PROJECT MANAGEMENT

So what is Project Management?

• Project management is the process of leading the work of a team to
achieve all project goals within the given constraints.
•  This information is usually described in project documentation,
created at the beginning of the development process.
• The primary constraints are scope, time, and budget. The secondary
challenge is to optimize the allocation of necessary inputs and apply
them to meet pre-defined objectives.
• The objective of project management is to produce a complete
project which complies with the client's objectives.
• In many cases, the objective of project management is also to shape
or reform the client's brief to feasibly address the client's objectives.
• Once the client's objectives are clearly established, they should
influence all decisions made by other people involved in the project –
for example, project managers, designers, contractors, and
subcontractors. Ill-defined or too tightly prescribed project
management objectives are detrimental to decision-making.
•  project is a temporary and unique endeavor designed to produce a
product, service, or result with a defined beginning and end (usually
time-constrained, and often constrained by funding or staffing)
undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring
about beneficial change or added value.
A project is

• Unique product, service, or result

• Limited timeframe
• Resources are limited
AS OPPOSED TO?

Operations!
• Produces the same product, service, or result over and over
• Ongoing — no definitive beginning and end
• Processes are not completed
THINK OF A PROJECT YOU HAVE
WORKED ON!

• Assignments in college?
• Same every time?
• Deadline?
• Information, ability, time?

Are you always successful?

IN THIS COURSE, WE LEARN...

• Proper preparation (planning) prevents poor performance

• Methodical approach to planning and guiding project processes from start to

finish

• learn a variety of recommended tools, skills and attitudes.

About the unit: Overview

• Week 1 – Introduction and Project Lifecycle

• Week 2 – Project Manager Skills
• Week 3 – Five Project Management Processes
• Week 4 - Project Scope Management (1)
• Week 5 – Project Scope Management (2)
• Week 6 - Project Time Management
• Week 7 – Project Resource Planning
About the unit: Overview

• Week 8 – Quality, Risk, HR

• Week 9 – Communications Management
• Week 10 – Revision
• Week 11 – Practice MS. Project
• Week 12 – Final Group Project Reports and Presentations
• Week 14 – Final exam (TBA)
 ASSESSMENT DESCRIPTION VALUE DUE
Individual Course Record of daily performance, 5% Daily
Portfolio contribution and note-taking

Mid-Term Exam In class test – Weeks 1 - 5 20% Week 6

Individual Creation of a Work Breakdown Structure 20% Week 7

Assignment (WBS) and plan

Group Assignment Group Report 25% Week 9

Final Exam Comprehensive 30% Week 14

 Ground rules

• 10% penalty per day on late submission of assignments

• After 3 days of delay, no feedback will be given
• After 7 days of delay, no assignment will be submitted
• All work is checked for plagiarism
• All material is placed on blackboard (MAKE SURE YOU CHECK IT EVERYDAY)
• TakE appropriate notes
RECAP
What is a project?
Key Characteristi cs
 Projects are unique
 Projects are temporary in nature and have a definite beginning and end date
 Resources are limited
 Projects are completed when the project goals are achieved or it is determined that
the project is no longer viable

Success?
 A successful project is one that meets or exceeds the expectations of the stakeholders.
Projects vs operations
Project process
Project Process

The steps involved in any project

• Initiating
• Planning
• Executing
• Monitoring and Controlling
• Closing
PROJECT CONSTRAINTS
 Constraints

• Anything that limits or dictates the actions of the project team

• Triple constraints: scope, schedule, budget

• Other constraints: quality, customer satisfaction, risk, resources

• Key: determine the constraint that’s the primary driver

Project Generators
Projects Generators include

All projects are meant to address needs

• Business need or strategic opportunity  Increasing shop traffic

• Market demand  New product/competition

• Legal requirement  School bus stop sign

• Technological advancement  New software

• Social need  Disease awareness

• Ecological need  Reducing plastic waste by using paper bags

Project Selection Criteria
Not all projects are worthwhile…
a. Financial methods

• Payback period
• Discounted Cash flow
• Cost benefit analysis
• Return on investment
b. Scoring Models

Business problem appropriately addressed or resolved

Customer satisfaction easily achieved
Profit potential
Marketability
Easily produced or supported
Could be weighted or not
c. Strategic Plans

DOES THIS PROJECT FIT IN WITH THE

OVERALL VISION AND MISSION OF THE
ORGANISATION?
d. Risks and Impacts

THE GREATER THE RISK TO THE

ORGANISATION, THE LESS LIKELY A
PROJECT IS TO BE ADOPTED.
Project Stakeholders
Who is a stakeholder?

• People or organisations who have a vested interest in your project (Heldman,

2011).

Our job:
Ensure they are satisfied with the outcome, delivery time, budget and quality
specifications.
Stakeholders include….
• Project sponsor - An executive within the organization who has the authority to make
decisions, assign resources, and assign budget to the project.

• Project manager
• Project team
• Customers
• Suppliers
• Identify the roles of the rest and submit tomorrow.
 THE Challenge is
THE NEEDS OF STAKEHOLDERS SOMETIMES
CONFLICT.

SO…

1. IDENTIFY THEM QUICKLY.

2. ESTABLISH COMMUNICATION RIGHT FROM

THE START AND KEEP THE LINES OPEN!
QUESTIONS

• What are the steps in the project process?

• Do projects have constraints?
• What are they?
• What are project generators? Explain three types.
• How do we select a project?
• Who are stakeholders? How do we manage them?
Tired ? No….GREAT!!!!! ;)
Jump Start to Project Management
Knowing the Structure of Your
Organization
• 3 types of organization structures:
• Functional
• Projectized
• Matrix

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Knowing the Structure of Your
Organization
• Functional : Hierarchical in nature.
Clear chain of command.

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Knowing the Structure of Your
Organization
• Projectized: Organized by project.

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Knowing the Structure of Your
Organization
• Matrix: Combination of functional and
projectized.

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Understanding Project
Processes
• Initiating
• Planning
• Executing
• Monitoring and Controlling
• Closing

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Understanding Project
Processes
• Initiating
• Acknowledges that a project should begin

• Primary output is the project charter

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Understanding Project
Processes
• Planning
• Create the project plan (communication
plan, schedule, budget, resource plan,
quality plan and more)

• Primary output is the project planning

documents

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Understanding Project
Processes
• Executing
• Work of the project begins

• Primary output is status reports

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Understanding Project
Processes
• Monitoring and Controlling
• Work results are monitored, changes
requested, and problems corrected

• Primary output is change requests and

corrective actions

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Understanding Project
Processes
• Closing
• Project is completed and project
documents closed out

• Primary output is signed off project

documents and lessons learned

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Project Management Practices
• Project management: Applying skills,
knowledge, and established project
management tools and techniques to
produce the best results possible.

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Project Management Practices
• Benefits:
• Improves overall project performance
• Reduces the time to complete projects
• Reduces project risk
• Increases quality
• Improves communication
• Ensures consistency in reporting
• Improves accuracy of project reports

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Project Management Skills
• Project managers have a tool bag full of
skills
• Communication skills
• Organizing techniques
• General management skills
• Negotiating skills
• People management skills

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Communication Skills
• The MOST important skill any project
manager can master -both verbal and
written skills

• 90% of a project manager’s time is spent

communicating

• Communicating the right information to

the right people at the right time helps
assure project success.

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Organizing Techniques
• Time management
• Control the priorities for your daily, weekly,
and monthly schedule

• Keep calendar up to date

• Maintain a task list of to-do’s

• Use one tool for all your information

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Organizing Techniques
• Set priorities
• Prioritize time according to importance and
urgency

• Manage information
• Handle every piece of information one time
and do something with it

• Project tools
• Notebook/electronic files
• Templates
• Checklists
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General Management Skills
• Budgeting/accounting
• Leading
• Managing
• Coaching teams
• Negotiating
• Vendor management
• Customer service skills

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People Management Skills
• Majority of your time spent interacting
with people (and communicating)

• Negotiation techniques and problem

resolution techniques needed

• Professional responsibility

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21st Century Project
Management

• Project management is likely the same

today as it was hundreds of years ago

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Jump Start to Project Management
Communicating Your Style
• There is almost no way to communicate
too much as long as info is clear and
focused.

• Communicating the right information (and

the right amount of information) to the
right people at the right time is key.

• Pop quiz: _____% of a PMs time is spent

communicating.

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Exchanging Information
• Communication is an exchange of
information

• Sender Message Receiver

• Messages can be:

• Verbal (one-on-one, meetings, audiences)
• Written (reports, emails, project
documents)

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Senders
• Make certain information is clear and
concise

• Presented in a way the receiver will

understand

• Send the right information to the right

people

• Understand the receiver’s filters

• Reduce the noise

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Receivers
• Receivers decode the message

• They should understand what’s been

communicated

• Make certain they have all the

information needed to act

• Receivers should ask for clarification or

more information if unsure

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Receivers
Filter the information they receive
• Knowledge of subject
• Personal perceptions
• Cultural influences
• Personal values
• Language ability
• Emotions and attitudes
• Stress
• Geographic location

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Noise
• Information that isn’t needed by the
receiver is noise
• Other examples:
• Distractions during verbal communications
• Interruptions
• Disruptions in meetings
• Personal issues that interfere with person’s
ability to absorb the info
• Stress
• Organizational issues

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Active Listening
• Listen and observe

• Active listening will tell you more than

what the words alone convey

• Interpret the information you’re hearing

• Be careful of your perceptions and/or

biases

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Listening Techniques
• Show genuine interest
• Take turns
• Eliminate noise
• Don’t interrupt
• Ask clarifying questions
• Paraphrase what you heard
• Maintain eye contact

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How Many Connections Are
There?

• Lines of communication are the number

of channels between the people in the
info exchange

• (n * (n – 1))/2

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Lines of Communication
• 5 participants

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Ten Tips for Effective
Communication
1. Deliver the right information to the
right people at the right time

2. Use proper email etiquette

3. Paraphrase what you heard

4. Ask pointed questions

5. Use proper voicemail etiquette

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Ten Tips for Effective
Communication
6. Eliminate noise

7. Practice active listening

8. Make your messages clear and concise

9. Combine communication methods

10. Be patient

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Senders and Receivers Recap

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That’s all for today..