Project PlanningOr How to Launch a Pumpkin

into Orbit

Projects are Everywhere in Scouting

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Project Defined

“A temporary piece of work with a finite end date undertaken to create a unique product or service.”

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Wood Badge &Project Planning

• Patrol Project on weekend 2• Conservation Project Planning tomorrow• Tickets!

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What to Accomplish

Who’s Going to Do It

How to Do It

Track It

Report It

What to Accomplish

• One Page• Easily understood• Someone not involved

could understand

Project Overview

1. Problem or Opportunity

2. Goals

3. Objectives

4. Measure of Success

5. Approach or Method

6. Assumptions/Risks

What to Accomplish

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Project Overview1. Problem or Opportunity

2. Goals

3. Objectives

4. Measure of Success

5. Approach or Method

6. Assumptions/Risks

• What’s the problem?• What’s the opportunity?• What’s the assignment?• What needs to be

changed?

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Problem or Opportunity:

“To Launch a Pumpkin as Far as Possible”

What to Accomplish

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Project Overview1. Problem or Opportunity

2. Goals

3. Objectives

4. Measure of Success

5. Approach or Method

6. Assumptions/Risks

• Important to be straightforward

• Goals: General Intention, strategy

• Objectives: Precise measurable way of achieving goal

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Goals:

Goals: Your Turn….

What to Accomplish

Objectives need to be:Objectives:

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Project Overview1. Problem or Opportunity

2. Goals

3. Objectives

4. Measure of Success

5. Approach or Method

6. Assumptions/Risks

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SMART

What to Accomplish

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SMART

Specific: Is it specific in targeting an objective?

Measurable: What are the measurable indicators of progress or success? Attainable: Is it attainable by someone on the team?

Relevant: Does it apply to the Goal or Vision?

Time Based: When will the project be completed?

What to Accomplish

We will build a device for the Pumpkin Chunkin Camporee that will launch a pumpkin 100 feet.

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Is It SMART?

What to Accomplish

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Measure of Success:

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Project Overview1. Problem or Opportunity2. Goals

3. Objectives

4. Measure of Success

5. Approach or Method

6. Assumptions/Risks

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• Goals & Objectives should be measured to help determine success

• MUST choose a measurable criteria

• Hard to measure intangibles: attitude or knowledge

• Avoid qualifying terms like “all” or “Never”

Measures: Your Turn…

What to AccomplishApproach or Method:

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Project Overview1. Problem or Opportunity

2. Goals

3. Objectives

4. Measure of Success

5. Approach or Method

6. Assumptions/Risks

• How will we tackle this project• Important to consider

assumptions & risks• Often the team thinks this is the

best way to over come roadblocks or constraints

• Need to consider if the usual way will work

If you do what you always did,You’ll get what you always got.

What to Accomplish

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Approach or Method:

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Project Overview1. Problem or Opportunity

2. Goals

3. Objectives

4. Measure of Success

5. Approach or Method

6. Assumptions/Risks

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• Approach may be the MOST IMPORTANT DECISION in the early stages– Everything else follows this

• Guidelines– Focus on project goals &

objectives– Challenge previous assumptions– Explore out-of-the-box solutions– Don’t hesitate to invent new

methods

What to Accomplish

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What to AccomplishAssumptions/Risks:

Project Overview1. Problem or Opportunity

2. Goals

3. Objectives

4. Measure of Success

5. Approach or Method

6. Assumptions/Risks

• Assumptions widely held beliefs– May be valid – or not

• Risks can undermine project

What to Accomplish

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Assumptions/Risks:

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Project Overview1. Problem or Opportunity

2. Goals

3. Objectives

4. Measure of Success

5. Approach or Method

6. Assumptions/Risks

• Questions to ask:– What resources are required

to complete this objective?– What risks are associated

with getting these resources in a timely manner?

– What problems or delays are likely to occur?

– What effect will delays have on the schedule?

Assumptions & Risks: Your turn…

What to Accomplish

• Activity Trap

• Scope Creep

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Two Traps:

What to Accomplish

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Project Overview1. Problem or Opportunity

2. Goals

3. Objectives

4. Measure of Success

5. Approach or Method

6. Assumptions/Risks

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What to Accomplish

Who’s Going to Do It

How to Do It

Track It

Report It

How to Do It

Break down each activity into separate activities and then order them

How to Do It

• Each activity defined start & stop

• May be linked, avoid overlap• Time & Cost should be easy

to define• If it’s hard to complete, break

down again

What & When:

What & When: Your turn…

What to Accomplish

Who’s Going to Do It

How to Do It

Track It

Report It

Who’s Going to Do It

• Each person understand their assignments

• Skills match activity• Regular reporting established• Leader needs to be sure everyone

understands the purpose of the project, details of the activity, resources available & duration

Activity Assignments

What to Accomplish

Who’s Going to Do It

How to Do It

Track ItReport It

Track It• Let the project begin!• Provide Leadership• Support & Encourage• Things change –

watch critical path

What to Accomplish

Who’s Going to Do It

How to Do It

Track It

Report It

Report It

• Celebration

Report It

• Final Report– Were the objectives

met?– Was the project

completed on time?– How could things run

better next time?

First Ticket due tomorrow: Sunday, 3/24All Tickets due next weekend: Monday, 4/22

Thanks! Any Questions?

Next project….

Next project….Rocket Building

Professor Werner von Turner