planning best practices - pmi southern maryland chapter
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Planning Basics + Planning Best PracticesPLANNING BEST PRACTICES
John H. Cable, R.A., PMPCopyright 2017, All rights reserved
Isn’t this a great day to study Project Management!
Webster• Plan – “A method or scheme for achieving or doing
something.”
• Planning – “To formulate a way to achieve or do.”
“Devising and maintaining a workable scheme to accomplish the business need that the project was undertaken to address.”
Process Groups*
* PMBOK ® Guide, 5th Edition
Planning Attributes
• Occurs throughout – ongoing process• Uses multiple time horizons• Detail varies ~ uncertainty and phase• Provides the foundation:
– Performance measurement– Communication
Good Planning• Establishes direction for team
• Defines:– What must be done– When it must be done– Resources required– Deliverables– Risks
• Coordinates the work of all parties• Provides the central communication system
Without a Plan• Control (steering the course) is impossible!
• You must plan in order to accomplish goals and objectives.
• Planning nurtures the opportunity to ANTICIPATE!
Avoid the Two Extremes
• “Ready, Fire, Aim”
• “Paralysis by analysis”
What about fire drills?
Isn’t it Obvious!
• Planning• Scheduling• Cost estimating / budgeting• Resource allocation
All integrally intertwined. Not separate / independent functions but are totally interdependent.
Potential Problems i.e. Risk• Long lead delivery items• Technical breakthroughs required• Resource limitations (the market)• Critical task timing /sequences• International support / shipping• Complex coordination requirements• Regulatory approvals
Initial Planning is More Efficient
Delayed or reactive planning will increase the total time, effort and cost of:– Discovery– Planning– Project work
Do it once! Do it right!– Only possible through successive iteration
planning
Poor Planning
Effective Planning
Project WorkProject Work
ReRe -- PlanningPlanning
DiscoveryDiscovery
Project WorkProject Work
Response Response
PlanningPlanning
DiscoveryDiscovery
Project WorkProject Work
Initial Initial
Planning
Planning
Project WorkProject Work
DiscoveryDiscoveryRe
Re-
-Planning
PlanningProject Work
Project Work
Total
Proje
ct Ov
erhea
dTo
tal Pr
oject
Overh
ead
Key Thoughts• Successive elaboration! Multiple time horizons
• Include key team & downfield reps in planning process
• Identify what you do know and what you don’t know and take action to stabilize uncertainty!
• Manage to milestones
Why do Projects Fail?
Project Management Problems
• Insufficient planning • Poor Communication• Inadequate resources• Meeting deadlines• Unclear goals / directions• Changes in goals & resources• Uncommitted team members• Conflicts between departments / functions
Failing to Plan!
Old Perceptions / The New Reality!
Planning Best Practices
1. Systematic and Integrative Planning
2. Timely Decisions Adjusted to Uncertainty
3. Isolation and Absorption
1. Systematic and Integrative Planning
“Start planning as early as possible. Set project objectives and employ a diverging/converging, multiphase process. At each phase, prepare all
functional plans simultaneously and interdependently.”
• Advocates a systematic, formal, and disciplined approach to planning
• Not new - is historical approach
• Key to project success –“invest quality time in systematic planning at early
stage”
Systematic and Integrative Planning
Some Key Ideas in S&IP
• Focus on Customer’s needs• Understand business objective• Early interaction / all players• Clearly articulate undefined needs• Review “must-halves” w/ desires• Develop a clear vision• Begin with the end in mind
Five Major Elements
1. Set project objectives
2. Employ a multiphase planning process
3. Start planning as early as possible
4. Adopt a diverging/converging planning process
5. Prepare integrated functional plans
a. Focus on Customer’s Needs
• Translate undefined needs into clear, precise requirements and objectives.
• In setting objectives, each major activity begins with end in mind.
Key Effect
Early interaction of problem setters & problem solvers:– Project team focuses on customer’s needs– Sets tone for customer team communication throughout
project– Team understands more about context
Definition of Requirements• Primarily customers responsibility
• Does customer have capability to define?
• Designers often involved? Maybe!
• Poor scope definition is source of:– Changes, Rework, & Schedule delays– Cost overruns– Unhappy customers & unhappy service providers– Unprofitable project for everyone
Problems w/ Definitions
• Customer frequently doesn’t have expertise• Prescriptive vs. performance based• Needs vs. desires• Unstated assumptions• Unstated constraints• Dynamic nature of the market
Requirements Walk-Through
• Customer & contractor go through requirements line by line
• Yes, it is onerous!
• MISTAKE – don’t have the right people participate
See Notes!
The Right Business FocusCleveland Plant Consolidation Project
2. Timely Decisions Adjusted to Uncertainty
“Adjust the timing of decisions and their degree of detail to the completeness and stability of information. Plan for multiple time horizons and selectively accelerate implementation to obtain fast feedback for further planning.”
1st PrincipleProblem:
Systematic and Integrative Planning ignores / underestimates project:
1. Uncertainty,2. Speed, and3. Manager’s scarcity of attention.
2. Timely Decisions Adjusted to Uncertainty
Focus of 2nd principle ~ factors of uncertainty, speed, and scarcity of attention
1. Uncertainty
Information Required – Information Possessed= Uncertainty
Opportunity to Influence
PMBOK® 5th Edition
2. Speed
Speed is the single most significant basis for competitive advantage.
Why Speed is Key?
• Dramatic increase in global competition.
• Accelerated pace of technological development
• Market share and profit margins are increased by being first to market
3. Scarcity of AttentionManager’s activities are typified by:• Brevity,
• Variety, and
• Fragmentation.
Executives
• ½ of their activities last < 9 minutes
• Only 10% > 1 hour
• Leaves little time for analysis and reflection!
2.1 Postpone Planning Details
By postponing details of uncertain tasks, teams can proceed with only partial information.
“Defining the Problem by
Exploring the Solutions”
3. Isolation & Absorption
Isolate tasks plagued by very high uncertainty and loosen connections between uncertain tasks. In both cases you absorb uncertainty by selectively employing redundant resources. Divide large projects into independent subprojects and group tasks within projects according to uncertainty.
Consists of 3 major steps:1. Isolate highly uncertain tasks,2. Loosen connections between uncertain tasks, and3. Divide project according to uncertainty
3.1 Isolate Highly Uncertain Tasks
• Isolating tasks is NEVER w/o cost
• Redundancy can provide reliability
• Counter to concept of efficiency
• Most effective = most efficient
“Overhead is Not Evil”
May 26, 2016
Title by Author
Slide 43
Key Principles• Plan before starting work• Use multiple time horizons• Subdivide when appropriate• Involve people/skills who will
actually do the work• Include all aspects of project • Build flexibility into the plan• Manage to milestones• Keep the plan simple• Communicate the plan
Discussion?
“Customers Are Loyal toQuality Performance ... Not the Organization!”
Planning Phase Sequence 1
1. Create scope and scope management plan2. Determine project team3. Create work breakdown structure4. Create resource management plan5. Create WBS dictionaries6. Create network diagram
PMP Exam Prep, by Rita Mulcahy, PMP
Planning Phase Sequence 2
7. Estimate time and cost8. Determine critical path9. Develop schedule and schedule management plan10. Develop budget11. Create communications plan12. Create quality management plan
PMP Exam Prep, by Rita Mulcahy, PMP
Planning Phase Sequence 3
13. Develop risk management plan14. Create procurement management plan15. Create stakeholder management plan16. Create project control plan17. Develop a formal project plan18. Gain formal acceptance and approval19. Hold kickoff meeting
PMP Exam Prep, by Rita Mulcahy, PMP
1. Project Charter
• Formally authorizes project• Issued by external manager• Authority for resources• Business need project undertaken to address
& product description• Assigns project manager• Identifies constraints + assumptions
2. General Approach
• Managerial approach– Note deviation from standard– Team structure– In-house vs via contract
• Technical approach– Relationship to available technologies– Critical assumptions
Contractual Aspects• Procurement strategy• Reporting requirements• Customer-supplied resources• Liaison arrangements• Advisory committees• Review & cancellation procedures• Proprietary requirements• Management agreements
3. Scope Statement
• Documented basis for making future project decisions
• Projects: – Justification– Deliverables– Objectives
• Profit target• Competitive aims (market goals)• Technical goals
Project Plan Development
Project Management Plan
Scope
Procure-ment
Time
Cost
Quality
Re-source
Communica
tions
Risk
Project Plan
• Used to coordinate among internal & external participants
• Basis for signoff and approval internally & with client
• Dynamic – should be current, record of key assumptions and decisions
Project Plan Contents 1
1. Project charter2. Approach or strategy3. Scope statement4. Work breakdown structure5. Estimates, schedules, & responsibility6. Measurement baselines
Project Plan Contents 2
7. Milestones / target dates8. Staff required + key9. Key risks, constraints, responses10. Subsidiary management plans11. Open + pending issues12. Supporting details
Work Breakdown Structure
• A deliverable-oriented grouping of project components that organizes and defines total project scope.
• Subdivides project work into smaller, more manageable pieces.
• Work not in the WBS is outside the scope of the project.
See Notes!
W B S
• Concept: A larger complicated task is subdivided into smaller tasks.
• Hierarchical task and subtask listing organized into work packages.
• Fundamental tool for project planning.
• Foundation of a project management system.
See Notes!
WBS Sequence
• List tasks and subtasks in sequence.• Continue until all meaningful tasks or work
packages are identified.• Prepare responsibility matrix.• Review with people doing the work.• Refine – even as project is underway.• Move into scheduling / budgeting.
See Notes!
Even Planning Process*
*Figure 3-2, page 86“Project Management in Practice”
Even Planning Process• List activities in general order (2-20)• Break each level 1 into (2-20)• Break each level 2 into (2-20)
• Roughly same level of task generality• Discipline keeps plan focused on deliverables• Maintain uniform level of detail
Key Question
• When to stop breaking down the work into subunits?
Stop when you can estimate to the desired degree of accuracy.
• WBS does not have to be symmetrical.
See Notes!
WBS Concept
