Project Management JAMS Workshop Makerere University September 2010.

Project Management

JAMS WorkshopMakerere University

September 2010

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Agenda• Introduction/Discussion• What is Project Management?• Project Management Phases

– Initiation – Stakeholders, Project Vision & Goals, Roles & Relationships

– Planning & Design – Scoping, Task Definition, Dependencies, Project Schedule, Planning Tools

– Execution – Doing the Work, Sharing Information – Monitoring – Tracking Progress, Triage, Changes & Stakeholders– Closing – Evaluation/Post-Mortem, Reporting to Stakeholders

• Questions/Discussion

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What is Project Management?

• Managing projects is mostly common sense – But common terminology and tools can make it easier

• Same set of principles can be applied to small, simple projects and large, complex ones

• Project management generally applies to a one-time objective, not a regular operation or procedure– E.g. use project management concepts for constructing a

building but not for maintaining it

Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives.

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Project Management Phases

(1) Initiation•Identifying project

stakeholders•Project vision & goals•Defining project roles

(2) Planning & Design

•Defining project scope•Identifying tasks and

dependencies•Creating the project

schedule

(3) Production or Execution

•Doing the work•Sharing information

(4) Monitoring & Controlling

•Tracking progress•Managing change

(5) Closing•Reporting to

stakeholders•Documenting lessons

learned

Traditional project management model – you may not follow it

exactly, but all of these activities should happen

at some point.

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Identifying StakeholdersStakeholders are key people involved in a project, including project participants and “outsiders.” They have an interest in the execution of the project, provide approval and resources, and care about the outcome.

ProjectManager

Org Director

Project Members

Internal Stakeholders

“Customers”

Donors

External Stakeholders

May not have an official role on the project but will

ultimately judge the project a success or failure.

Directly responsible for doing the work and keeping

it on track.

Primary responsibility is ensuring that the project

meets the needs of all stakeholders. So make sure you know what they want!

(1) Initiation

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Project Vision & Goals• What do you want to do and why?• General goal of any project is to meet the needs of

all stakeholders• If stakeholders do not agree on project vision and

goals, the project will certainly fail

(1) Initiation

Goals:1. Produce vegetables to provide for our

nutritional needs.2. Grow some extra crops to sell in the

village for a small amount of profit.3. Consuming vegetables from our garden

should be more cost-effective than purchasing from the market.

4. Use only sustainable methods for crop production.

Project VisionPlant a garden that will

become a reliable source of food for our

organization as well as a source of income.

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Assigning Project Roles

Project ManagerThe person responsible for delivering the overall project. Not necessarily “the boss.”

Responsibilities:•Oversee entire project •Develop project schedule•Delegate tasks and project areas as appropriate•Facilitate communication between project members•Communicate with external stakeholders

Project MemberA member of the team who is responsible for one or more tasks on the project. The project manager is usually a member as well.

Responsibilities:•Establish and communicate timelines for assigned tasks or “task areas”•Communicate status to project members and project manager•Task planning and execution

For small projects, the project manager may also be the only project member.The same person may manage and participate in different projects at the same time.

(1) Initiation

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Project Role Relationships

PROJECT MEMBERS

Usually, one person is

responsible for the overall project

The project manager may delegate individual tasks or large project components to others on the team. Usually, the project manager assigns

tasks to herself as well.

PROJECT MANAGER Task 1

Task 2

Each project member manages and completes

the tasks she is responsible for

Task 3

Task 4

(1) Initiation

Task 5

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Project Scope

• Refining the project vision into something more concrete• The scope defines “what” the team is (and is not) delivering• Must be broad enough to deliver on the project objectives,

but narrow enough to be accomplished within time and resource constraints

• Without properly-defined scope, the team will never agree on what must be done

The scope defines the size of the project, and clearly states what is “in” or “out.”


Scope•We will grow 10 different vegetables in our garden•The garden will occupy 100 square meters•The maintenance costs will not exceed 20,000 shillings/month•We will NOT attempt to grow fruit

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Tasks & Project Backlog

• Tasks should be small enough that they may be completed by one person in a short amount of time– If not, divide tasks into smaller tasks

• At any time, the tasks remaining on the backlog tell the story of what still needs to be done

• For bigger projects, it is useful to categorize tasks into project components or areas– One project member or a group may be responsible for an entire area

A task is a unit of work that must be completed to accomplish the project’s objectives.

The task list or project backlog is the full set of tasks that must be completed. The project scope is the sum of all tasks on the list.


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Task Dependencies

• E.g. making a dress involves several tasks:(A) taking measurements, (B) designing the pattern, (C) purchasing the

fabric, (D) cutting the fabric, (E) sewing • D (cutting) must be done before E (sewing)

– E depends on D• However, it is not necessary to take measurements (A) before

purchasing fabric (C)– A and C are independent, and can be done in either order– A and C can be done in parallel, meaning different people can work on

them at the same time• Dependencies are impossible to avoid, but having fewer of them

will make it easier to plan the project

A dependency exists when one task needs to be completed before another one can be started


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Dependency Graph

(A) Take measurements

(B) Design the pattern

(C) Purchase fabric

(D) Cut fabric (E) Sewing

From the diagram, we know:•B depends on A•D depends on B and C•E depends on D•A & B are independent of C

Implications:Different people can work on A+B and C at the same time, but A, B, and C must all be completed before D can be started


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Project Schedule• In an ideal world, the project timeline is simply the

sum of the estimated costs for each dependent task

• In reality, it’s much more complicated– It is difficult to predict how long each task will take– Project members have responsibilities outside the project– Unexpected events (e.g. sick day) can delay tasks– There isn’t enough time to do everything


T1: 3days T2: 4days T3: 3days+ + = 10 days

T1: 3days T2: 4days T3: ?days+ = ? days+Person responsible for T2 gets sick

Nobody knows how long T3 will take

Can we finish on time?

Start:1 April

Start:1 April

T2 actually takes 10 days

+2 +6

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Scheduling Strategies• Develop a “cost estimate” (number of days) for each task

– Start with rough estimates and improve them as you get more info– Each task owner is responsible for determining the costs of her tasks

and communicating them to the project manager– Tasks usually take longer than predicted, so apply a “buffer” factor

(e.g. multiply every cost estimate by 1.5)• When a project has a fixed end date, “count backwards”• Schedule independent tasks in parallel when possible

– Assign them to different people to be completed at the same time– Project manager may need to reassign tasks to make this happen,

once costs and dependencies are known


T1: 3d T2: 4d

T3: 2d

Start: 1 April

T4: 6d

Finish: 9 April

T2 depends on T1 and T3, so it needs to

be scheduled later than both of those

tasks

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Scheduling Tradeoffs

• Usually it is impossible to fit all of the tasks into the expected timeframe

• 3 options:– Add time (who is impacted?)– Add people (what is the cost?)– Reduce project scope, i.e. cut

tasks (will the project still achieve its objectives?)

• Which option requires the project manager to communicate with stakeholders?

• Which option is best?

SCOPE

PEOPLE TIME


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Choosing the Right Tradeoff(2) Planning & Design

Adding Timechanging the project due date

Adding Peopleputting more people on the project

Reducing Scope doing less than you originally promised

Advantages • Can finish the project with original people and scope

• Can finish the project on time with original scope

• Can finish the project on time with original people

Disadvantages • Stakeholders may be disappointed

• May delay other projects

• Due date may be expensive to change

• May cause other projects to be understaffed

• Will cost more money• New people need

time to get familiar with the project

• Stakeholders may be disappointed

• You will deliver less than you promised

• It may be difficult to decide what to cut

May not be possible if…

• The due date is not flexible, or is too expensive to change

• Stakeholders do not agree

• There are no extra people available

• No other people have the necessary skills or knowledge

• Project goals cannot be met

• Stakeholders do not agree

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Prioritization & Cuts

• Some tasks are more important than others• When you can’t make everything fit, it’s helpful to

understand the relative importance of tasks• Assign a priority number to each task– Higher number == less important– Lowest priority (highest number) tasks get “cut” first

• Important to consider dependencies when cutting– It’s sometimes ok to cut a task that others depend on, but

do you have a plan to make the dependent tasks succeed?• Stakeholders should be informed about cuts,

especially when they have dependencies


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Prioritization Example

Priority 1 – we cannot achieve project objectives without it

Priority 2 – painful to cut, but we can achieve project objectives without it

Priority 3 – this is strictly “nice-to-have,” and we will only do it if time allows

ID Task Name Priority

23 Rent party facility 1

4 Invite guests 1

42 Make birthday cake 1

12 Hire a photographer 2

19 Buy party hats 3

The first task to cut if we run out of time or money

Birthday Party Task List

Typical Prioritization Scheme


It is tempting to assign every task a Priority of 1, but ultimately not useful

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Planning Tools• Sophisticated software exists, but is not strictly

necessary– Excel works well for small projects– Microsoft Project is helpful for planning– Bug-tracking databases like Jira, Visual Studio Team System

• Project schedule and task backlog should be available to all project members– Should be easy to check whether the project is on track– Decide on a mutually-agreeable process for making changes

What other tools have you used for planning?


Review: Project Planning Outputs• At the end of the Planning phase, you should have:– Stakeholder List – who cares about the project?– Vision and Goals – what are we trying to accomplish?– Project Roles – who is in charge of what?– Scope – how much are we going to do?– Task List and Dependencies – what are the things we need

to do to achieve our vision, and in what order do they need to happen?

– Schedule – when are we going to do everything, and when will we be finished?

• If you don’t have these things, don’t start doing the work yet!

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Doing the Work

• Execution is the easiest project phase to understand: doing the tasks that you planned

• Everyone should know what they need to be doing– If they don’t, then there may be a problem with the

schedule or group communication• No matter how well you plan, things will go wrong– Open communication, creativity, and flexibility will keep

you productive• Project Manager should help remove obstacles so

that the team can get work done– Let her know how she can help

(3) Execution

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Sharing Information(3) Execution

InternalProject Manager should:•Inform the team about any changes

from external stakeholders•Facilitate communication among

project members

Project Members should keep the team informed about:

•Task status (good and bad news!)•Problems•Changes in schedule, e.g. something

will be late

Good communication tools include:•Staff meetings / daily “stand-up”•Informal conversations•Email

Keeping everyone up-to-date is vital throughout project execution

ExternalProject Manager should keep external

stakeholders informed about:•Overall project status•Major problems or risks•Changes in scope or schedule

Project Members: • Usually do not need to manage

external communication•May be asked by the Project Manager

to talk to some external partners, depending on the project

Good communication tools include:•Email •In-person meetings •Telephone

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Monitoring & Controlling• The Monitoring/Controlling “phase” doesn’t really happen

after Execution – Execution and Monitoring/Controlling basically happen at the same

time and they affect each other• Monitoring means observing the project in progress and

identifying potential problems– Is the project proceeding according to plan?– Do we need to make changes to get back on track?

• Controlling means acting on your observations and adjusting project activities if you need to– Adjust scope, schedule, or resources if the project is behind schedule– Implement big corrective changes if external factors change

(4) Monitoring

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Tracking Progress• Update the task list as you make progress

– Task status = not started, in progress, completed, blocked, cut– Each team member should update her own task list daily– Project Manager may check with members to keep the list up-to-date

• Recording actual costs will help the team make better estimates next time– When was the task actually completed and how long did it take?

(4) Monitoring

Birthday Party Task ListID Task Name Priority Status Est.

CostActual Cost

Due Date

Actual Completion

23 Rent party facility 1 Completed 1 1 28 Jan 1 Feb

4 Invite guests 1 Completed 1 2 10 Feb 10 Feb

42 Make birthday cake 1 Not started ½ 20 Feb

12 Hire a photographer 2 In progress 2 15 Feb

19 Buy party hats 3 Cut ½ -- 19 Feb --

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Review: Prioritization

Priority 1 – we cannot achieve project objectives without it

Priority 2 – painful to cut, but we can achieve project objectives without it

Priority 3 – this is strictly “nice-to-have,” and we will only do it if time allows

ID Task Name Priority

23 Rent party facility 1

4 Invite guests 1

42 Make birthday cake 1

12 Hire a photographer 2

19 Buy party hats 3

The first task to cut if we run out of time or money

Birthday Party Task List

Typical Prioritization Scheme

It is tempting to assign every task a Priority of 1, but ultimately not useful

(4) Monitoring

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Triage

• Review and revise the task list regularly– E.g. weekly or daily triage meeting– Talk about in-progress tasks – are they on schedule, and if not,

how late will they be?– Assign priorities to tasks that were added since the last meeting– Do we need to change scope, schedule, or resources to keep the

project on track?• Even though the “Planning” phase is officially over,

planning continues throughout the project– Project schedule will change almost every week based on new

information

Triage is a process in which things are ranked in order of importance. In project management, this entails prioritizing tasks and deciding which ones to do based on their relative priorities.

(4) Monitoring

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Changes & Stakeholders• Most projects require big changes at some point during

execution, which can be disruptive• Big changes may be needed because:

– The needs of stakeholders change– The needs of stakeholders were not well-understood– One or more tasks cannot be completed– New stakeholders are identified

• Good planning will help reduce the risk of big changes, but may not remove it completely

• Big changes require big adjustment of project scope, schedule or resources

• Smooth changes require flexibility and open communication

(4) Monitoring

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Project Closing• During the last phase, you will formally complete and “close”

the project– Evaluate the project to determine how successful it was– Complete any formal documents (contracts, reports, final budgets,

etc.) that the stakeholders have asked for• Evaluations may be qualitative or quantitative

– Qualitative: Did participants like the training? Did the team members have a good relationship with customers? Are the stakeholders happy?

– Quantitative: How much money was earned? Did a large percentage of students pass the final exam?

• Two groups will evaluate the project: internal stakeholders (team members) and external stakeholders– These groups may have different opinions of how successful the

project was– It is important to get feedback from both groups

(5) Closing

Post-Mortem

• Evaluation happens during the entire project, but it’s helpful to have a group evaluation session afterwards

• Time for the team to reflect on what they learned– Can be an informal brainstorming session– Take notes for future reference

• What went well?– Did we deliver on all objectives?– Can we repeat our successes on our next

project?• What did not go well?

– How can we do better next time?

A post-mortem is a discussion of a project after it has ended to evaluate project results and process

(5) Closing

What Went Well• We completed on time• We stayed within budget• The customers seem very happy

with the results• We did not take people away

from other projects to finish this one

What Needs Improvement• Everyone stayed up late for the

entire last week to finish• The estimates for most tasks

were 50% too low on average• New features late in the project

cycle caused a large percentage of regressions

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Reporting to Stakeholders• External stakeholders may have a formal closing

process for you to follow– E.g. reports, receipts/final budget, contracts

• Even if stakeholders don’t explicitly ask, always “close the loop” with them– Summarize project results– Explain key decisions or tradeoffs– Highlight successes, but don’t be afraid to mention a few

areas that could have gone better– Ask for feedback

• Share tangible or quantitative results if possible– E.g. publications, data, photos, in-person tour

(5) Closing

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Simple & Complex Projects

Making a dress

Planning a birthday

party

Developing Microsoft

Word

Opening a university

Building a house

Building an international airport in a large city

Planning a wedding

The most complex projects require very careful planning and monitoring. Some complex projects span several years and involve hundreds of people.

The simplest projects don’t require any formal project management. They can be completed quickly by one or a handful of people.

Developing a Tic-Tac-Toe game

Simple Projects

Complex Projects

Short-term projects with relatively few participants

Long-term projects with many

participants

Compiling a cookbook

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Project Milestones

• A simple project may be divided into individual units of work called tasks

• Complex projects may be divided into several milestones– Milestones may be divided into tasks– Each milestone is a mini-project, and requires

planning, execution, and evaluation– At the end of each milestone, there should be

a tangible outcome– Can be as short as 1 month or as long as 1 year

• Milestones make it easier to manage big projects and track their progress

A milestone is a scheduled event signifying the completion of a major deliverable or a set of deliverables. A milestone is often marked by an important event, like a review or evaluation.

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Project Schedule with Milestones

M1 M1 M1 M2 M2 M2 M3 M3 M3

Milestone 1: 6 weeks

Milestone 2:6 weeks

Milestone 3:6 weeks

Project Initiation

& PlanningInitiation



& PlanningProject

Evaluation

M1: Concept Development & Fundraising•Develop school schedule & timeframe•Write list of training topics•Work with donors to secure funding•Plan school buildings

M2: Buildings & Curriculum Development•Design & construct buildings•Develop detailed curriculum & training materials list•Purchase furniture & equipment•Choose students

M3: Making Final Preparations•Finish & furnish buildings •Purchase training materials•Write detailed lesson plans•Collect students & begin teaching

School Project Planning

School Project Evaluation

EvaluationExecution & Monitoring Evaluation

Execution & Monitoring Evaluation

Execution & Monitoring

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Summary

• Project management is mostly common sense, but:– Having well-defined project phases and roles helps teams

stay self-aware, organized, and on schedule– Having common vocabulary enables teams to

communicate easily about the project with each other and outsiders

– Reflecting on and evaluating the project helps the team continue to improve

• The concepts we discussed can be used for small projects or very big ones

Project Management JAMS Workshop Makerere University September 2010.

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Transcript of Project Management JAMS Workshop Makerere University September 2010.