A Planning Primer

1. A Planning Primer A summary of part 1 of Chapter 7 CEP 812 Kay Paff March 24, 1999

2. Understanding the Project Planning Process • Planning determines a course of action and the allocation of resources for reaching a goal. • Planning is the thinking and organizing that precedes the actual work.

3. Objectives of Project Planning • Define all the work that has to be done • use a documented project plan • must be approved by management and project staff • Helps both project manager and staff understand project better

4. Understanding the Project Planning Process • Written plan also is a basis for aligning the expectations of the customer • Don’t rely on memory • Planning can save time, effort and money

5. Successful Projects get done within • The planned time • The planned cost • The defined measurable results • The resource constraints

6. Project Planning helps by • Clarifying the project end result • Reducing uncertainty about what needs to be done • Improving the efficiency of project execution

7. Project Planning helps by • Identifying problem areas with alternative plans • Providing a baseline plan for tracking the project execution • Communicating what needs to be done to others

8. Where am I now? What do I want to change? Where do I start? Make the result measurable! What are my options for getting there? Who will I need help from? Write an action plan and follow it How’s it going? Should I adjust? Measure it. How did I do? Planning is Realizing Your Goals

9. Project Management Software • Can show in calendar sequence • what needs to be done • by whom • the priority of each task • so you can focus on the critical tasks when needed • Microsoft Project 4.0 does a great job

10. Communication Upper Management Customer Project Manager Group Managers Communication Gets Results! Project Team

11. Operational work time involved in all other job related work other than project Determine by researching your weekly activities and calculating Project activities Be sure to include Project planning activities attending project team meetings completing project tasks resolving project problems How Much Available Project Time Do You Have?

12. Time Management is Critical!!

13. Project Management Challenge • Identify and organize the elements of a project • Put them together into a logical flow • Monitor everything to a successful completion

14. A Good Balance • The elements you need to manage are: • Money • Time • Materials • Resources • people • equipment • facilities

15. Breaking Your Project into Manageable Pieces • Two Major Project Phases • Planning • Implementation

16. Planning Phase • Define the goal and objectives • Determine the quantity and quality of work • Organize the work to be done • Allocate the resources necessary to do the work • Schedule the tasks and resources

17. Implementation Phase • Track progress to the baseline plan • Report planned vs. actual progress • Analyze the impact of change • Make adjustments to the plan as needed • Transfer care to an operational group • Schedule final project review

18. Implementation Phase • Be sure to • problem-solve • report to management • check resources and their allocation

19. Setting and Achieving Goals • Accomplishing goals requires being specific about the final result and how to get there • To achieve a goal, you must write an objective for it that can be measured

20. Setting and Achieving Goals • The project must: • Have commitment for completion • Be able to be described or observed • Be specific and measurable • Be broken down into a series of measured steps • Have input from key people

21. Close the Loop!