Project management toolkit - University of Cambridge project management toolkit ... The Complete...

The project management toolkit

This toolkit document should be used in conjunction with the Project Management online module. You can find the module on CamTools.

Project management toolkit

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12 Golden Rules of Project Management For more information refer to the ‘Introduction’ section of the Project Management module. 1. Gain consensus on project outcomes. 2. Build the best team that you can. 3. Develop a comprehensive, visible plan. 4. Keep it up to date. 5. Determine honestly what resources you need. 6. Have a realistic schedule. 7. Don’t try to do too much. 8. Remember that people count. 9. Gain the formal and ongoing support of management and stakeholders. 10. Keep others informed of actions. 11. Be willing to try new things. 12. Become a leader [take control and be proactive, lead by example]. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Project Management, G. Michael Campbell and Sunny Baker


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Exercise 1: Your working style For more information, refer to the ‘Managing yourself’ section of the Project Management module. Methodical Spontaneous

Thanks to Dr Caron King (Kingswood Plus)

Think about your working style. How would you describe it?

What benefits (if any) can you see in an alternative working style?

How might your personal working style impact, both positively and negatively, those around you?


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Exercise 2: Identify your political map For more information, refer to the ‘Working with others’ section of the Project Management module.

Sceptics – those who believe in your proposal but don’t believe that you can achieve it. Build in short-term ‘wins’ to convince the sceptics.

Enemies – those who neither believe in your proposal nor trust you. You need to minimise the effects and influence of the enemies.

Opponents – those who trust you but don’t think your proposal is realistic. These people make great sounding-boards for your ideas. Build in short-term ‘wins’ to convince the opponents.

Allies – those who both believe in your proposal and trust you. Allies can become visible project champions.


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Complete this table to identify the opponents, allies (and potential champions), enemies and sceptics.

OPPONENTS ALLIES

ENEMIES SCEPTICS


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Exercise 3: Where do you want to be? For more information, refer to the ‘Defining a project’ section of the Project Management module.

Complete the table below to identify the tangible outputs and intangible outcomes that you want to achieve with your project.

Once you have done so, complete section 6 ‘Project deliverables’ in the Project definition document above.

Project completion date:

SMART tangible outputs, for example:

papers written;

experiments finished;

database compiled.

Intangible outcomes, for example:

personal development;

standing within your discipline;

networking.


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Exercise 4: Identify your stakeholders For more information, refer to the ‘Defining a project’ section of the Project Management module.

1. Complete the table below to identify your stakeholders and their influence over and interest in the project. 2. Then ask yourself whether your objectives fit the expectations of the stakeholders. 3. If they do not, either your objectives need to change or you need to discuss their expectations with the stakeholder.

Stakeholder name Stakeholder role What input to the project will they have?

What expectations of the project are they likely to have?

Are they likely to have any tensions with other stakeholders?


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Many of your stakeholders will have a different type of ‘stake’ in your project: some will be very interested but may not have much influence, whilst others may have a great deal of influence but less of an interest. For example:

the funding bodies may have a great deal of influence on your activity but may have low interest;

the schools, faculties and departments may have a similar amount of interest and influence;

an individual might be very interested in what you can provide for them but may not have much influence on your work.

Having this awareness of the type of ‘stake’ your stakeholders have in your project helps to decide how best to engage with them. Note also that some of the stakeholders may change in their levels of interest and influence over time. Consider where, on the graph below, each of your stakeholders would sit. Plan to engage with them in the most appropriate way for their level of interest and influence.


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Exercise 5: Identify and categorise risks For more information, refer to the ‘Managing risk’ section of the Project Management module. Brainstorm potential risks to your project and categorise them as:

strategic and commercial;

economic, financial and funding;

legal and regulatory;

organisational, management and human;

political;

environmental/health and safety;

technical, operational and infrastructure;

rivalry in publication;

completion within time frame;

reputational.


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Exercise 6: When risks might occur For more information, refer to the ‘Managing risk’ section of the Project Management module. Add the risks that you identified in exercise 6 to this grid, according to when in the project life cycle they might occur.

1. Risks at definition 2. Risks at planning

3. Risks at implementation 4. Risks at close-out


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Exercise 7: Severity of risk For more information, refer to the ‘Managing risk’ section of the Project Management module.

Now complete the following table to identify how serious each of the risks is.

Also identify whether you can control the risk or not.

This will help you to prioritise and plan accordingly for each risk.

Description of risk Life-cycle phase potentially affected (Definition, Planning, Implementation, Close-out)

Probability of it occurring (1–3)

Impact if it occurs (1–3)

Severity (Probability x Impact)

Is it within your control? (Y/N)


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Exercise 8: Control risks For more information, refer to the ‘Managing risk’ section of the Project Management module.

Having identified the most severe risks that are within your control in exercise 8, now complete the table below to identify what you can do about them.

Now complete section 12 ‘Risks’ in the Project definition document above.

Risk

Process

Potential failure mode

Potential effect(s) of failure

Severity

Potential cause(s) of failure

Occurrence

Current controls detection

Recommended actions

Individual responsible

Action taken date


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Exercise 9: Define tasks For more information, refer to the ‘Planning a project’ section of the Project Management module.

Break your project down into tasks by asking yourself repeatedly: ‘In order for that to happen, what needs to happen?’

Write each task on a sticky note and stick it to a wall so that a structure forms. This is your ‘Work breakdown structure’.

Look at each task and see if you can break it down further by asking again: ‘In order for that to happen, what needs to happen?’

Exercise 10: Sequence tasks For more information, refer to the ‘Planning a project’ section of the Project Management module.

For your tasks, now think about: o which tasks are dependent on others; o whether there are any fixed dates when something has to

happen or be completed by; o which of the tasks are external to your control and what external

factors might affect them.

Now label your sticky notes with the letters A through to Z in the order they must be completed in.


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Exercise 11: Estimate tasks For more information, refer to the ‘Planning a project’ section of the Project Management module.

Now add each of your tasks to the table below to estimate: o task duration; o task required completion date; o amount of effort involved; o any physical costs to complete the task.

When you have done this for all your tasks, you are ready to create a Gantt chart or network diagram to visually show your plan.

Task description Duration (days)

Completion date

Effort (person days)

Physical cost (£)


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Project definition document For more information, refer to the ‘Module summary’ section of the Project Management module. You make like to use the table below to summarise the work you have done in the previous exercises. As you become more proficient in project management you can use this Project definition document to define the scope of a project and begin planning it.

1. Project name The working title of your project.

2. Project description and rationale A brief summary of the background to the project and why it is necessary.

3. Project objective(s) What specific, overall objective(s) is the project setting out to achieve?

4. Scope What is included and specifically excluded from the work: in other words, the boundaries of the project (organisational, geographical, process, service and so forth)?

5. Key stakeholders Who has an interest in the outcome and work of the project? Who needs to be consulted or informed about this work?


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6. Project deliverables A summary of the major tangible outputs of the project.

7. High-level timeline with milestones When will the outputs be delivered? What are the main steps to achieving them?

8. Performance metrics How will success be measured?

9. Resources required What do you need to deliver the outputs – people, systems development, money and so forth?

10. Dependencies What factors impact on the delivery of this project – both within and external to the project?

11. Roles and responsibilities Which roles will be involved and what will be their area of responsibility?


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12. Risks What are the risks that might impact on the success of this project?

13. Issues What is happening already that may impede progress?

14. Quality assurance How will you ensure that the deliverables will be fit for purpose?

15. Project governance How will progress be reviewed and by whom?

16. Assumptions List any assumptions you have made in drawing up the Project definition document.


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Project management toolkit - University of Cambridge project management toolkit ... The Complete...

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