MCS 8202

MCS 8302

Project Management in
Information Technology
What is a Project?
 Defining a project
 Defining a program
 Project parameters
 Understanding the scope triangle
 Applying the scope triangle
 Watch out for the “Creeps”
 Establishing the rules for classifying projects
A Project Defined
 Per the Project Management Body of
Knowledge (PMBOK®), Fourth Edition:
 A project is a temporary endeavor
undertaken to create a unique product,
service, or result.
 http://www.pmi.org/
 There is a beginning and an end
 People perform work to meet project goals
 Constraints of scope, time, resources, quality
and cost
 Unknowns
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 WHAT IS PM?
Project management is
The application of knowledge, skills, tools and
techniques to project activities in order to meet
stakeholder’s needs and expectations from a project
(PMBOK, In Burke, 2003)
The discipline of defining and achieving targets while
optimizing the use of resources (time, money, people,
space, etc). Thus, it could be classified into several
models: time, cost, scope, and intangibles (Wikipedia)
Involves avoiding problems. It is about tackling new
ground, taking a group of people and trying to achieve
some very clear objective quickly & efficiently (Reiss,
1995)

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 PM ELEMENTS
Project Background
ProjectInitiation
Roles & Responsibilities Defining the Project

ProjectPlanning
Estimating and Budgeting Planning the Project

Managing Risk
Controlling the Project Implementing the Project
Managing Quality
Managing Change

Reviewing the Project

Evaluation and Review

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Shared Attributes of Projects
 Goals
 People
 Equipment & Supplies
 Schedules
 Budgets
 Conflicts
 Interdependencies (other projects, business
strategies)
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Unique Attributes of Projects
 No projects are identical in implementation
 To adopt a “one size fits all” approach to
every project is just asking for trouble.
 Varying End Results
 Different Personalities
 Unpredictable Problems &
Opportunities
 Environmental Factors

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Project Parameters

 Scope
 Quality
 Cost
 Time
 Resource Availability
Understanding the Scope Triangle

Co
m

st
Ti

Scope and Quality

Resource Availability
Applying the Scope Triangle
 The Scope Triangle = system in balance
 The lengths of the three sides exactly bound
scope and quality.
 Change in the variables will cause the
system to be out of balance
 In such cases use the scope triangle to
 Build a problem escalation strategy
 To structure the Project Impact Statement
Creeps to Watch Out For

 Scope Creep
 Hope Creep
 Effort Creep
 Feature Creep
Project Management

 Application of:
 Knowledge
 Skills
 Tools
 Techniques
 To meet project requirements
 Balances competing constraints

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Why Project Management?
 Balance scope, quality, schedule, budget,
resources and risk
 Clearly defined descriptions of work &
deliverables
 Roles and responsibilities assigned to
specific tasks
 Tracking, monitoring and controlling
 Proactive rather reactive where possible
 Manage expectations
 Better our chance of success
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Defining a Program

A program is a collection of projects that share a

common goal or purpose.

Program 1 Program 2

Project C
Project E
Project A
Project D
Project B
Project Life Cycles

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Project Life Cycle Time & Trend

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Projects & the Organization

 How are projects managed within the

organization?
 Program or Portfolio Management
 Project Management Maturity
 Project Prioritization
 Project Management Office
 Operational Work
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Role of Project Managers

 Ultimately responsible for achieving

the project objectives
 Within the organization
 Within the project

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 Successful Project Managers
 Dedicated to goals
 Cleary define role assignment and responsibilities
 Have appropriate level of contacts and a developed network
 Coordinate, motivate and mentor
 Have effective written and verbal communication skills
 Delegate and monitor work
 Technical and administrative skills
 Sensitivity to people and ability to negotiate
 Dependable
 Able to function under pressure
 Performer
 Able to make decisions

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Stakeholders

 Actively involved in the project

 Exert influence
 Internal and external
 Parasitic - Controlling
 Identification
 Continuous – May changes with project
phase

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Organizational Culture

 How does work really get done?

 Visions, values, norms, beliefs, &
expectations
 Policies, methods, & procedures
 Authority relationships
 Work ethic and work hours

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Organizational Process Assets
 Processes and Procedures
 Standards, policies, guidelines
 Templates
 Requirements & Procedures
 Corporate Knowledge Base
 Project files
 Historical information, lessons learned
 Databases

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23
PROJECT
MANAGER
 “the individual responsible for
delivering the project”
 Single point of responsibility
 Leads and manages the project team,
with the authority and responsibility to
run the project on a day-to-day basis
 Essential that the skills and experience
of the Project Manager are matched to
the requirements of the project.
PROJECT
MANAGER (2)
 Manages temporary, non-repetitive activities and
frequently acts independently of the formal
organization.
 Marshals resources for the project.
 Is linked directly to the customer interface.
 Provides direction, coordination, and integration to the
project team.
 Is responsible for performance and success of the project.
 Must induce the right people at the right time to
address the right issues and make the right
decisions.
THE PM TRIANGLE

To be effective the

Time
Project Manager
needs to be able to
control three aspects
of the project:
Delivers on time

Within budget
Quality Cost
To the agreed quality
PROJECT
ENVIRONMENT MODEL

Source: Burke, R (2003)

 PM ROLES

 Roles are the positions team members assume or are assigned --

the part that each person plays in the organization.
 Defining Project Mission
 Managing Stakeholders
 Managing Resources
 Physical
 People
 Financial
 Managing the Scope
 Managing Time
 Managing the Supply Chain
 Managing the Project Life Cycle
 Managing the Process
 Managing Conformance, H & S
 Managing Risk and Uncertainty
 Managing Project Information
 Managing Performance
 Project Evaluation
 Audit and Review

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 RESPONSIBILITIES

 Responsibilities are the specific tasks or duties that

members are expected to complete according to their roles.
 Designing and applying an appropriate project management
framework for the project (using relevant project standards)
 Managing the production of the required deliverables
 Planning and monitoring the project
 Resource Planning
 Adopting any delegation and use of project assurance roles
within agreed reporting structures
 Preparing and maintaining the Project Plan
(or Project Execution Plan), Stage and
Exception Plans as required
 Manage project risks, including the
development of contingency plans
 Liaison with programme management (if the
project is part of a programme) and related
projects to ensure that work is neither
overlooked nor duplicated
 Overall progress and use of resources,
initiating corrective action where necessary
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RESPONSIBILITIES (2)

 Change control and any required configuration management

 Reporting through agreed reporting lines on project progress
through Highlight Reports and stage assessments
 Liaison with appointed project assurance roles to assure the
overall direction and integrity of the project
 Adopting technical and quality strategy /
 Identifying and obtain any support and advice required for the
management, planning and control of the project
 Managing project administration
 Conducting end project evaluation to assess how well the
project was managed [nb ‘post project’ is different from ‘end
of project’] and preparing and end-project report
 Preparing a Lessons Learned report
 Preparing any follow-on action recommendations as required
DIMENSIONS

McGraw
Hill/Irwin
(2006)
 SKILLS &
ATTRIBUTES
 Apply standard project management approaches to
the specific requirements of the project
 Direct, manage and motivate the project team
 Develop and maintain an agreed project plan and
detailed stage plan(s)
 Tailor expert knowledge to meet specific
circumstances
 Plan and manage the deployment of resources to
meet project milestones
 Physical
 People
 Financial
PROJECT MANAGERS & THE STRATEGIC
MANAGEMENT PROCESS

 Changes in the organization’s mission and

strategy
 Project managers must respond to changes with
appropriate decisions about future projects and
adjustments to current projects.
 Project managers who understand their
organization’s strategy can become effective
advocates of projects aligned with the firm’s
mission.
SKILLS & ATTRIBUTES (2)

 Build and sustain effective communications with

other roles involved in the project as required
 Apply quality management principles and
process.
 Be able to anticipate events
 Be able to re-evaluate the plan to ensure
access to resources
 Arrange effective interfaces between the
project and base organisation
 Must be able to plan, negotiate, motivate,
inspire, and conclude
ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF A
PROJECT MANAGER

Leadership - the manner and approach of providing

direction, implementing plans, and motivating people.
Managerial ability (PM experience?)
Enthusiasm
Commitment
Tenacity
Interpersonal/People Skills
 Motivator, communicator, facilitator and politician, inspire and
command respect
Flexible

Expertise in the area of the Project?

TRAITS & SKILLS

1. Systems thinker
2. Personal integrity
3. Proactive
4. High stress tolerance
5. General business perspective
6. Good communicator
7. Effective time management
8. Skillful politician
9. Optimist
 (Gray & Larson, 2006)
LEWIN’S
LEADERSHIP STYLES

 Autocratic
 When the leader tells employees what they want done and
how they want it done, without getting the advice of their
followers
 Does not include bossing people around
 Participative or Democratic
 Leader involves the people in the decision-making, although
the process for the final decision may vary from the leader
having the final say to them facilitating consensus in the
group.
 Laissez Faire
 Minimize the leader's involvement in decision-making, and
hence allowing people to make their own decisions, although
they may still be responsible for the outcome
LIKERT’S
LEADERSHIP STYLES

 Exploitive Authoritative or Autocratic

 Leader has a low concern for people and uses such
methods as threats and other fear-based methods to
achieve conformance
 Benevolent Authoritative or Paternalistic
 Leader adds concern for people to an authoritative position,
a 'benevolent dictatorship' is formed
 Consultative or Delegative
 The upward flow of information still cautious and rose-
tinted
 Leader is making genuine efforts to listen carefully to ideas
 Major decisions are still largely centrally made
LIKERT’S
LEADERSHIP STYLES

 Participative or Democratic
 leader makes maximum use of participative methods,
engaging people lower down the organization in decision-
making
DECISION-MAKING
CONTINUUM

Source: Burke, R (2003)

CONSTRUCTION
PROJECT LEADERSHIP
 The challenge :
 large and dispersed
 diverse in education and organisational culture
 the dynamics of the project life-cycle
 Leader’s characteristics
 mature
 well-educated
 extravert, not introvert
 intuitive, not sensing
 thinking, not feeling
 high emotional intelligence

Source: Winch, G
LEADERSHIP
ATTRIBUTES
 Physical vitality and stamina
 Intelligence and action-oriented judgement
 Eagerness to accept responsibility
 Task competence
 Understanding of followers and their needs
 Skill in dealing with people
 Need for achievement
 Capacity to motivate people
 Courage and resolution
 Trustworthiness
 Decisiveness
 Self-confidence
 Assertiveness
 Adaptability/flexibility
 John Gardner (1989) On Leadership, New York: Free Press