Comprehensive IT Project Planning Guide

1. IS 488 Information Technology Project Management Dr. Henry Deng Assistant Professor MIS Department UNLV

2. Ch7. IT Project plan

3. 7. Why IT plan • Is it clear what the project is supposed to deliver? • Is it clear who will be working on the project? • Do you have a breakdown of activities? • Is it clear when deliverables are due? • Do you have established communication channels? • Are you clear who the stakeholders are? • Do you have milestones and due dates for them? • Do you know what resources are available? • Do you know what to do if you run into obstacles? • Do you know what to do if you need more cooperation from functional areas? • Are you aware of project risks and their impact?

4. 7. IT project plan • In its simplest form, a project plan should clarify what the project is about and how it will be accomplished. • It helps coordination, communication, and negotiation. • Planning is often avoided, arguments include: • “It is time consuming.” • “The project is too small to warrant a plan.” • “Plans do not often get implemented.” • “ We need action not planning.”

5. 7. Characteristics • Positions the project in a broad perspective. • Must be comprehensive and inclusive of important dimensions. • Must guide execution. • Must start with the project scope that defines the project outcome. • Must guide activities that accomplish what is described in the project scope statement. • Must be treated as a living document. • Must be adhered to by all stakeholders especially the project manager and team members.

6. 7. Project planning process • Confirm Executive Approval • Understand Project Requirements • Reflect on Issues • Identify Milestones • Identify Phases • Identify Activities Within Phases • Identify Tasks within Activities

7. 7. Project planning process • Confirm Executive Approval • All sources of power and influence that could impact a project must be identified. • Executive support must be secured. • Understand Project Requirements • All requirements of the project must be identified. • Requirements must be linked to business needs.

8. 7. Project planning process • Reflect on Issues • The project manager is ultimately responsible for the fate of a project. • Issues to address include: • Strategic Items - long term viability of a project • Tactical Items - day to day operations of project • Resourcing Items - human, technology and other physical resources • Acceptance Criteria - to assess deliverables

9. 7. Project planning process • Identify Milestones • Milestones are clearly defined events that have significant importance. • A milestone should lead toward the successful completion of a project. • A milestone is typically accompanied by a deliverable, which can be defined, measured and demonstrated.

10. 7. Project planning process • Identify Phases • Project phases allow large projects to be divided into manageable pieces. • Based on prioritized list of user requirements. • Phases are constructed to implement deliverables in a priority order that serves those functions that have the highest needs • Risk to business units must be minimized in all situations.

11. 7. Project planning process • Identify Activities within Phases • Each phase should be divided into activities so that each activity produces a single deliverable. • An activity is defined by a start date and time, an end date and time, and with resources allocated to it. • Identify Tasks within Activities • You can further break down activities into the distinct tasks that are necessary to fulfill the activity.

12. 7. Project planning constraints • The constraints applicable to most projects are: • Budget • Time • Resources • Human Skills, IS hardware/software, overhead requirements.

13. 7. Project planning constraints • Budget • A Budget is generally assigned to a project during the proposal stage. • Budgetary limitations are also applied at other levels of a project, such as the design phase. • Budget amounts are sometimes shifted between phases to shift project priorities.

14. 7. Project planning constraints • Time • A project starts and ends on specific target dates. • Sometimes the start and end dates are flexible. • The project duration is usually divided into shorter times for different phases, activities and tasks. • PERT/CPM is a good estimating tool for time constraints.

15. 7. Project planning constraints • Resources • Human Skills • Required skill-set for the project. • Required skills can sometimes overlap among people. • IS Hardware/Software • It is important to plan for the availability of technology ahead of time. • It project manager must ensure that correct hardware/software combination has been selected and ordered in a timely manner.

16. 7. Project planning constraints • Resources • Various resources are applied to a project. • Some are only required at specific times while others are required for the duration of the project. • If timing is critical, resource availability must be carefully planned in response to time constraint.

17. 7. Project planning pitfalls • Every project has unique aspects that make the planning process unique and problematic. • Following a generic recipe is not possible and should be avoided. • Experience from past projects must be well understood and carefully used otherwise it may prove counter productive. • Human nature is another pitfall • People have the tendency to do the easier tasks; often without realizing it.

18. 7. Project planning pitfalls • Factors that cause projects to fail include: • Lack of good project plan • Requirements not understood by the project team • Insufficient funding • Unrealistic expectations of stakeholders • Lack of project management and leadership skills

19. 7. Project planning tools • Gantt Charts • Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) • Critical Path Method (CPM) • Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) • Microsoft Project

21. Chapter 7.Gantt Chart Video 04 Gantt Chart

22. 7. Project planning and success • Acts like a road map for execution. • Used as means of primary communication with all stakeholders. • Reflects acceptance by all stakeholders. • Reflects collective efforts. • Requires broad involvement. • Identifies exceptions and contingencies. • Provides flexibility due to unpredictable nature of some events and activities.

23. 7. Project planning and success • It clarifies what needs to be done before the work starts • It makes work manageable by breaking down the project into phases • It defines the confines of each work unit in terms of time and budget • It clarifies who is responsible for a task • It gives perspective and links work units to the overall project • It links the project to organizational goals and objectives • It is a source of reference for clarifying issues • It provides a base for performance evaluation • It provides a base to monitor progress

24. 7. Project planning and success • It provides a base for measuring success • It provides a base for establishing communication channels • It helps to create realistic expectations. • It helps to generate support for the project. • It provides boundaries for triple constraints: cost, time, requirements • It provides the project manager with the opportunity to demonstrate administrative and leadership skills • It provides the project manager with the opportunity to set standards and describe expectations • It reduces uncertainty

25. 7. Challenges • While not cast in stone, a plan must provide a sense of stability, continuity, and focus. • Early adaptors rely on self-training and their expectations are often changed. • Reluctant users may know the business but are often hesitant to apply new technology in their work. • Expectation gap – between technology potential and its actual benefits. • Knowledge gap – between individuals who know the business and those who know the technology.

26. 7. Challenges • The technology may become mature in the future and be able to meet current expectations, but it is not fulfilling those expectations now. • Sometimes users are not prepared to wait; they expect the best features now. • Sometimes users develop false expectations because of over sell phenomenon by the internal developers or external vendors. • A good project plan helps form realistic expectations.

28. 7. Discussion question • It is suggested in this chapter that an ‘action’ oriented system development approach is often concerned with short-term objectives and sometimes at the expense of long-term goals. Does this mean that action is not necessary? What is your interpretation?

29. 7. Discussion question • List and describe skills necessary for developing a good information system project plan. What kinds of skill are necessary for planning Technical skills? Organizational and Business skills?

30. 7. Discussion question • What makes an Information System Project plan different from other plans such as constructing a bridge, planning a conference, planning a holiday, or developing a new degree program?

31. 7. Discussion question • Read CCCU case carefully and prepare a response that addresses the followings: • What do you think are the most challenging issues in this case? • What are the critical organizational issues in this case? • What are the lessons for a project manager in this case? • What would you do differently if you were the project manager at CCCU?