Project Management — Foundation

Project ManagementAn Interactive Session

Facilitated by:

Shabbeer Zafar

You don’t have to see the whole

staircase, just take the first step.

-Martin Luther King Jr. 01

How the Customer

explained it

How the PM

understood it

How the Analyst

designed it

How the Developer

wrote it

How the Sales

explained it

How the project was

documented

What Operations

installed

How the Customer

was billed

How it was

supported

What the Customer

really needed

Assumption is the mother of all screw-ups.-Wethern’s Law of Suspended Judgement

4 44

• Only 64% of projects meet their goals

• High-performing organizations complete 89% of projects

• Low performing organization complete only 36%

• Low performing organizations waste nearly 12 times more resources than high-performing organizations

Stats: Project Surveys

5 44

• 1 in 6 (17%) IT projects have an average cost overrun of 200% and a schedule overrun of 70% (both inclusive)

• 17% of large IT projects go so badly that they threaten the existence of the company

• Across all software projects (2014-15):

– Average cost overrun – 59%

– Average time overrun – 74%

Stats: Project Surveys

6 44

Reasons of Failure % Reasons of Failure %

Changing priorities within organization

40% Inaccurate task time estimate 27%

Inaccurate requirements 38% Resource dependency 25%

Change in project objectives 35% Poor change management 25%

Undefined risks/opportunities 30% Inadequate resource forecasting

23%

Poor communication 30% Inexperienced project manager

20%

Undefined project goals 30% Limited resources 20%

Inadequate sponsor support 29% Procrastination within team 13%

Inaccurate cost estimates 29% Task dependency 11%

Meta Source: https://www.wrike.com/blog/complete-collection-project-management-statistics-2015

Stats: Causes of Project Failure

No matter how good the team or how

efficient the methodology, if we’re not

solving the right problem, the project fails.

-Woody Williams02

8 44

• To introduce the concept and need of software project management

• To discuss the crucial role of project manager in the success and failure of a project

• Laying down the foundation for further trainings in project management area

Session Objectives

9 44

• What is Project?

• What is Project Management?

• Objectives of Project Management

• Introducing PMBOK

• Project Management Process

• Project Management Framework

• Project Process Interactions

• Why do we need a Project Manager?

• Project Management Activities

Agenda

• Project Manager’s Skill Set

• Components of a Successful Project Management System

• Measuring Success of a Project

• 7 Habits of Highly Effective Project Manager

• Journey ahead…

10 44

Origin: projectum (Latin verb proicere)

– pro: before

– icere: to do

– proicere = before an action

What is Project?

11 44

Project is a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product, service or result.

What is Project?

• Temporary – definite beginning and end

• Unique – different in some distinguishing characteristic

• Progressively elaborated

12 44

• Developing a new product or service

• Effecting a change in structure, staffing, or style of an organization

• Designing a new transportation vehicle

• Constructing a building or facility

• Running an election campaign

• Implementing a new business procedure or process

Examples of Project

13 44

Projects Operations• Temporary • On-going

• Unique • Repetitive

• Closes after attaining the objectives

• Objective is to sustain the business

• Prototyping a new car model • Assembly line production

Projects Vs. Operations

14 44

• Programs

– Collection of strategically related projects

– Collective benefits are realized

– Projects share resources and depends on the outcomes of other projects

– Governed by a common mission statement

• Portfolios

– Collection of programs and projects

– Projects/programs meet specific goals or objectives

– Ensures efficient use of resources

– Governed by a vision statement

• PMO (Project Management Office)

– Centralized units to oversee projects and programs within the organization

– Establishes and maintains the standards of project management methodologies

– Supports managers in planning, estimating, risk management and trainings

– Custodian of Organization Process Assets (OPA)

Project, Program & Portfolio

Operations keeps the lights on. Strategy

provides a light at the end of the tunnel. But,

Project management is the train engine that moves the organization forward.

-Joy Gumz03

16 44

1. Project activities

2. Knowledge and skills

3. Tools and techniques

4. Project activities

5. Stakeholder needs and expectations (client relation challenges)

– Meet or Exceed

Project Management?

Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities in order to meet or exceed

stakeholder needs and expectations from a project.

17 44

• Scope

• Cost

• Time

• Quality

Via

bili

ty

Performance

Effort

Co

mp

etitiveness

Project management

process and controls

Project Management

Process and Controls

Scope

Cost

Quality

Time

The Core Elements

18 44

Objectives: Project Management

S• Specific: What, who, when? Details of what needs to be done.

M• Measureable: How much, how many? Defined milestones. Matrices.

A• Achievable: Agreed and accepted by all stakeholders. Results matter.

R• Realistic: Challenging yet possible to attain with the given resources.

T• Time bound: By when? Timeline clearly defined.

19 44

PMBOK

PMBOK – Project Management Body of Knowledge

• General Management:– Planning, Organising, Staffing– Executing, Operations

• Application Area:– Estimation– Fin. forecasting– Budgeting– Org. behaviour

• Interpersonal Skills:– Communication– Team building, Delegation– Decision making, Collaboration– Leadership, Mentoring

• Project Environment:– Org. Culture/Structure– Social, Technological

Interpersonal

Skills

General Management

Knowledge and PracticesApplication Area

Knowledge & Skills

Understanding the

Project Environment

PMBOK

Generally Accepted

Project Management

Knowledge and Practices

If you can’t describe what you are doing as

a process, you don’t know what you’re

doing.-W. Edwards Deming04

21 44

Project Management Process

• Initiate

• Plan

• Execute

• Monitor & Control

• Close

• Process: – Linear?

– Iterative?

– Cyclic?

Initiate Plan

Monitor & Control

Execute

Close

22 44

• Initiating – Authorizes the project

• Planning – Plan the course of action to achieve the objectives

• Executing – Uses the resources to carry out project tasks

• Monitoring and Controlling – Measures progress to identify variances. Take preventive and corrective actions

• Closing – Ensures structured project closure

Project Management Process

23 44

• Work Performance Data

– The raw observations and measurements:

• Start and finish dates of scheduled tasks/activities

• Number of change requests

• Number of defects

• Actual cost

• Actual duration

• Work Performance Information

– The performance data collected from various controlling processes:

• Status of deliverables

• Implementation status of change requests

• ETC forecast

• Work Performance Reports

– The physical or electronic representation, compiled in project reports/documents:

• PSR

• Dashboards

• Memos

• Justifications

• Information notes

Project Information Flow

24 44

Project Management FrameworkK

no

wle

dge

Are

as

Pro

cess

Gro

up

s

47

PROCESESS

Integration Management

Scope Management

Time Management

Cost Management

Quality Management

HR Management

Communication Management

Risk Management

Procurement Management

Stakeholder Management

Initiating

Planning

Executing

Monitoring & Controlling

Closing

25 33

26 44

Inputs

• Scope Management Plan

• Requirements Management Plan

• Stakeholder Management Plan

• Project Charter

• Stakeholder Register

Tools & Techniques

• Interviews

• Focus Groups

• Facilitated Workshops

• Group Creativity Techniques

• Group Decision Making Techniques

• Questionnaires and Surveys

• Observations

• Prototypes

• Benchmarking

• Context Diagram

• Document Analysis

Output

• Requirements Documentation

• Requirements Traceability Matrix

Process: An Example

Process: Collect Requirements

27 44

Process Interactions

Process Groups

Init

iati

ng

Pla

nn

ing

Exec

uti

ng

Mo

nit

ori

ng

&

Co

ntr

olli

ng

Clo

sin

g

Kn

ow

led

ge A

reas

Integration

Scope

Time

Cost

Quality

Human Resources

Communication

Risk

Procurement

Stakeholder

28 44

Process Overlap

Level of Process

Interaction

Start FinishTime

Initiating Planning Executing Monitoring & Controlling Closing

Initiating Planning Executing Monitoring & Controlling Closing

Processes 4% 51% 17% 23% 4%

Time span Short End-to-End Long End-to-End Short

29 44

Project Activities

Deciding – Planning & Defining Doing – Implementing & Controlling

Initiate Work

Monitor & Track Progress

Compare Actual vs. Planned

Analyze Impact of Changes

Adjust Plan as Needed

Complete the Project

Assess Outcomes

Project Goals and Objectives

Work Requirements

Quantity of Work

Quality of Work

Required Resources

Team Structure

Scheduling and Task Sequencing

Budgeting

Deciding & Doing

Project managers function as bandleaders

who pull together their players each a

specialist with individual score and internal

rhythm. Under the leader’s direction, they all

respond to the same beat.

-L.R. Sayles

05

32 44

• To focus on the responsibility, authority, and scheduling of the project in order to meet the defined goals.

– Defining clear work descriptions

– Assigning individual/team responsibilities

– Decision making

– Minimize surprises and conflicts

– Reducing the need for continuous reporting

– Measuring progress against the plan

Do We Really Need a PM?

33 44

• Knowledge

– What s/he knows about project management

• Performance

– What the PM is able to do or accomplish while applying project management knowledge

• Personal

– Attitude

– Core personality characteristics

– Leadership

• The ability to guide the project team while achieving objectives and balancing the project constraints

Project Manager’s Skill Set

34 44

Management Skills Interpersonal Skills

• Presentation • Negotiation

• Team building • Motivation

• Business Writing • Verbal Communication

• Public Speaking • Convincing and Influencing

• Decision Making • Political and Cultural Awareness

Project Manager’s Skill Set

Project Managers are the most creative

persons in the world; they have to figure out

everything that could go wrong, before it does.

-Fredrik Haren06

36 44

Balancing Act

Risks

The Project

ClientExpectations

Business Objectives

Risks

Client Expectations

Low High

Business Objectives

Low OKCustomer wants more than the organization intends to provide

HighBusiness needs more from the

project than the customerOK

37 44

Project Management Equation

Project Management

Expectations Management

RiskManagement

All things are created twice; first mentally; then

physically. The key to creativity is to begin

with the end in mind, with a vision and a

blueprint of the desired result.

-Stephen Covey07

39 44

1. Be Proactive

2. Begin with the “End in Mind”

3. Put First Things First

4. Think Win/Win

5. Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood

6. Synergize

7. Sharpen the Saw

7 Habits of Highly Effective PM

40 44

• Human Factors

• Methods

• Culture

• Organization

• Planning

• Information

• Control

Components of a Successful Project Management System

• Leadership• Negotiation• Team building• Motivation• Communication• Decision making

41 44

• Stakeholder satisfaction

• Meeting business case objectives

• End-user adoption

• Quality of delivery

• Meeting governance criteria

• Benefits realization (ROI)

Measuring Project Success

42 44

• A project is a problem scheduled for solution

• If the problem is not defined correctly, you may find the right solution to the wrong problem

• Focus on desired outcomes

• Regularly measure the progress to know when you achieve them

• The people who must execute the plan should participate in preparing it

• If you have no plan, you have no control

The Bottom Line

A project is complete when it starts working for

you, rather than you working for it.

-Scott Allen08

44 44

• Session to cover each Knowledge Area (2-3 hrs./session)

• Practice Workshops:

– Creating WBS

– Estimation Techniques

– Planning and Scheduling

– Earn Value Analysis

– Requirements Writing

• Suggestions welcome!

• Volunteers?

Journey Ahead…

The art of asking good questions is often the most

important element of managerial tasks.

-Parte Bose

THANK YOU!