Project Management

introduction for rhiz.eu / ECF

Project management
=
communication

in Rhiz case:

Mediamatic is project manager

Rhiz/ECF is ordering customer

Communication should be about: what does Rhiz need?

What is a project?

Start + end

Clearly defined goal

Ordering customer

Limited budget

Project phases

Project phases

Mediamatic

For a succesfull project

Business Case: what is the main goal?

Extensive negotiations with ordering customer on every phase, especially preparation

Is the project team building what the customer needs?

Clear agreements on deliverables per phase

Deliverables: Examples

Initiation phase: document including Project goal, short project description, raw planning, risks involved, budget

Definition phase: Project plan, more details, risk research has been done

Design phase: all the details, functional design, technical design, interaction design

Implementation: Progress reports

After care: Evaluation

Project goal: SMART

SMART specific measurable achievablerelevanttime-bound.

Project Management

Talk to experts: let them plan the work

What tasks need to be done

How much time do they need

Dependencies: what needs to go first, what can be done at the same time

Critical path

What resources are available when

PLAN -> Milestones & deadlines

Work breakdown structure

MoSCoW

M - MUST have this.

S - SHOULD have this if at all possible.

C - COULD have this if it does not affect anything else.

W - WON'T have this time but WOULD like in the future.

Project planning

What tasks need how much time and cost how much -> PLAN

Plan for each phase + every phase a new, more precise estimate

Risk management = extra time

1 Deadline + x Milestones = more control

Plan the work, work the plan

Planning

Project control

Check progress

Project team needs to report: what is finished, how much more time is needed

Compare to the planned schedule

When behind -> MANAGE

time

money

quality (MoSCoW)

Report / negotiate

Freelancers

Fixed price: More secure but relatively expensive

Pay per hour: insecure, needs strict plan + extra control on progress

Always necessary: strict agreement on deliverables! (i.e. bugfix included?)

Evaluating proposals

Get more than one and compare

Ask questions on the differences

Not too many details

Not just -> plan is just as important

Use experience (your own or other parties)

Read on...