Project Leadership

1. Project Leadership Autumn 2011

2. Learning Objectives • Awareness-raising; instill common language of project planning and delivery • Provide helpful project tools • Seek commitment to champion project leadership principles “A rising tide lifts all boats” Project Leadership

3. Context and Background • About “doing work well” • Helping you achieve project goals/outcomes….a means to an end • “Just Do It” – really?? Project Leadership

4. Context and Background • The work of the college is a combination of operations and projects……occur simultaneously. “We need to be able to serve lunch while renovating the kitchen!” --Dr. Jan Rogers Project Leadership

5. Project Leadership Defined • “The application of knowledge, experience, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities in order to meet project requirements and objectives.” Project Management Institute • Project leaders help turn “ideas into action” Project Leadership

6. Project Characteristics • Temporary; clear beginning and end • Unique product, service or result • Progressive elaboration • Require resources • Has primary sponsor • Vary in size and complexity • Involves uncertainty • Sometimes, work needed beyond normal operational limits Project Leadership

7. Projects and Operational Work OPERATIONAL WORK PROJECT WORK Work done by people Constrained by limited resources Planned, executed and controlled Temporary and unique On-going and repetitive Project Leadership

8. Project or Operational - Quiz Project Operational Operational Project Operational Project Project Project Project Operational Project Operational Operational Project Operational Project Project • Switch to Semesters • Quarterly Financial Aid processing • Student Registration • Select and implement new package tracking system • Building course catalog • Switch CSCC banker • Replace all printers across campus • Reaffirmation of Accreditation • Renovation of Union Hall • Update course content and programs of study • Building and opening Delaware campus • Scheduling sections for each term • Set up file suite for new Financial Aid year • Rollout Document Management System to each department • Replace printers as they wear and tear • Design/Develop a new course • Back door access to Bookstore Project Leadership

9. Project Success Factors From your experience, what has made projects successful? Project Leadership

10. Project Success Factors • Administrator or Cabinet support • Clear objectives, benefits and requirements • Focused and well defined scope • “Start less, finish more” – focus resources • Experienced project leadership • User and department involvement and ownership • Repeatable and common project approach/methods • Team mindset (“No heroes”) • Important work moved to “middle of desk” Project Leadership

11. Benefits of Project Approach In your experience, what benefits have you seen? Project Leadership

12. Benefits of Project Approach • Repeatable methods and forms drives efficiency • Align project team toward common goal • Enhance project communication to many stakeholders • Work gets done effectively, timely and with quality • Discipline to achieve benefits (a means to an end). • More efficient use of resources • Project leaders can help each other • Shorter implementation times • Communication of successes to share for future projects Project Leadership

13. Basic Project Lifecycle Initiation Planning Execution Control & Monitor Closeout Project Management Institute http://www.pmi.org/ Project Leadership

14. From Idea to Approved Project • An idea is NOT a project • Idea college collaboration proposal project! • Project proposals linked to annual resource planning process • Ensure sponsorship from the start • Raise culture of rewarding project planning Project Leadership

15. Project Proposals • Strategic priorities drive selected projects • Can’t implement all projects… “start less, finish more” • Cabinet sponsors determine which projects get implemented…. Project Proposals go to your Administrator / VP Project Leadership

16. Project Thought Framework • What are we doing? And why? • Who is involved? • What are key milestones? • What do we want to get done, by who, and by when? • How can we launch project successfully? • How do we monitor our progress? • What might hinder our progress? How do we mitigate? • Who needs to know what, when and how? • How do we resolve key decisions effectively? • How do we officially close the project? Project Leadership

17. Supporting Project Tools • What are we doing? And why? • Who is involved? • What are key milestones? • What do we want to get done and by when? • How can we launch project successfully? • How do we monitor our progress? • What might hinder our progress? How do we mitigate? • Who needs to know what, when and how? • How do we resolve key decisions effectively? • How do we officially close the project? • Charter and Scope • Organization and Roles • Milestone List • Work plan and Schedule • Kickoff Guidelines • Progress Report • Risk Plan and Mitigation • Communication Plan • Key Business Decision (KBD) • Closeout Document Project Leadership

18. Project Charter • Executive Summary • Background and Context • Purpose • Objectives and Benefits • Scope • Milestone Summary • Organization and Roles • Major Assumptions • Initial Barriers and Constraints • Success Factors • Guiding Principles Charter provides consistent communication of key project information to a wide range of stakeholders Project Leadership

19. Organization and Roles Sponsors / Steering Part time, consistent meeting schedule “Middle of desk”, dedicated resources Part time, as needed Promote and drive the work Plan and do the work Advise on the work Project Leadership Core Implementation Team Subject Matter Experts Project Leadership

20. Milestone List • Milestones are “stakes in the ground” for more detailed project work planning • Month or week granularity • Red, Yellow, Green status • Interdependency of milestones • Project team awareness of all milestones Project Leadership

21. Work Plan and Schedule • Link activities to milestones • Hour estimate • Activity owners • Start and end dates • Dependencies • Progress tracking • Gantt format to show project schedule over time • Level of granularity of activities varies by project Project Leadership

22. Project Kickoff Guidelines • Official start • Visible and reiterated sponsorship • Align project participants around goals • Communicate the charter • Review known project roles • Common understanding of milestones Project Leadership

23. Progress Report • Time period • Major accomplishments • Current activities • Current challenges • Attached milestone list • Attached – any other supporting documents (i.e. budget analysis) Project Leadership

24. Risk Plan and Mitigation • List of project risks • Risks identified early and throughout project • Probability and impact • Mitigate or Accept? • Risk mitigating actions • Project sponsors and team identify risks and mitigating actions; collective minds All projects have risk! How well you identify and manage them impacts success. Project Leadership

25. Communications Plan • Plan Overview and Objectives • Types of Information needing communicated • Audience / Stakeholder analysis; internal and external • Communication methods and vehicles • Timing of communications • Anticipated Challenges Project Leadership

26. Key Business Decision (KBD) • KBD title and author • Background and description • Key assumptions • Multiple options; pros/cons • Recommendation • Next steps based on recommendation • Review and approvals required Project Leadership

27. Project Closeout • Document to guide closeout meeting • Document lessons learned and success factors • Confirm operational acceptance • Communicate project success • Celebration and thank you’s Project Leadership

28. Project Document Templates CSCC Website….. Faculty & Staff…. Resources…. Project Document Templates Project Leadership

29. …and we value your feedback Project Leadership