and create a vision for the end result of the project
how to calculate LF and LS
calculate backwards - working thru the network diagram from the end of the project to its beginning - you must follow the rule of the latest finish time for a specific activity activity must be the same as or earlier than the earliest of all the latest start times of all the activities emerging directly from that specific activity
A bidders meeting may be held to:
clarify the RFP and answer any questions from potential bidders
RAM - Responsibility assignment matrix
defines who will be responsible for the work
Product descriptions
describes the features, functions, and characteristics of the product, service, or result of th
RFP (request for proposal)
document prepared by the sponsor/customer that includes a proposed approach, schedule, and budget for meeting the project requirements and accomplishing the project scope 1. state the project objective 2. provide a SOW (statement of work) 3. include the customer requirements 4. state what deliverables customer expects contractor to provide 5. state acceptance criteria customer will use to determine if deliverables are completed according to their requirements 6. list any customer supplied items 7. state the required schedule for completing and key milestones 8. provide instructions for the format and content of the contractor proposals 9. indicate the due date customers expects potential contractors to submit proposals
stakeholder register
document that lists all key contact info, roles, expectations, any known issues, and areas of potential influence for each stakeholder
total slack (TS) TS is calculated by subtracting the activity's EF time from its LF time, or its ES time from its LS time. Total slack = LF - EF or Total slack = LS - ES
if TS is a negative number, it represents the amount of time that the activites on a particular path must be accelerated to complete the project by its required completion time; if TS is positive, it represents the maximum amount of time that the activities on a particular path can be delayed without jeopardizing completion of the project by its required completion time; if TS = zero, the activities on the path don't need to be accelerated, but can't be delayed either.
project quality plan
includes the specs - standards for design, safety, testing, construction, etc.
project selection
involves evaluation potential projects and then deciding which of the should move forward - the benefits and consequences, advantages and disadvantages, pluses and minuses of each project need to be considered and evaluated 1. develop of set of criteria against which the project will be evaluated 2. list assumptions that will be used as the basis for each project 3. gather data and info for each project to ensure an intelligent discussion regarding project selection 4. evaluate each project against the criteria
The new employees are expected to receive $13 million of Fast Start training that will be provided by a state workforce development grant. This is an example of the ________________ in a project charter.
key assumptions
Latest finish time (LF)
latest time a specific activity must be completed for the entire project to be finished by its required completion time - calculated on the basis of the project required completion time and the estimated durations of succeeding activities
latest start time (LS)
latest time a specific activity must be started for the entire project to be finished by its required completion time - calculated by subtracting the activity's estimated duration from the activity's latest finish time
project management process
planning, organizing, coordinating, leading, and controlling resources to accomplish the project objective - planning the work and then working the plan
project scope document
prepared by project team or contractor - includes many of the items contained in the project charter, RFP, or proposal, but in greater detail
The project acceptance criteria should:
state the quantitative criteria expected for the products to be accomplished
The project objective should:
state what is expected to be accomplished
The implementation of the new procedure is expected to reduce costs of production by 10% over the next year. This is an example of the ______________ in a project charter
success criteria and expected benefits
The project purpose should:
summarize the need and justification for the project
List methods for gathering information from a project's stakeholders.
surveys, focus groups, interviews, and analysis of available reports
project identification
the initiating phase of the project life cycle starts with recognizing a need, problem, or opportunity for which a project or projects are identified to address the need
A project charter summarizes:
the key conditions and parameters of the project
Project Champion
usually one of the stakeholders and they spread the great news about the benefits of the project and act as a cheerleader, A senior manager who acts as a key proponent for a project.
Define project scope
what needs to be done to produce all the project deliverables, satisfy the customer/sponsor
List attributes that help define a project.
1. Clear objective 2. Carried out thru a set of independent activities. 3. Utilizes various resources to achieve the activities. 4. Has a specific time frame or finite life span. 5. May be a unique or one-time endeavor. 6. Has a sponsor or customer. 7. Involves a degree of uncertainty.
List and describe the main phases of the project life cycle.
The first is the initiating phase, when projects are identified and selected. They are then authorized, using a document referred to as a project charter. The second phase of the project life cycle is the planning phase and includes defining the project scope, identifying resources, developing a schedule and budget, and identifying risks, all of which make up the baseline plan for doing the project work. In the third phase, the performing phase, the project plan is executed, and work tasks are carried out to produce all the project deliverables and to accomplish the project objective. During this phase, the project progress is monitored and controlled to assure the work remains on schedule and within budget, the scope is fully completed according to specifications, and all deliverables meet acceptance criteria. Also, any changes need to be documented, approved, and incorporated into an updated baseline plan, if necessary. The final phase of the project life cycle is the closing phase. Project evaluations are conducted, lessons learned are identified and documented to help improve performance on future projects, and project documents are organized and archived.
Project Sponsor
The person who authorizes and approves the project charter.
project management process groups
The progression from initiating activities to planning activities, executing activities, monitoring and controlling activities, and closing activities.
Who is responsible for making sure the customer is satisfied.
The project manager
Define scope, schedule, cost, and customer satisfaction. Why are these considered to be constraints?
The scope of a project is all the work that must be done in order to satisfy the customer that the deliverables meet the requirements or acceptance criteria agreed upon at the onset of the project. The cost of a project is the amount the customer has agreed to pay for acceptable project deliverables. The project cost is based on a budget that includes an estimate of the costs associated with the various resources that will be used to accomplish the project. The schedule for a project is the timetable that specifies when each activity should start and finish. The project objective usually states the time by which the project scope must be completed in terms of a specific date agreed upon by the customer and the individual or organization performing the work. Customer Satisfaction is the level to which the customer is pleased with the end result of the project. The objective of any project is to complete the scope within budget by a certain time to the customer's satisfaction. Any of these four factors can put limitations on the final product.
Triple Constraints are?
Time, Budget and Quality
Project Life Cycle
Total composition of all of the work of the project represented on a timeline.
A milestone schedule lists target dates for phases of a project.
True
Disadvantages for doing a project may have a positive impact on an organization.
True
Funding statements in a project charter may be broken into the amount authorized by project phase.
True
If the project manager is selected in the initiating phase of the project, then the project manager is likely to participate in the development of the project charter for the project.
True
Part of preparing a request for proposal is soliciting the request to potential bidders on the project.
True
Project approval requirements state when the sponsor wants to review the progress of the project and make decisions about moving to the next phase.
True
Quantitative benefits of a project are the intangible benefits of completing a project such as employee morale.
True
The project description in the project charter is a high-level description of the project and references more detailed documents regarding key performance requirements.
True
The project justification includes the key assumptions for the project.
True
The project objective in the project charter indicates the deliverable, schedule, and budget for a project.
True
The success criteria in the project charter indicate the expected benefits of the project including what the expectations are for project success.
True
Unexpected events are reasons for an organization to decide to initiate a project.
True
Planning Processes
Where the project goals, objectives and deliverables are refined and broken down into manageable units of work. The actions that involve devising and maintaining a workable scheme to ensure that the project meets its scope, time and cost goals as well as organizational needs.
Executing Processes
Where the work of the project are performed. Includes the execution of the project plan, team development, quality assurance, information distribution and more. The actions that involve formalizing acceptance of the project or phase and bringing it to an orderly end.
WBS
Work Breakdown Structure - the major work tasks defined in the SOW and the detailed list of deliverables.
contract
agreement between contractor who agrees to perform the project and provide deliverables (products or services) and the customer who agrees to pay a certain amount
Constraints
anything that restricts or dictates the actions of the project team.
Minimum number of individual processes included in each of the 5 process groups
at least 2 individual process (some may have more) that have thier own inputs to the process, tools and techniques and outputs
Scope Creep
making changes to the project scope without appropriate approval, which can blow your budget and schedule
Key components of the project charter
problem statement, deliverables, milestones, costs, assumptions, constraints, risks, stakeholders, and project description.
RFP - request for proposal
procurement document that is advertised to the vendor community requesting vendors provide them a written proposal outlining how they would meet the requirements of the project and how much it will cost
Components of the scope statement are what?
product description, key deliverables, success and acceptance criteria, kpi's, exclusions, assumptions and constraints
Primary outputs for the processes are what?
scope management plan, scope statement and work breakdown structure
Define the term project objective.
A project has a well-defined objective—an expected result or product. The objective of a project is usually defined in terms of scope, schedule, and cost. Furthermore, it is expected that the work scope will be accomplished in a quality manner and to the customer's satisfaction. Establishes what is to be accomplished. Often stated on the project charter or RFP. The objective is the tangible end product that must be produced an delivered.
Rational Unified Process (RUP) framework
A project management methodology that uses an iterative software development process that focuses on team productivity and delivers software best practices to all team members.
PRojects IN Controlled Environments (PRINCE2)
A project management methodology with eight process groups developed in the U.K.
Process
A series of actions directed toward a particular result.
Project Request Process
Can be formal or informal. Gathering the information to adequately evaluate the request and determine whether the project is worth pursuing
SOW - Statement of Work
Description of what product or service the vendor will provide and is generally included as part of the contract. Defines the major tasks that need to be done to produce all the project deliverables.
Closing Processes
Documents the formal acceptance of the project work and to hand off the completed product to the organization for ongoing maintenance and support. The actions that involve formalizing acceptance of the project or phase and bringing it to an orderly end.
Scope Management Plan Description
Documents the procedures for preparing the project scope statement and WBS, defines for the deliverables will be verified and describes the process for controlling scope change requests
A request for proposal is required for projects that are completed by an external contractor to an organization.
False
Every project that is identified is selected to be completed.
False
Meeting the acceptance criteria listed in the project charter means the customer is satisfied.
False
Projects that are not similar cannot be compared when making a selection to move forward with a project.
False
The project purpose in the project charter may include prior documents for selecting the project.
False
The project title should be a code word even if the project is not confidential.
False
The reaction of an advocacy group is categorized as a negative consequence for a project.
False
The sponsor designee is the project manager of the project.
False
What are the 3 requirement categories
Functional, Business, Technical
Three Categories of requirements
Functional, Technical, Business
Describe how a global project can be more complex than a project performed within just one country. How might these elements affect the successful outcome of the global project?
Global projects have several unique influencing factors such as currency fluctuations and exchange rates, country-specific work codes and regulations, corporate joint ventures and partnerships creating entities with a presence and facilities in multiple countries, political relations between countries, and availability of high-demand workforce skills. Globalization changes the dynamics of the project and adds a layer of complexity that can adversely affect the project outcome if the project participants are not aware of what they might encounter in the way of cultural differences and multinational economic transactions.
Define project stakeholders.
Individuals or entities involved in, or may influence, or be affected by a project, such as the customer/sponsor, project team and project manager, subcontractors and consultants, end users or consumers, and advocacy groups. The stakeholder register keeps all stakeholder info consolidated and up to date. The project manager and team should contact and engage each stakeholder, listen to their concerns, interests, needs, and expectations. An issue log should be created for specific issues or concerns or questions.
What aspects of a project might involve some degree of uncertainty? Why?
Many aspects can have some degree of uncertainty, such as the schedule or the budget. An unexpected snowstorm may delay a highway construction project and increased lumber prices may increase the cost of building a new home. Not everything in a project can be planned, scheduled, or budgeted.
Performance Reporting and Risk Control are part of which process group
Monitoring and Controlling
Examples of resources used on a project.
People, equipment, money, materials, etc.
Stakeholder
Person or organization that has something to gain or lose as a result of performing the project.
High-Level Requirements
Product Description that explain the major characteristics of the product or service of the project.
What are project constraints.
Scope (all the work that must be done) Quality (defined expectations) Schedule (timetable for each activity) Budget (amount of money sponsor or customer has agreed to pay for acceptable project deliverables Resources (needed to produce deliverables and accomplish project objective Risks (adversely affect accomplishing project objective) Customer satisfaction
Define what is meant by project deliverable.
Tangible product or items to be provided. A product or service produced or provided as part of a project.
What role does a customer have during the project life cycle? Why is it important to satisfy the customer?
The customer should be involved throughout the project life cycle. The customer is the one who is paying for the project. Unsatisfied customers have been known to withhold payments, never call you again for repeat business, and spread word of their dissatisfaction. On the other hand, a satisfied customer will do the opposite of those things.
List and describe the steps of the planning process, which results in a Baseline plan.
1. Establish project objective -- clearly define the project objective and have it agreed upon by the sponsor or customer. 2. Define scope -- include customer requirements, define the major work tasks or elements, and provide a list of deliverables and associated acceptance criteria that can be used to verify that the work and deliverables meet specifications 3. Create a work breakdown structure -- divide and subdivide the project scope into pieces or work packages. 4. Assign responsibility - identify the person or organization responsible for each work item in the work breakdown structure 5. Define the specific activities -- develop the list of detailed activities that need to be performed for each work package to produce any required deliverables. 6. Sequence activities -- graphically portray the activities in a network diagram to display the sequence and dependent relationships of the detailed activities. 7. Estimate activity resources -- determine which types and skills or expertise of resources and how many of each resource are needed for each activity with consideration of the availability of the resources. 8. Estimate activity durations -- make a time estimate for how long it will take to complete each activity, based on the estimate of the resources that will be applied. 9. Develop the project schedule -- develop the overall project schedule, including when each activity is expected to start and finish, as well as the latest times that each activity must start and finish in order to complete the project by the project required completion date. 10. Estimate activity costs -- determine the costs for the types and quantities of resources estimated for each activity using the appropriate labor cost rate or unit cost for each type of resource. 11. Determine budget -- aggregate the cost estimates for each activity.
business case
A document that provides justification for investing in a project .
scope statement
A document used to develop and confirm a common understanding of the project scope.
template
A file with a preset format that serves as a starting point for creating various documents so that the format and structure do not have to be re-created.
Why must a manager monitor the progress of a project? What can be done if a project is not proceeding according to plan?
A manager must monitor progress to ensure that everything is going according to plan. It is also necessary to measure actual progress and compare it to planned progress. If at any time during the project the comparison of actual to planned progress reveals that the project is behind schedule, overrunning the budget, or not meeting the technical specifications, corrective action must be taken to get the project back on track within the scope, schedule, and budget constraints of the project objective. These actions include adding or changing resources to make up time and get back on schedule.
kick-off meeting
A meeting held at the beginning of a project so that stakeholders can meet each other, review the goals of the project, and discuss future plans.
methodology
A plan that describes how things should be done to manage a project.
Critical Success Factors
elements that must be completed accurately and on schedule in order for the project to be considered complete.
Key performance indicators (KPIs)
help you determine whether the project is on track and progressing as planned
List some benefits of using project management techniques.
• The ultimate benefit of implementing project management techniques is having a satisfied customer. • Completing the full project scope in a quality manner, on time, and within budget provides a great feeling of satisfaction. • It could lead to additional business. • Successful projects can expand career opportunities. • A feeling of satisfaction comes from being on a winning team. • Project management can expand knowledge, enhance skills, and make it easier to undertake more complicated projects. • When projects are successful, everybody wins!
