Project management
Topic 1
Project management principles
What is a project?
• PRINCE®2 definition:
a management environment that is created for the
purpose of delivering one or more business products
according to a specified business case
• Another definition:
a temporary organisation that is needed to produce a
unique and predefined outcome or result at a prespecified time using predetermined resources
Project characteristics
• A finite and defined life span
• Defined and measurable business products
• A corresponding set of activities to achieve
the business products
• A defined amount of resources
• An organisation structure, with defined
responsibilities to manage the project
Project life cycle
• The tasks of specifying and designing a project
through to testing and hand-over into
operational use
• It includes pre-project preparation
Stakeholders
Anyone with an interest in the project and its
product including:
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Customers
Users
Suppliers
Sub-Contractors who provide products or services
to the supplier
Whatever the team composition the customer
should always participate
Feasibility study
• A feasibility study might be required to
investigate a situation and determine options
• A feasibility study can be conducted as a separate
project and a second project can be undertaken
to implement the outcomes of the feasibility
study
• A feasibility study typically consists of:
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Problem definition
Investigation
Development of options
Submission of recommendations
Process based
• Eight distinct management processes
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Starting up a project
Directing a project
Initiating a project
Managing stage boundaries
Controlling a stage
Managing product delivery
Closing a project
Planning
Starting up a project
Input:
Project mandate that defines in high-level terms the
reason for the project and what product is required
Components:
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Design and appointment of project management team
Project brief
Project approach (how the solution will be provided)
Customer’s quality expectations
A risk log
Initiation stage plan
Directing a project
Key process areas:
• Initiation
– Confirming the Business Case
– Approving the Project Plan
• Stage boundaries
– Approving the start of the next stage
– Resourcing the next stage
• Ad hoc direction
– Monitoring progress
– Making decisions when the project goes off track
• Project closure
– Confirming that the project delivered the products
– Releasing the resources
Initiating a project
• Objectives are to:
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Define how product quality will be achieved
Plan and cost project
Document and confirm the business case
Enable the project board to take ownership
Provide a baseline for decision making
Agree to commitment of resources for the next stage
• Key documents produced are:
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Project Initiation Document
Quality Log
Issue Log
Lessons Learned Log
Managing stage boundaries
Objectives:
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Assure the project board that all products in the stage have been completed
Provide information to assess the continuing viability of the project
Approve current stage completion and authorise the start of the next stage
Record measurements or lessons learned
Documents produced:
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End Stage Report
Current Stage Plan
Next Stage Plan or Exception plan
Revise Project Plan
Updated Risk Log
Revised Business case
Lessons Learned Log
Changes to structure or staffing or project management team
Controlling a stage
• Day to day management, monitoring and control activities
• Cycle of:
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Authorising work to be done
Gather progress information
Watch for changes
Review the situation
Reporting
Take corrective action
• Products (documents) produced:
– Work Packages
– Highlights report
– Update Issue Log
– Update Risk Log
– Update Stage Plan
– Exception Report
Managing product delivery
Objectives: ensure that planned products are created and delivered
– Team manager negotiates details of work packages with Project
Manager
– Ensures work is done
– Assess work progress and forecasts
– Ensure quality criteria met
– Obtain approval for completed products
Products (documents):
• Team plans
• Update Quality Log
• Update Issues Log
• Update Risk Log
• Checkpoint reports (progress reports from Team Manager to the
Project Manager)
Closing a project
• Objectives: execute a controlled close to the project
– Check how well the objectives set out in the Project Initiation
Document have been met
– Confirm the customers acceptance of the product
– Confirm maintenance and operation arrangements are in place,
training
– Recommendations for future work
– Disband project organisation and release resources
• Products (Documentation)
– Lessons Learned Report
– End Project Report
– Archive project files
– Post Project Review Plan
– End Project Notification
Planning
• Planning is a repeatable process that plays a role in
other processes such as:
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Planning an initiation stage
Planning a project
Planning a stage
Updating a Project Plan
Accepting a work package
Producing an exception plan
• Products (Documentation)
– Plans
– Product Checklist
– Risk Log
Components
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Business Case
Organisation
Plans
Controls
Management of risk
Quality in a project environment
Configuration management
Change control
Techniques
• Product-based planning
– What products are needed?
– The sequence in which each product should be
produced
– Defining the form and content of each product
• Change control
– Assessing priority
– Assessing impact
• Quality review
– Examining the product for errors
– Taking corrective action