Introduction to Project Management – Prof. Lorriane Faye Cahatol HISTORY 2570 BC – The Great Pyramid of Giza completed 208 BC - Construction of the Great Wall of China 1917 - The Gantt chart developed by Henry Gantt (1861-1919) 1931 - Hoover Dam Project 1956 – The American Association of Cost Engineers (AACE International) formed 1957 – The Critical Path Method (CPM) Invented by Dupont Corporation 1958 – The Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) invented for the U.S. Navy’s Polaris Project 1962 – United States Department of Defense mandate the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) approach 1965 – The International Project Management Association (IPMA) founded 1969 – Project Management Institute (PMI) launched to promote the project management profession 1975 – PROMPTII Method created by Simpact Systems limited - The Mythical Man-Month: Essays on software engineering by Fred Brooks 1984 – Theory of Constraints (TOC) introduced by Dr. Eliyahu M. Goldratt in his novel “The Goal” 1986 – Scrum named as a project management style 1987 – A guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) published by PMI 1989 – Earned Value Management (EVM) leadership elevated to under-secretary of defense of acquisition - PRINCE Method developed from PROMPTII 1994 – CHAOS report first published 1996 – PRINCE2 published by CCTA 1997 – Critical Chain Project Management (CCPM) invented 1998 – PMBOK becomes an ANSI standard 2001 – The Agile Manifesto written 2006 – Total cost management framework release by AACE international 2008 – 4th edition of PMBOK guide released 2009 – Major PRINCE2 revision by Office of Government Commerce (OGC) 2012 – ISO 21500:2012 guidance on project management - 5th edition of PMBOK guide released Importance of Project Management 30% of all projects are cancelled before completion 30% experience schedule delays 50% exceed original cost estimates 12% completed on time and on budget Projects progress quickly until they are 90% complete. Then they remain at 90% complete forever. If project content is allowed to change freely, the rate of change will exceed the rate of progress. Project teams dislike progress reporting. At least 61% of the projects fail Why do Projects Fail? 0 Mostly caused by Poor project planning 0 Poor communications 0 Poor alignment to goals = Ineffective Project Management What is a project? a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result. All projects have a beginning, a middle and an end. a sequence of unique, complex, and connected activities having one goal or purpose and that must be completed by specific time, within budget, and according to specification. What is project management? the process of defining, planning, directing, monitoring, and controlling the development of an acceptable system at a minimum cost within a specified time frame Major goal: to satisfy a customer’s need Major characteristics of a project An established objective A defined life span with a beginning and an end Usually, the involvement of several departments and professionals Typically, doing something that has never been done before. A capability to perform a service - a business function that supports production or distribution A product that can either be a component of another item or an end item in itself A result such as an outcome or document - a research project that develops knowledge that can be used to determine whether a trend is present or a new process will benefit society “The real difficulty lies not in developing new ideas, but in escaping from old ones.” - John Maynard Keynes Specific time, cost, and performance requirements Projects have a common set of characteristics which can also be defined by what they are not What a project isn’t Comparison of Routine Work with Projects Project duration Project life cycle PROJECT A project can create: • A product that can be either a component of another item, an enhancement of an item, or an end item in itself; • A service or a capability to perform a service (e.g., a business function that supports production or distribution); • An improvement in the existing product or service lines (e.g., A Six Sigma project undertaken to reduce defects); or • A result, such as an outcome or document (e.g., a research project that develops knowledge that can be used to determine whether a trend exists or a new process will benefit society). PMI Project Management Principles Project Management Institute • is a professional organization for project managers. • It is a not-for-profit professional membership association for project managers and program managers. • PMI was started in 1969 and now has a membership of more than 2.9 million professionals worldwide. • The aim of the association is to provide tools, network, and best practices to those who seek help to successfully manage their projects and portfolios. Project Management Professional (PMP) is an internationally recognized professional designation offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI) • PMP certification exam is administered by the Project Management Institute (PMI). “World's leading project management certification”. • Importance: It delivers real value in the form of professional credibility, deep knowledge and increased earning potential. ✓ Skilled project manager is in high demand ✓ This certification validates that you are among the best-highly skilled in: 1. People: emphasizing the soft skills you need to effectively lead a project team in today's changing environment. 2. Process: reinforcing the technical aspects of successfully managing projects. 3. Business Environment: highlighting the connection between projects and organizational strategy. Why Is This Useful to Know? Leveraging prescribed PMI project management principles reduces the risk and impact of costly project omissions, changes, and errors The Project Management Institute (PMI) is the world’s largest membership association for the advocacy of Project and Program management. Managing a project typically includes, but is not limited to: Things to consider: • Identifying requirements; • Addressing the various needs, concerns, and expectations of the stakeholders in planning and executing the project; • Setting up, maintaining, and carrying out communications among stakeholders that are active, effective, and collaborative in nature; • Managing stakeholders towards meeting project requirements and creating project deliverables; Balancing the competing project constraints, which include, but are not limited to: ○ Scope ○ Quality ○ Schedule ○ Budget ○ Resources ○ Risks PMI Definitions PMBOK ® - the Project Management Book of Knowledge from which PMI defines terms, standards, and good practices • Portfolio – Projects, programs, and operations managed as a group to achieve strategic objectives • Program - A group of projects and program activities managed in a coordinated way • Project – a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result • Project Management – the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project management activities to meet project requirements • Project Manager – the person authorized by the performing organization to direct the team accountable for realizing project objectives • Project Stakeholder – includes all project team members and anyone impacted by or impacting the project • Triple Constraint – the foundation of project management is balancing scope, time, and cost. Quality is at the center of the triple constraint (Iron Triangle) The Project Manager Role of Project Manager Any area - specific skills and general management proficiencies required for the project, effective project management requires that the project manager possess the following competencies: • Knowledge—Refers to what the project manager knows about project management. • Performance—Refers to what the project manager is able to do or accomplish while applying his or her project management knowledge. • Personal—Refers to how the project manager behaves when performing the project or related activity. Personal effectiveness encompasses attitudes, core personality characteristics, and leadership, which provides the ability to guide the project team while achieving project objectives and balancing the project constraints. Interpersonal Skills describes important interpersonal skills, such as: • Leadership • Team building • Motivation • Communication • Influencing • Decision making, • Political and cultural awareness • Negotiation • Trust building • Conflict management • Coaching Project Management Process Groups A process group is a logical grouping of activities, inputs, tools, techniques, and outputs required for any type of project. Applying Project Management Process Groups The five process groups overlap and follow a basic cycle of “plan, do, check, act” until project closure. Knowledge Areas A project manager is responsible for applying and managing the following ten knowledge areas: Integration - identify, define, combine, unify and coordinate activities within the Project Management Process Groups Scope - Ensure the project includes all work required to complete the project successfully Time - Manage the timely completion of the project Cost - Manage the planning, estimating, budgeting, financing, funding, monitoring, and controlling of cost to enable the project to be completed within the approved budget Quality - Determine quality policies , objectives, and responsibilities so that the project will satisfy the needs for which it was undertaken Human Resources - Organize, manage, and lead the project team, including the identification of roles, responsibilities, required skills, and reporting relationships Communication - Ensure timely and appropriate planning, collection, creation, distribution, storage, retrieval, management, control, monitoring and disposition of project information Risk - Identify and assess risks, plan responses, and control risk to increase the likelihood and impact of Identify and assess risks, plan responses, and control risk to increase the likelihood and impact of negative events on the project Procurement - Purchase or acquire and control products, services, or results needed from outside the project team Stakeholders - Identify people, groups, or organizations that could impact or be impacted by the project; analyze expectations, and develop strategies to engage stakeholders in decisions and activities Knowledge Areas & Process Groups Activity within each knowledge area is applied based on the appropriate process group. 1. Integration Management - Process Activities Integration management connects all of the knowledge areas together from beginning (project initiation) to end (project closure). Integrated Approach Stakeholders: people involved in or affected by project activities • Project sponsor • Project manager • Project team • Support staff • Customers • Suppliers • Opponents to the project Project Charter A project charter formally authorizes the project and the project manager to apply resources to project activities. Per PMI, without a charter, there is no project. A typical charter will identify: o Business need or justification o Scope (high level) o Objectives (such as the intended product, service, or result) o Requirements (high level) o Risks (high level) o Assumptions and constraints o Stakeholders (primary) o Timing (anticipated) o Costs (anticipated) The charter must be signed by someone who can invest authority for the project (typically senior management or a sponsor) Project Management Plan The project management plan is the collection of all plans and related documents pertaining to planning, executing, monitoring, controlling, and closing the project. 2. Scope Management - Process Activities This area includes collecting requirements, defining scope, creating the work breakdown structure (WBS), and validating and controlling scope. Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) The WBS is the decomposition of the work to be performed. The output is called the Scope Baseline. Scope Baseline: • Scope Statement – description of project scope, major deliverables, assumptions, and constraints • WBS – hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work • WBS Dictionary – provides details regarding the deliverables, activities, and scheduling information of each component of the WBS 3. Time Management – Process Activities Time management includes all activity related to developing and managing the project schedule. 4. Cost Management – Process Activities This area includes defining how project costs will be managed, estimating activity costs, determining the budget, and controlling costs 5. Quality Management – Process Activities Quality management includes identifying quality requirements and standards, auditing requirements and control measurements, assessing quality performance, and recommending changes, when needed. Quality Management Philosophies and Principles PMI quality management principles are based on a few popular philosophies. Quality Philosophies: • Total Quality Management (Deming) – proactive approach with statistical analysis • Zero Defects (Crosby) – Do it right the first time • Fitness for Use (Juran) – Satisfy customer needs • Continuous Improvement (Kaizen) – proactive approach to process improvement • Gold Plating – unacceptable practice of providing more than requested • Cost of Quality – cost of conforming is less than cost of non-conforming • Design of Experiments – isolate factors that influence results • 6 Sigma – strive for 99.9997% error free • ISO 9000 – document what you do; do what you document Quality Principles: • Define and satisfy customer needs • Prevent rather than inspect • Be proactive rather reactive • Validate project processes • Measure against approved standards • Continually improve • Take accountability Quality Policies Total Quality Management (TQM): organization-wide efforts to install and make a permanent climate in which an organization continuously improves its ability to deliver high-quality products and services to customers (1980s-early 1990s): commitment, control, customer focus, cooperation, continuous improvement, culture Zero defects (ZD): management-led program to eliminate defects/wastes in industrial production (supply chains where large volumes of components are being purchased); performance goal than as a program (Philip Crosby; 1964-early 1970s) Fitness for use (of a design, manufacturing method, and support process): employed in delivering a good, system, or service that fits a customer's defined purpose, under anticipated or specified operational conditions Continuous improvement process (CIP or CI): ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes; incremental improvement over time vs. breakthrough improvement all at once; delivery (customer valued) process constantly evaluated and improved in terms of efficiency, effectiveness, and flexibility o kaizen: feedback (self-reflection), efficiency (vs. suboptimal processes), evolution 6. Human Resource Management - Process Activities Human resource management consists of planning, acquiring, developing, and managing the project team. Roles and Responsibilities Responsibility assignment matrix (RAM) charts such as a “RACI” let each team member know who is responsible for each activity and deliverable. Project Life Cycle - Team Building & Leadership Styles Project managers should be aware of typical team building dynamics and situational leadership styles across a project life cycle. Team Building Stages: Forming – creating the team • Storming – team chaos as people start working with one another • Norming – team behavior starts to normalize • Performing – team performs as a unit • Adjourning – team completes work and disbands Situational Leadership Styles: Directing – provide specific, clear instructions and closely supervise • Coaching – solicit input, offer rationale and examples • Facilitating –maintain team progress; delegate day-to-day control • Supporting – support and motivate the team to complete objectives Conflict Management Conflict is inevitable. A project manager should be aware of typical sources of project conflict and recommended techniques to resolve them. Sources of Conflict: Scheduling Priorities • Scarce Resources • Personal Work Styles • Methodology/Details • Cost/Budget • Personalities Conflict Resolution Techniques Recommended: 1. Collaborate/Problem Solve 2. Compromise/Reconcile 3. Force/Direct Not Recommended: 1. Smooth/Accommodate 2. Withdraw/Avoid 7. Communication Management - Process Activities Roughly 90% of a project manager’s job is communication. Communication Management Project managers should be aware of the basics of effective communication across the broad stakeholder community. Communication Methods: • Interactive – between two people • Push – send to specific recipients • Pull – recipient actively seeks information Communication Types: Active listening – receiver verifies correct interpretation • Effective listening – receiver observes visual and vocal cues • Feedback – sender receives feedback from receiver • Nonverbal - ~55% of communication (e.g. body and facial language) • Para-lingual – Voice characteristics Communication Model: Communication Paths: 8. Risk Management – Process Activities Risks are possible events that could impact the project in a positive (an opportunity) or negative (a threat) way. Risk Management Project managers should be aware of risk management terms Risk Management Terms Monte Carlo – simulation of possible outcomes • Risk Breakdown Structure – breakdown by category (e.g. internal, external, technology, organizational, etc.) • Risk Trigger – an indicator that an event “could” occur • SWOT Analysis – strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats • Expected Monetary Value (EMV) – summation of probability x impact of alternative decisions (…not to be confused with EVM – earned value management) • Contingency Reserves – for known risks (include in budget and schedule) • Management Reserves – for unknown risks (excluded from baselines for budget and schedule) • Residual Risk – risk remaining after risk response • Secondary Risk – potential risk as a result of risk response • Workaround – “wing it” response when other risk response plans don’t work Types of Risk Tolerance o Averse – Avoids risk o Seeker – Seeks risk o Neutral – Middle ground 9. Procurement Management – Process Activities Procurement management includes planning, selecting, contracting, controlling, and closing outsourced products and services. Contract Types: Project managers should be aware of the benefits and risks of different contract types from a buyer’s perspective and a seller’s perspective • (FFP) Firm Fixed Price – allows buyer to budget fixed price; requires seller to detail scope and accurately estimate price; very common • (FFIF) Fixed Price Incentive Fee – includes incentive to motivate seller to produce at greater speed • (FF EPA) Fixed Price Economic Price Adjustment – compensates for year to year economic changes • (T&M) Time and Materials – typically used for smaller initiatives • (PO) Purchase Order – typically used for commodity items • (CPFF) Cost Plus Fixed Fee – typically variable costs are cost-plus and predictable costs are fixed fee • (CPIF) Cost Plus Incentive Fee – actual costs plus incentive to motivate seller to produce at greater speed • (CPAF) Cost Plus Award Fee – actual costs plus award based on customer satisfaction with agreed criteria • (CPPC) Cost Plus Percent of Cost – actual cost plus % of actual; the higher the cost, the higher the fees Procurement Terms Project managers should be familiar with additional procurement terms in the table below: 10. Stakeholder Management – Process Activities It is critical to project success to identify stakeholders, address their requirements, meet their expectations, and foster their engagement. Stakeholder Power vs. Interest Grid All stakeholders are different and, therefore, need to be managed differently based on their relative authority (power) and level of concern (interest). PMI Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct All PMI members must agree to adhere to a high personal standard of ethical and professional behavior. Tenets of Code: 1. Honor o Do what is right and honorable o Set high standards for yourself and aspire to meet those standards is all aspects of life 2. Responsibility – Take ownership of: o The decisions you make or fail to make o The actions you take or fail to take o The consequences that result 3. Respect o Show high regard for yourself, others, and the resources (e.g. people, money, reputation, safety) entrusted to you o Engender trust confidence, performance excellence, and mutual cooperation in an environment of diverse perspectives and views 4. Fairness o Make decisions and act impartially and objectively o Conduct yourself in a way free from competing self interest, prejudice, and favoritism 5. Honesty o Understand the truth o Act in a truthful manner both in your communication and in your conduct Risk Management Plan Risk • a situation involving exposure to danger, harm or loss • Involves uncertainty • Risk A function of the probability of an adverse health effect and the severity of that effect, consequential to a hazard(s) in food. Risk Management • Risk management is the identification, evaluation, and prioritization of risks followed by coordinated and economical application of resources to minimize, monitor, and control the probability or impact of unfortunate events or to maximize the realization of opportunities What are the risk? 1. Strategic Management Errors 2. Legal liabilities - SPF 3. Human Error 4. Natural disasters HAZARD • A biological, chemical or physical agent in, or condition of, food with the potential to cause an adverse health effect. • There are two very useful books that give information on seafood hazards: • Assessment and management of seafood safety and other quality aspects (FAO, 2004). • Fish and fisheries products hazards and controls guide (FDA, 2001). NOTE: A risk management plan can help minimize the impact of risks that could weaken your cash flow or damage your brand. It will also help create a culture of sensible risk awareness and management in your business. What risks are associated with aquaculture? • As in agriculture, these risks include disease, poor product quality, competition, equipment failure, and natural disasters — but specific to aquaculture are others, for example, water quality degradation and the competitive impact from capture fisheries. Kinds of Risk Pure Risk • refers to risks that are beyond human control and result in a loss or no loss with no possibility of financial gain. Fires, floods and other natural disasters are categorized as pure risk, as are unforeseen incidents, such as acts of terrorism or untimely deaths. Example: These are due to the uncontrollable physical forces of nature. It arises occasionally due to extreme climatic and meteorological conditions. The prime risks are flooding, drought and depositions of silts. The consequences of flooding are not only physical damage to the farm structures and consequential loss of fish; it also causes great changes in the quality of water on the farm. Business Risk • Business risk is the exposure a company or organization has to factor(s) that will lower its profits or lead it to fail. Anything that threatens a company's ability to achieve its financial goals is considered a business risk. There are many factors that can converge to create business risk. Examples of Business Risk: These are those directly related to tilapia production and the associated commercial business of the enterprise. The risks are many and are the principal concern in the daily routine of the farmer as the production process is his sole responsibility. In Nigeria, a large number of farms have failed to attain profitability in one or more years because of major disruptions in the production process (Fapohunda,2005). It may be due to late delivery of supplies of fingerlings and other related services. Lack of adequate technology or technical information and expertise as regards hatchery propagation remains a bane of the venture. Risk identification is: • a deliberate and systematic effort to identify and document the Institution’s key risks. • The objective of risk identification is to understand what is at risk within the context of the Institution’s explicit and implicit objectives and to generate a comprehensive inventory of risks based on the threats and events that might prevent, degrade, delay or enhance the achievement of the objectives. • This necessitated the development of risk identification guidelines to ensure that Institutions manage risk effectively and efficiently. STEPS IN DEVELOPING A RISK MANAGEMENT PLAN Step 1: Establish a context Step 2: Assessment Step 3. FORECASTING THE RISKS TO THE PROJECT PROPOSAL Development of Risk Management Plan Steps in the Risk Management Process Step 1 - Determine, Evaluate, and Document Potential Hazard • Mapping the following is required: societal scope of risk Identification of stakeholders and their goals (do you wish to? ); management (what challenges are your stakeholders encountering); what resources are available to us to help mitigate the effects to make sure there is as little financial impact, programming impact, etc. the consequences of risks; what mechanisms are in place to deal with potential scenarios themselves. Step 2 – Identification of Possible Risk • Consider the sources of the problems you might encounter rather than focusing on the current issue. The source of the danger should not be disregarded, but because we are dealing with a nationwide issue, we can only handle the issues that are brought to our attention at the grantee level. This means that grantees should consider the dangers they are now facing, such as financial loss, accidents, fatalities, the loss of personnel, the destruction of property, etc. Organizing potential hazards into categories, such as threats to general operations, personnel, program beneficiaries, property, buildings, and equipment, and perpetuity, is helpful. Step 3 – Assessment • Risks must be evaluated for possible loss severity and likelihood when they have been recognized. In the instance of the worth of a lost structure, these variables may be easily measured, however the chance of an unexpected event occurring can be uncertain. Making the most accurate assumptions during the assessment process is crucial in order to correctly prioritize. Step 4 – Potential Risk Treatments – How will you manage the risk? Outlining the steps to take to manage the risks is crucial once they have been recognized. Possible scenario/solutions: 1. Avoidance (elimination): This includes refraining from harmful behaviors, such as altering travel routes or staying away from dangerous regions. 2. Reduction (mitigation): Involves strategies that lessen the severity of the loss, such as providing personnel with first aid and safety kits, keeping emergency contacts on hand, stocking up on fire supplies, backing up important documents, etc. 3. Retention: Consists of allowing the loss to happen when it does. 4. Transfer: To make someone else take on the danger. Typically, this is accomplished through insurance, outsourcing, etc. Step 5 – Create a Risk Management Plan • To assess each risk, choose the necessary controls or countermeasures. The relevant level of management must authorize the mitigation. Step 6 – Implementation Follow all the planned methods for mitigating the effect of the risks. Step 7 – Evaluate and Review • Initial plans are never ideal or entirely successful. Experience and a change in the situation will call for modifications to the strategy and provide information that will enable various choices to be made depending on the risk being faced. Development of PROCUREMENT PLAN What is a Procurement Plan? • Procurement plan is a plan that outlines the requirements for a particular project and list down the steps required to obtain the final contract. • Here, the specific project means the process required to purchase or acquire the products or services the organization deals in. This covers the things to be purchased, contracts, the approval process for contracts, how to determine costs, and the criteria for making decisions. Importance of Procurement plan • analyze the previous procurement • lists down the overall demand expected • set a procurement schedule • enhances software and tools • ensures that the project is streamlined • establishes cordial and coordinated efforts • possible predictions • allows consolidation of similar demands Components of Procurement Management Plan First, define the items you need to procure; Next, define the process for acquiring those items; And finally, schedule the timeframes for delivery. It may also include; • Estimating • Project scheduling • Vendor control • Pre-qualified Vendors • Roles and responsibilities • Risk management • Legal jurisdiction • Payments • Constraints and assumptions Managing risks in the procurement process What is a Risk? • Risk is defined as the uncertainty of an event occurring that could have an impact on the achievement of objectives. THE RISK MANAGEMENT PROCESS Risk should be identified at an early stage in the procurement planning. However, the identification of risk is not an end in itself, nor does the existence of risk indicate that procurement should not proceed. Risk management is an iterative process consisting Risk management of well-defined steps, which support better decision making by contributing a greater insight into risks and their impacts. It is the systematic application of management policies, procedures and practices to the tasks of identifying, analyzing, treating and monitoring those risks, which impact on organizations' objectives. The outcome of the risk management process should be a formal Risk Management Plan designed in the following stages: Establish Contexts Identify the Risks What can happen? How could it happen? Analyze and Evaluate Manage the Risks Monitor and review the risks Communicate and consult Development of RESOURCE Plan What is a Resource Management? • Resource management is the practice of planning, scheduling, and allocating people, money, and technology to a project or program. • The goal of resource management is to use the best combination of resources to satisfy requirements while also realizing these same resources are likely in demand elsewhere in the business. Importance of resource management Resource management is all about transparency so you can see, monitor, and attain what is required to deliver projects. It also enables you to minimize both idle time and overutilization of resources. What is a Resource plan? A resource plan identifies, organizes, and lists the resources required to complete a project. Because most organizational expenses are resource related, it’s essential that they’re used as efficiently as possible. The importance of Planning: Resource planning that’s executed properly and managed carefully will help improve the overall health of the organization by ensuring: • Maximum resource utilization • On-time delivery • On-budget delivery • Predictable project timelines • Improved project flow • Bridged capacity gap Core Elements of a Resource Plan The goal of a resource plan is to identify and assign the resources necessary to execute the work. The following five components are a part of virtually any comprehensive resource plan: • People • Skillsets, capacity, availability, and utilization • Time • Data • Accurate forecasting Stages of a Resource Plan A resource plan can be split into five stages, though these should not be viewed as stand-alone or purely consecutive activities. 1. Identify resources 2. Procure resources 3. Visualize resources 4. Manage resources 5. Monitor resources What is resource risk? Resource risk refers to the chance that you may not be able to get all the necessary resources required to complete a piece of work. There are four steps to making a resource risk plan: 1. Forecast possible resource risks. 2. Risk assessment. 3. Risk action plan. 4. Monitor and control. Resource risk examples Any resource that is required for your project comes with associated risks. Some, by their nature, come with more risks than others. These are some of the most common resource risks: Lack of resources Unexpected Availability Development of COMMUNICATION Plan What is a project management communication plan? It identifies how important information will be communicated to stakeholders throughout the project. It also determines who will be receiving the communication, how those people will receive it, when they’ll receive it, and how often they should expect to receive that information. How to make a project management communication plan • Choose a format. • Set a communication goal. • Identify stakeholders. • Identify methods of communication. • Determine frequency of communication. • Determine who provides communication updates. Communication format Set a communication goal your goal will likely be to keep stakeholders updated on the project status or even to keep stakeholders mindful of the project’s benefits so they’ll continue to advocate for it. Identify your stakeholders Most projects have many stakeholders, most of whom have different levels of interest in and influence on the project. You’ll need to identify the stakeholders with whom you’ll communicate throughout the project and list them. Identify methods of communication One purpose of your communication plan is to get the right eyes on the right information, so along with listing who your stakeholders are, your communication plan should also list how you intend on communicating with those stakeholders. Determine the frequency of the communication List how often you will send out each type of communication or how often you need to loop in each stakeholder. Determine who provides the communication updates Most often, this task will fall on the project manager, but if not, the owner of a specific update needs to be clearly identified in your communications plan. When formulating your project communication plan, make sure it includes: • The purpose or goals of the communication plan. • Information about stakeholders and their roles. • The types of information that needed to be shared with stakeholders. • The methods used to communicate. • The frequency that each stakeholder would like to receive information. What is project communication risk? Communication risk comes from the chance that the message you give and your project team receives goes awry. Getting your communications wrong can have a big impact on the project and its delivery. From your PMO through to your project managers, you need to be communicating: • The project plan • Deadlines • Requirements • Deliverables • KPIs • Strategic value How to minimize communication risk? • Know your communication tools. • Know your audience. • Know your stakeholders. • Know your goals. • Be positive. The Take-home Knowing what project communication risks are and how to minimize them will keep your projects running smoothly and your people engaged. Our five things you need to know to reduce the risk of poor communication will ensure that everyone gets the right message, first time. Develop simple project proposal with project communication and execution plan Identification of potential project Effective methods of identifying potential project 1. Value Stream Analysis What is value stream analysis (VSA)? Also called: value stream analysis, lean process mapping Value stream mapping (VSM) is defined as a lean tool that employ a flowchart documenting every step in the process. VSM as a fundamental tool to identify waste, reduce process cycle times, and implement process improvement VSM is an essential lean tool for an organization wanting to plan, implement, and improve while on its lean journey. VSM helps users create a solid implementation plan that will maximize their available resources and help ensure that materials and time are used efficiently What is the purpose of value stream analysis? The value stream is the entire collection of activities necessary to produce and deliver a product or service. Value stream analysis separates those activities that contribute to value creation from activities that create waste, and identifies opportunities for improvement 2. Responding to customer feedback Why is responding to customer feedback important? Customer feedback helps to improve customer retention An unhappy customer will eventually find a better alternative to your business and leave. Customer feedback benefits are significant. It helps you determine if your clients are satisfied with your service and detect areas where you should improve 3.Furthering a strategic or operational plan What are strategic and operational plans? A strategic plan is developed to help the organization achieve its long-term vision. Conversely, operating plans involve the process of deciding what needs to be done to achieve the tactical objectives of the business. Operational planning is done to support strategic planning efforts. Why are strategic and operational planning important? Using strategic planning and operational planning, you can keep your entire organization on track. Success as a business doesn't happen by accident. The right plans allow you to measure your progress, set goals, and make important changes when necessary, helping your company stay competitive 4.Performance metrics defined as figures and data representative of an organization’s actions, abilities, and overall quality. There are many different forms of performance metrics, including sales, profit, return on investment, customer happiness, customer reviews, personal reviews, overall quality, and reputation in a marketplace. Integral to an organization's success. Traditionally, businesses have viewed the following financial measurements as indicators of success: Return on capital employed or return on investment (ROI) Profit Market share Earnings growth Stock price Non-financial measurements are also useful to help assess, report, and drive success. Most notably, the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award's Criteria for Performance Excellence non-financial success metrics include: Customer satisfaction Process excellence Employee satisfaction Organizations across most industries rely on these indicators as well as: Fast, responsive time to market A loyal customer base Outstanding processes for quality and timeliness Mechanisms that ensure learning, growth, and continual improvement 5. Responding to employee suggestions Thank them and let them know you appreciate hearing their positive review Developing Mission, vision, goals, and objectives The strategy is how the firm aims to realize its mission and vision Vision A Vision Statement describes the desired future position of the company. A vision statement provides strategic direction and describes what the owner or founder wants the company to achieve in the future Mission A Mission Statement defines the company’s business, its objectives and its; Approach to reach those objectives A mission statement describes an organization’s purpose and answers the questions “What business are we in?” and “What is our business for? Statements are the words leaders use to explain an organization’s purpose and direction. When expressed clearly and concisely, they can motivate your team, or the organization as a whole, with an inspiring vision of the future The two statements do distinctly different jobs: 1. Purpose - Mission statements define your organization’s purpose and its primary objectives. Vision statements also define your organization’s purpose, but they focus on its goals and aspirations 2. Application - Usually, people write these statements for an organization, or for an organizational unit or a team. You can also create statements to define the goals of long-term projects or initiatives Roles Played by Mission and Vision Mission and vision statements play three critical roles: 1. communicate the purpose of the organization to the stakeholders 2. inform strategy development 3. develop the measurable goals and objectives by which to gauge the success of the organization’s strategy. These interdependent, cascading roles, and the relationships among them, are summarized in the figure Goals General statement of Aim, Task or Purpose where only qualitative facts are stated 1. They’re long-term business results 2. They’re not measurable 3. There are no time boundaries 4. Business has less no. of goals 5. It is a combination of objectives Objectives A thing aimed at or sought; a goal Objectives are specific, measurable steps that can be taken to meet the goal An objective specifies a desired end result to be achieved. A task is an activity performed to achieve that result. An objective is usually a noun, whereas a task is a verb Objectives should be SMART You can identify risks by asking, “What could go wrong Developing Project Objectives Once a mission statement has been developed Objectives define the boundaries of what will be achieved and guide its planning and execution. They need to be specific and measurable, according to the acronym SMART: Specific: a clear statement of what will be delivered or achieved Measurable: quantifiable and measurable so that everyone is clear about what will be achieved Achievable: not too ambitious, but able to be achieved in the approved time frame and budget as well as to the expectations of stakeholders Realistic: can be achieved within the time frame and budget Time constrained: within the specific time frame that has been estimated, approved, and funded Assessing Project Risk this will help you to minimize the risk the schedule the budget project quality customer satisfaction Planning the project proposal What is Project Planning? Project planning is the process of defining your objectives and scope, your goals and deliverables, and assigning task and budgetary resources for each step. Why is project planning important? Project planning is important at every phase of a project. It lays out the basics of a project, including the following: Scope Objective Goals Schedule Project planning can be in a simple Google doc, or you can use project management software. 1. Think of your plan as a roadmap for stakeholders Every project needs a roadmap with clearly defined goals that should not change after the first phase of the project has been completed. 2. Break the project into a list of deliverables: This list should break the larger project into smaller tasks that can be assigned to specific team members 3. Talk to your team: Identify by name all the individuals and/ or organizations involved in each deliverable or task, and describe their responsibilities in detail. 4.Identify risks: Think through what you’ll do if something takes much longer than expected, or if it costs end being much more than your initially anticipated. 5.Create a budget Attached to your list of milestones and deliverables should be information about the project cost and estimated budget 6. Add milestones: Use your list of deliverables as a framework for adding milestones and tasks that will need to be completed to accomplish the larger goal. 7. Set progress reporting guideline: These can be monthly, weekly, or daily reports Writing the project proposal Project proposal A document that outlines everything stakeholders need to know to initiate a project. A proposal is a written document to a sponsor or donor. Donors could either be public, private or part of the international development community. Overviews of topics that are usually addressed in a proposal are presented below: Fundamental research (returns expected in 25 years – outcome uncertain) Applied research (returns expected in 15 years – outcome predictable) Development (returns expected in 5 years – outcome expected) Practical execution of a task (returns expected on project completion) Types of Project Proposal Solicited Project Proposal A solicited project proposal is sent as a response to a request for proposal (RFP). Here you’ll need to adhere to the RFP guidelines of the project owner. Unsolicited Project Proposal You can send project proposals without having received a request for proposal. This can happen in open bids for construction projects, where a project owner receives unsolicited project proposals from many contractors Supplemental Project Proposal This proposal is sent to investors to ask for additional resources during the project execution phase. Informal Project Proposal This type of project proposal is created when a client asks for an informal proposal, without an RFP. Renewal Project Proposal You can use a renewal project proposal when you are reaching out to past customers. The advantage is that you can highlight past positive results and future benefits. Continuation Project Proposal Sent to investors and stakeholders to communicate project progress. How to write a Project Proposal Triple Constraint: How can we address the triple constraint of project scope, schedule and cost? Core Problem: What is the core problem we’re trying to solve? Resources: What resources will be available? Timeline: What project timeline are we working within? Budget: What project budget do we have to work with? How does this affect our goal setting? Strategic Goals: What are the strategic goals of our client, and how does our proposal align with those goals? Responsible Parties: Who are the people responsible for the project? What are their goals and motivations? Client Benefit: How will the client benefit from the completion of our project? What is their primary goal? Project Deliverables & Success: How will success of the project be measured? What deliverables do our stakeholders expect to see at closure? Proposed Format 1. Title page A title page should appear on proposals longer than three to four pages. The title page should indicate the project title, the name of the lead organization (and potential partners, if any), the place and date of project preparation and the name of the donor agency to whom the proposal is addressed 2. Project title The project title should be short, concise, and preferably refer to a certain key project result or the leading project activity. Project titles that are too long or too general fail to give the reader an effective snapshot of what is inside. EFFECTIVE AND INEFFECTIVE PROJECT TITLES Effective project titles ■ Raising Environmental Awareness in the Newly Independent States ■ Citizens Protect Lake Debar Ineffective titles ■ Environmental Education ■ Protection of the Watershed of Lake Dojran from the Wastewater Flowing Through the River Dragomir Originating from Local Households 3. Contents page If the total project proposal is longer than 10 pages it is helpful to include a table of contents at the start or end of the document. The contents page enables readers to quickly find relevant parts of the document. It should contain the title and beginning page number of each section of the proposal. 4. Abstract Many readers lack the time needed to read the whole project proposal. It is therefore useful to insert a short project summary — an abstract. The abstract should include: • the problem statement; • the project’s objectives; • implementing organizations; • key project activities; and • the total project budget Theoretically, the abstract should be compiled after the relevant items already exist in their long form. For a small project the abstract may not be longer than 10 lines. Bigger projects often provide abstracts as long as two pages 5. Context This part of the project describes the social, economic, political and cultural background from which the project is initiated. It should contain relevant data from research carried out in the project planning phase or collected from other sources. The writer should take into consideration the need for a balance between the length of this item and the size of the overall project proposal. Large amounts of relevant data should be placed in an annex 6. Project justification Rationale should be provided for the project. Due to its importance, usually this section is divided into four or more sub-sections Problem statement The problem statement provides a description of the specific problem(s) the project is trying to solve, in order to “make a case” for the project. Furthermore, the project proposal should point out why a certain issue is a problem for the community or society as a whole, i.e. what negative implications affect the target group. There should also be an explanation of the needs of the target group that appear as a direct consequence of the described problem Priority needs The needs of the target group that have arisen as a direct negative impact of the problem should be prioritized. An explanation as to how this decision was reached (i.e. what criteria was used) must also be included. For example, if the problem is stated as “… poor infrastructure in the community” the list of needs associated with this problem may be: • improved water supply in quality and quantity; • better roads; and • improved solid waste collection. The proposed approach (type of intervention) The project proposal should describe the strategy chosen for solving the problem and precisely how it will lead to improvement. One way to describe the approach related to the need previously stated as improved water supply could be: “intervention to provide basic water supply facilities in the community, ” with some description of the specific features of the solution proposed The implementing organization This section should describe the capabilities of your organisation by referring to its capacity and previous project record. Describe why exactly your organisation is the most appropriate to run the project, its connection to the local community, the constituency behind the organisation and what kind of expertise the organisation can provide. If other partners are involved in implementation provide some information on their capacity as well. 7. Project aims the hierarchy between objectives needs to be established, as well as how many levels the hierarchy should present. In reality, an organisation should have already resolved this issue in the project planning phase. Project goal (or overall objective) This is a general aim that should explain what the core problem is and why the project is important, i.e. what the long-term benefits to the target group are. Project objectives The objectives should address the core problem in terms of the benefits to be received by the project beneficiaries or target group as a direct result Project results Results describe the services or products to be delivered to the intended beneficiaries. This is what the project management is promising to deliver. The results are more detailed than the objectives and the goal, and should be possible to measure through the use of objective indicators. Special consideration should therefore be paid to this area. 8. Target group Define the target group and show how it will benefit from the project. The project should provide a detailed description of the size and characteristics of the target groups, and especially of direct project beneficiaries. The criteria for target group analysis may be ethnic composition, gender, age, etc. When these analyses are more elaborate, they may be attached as an appendix 9. Project implementation The implementation plan should describe activities and resource allocation in as much detail as possible. It is exceptionally important to provide a good overview of who is going to implement the project’s activities, as well as when and where. The implementation plan may be divided into two key elements: the activity plan and the resource plan. Activity plan (schedule) The activity plan should include specific information and explanations of each of the planned project activities. The duration of the project should be clearly stated, with considerable detail on the beginning and the end of the project. In general, two main formats are used to express the activity plan: a simple table and the Gantt chart. A simple table with columns, for activities, sub-activities, tasks, timing and responsibility, is a clear, readily understandable format for the activity plan. The Gantt Chart, a universal format for presenting activities in certain times frames, shows the dependence and sequence for each activity. Resource plan The resource plan should provide information on the means necessary to undertake he project. Cost categories are established at this stage in order to aggregate and summarize the cost information for budgeting 10. Budget a budget is an itemized summary of an organization’s expected income and expenses over a specified period of time. The two main elements of any budget are income and expenditures: Income (sometimes referred to as revenue) is the amount of financial assets and inkind contribution used as sources of support for the project. Expenditures (also called expenses or costs) are all the costs that are anticipated to occur during the project’s implementation. Regardless of the calculation and classification criteria used, the project costs should present a reasonable reflection of the activities presented in the project proposal. Budget categories classify expenditures into smaller groups according to a certain criteria. This is to monitor spending and ensure compliance with the plan. The two main costs are direct costs and operational costs. • Direct costs are associated with a certain activity (e.g. organising a workshop). • Operational costs are related to internal activities of an organisation and are considered fixed costs in the short term (e.g. staff salaries, rent, utilities, etc) The three elements of costs: Units quantity per period estimated unit costs 11. Monitoring and evaluation The basis for monitoring is set when the indicators for results are set. The project proposal should indicate: • how and when the project management team will conduct activities to monitor the project’s progress; • which methods will be used to monitor and evaluate; and • who will do the evaluation. 12. Reporting The schedule of project progress and financial report could be set in the project proposal. Often these obligations are determined by the standard requirements of the donor agency. The project report may be compiled in different versions, with regard to the audience they are targeting 13. Management and personnel A brief description should be given of the project personnel, the individual roles each one has assumed, and the communication mechanisms that exist between them. All the additional information (such as CVs) should be attached to the annexes 14. Annexes The annexes should include all the information that is important, but is too large to be included in the text of the proposal. This information can be created in the identification or planning phase of the project, but often it is produced separately. The usual documentation to be annexed to the project proposal is: • analysis related to the general context (e.g. a civil society sector assessment); • policy documents and strategic papers (e.g. a local environmental action plan); • information on the implementing organisations (e.g. annual reports, success stories, brochures and other publications) • additional information on the project management structure and personnel (curriculum vitae for the members of the project team); • maps of the location of the target area; and • project management procedures and forms (organisational charts, forms, etc).