planning and managing a project for your library

Sam Kalb,
Assessment & Scholarly Communication
Services Coordinator ,
Queen’s University Library
kalbs@queensu.ca
Presentation Outline
Introduction
What Is a project?
What is project management?
Project management constraints
Project lifecycle: Scoping, Planning, Executing,
Controlling, Closing
Project Software
Project-related Resources
What Is a Project?
Temporary in nature (e.g. create a set of online
tutorials about using government documents)

Specific goals (e.g. set of online tutorials on finding

Ontario government pubs)

Clear-cut starting and ending date

Dedicated funding (in

( most cases)
A library project may be:
Response to a specific opportunity, vision, or challenge (e.g.
building project like establishing a learning commons or
renovating the old library)
New management system/organizational restructuring (e.g.
moving to a team-based structure)
Patron service (e.g. self-check circulation)
Special event/exhibition (e.g. library’s 25th anniversary)
Need to replace a dysfunctional legacy system (e.g. old library
system)
Response to an external funding opportunity (e.g. the
government is offering a grant to develop cooperative
information services within communities)
Projects Are About Change
Change that can be measured/evaluated
over time
how will behaviour be changed?
how will the change impact/benefit our
users, staff?
what will be done more efficiently,
effectively, or that we couldn’t do before?
What Project Management Isn‛t
If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you
there. George Harrison, "Any Road", Brainwashed, 2002.

If you don't know where you are, a map won't help.

PM is a Process
“Good project management doesn't have to be costly,
complicated, or cumbersome. In short, don't panic.

You already know a lot about managing projects.

If you've moved to a new home, hosted a family

reunion, or remodelled a bathroom, you already know
about achieving objectives, sticking to a schedule,
working within a budget, and delivering quality.”
Biafore, Bonnie. On Time! On Track! On Target! Managing Your Projects Successfully with Microsoft® Project,
Microsoft Press, c2006.
PM is Scalable
No matter the size
of the library or
project, a good
project
management
process can adapt
to fit.
Benefits of Project Management
Knowing where you are going and when you
have arrived
Identify manageable work loads
Identify where to focus your efforts
Knowing where you stand
Maintaining good communication
Keeping calm and maintaining consistency
Prevent problems and fire drills
Project Management & the Library
Libraries have historically been transaction based not
project based, i.e. Reference desk transactions,
number of books ordered, catalogued, processed,
number of books circulated, shelved

Can save dollars by using current staff

Can work within work groups, but most significantly,

across established work group building synergies
across the organization
Stakeholders
All who are involved directly and indirectly with the
project including students, faculty, staff, community,
vendors.
Make a list of all the stakeholders identified so far in the
project.
You may also want to detail roles of each stakeholder in
this section.

Understand the Organizational Culture!

Project Constraints Model

Ou
e
m

t
co
Ti

m
Quality

e
Costs
A successful project:
Delivers the outcome with an agreed upon quality.
quality
Does not overrun its end date.
date
Remains within budget (cost of resources).
Project Management Process
The basic elements of project management are
illustrated in this project life cycle diagram.

Singh, Manjeet. ProjectMind's Quick Guide to Project Management

Project Life Cycle
Initiation Phase (Scoping the Plan): identify need, deliverables
& assign priority
Planning Phase (Developing the Plan): project specifics, such
as tasks, milestones, and associated costs
Implementation Phase (Executing the Plan): applies project
plan; direct team in producing deliverables; implement
approved changes and corrective actions
Monitoring & Controlling Process: monitor the project’s
schedule and budget, making adjustments as necessary,
mitigate risk
Completion Phase (Closing Out the Project): project
assessment & wrap-up report, integrating into ongoing
operations
Communication is Key
Communication Plan
Whenever people work together, communication is an
essential ingredient for success

A communication plan describes how you're going to keep the

people involved with a project informed.

Communication strategies may be simple or sophisticated and

can range from a weekly status report to a collaborative Web
site. At their core, communication plans answer the questions:

 Who needs to know?

 What do they need to know?
 When do they need to know it?
National Service Quality Benchmarking Project
(LibQUAL Canada) - Communication Plan
Moderated discussion/announcement list
Consortial Web site
Members encouraged to contribute in shaping each phase of
the project
Timelines and action items revised at each stage based on
member input.
Reports to the sponsor (CARL) at completion of each
milestone.
Highest priority: Every query to be answered in a timely
fashion &, in most cases, exchange shared with the
membership

 Scoping the
Project
Project
Developing the
Plan
Launching the
Project
Monitoring &
Controlling
Closing Out the
Project
Scoping the Project
State the Problem/
Opportunity
Establish the
Project Goal
Define the
Project Objectives
Identify the
Deliverables /
Success Criteria
List Assumptions,
Risks, Obstacles
State the Problem/
Opportunity
Establish the
Project Goal
Define the
Project Objectives
Identify the
Deliverables /
Success Criteria
List Assumptions,
Risks, Obstacles
Problem/Opportunity
A short, crisply phrased piece of information
covering:
what is to be done
why it is to be done
value it provides if it is done
A statement of fact that everyone in the
organization will accept as true
Should communicate why the project should
be accomplished
Queen’s Digital Repository Project
Statement
To establish an innovative institutional digital repository to
collect, preserve, and enable distribution of research,
teaching and learning material generated by Queen's
scholars, teachers and researchers.   It will reflect the
Queen's goal to “Foster scholarship and interdisciplinary
teaching and learning” , the library's goals to support learning
and excellence in teaching and research (an extension of the
consortial “Scholar's Portal” to digital publications) and
provide a stable long-term storage and content management
system to house academic materials in a variety of digital
formats.
 Queen’s Next Gen OPAC Project
Statement
Improved user satisfaction with catalogue searching, and,
secondarily, with the discovery environment for other
local and remote sources;
No loss in current functionality, for example real time
circulation records;
This is an interface replacement only; there is no
intention to make improvements in technical services or
circulation workflows;
Minimal ongoing staffing requirements, e.g. to maintain
data connections
State the Problem/
Opportunity
Establish the
Project Goal
Define the
Project Objectives
Identify the
Deliverables /
Success Criteria
List Assumptions,
Risks, Obstacles
Primary Project Goal
• A project has one primary goal which gives
purpose and direction to the project
• Defines the final deliverable and outcome
• States in clear terms what is to be
accomplished
• Is a reference point for questions about scope
and purpose of the project
National Service Quality Benchmarking
Project

Opportunity: For Canadian libraries to benchmark their

service performance measures and how libraries can use
the results to improve services with other Canadian
libraries.

Primary Goal: To create a large database of Canadian

content that would offer meaningful benchmarking of
services via as many Canadian academic libraries as
possible participating in ARL’s LibQUAL+ Survey in 2007.
State the Problem/
Opportunity
Establish the
Project Goal
Define the
Project Objectives
Identify the
Deliverables /
Success Criteria
List Assumptions,
Risks, Obstacles
S.M.A.R.T. Objectives
Queen’s Digital Repository Project
Sample of the Objectives
Install and configure the DSPACE software.
Customize base DSPACE software for Queen’s as specified by
project team.
Create Demo for early adopters and project team.
Work with Community coordinators to customize early
adopter communities.
Work with Community coordinators to post submissions using
policy guidelines.
Create documentation and training program for training of
staff assigned by project.
State the Problem/
Opportunity
Establish the
Project Goal
Define the
Project Objectives
Identify the
Deliverables /
Success Criteria
List Assumptions,
Risks, Obstacles
Success Criteria / Deliverables
• Clearly state the expected impact
• Articulate/quantify outcomes so success can be
measured
• Make a list of the deliverables to be produced by the
project.
• Describe each deliverable in an unambiguous
manner that is understood by the team member
responsible for it.
Queen’s
Research
Guides
Project:
Deliverables
State the Problem/
Opportunity
Establish the
Project Goal
Define the
Project Objectives
Identify the
Deliverables /
Success Criteria
List Assumptions,
Risks, Obstacles
Assumptions & Risks
• Identify factors that might affect the outcome or
completion of the project
• Used to alert management & the project team to
factors that may interfere with project work
• Types of assumptions and risks
• Technological (equipment problems)
• Environmental (weather)
• Interpersonal (need to rely on student workers)
• Cultural (ensure don’t omit consultation with a key
stakeholder group)
• Political (the current economic crisis)
Queen’s Next Gen OPAC Project –
Sample of Risks & Assumptions
Risks
 Timelines could be negatively affected by constraints on working
group members, on availability of other staff for consultations and
approvals & coordination with vendor. We accept the risk that the
system may not be implemented for 2008/09.
 The system options are new and in some cases unproven. We will
endeavour to complete a thorough analysis of the pros and cons of
each option, and develop an exit strategy for the chosen system. We
do not foresee any risks to library data, and will ensure that there are
none.

Assumptions
 The Library Administration and Management Team fully support this
project and will champion it as a funding priority.
National Service Quality Benchmarking
Project
Underlying assumption: most libraries did not have dedicated
assessment staff to manage the process successfully on their
own
Related Objectives:
To guide consortium members through the planning process,
via discrete, manageable sets of actions; each stage with its
own timelines and deliverables.

To provide an easy to use, one-stop resource for member

libraries – with material, relevant to Canadian libraries, that
could be readily adapted by individual libraries for their use.
 Project Statement Form
Project Name Project Manager Team Members

Problem / Opportunity (Why do this project?):

Project Goal:

Objectives (Specific, Measurable, Assignable), Duration?

Cost?

Success Criteria (Outcomes):

Assumptions, Risks, Obstacles:

 Definingthe
Scoping the
Project
Project
Developing the
Plan
Launching the
Plan
Monitoring &
Controlling
Closing Out the
Project
Making Time to Plan
Invest in the Planning Process
Taking the necessary time to plan & develop each phase
of the project is key to a successful project – all the more
important if you are new to project management or to
the objective of the project
“Just getting on with the project” can be a recipe for
failure
Pre-Planning - “Environmental Scan”

• Brainstorm ideas
• Conduct library visits
• Research the topic
• Review professional literature
• Examine best practices at other
libraries
Planning Phase
Identify Project
Tasks (WBS)
Estimate Task
Duration
Determine Resource
Requirements
Construct/Analyze
Project Network
Prepare the
Schedule/Timeline
 Identify Project
Tasks (WBS)
Estimate Task
Duration
Determine Resource
Requirements
Construct/Analyze
Project Network
Prepare the
Schedule/Timeline
 Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Breaks the project into chunks of work at a level of
detail that meets planning and scheduling needs

Broader

Narrower
Queen’s Next Gen OPAC Project
 Identify Project
Tasks (WBS)
Estimate Task
Duration
Determine Resource
Requirements
Construct/Analyze
Project Network
Prepare the
Schedule/Timeline
Estimate Task Duration
• Estimate task durations based on:

• Similarity to other activities

• Historical data
• Expert advice
• Skill levels of staff involved
 Identify Project
Tasks (WBS)
Estimate Task
Duration
Determine Resource
Requirements
Construct/Analyze
Project Network
Prepare the
Schedule/Timeline
Determining Resource Requirements
• Identify all the resources required for each activity
• Estimate the duration of each task
• Linkage between and among activities/tasks
National Service Quality Benchmarking Project
Determining Resource Requirements
 Identify Project
Tasks (WBS)
Estimate Task
Duration
Determine Resource
Requirements
Construct/Analyze
Project Network
Prepare the
Schedule/Timeline
Construct/Analyze Project Network
The project network is the set of project tasks presented in
sequence with their dependencies, durations, resources &
milestones.
Dependencies create the backbone of the project network
e.g. Task B cannot begin until task A is complete.

A. Design graphics B. Insert content

The project network or can be represented as a simple

list or visually in chart form.
 Identify Project
Tasks (WBS)
Estimate Task
Duration
Determine Resource
Requirements
Construct/Analyze
Project Network
Prepare the
Schedule/Timeline
Project Scheduling
Timeline for the project’s activities in
sequence with:
 Milestones
 Actions
 Start & End Dates
 Relationship among activities
Types of timelines: text tables, GANTT charts,
Critical paths, PERT charts, etc.
Timeline in Tabular Form
Good approach for schedules without many sets of
activities in complex relationships.

Does not require specialised skills in preparing GANTT

charts, etc.

National Service Quality Benchmarking Project Timeline

http://library.queensu.ca/webir/canlibqual/timeline.htm
Queen’s Next Gen Project - Timeline
Sample GANTT Chart

Queen’s Multimedia Tutorials Project – Gantt Chart

Project Planning Tools
Project software
Post it notes on wall
3 x 5 cards in colors for each task
Chalk board

Document everything!!
Risk Management Planning
Identify risks and potential obstacles to the project
that:
could significantly impact on its completion
are reasonably likely to occur

Incorporate steps in plan to mitigate risk and avoid

obstacles
Monitor the risks you've identified and watch for
new risks that may arise
National Service Quality Benchmarking
Project - Some Risks & Assumptions
Risk: that potential participants might be deterred by the
amount of work involved. Strategy: provide breakdown of
tasks in manageable chunks, sample documents explaining
every step in the process; and hand-holding by the project
manager (always an email or phone call away)
Risk: possible long, critical delays getting project approval
from local research ethics board (REB) for the project.
Strategy: provide examples of successful REB submissions.
Risk: that libraries would not know how to make effective
use of their survey data. Strategy: provide two workshops
and supporting documentation on the web site.
 Definingthe
Scoping the
Project
Project
Developing the
Plan
Launching the
Project
Monitoring &
Controlling
Closing Out the
Project
Launching the Project
Communication

Kickoff meeting with project team (& perhaps major

stakeholders

Regular team meetings to review progress

 Definingthe
Scoping the
Project
Project
Developing the
Plan
Launching the
Project
Monitoring &
Controlling
Closing Out the
Project
Monitoring & Controlling
Monitor Status - Review Meetings

Manage Change & Resolve Conflicts

Analyze Variances

Plan and Take Corrective Action

Report Status to Stakeholders

Watch for Creepers! Scope/Feature Creep

Without a clear description of the project’s scope,

change control is impossible and scope creep is
practically guaranteed.
Change is constant – must be accommodated
Some potential changes may have to be recorded
and deferred to later “enhancement” or
“adjustment” process after the project is complete.
 Definingthe
Scoping the
Project
Project
Developing the
Plan
Launching the
Project
Monitoring &
Controlling
Closing Out the
Project
Closing Out the Project
Complete Closing Activities (acknowledge your team
& celebrate successes)

Document Best Practices

Close the Project

Hand off service/support to operational units

National Service Quality Benchmarking
Project - Project Closing

Survey of participants to assess their experience with the

consortium and survey:
What worked well and what could have been improved
Would they want to do it again, if so, how often and in
what form

Final report to the Canadian Association of Research

Libraries, the project’s sponsor.
Project Management Software
Software can assist teams in planning, monitoring the
project’s progress and identifying problems more efficiently.

Project management software types: desktop, web-based;

stand alone or collaborative; commercial or open-source.

General, collaborative tools, e.g. wikis

It is important to realize that the software is simply

a tool and cannot compensate for poor planning!
Project Management - Selected Resources
Berkun, Scott. The art of project management, O’Reilly,
2005. Jargon-free, well-written, practical guide. Excellent introduction to
project management.
Associations: Project Management Institute, allPM.com
(Resources, templates, forums, book review & links)
Glossaries/Dictionaries: Project Management Glossary
Journals: Project Management Journal, International
Journal of Project Management
Software reviews: Web-based software, TopTen Reviews,
Free software
Good annotated project management site:
ProjectMinds.com’s Useful Websites
Project Management Summary
Know what you are trying to accomplish/ build

Keep focused on the milestones/outcomes

Communicate, communicate, communicate

React early to issues

Have a sponsor both managerial and technical

Recognize your team & celebrate your successes

Learn from the project