Project Management
16th November 2011
John Patterson
Commercial Development Manager,
Sage (UK) Limited
What is a project?
• Wikipedia says:
• A project is a temporary endeavor with a
defined beginning and end (usually timeconstrained, and often constrained by funding
or deliverables), undertaken to meet unique
goals and objectives, typically to bring about
beneficial change or added value.
Project Management
Triangle
Quality of
Outcome
Time
Project Cycle
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•
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•
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Initiating
Planning
Executing
Controlling
Closing
(or Define, Detail, Develop, Deploy, Debrief, or…)
Phase 1: Initiation
• What is the project aiming to achieve?
• Why is it important to achieve it?
• Who is going to be involved and what are
their responsibilities?
• How and when is it all going to happen?
Phase 1: PID (Project
Initation Document)
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•
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Background
Objectives
Scope
Constraints
Assumptions
Risks
Deliverables
Investment
Stakeholders
Phase 2: Planning
• When should activities be done, by whom
• What order?
• Estimating duration and effort
• Agreeing quality control activities
• Calculating overall cost
• Producing project budget
• Assessing the risks
• Identifying management control points
 Key: What? When? Who? What needs to happen
first?
2. Planning tasks:
Sample Gantt Chart
2. Planning: Evaluating Risk
• Identify - what is the risk?
• What is the probability of the risk happening?
1=Low, 5=High
• What is the impact if the risk happens?
1=Low, 5=High
• What is the product of probability x impact?
1-9: green
10-19: amber
20+: red
2. Planning: Responses to risk
Response
• Probability
v Impact
Description
Prevention
– E.g. null hypothesis
Transference
Reduction
Complete removal of the risk
Specialist e.g. insurance
Reduce likelihood or limit the
impact
Contingency
Acceptance
Actions planned if risk happens
Tolerate the risk – perhaps
because of cost to treat, or
because likelihood and / or
impact are low
Phase 3: Execution
Managing a Project is about making things
happen. The Project Manager must:
• ensure that the project resources are focused
upon delivery of the expected outcomes
• keep risks under control, keep the Business
Case/PID under review
• carefully monitor any movement away from
the project scope and outcomes
3. Execution:
What does this really mean?
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•
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Leading the team
Meeting with team members
Communicating with stakeholders
Fire-fighting
Securing necessary resources
…..doing the work!
3. Execution: Managing Self
• Single consolidated to do list
• Switch off the yellow envelope!
– Schedule email sessions in Outlook
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Body clock
Group (‘chunk’) and schedule similar tasks
OHIO / 4 Ds
Prioritise
– Urgent v Important! Outlook?
– Avoid Student Syndrome… Don’t waste your buffer…
3. Execution:
Managing through others
• Influencing
• Specification
– Move the chair!
• SMART objectives
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–
–
–
–
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Relevant
Timebound
• Clarity – roles and responsibility
• Communicate, communicate, communicate
3. Execution:
The importance of the spec…
The ability to use a pen in space
Space pen
$1 Million
The ability to write in zero gravity
Pencil
A little bit less…..
Phase 4: Controlling
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•
•
•
Managing the plan
Managing issues
Managing risks
Managing scope and exceptions – deviation
from plan
• Monitoring results
• Reporting
Controlling: Managing
Stakeholders
Phase 5: Closing
• Completion…
– Or not!
– Emotional investment, letting go
• Review and learn
• Documentation
• Handover
Try to avoid…
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•
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Overcomplicating
Overpromising and underdelivering
No contingency
Bad news late
Glossing over the planning stage
Assumptions around other people’s level of
understanding / buy-in (communication)
Terminology
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•
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PRINCE2
Six Sigma / Lean manufacturing
Waterfall
Agile
QA
Useful Resources
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/
main/newMN_PPM.htm
Thank you!
Any questions?
Email: john.patterson@sage.com