A Guide to Project Management: Defining, Planning, Organizing, Controlling, and Closing Projects

1. Project Management Tomáš Sabol TechnicalUniversityin Košice Tomas.Sabol@tuke.sk

2. Contents: • What is Project and Project Management? • 5 Phases of Project Management: • Define • Plan • Organize • Control • Close

3. What is a project? Characteristics: Complex and numerous activities Finite – with a begin and end date Defined priorities & deadlines Horizontal communicationacross several functional areas required

4. What is a project? Limited resources and budget Unique – a one-time set of activities Innovative Goal-oriented, must result in an end product/service  PROJECTMANAGEMENT

5. Project is successful, if: • Project’s result satisfy defined specification (function, quality, ...) – the result approved by the Project client • Within defined time limit • Within thebudget and definedresources

6. Causes of Project Failure: • Wrong definition of problem, definition of problem is constantly changing • No one except the project team is interested in the end result • Inappropriate structure of management • The project plan lacks structure • The project is underbudgeted • Insufficient resources are allocated

7. Causes of Project Failure(2) • The project is not tracked against its plan • Lack of communication between team members • Wrong style of project management • Improvisation, occasional/nonconsistent interventions of a "strong personality“ • Analytical phase was underestimated in the planning phase

8. 5-Phase Project management • Define • Plan • Organize • Control • Close • PLANNING + IMPLEMENTATION

9. Phase 1: DEFINING THE PROJECT • Project Overview: • General information piece • Statement of the problem and opportunities to be addressed • Early statement of the goal • Serves for decision „Go / Non Go“ • Yes  Reference base for the Project

10. Project Overview: • Brief (1-2 pages), concise • Goal & Objectives - standard forsolvingconflictsin future • Closecontact wihend users • Answers question „What?”, not “How?”

11. Define the problem • Where are you now? • What is your expectation? (&Why do you want it?) • How do you want to achieve it? • When do you want to achieve it? • How muchare you willing to invest? • What resourcesare available? • What risk is necessary to accept?

12. Define the Project … • What is the problem/opportunity? • What is to be done? • Who is responsible for the project? • When must the project be completed? • Imposed deadline • Planned deadline

13. Identify Project Goal • Goal statement – action oriented, short, simple, as understandable as possible • Defines the final outcome in terms of the end product or services • Continual point of reference for settling disputes about the project • Guide that keeps all objectives and the work on the track Goal in triangle: Time vs. Costs vs. Quality

14. List the Objectives Criterion S.M.A.R.T.: • Specific) • Measurable • Assignable • Realistic • Time-related

15. Define the Project … • Determine preliminary resources: • Finances • Human resources (how many people, who, when, for what time) • Equipment (how much, when, for how long) • Technologies • Identify assumptions and risks

16. Identification of risk andassumptions Risk analysis: • Identify risks • Estimate probability of risks • Design how to prevent negative circumstances • Evaluation of possible impact of negative circumstances • Contingency (what to do if something wrong happens)

17. Milestones • Check points towards the defined objective, achievement of specific subgoal • Measuring work progress towards the final goal • Project division into phases • Deliverable (tangible outcome) is linked to each milestone

18. Roles in the project management • Projectmanager • Project investor / Sponsor / Top management • Supervisor • Client (end user) • Expert team

19. Example: Planning an Annual Conference Problem: Association of Project Managers (APM) is a new organization. Its future depends on its ability to maintain membershipand conduct a successful annual conference. Goal: To secure a upward trend in membership andannual conference attendance.

20. Example: Conference Planning (2) • Objectives: • Conduct APM Annual Conference with at least 120 participants. • Net profit from the conference has to be at least $25,000. • Offer two sessions in the program led by internationally recognised experts

21. Example: Conference Planning (3) • Succes criteria: • At least 40% members of APM will attend. • 15% non-members receiving invitation will attend a conference. • At least 20% non-members, which will attend a conference, will join APM as new members

22. Example: Conference Planning (4) • Assumptions: • Successful Annual Conference will increase interest in membership of APM • Quality professional program will attract members and non-members as well

23. Project Overview Acid Test: • Understandable to an outisder • It can be used to “sell” the project(to top management, partners, team members) • Can be used to develop a project proposal • Core project team participated and approved the Project overview

24. TEAM ASSIGNMENT 1 • Develop a Project Overview for the „ACRU Continuing Education Project“ with the following items: • Problem • Goal & Objectives • Approach taken, Expected benefits • Assumptions and risks

25. 1st Phase:PROJECT DEFINE Summary • Define a project • Project characteristics • Design of a Project overview • Basic parts of the Project overview • Functions the Project overview serves • Write a Project overview for your idea