Project initiation and Overview of project management

Control

Project ● Generally established to carry out these changes and

someone is always responsible for each project’s successful
completion.
● Identified when someone in the organization identifies a
business need to build a system
● Need may surface when an organization identifies unique and
competitive ways of using IT
● To leverage the capabilities of emerging technologies
● All projects solve some type of problem, but projects may also
be established simple to determine and define feasible
alternative solutions to problem.
● A planned undertaking of related activities to reach an
objective that has a beginning and an end
● A temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product
or service or result
● A set of activities with a specified beginning and end point
meant to create a system that brings value to the business

Project Management - a controlled process of initiating, planning, executing, and closing

down a project.

- both an art and a science

- the business of leading people

- processes, tools and techniques

- application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques applied to

project activities in order to meet the project requirements

- is a process that includes planning, putting the project plan into

action, and measuring progress and performance.

Project Manager - system analyst with management and leadership skills responsible
for leading project initiation, planning, executing and closedown

- is the person assigned by the performing organization to achieve the

project objectives

Deliverable - the end product of an SDLC phase

 -tangible and verifiable product of work

- also provides tangible benefits throughout the project and serve to

defined the work and resources

PHASES OF Phase 1: Initiation

PROJECT
MANAGEMENT Phase 2: Planning
PROCESS:
Phase 3: Execution

Phase 4: Closedown

PROJECT LIFE 1. Initiate/Concept | Define Project Goal

CYCLE
2. Plan Project

3. Execute

4. Close Project

5. Evaluate Project

- Collection of logical stages or phases that maps the life of a

project from its beginning to its end
- Each phase should have one or more deliverables
- Maps the life of ap roject

BUSINESESS Tangible and intangible

VALUES

Tangible Value - can be qualified and measured directly

Intangible Value - will add value and save time but we may not be able to quantify or
measure its benefits

Projects are by - Identified by business people

business needs
- Identifies by IT people

- (better yet) identified jointly by business and IT

Project Sponsor - Believed in the system and wants to see it succeed
- Business person
- Should have the authority to move it forwards

3 MAIN 1. Unique
CHARACTERISTIC 2. One-time occurrence
OF A PROJECT 3. Finite Duration

Other - Interdependencies
- Limited resources
- conflict

Attributies of a - Time frame

project - Purpose
- Proposes and supports change - temporary
- Goal must be clearly defined and agreed on
- Provide some kind of value to the organization
- Ownership
- Resources
- Requires time, money, people and technology
- Provide the means for achieving the project’s goal
- Roles
- Risk and assumptions
- Interdependent tasks
- Organization change
- Operating in an environment larger that the project itself

Time frame Includes a start and end time

purpose Created something new or fixes/improves something that already

exists

Ownership May have many stakeholders and clearly defined sponsors to provide
direction, funding and other resources to the project

resources Constrained by resources

Triple constraint of Time, cost/budget, quality

projects

Roles Performed by people & teams

4 ROLES 1. Project manager or team leader

2. Project sponsor
3. Subject matter expert
4. Technical Expert

Project Manager Responsible for ensuring that all of the project management and
Team leader technical development processes are in place and are being
carried out within a set of specific requirements, defined
processes, and quality standards.

Project sponsor May be the client, customer or organizational manager who will
act as a champion for the project and provide organizational
resources and direction when needed.

Subject matter expert A user or client who has specific knowledge, expertise or insight in
(SME) a specific functional area needed to support the project

Technical expert Provide a technical solution to an organizational problem

Risk and Can arise from sources: internal (process or people), external
Assumptions (contractors or vendors)

Interdependent tasks Will be conducted in steps or increments.

Organizational Projects are planned organizational change.

change

Operating in an - Important that the project manager and team understand the
environment larger company’ culture, environment, politics and the like
than the project itself - These organizational variables will influence the selection of
projects.

Define Project Goal - First step

- Provide business value to the organization
- Well-defined; clear focus and drives the other phases

Plan Project - Deliverables, tasks, resources, and time to complete each task
- Defines the agreed upon scope, schedule, and budget and
used as a tool to gauge the project’s performance

Execute Project - Put the plan into action

- The PLC and SDLC
- As work on the project progresses, scope, schedule, budget,
and people must be actively managed to ensure that the
project achieves its goal.
- Progress must be documented and compared to the baseline
plan. In addition, project performance must be communicated
to all of the stakeholders.
- At the end of this phase, the team implements or delivers a
completed product, service, or information system to the
organization

Close project - A formal acceptance should transfer control from the project
 team to the client or project sponsor
- Should prepare a final project report and presentation to
document and verify that all the project deliverable have been
completed
- Gives the project sponsor confidence that the project has been
completed and makes the formal approval and acceptance of
the project go more smoothly

Evaluate Project

•What is the likelihood of the project achieving its goal?

• Did the project meet its scope, schedule, budget, and quality
objectives?

• Did the project team deliver everything that was promised to the
sponsor or client?

• Is the project sponsor or client satisfied with the project work?

• Did the project manager and team follow the processes outlined in
the project and system development methodologies?

•What risks or challenges did the project team face?And How well did
they handle those risks and challenges?

•Howell Did Project Sponsor,project team,and manager work

together? If there were any conflicts, how well were they addressed
and managed?

•Did the project manager team act in a professional and ethical

manner?

Project Life Cycle - Focuses on the phases, processes, tools, knowledge and
skills for managing a project

System development - focuses on creating and implementing the project’s product-

life cycle the information system
Business Case - First deliverable in the PLC
- Provides an analysis of the organizational value, feasibility,
costs, benefits and risks of several proposed alternatives or
options.
- PURPOSE: provide senior management with all the
information needed to make an informed decision as to
whether a specific project should be funded
- Formal document

PROCESS OF 1. Select core team

DEVELOPING A
BUSINESS CASE 2. Define measurable organizational value (MOV)

3. Identify alternatives

4. Define feasibility

5. Define total cost of ownership

6. Define total benefits of ownership

7. Analyze alternatives

8. Propose and support recommendation

Select Core Team - Include managers, business specialist, and user who
understand the requirements to be met

Define MOV - Core team’s objective, opportunity, and identify several

alternatives
- Organization's goals, mission and objectives
- Measure Organizational Value (MOV)

MOV - Be measurable
- Provide value to the organization
- Be agreed on
- Be verifiable
- Guides all the decisions and processes for managing the
project and serves as a basis for evaluating the project’s
achievements.
 - An organization should not undertake projects that are not
clearly linked to its overall mission

Be measurable - Measurement provides focus for the project team in terms of

its actions
- The project team attempts to achieve a specific performance
target

Provide Value to the - Resources and time should not be devoted to a project unless
organization they provide some kind of value to the organization.

Be agreed on - A clear and agreed on MOV sets expectations for the project
stakeholders

Be verifiable - MOV must be verified to determine if the project was a

success

Step 2. Define
Measurable Identify the Desired Area of Impact
Organizational Value
(MOV) Identify the Desired Value of the IT Project

Develop an Appropriate Metric

Set a Time Frame for Achieving the MOV

Verify and Get Agreement from the Project Stakeholders

Summarize the MOV in a Clear, Concise Statement or Table