Review Questions
• Define a project and write down 3 attributes of a project.
• Write down the 3 main constrains of project management.
• Name the 9 knowledge areas of the software project
management.
• Write down the four main phases of a project.
Project management process for a
project
Project Management Process Groups
• A process is a series of
actions directed toward a
particular result.
• Project management can
be viewed as a number of
interlinked processes.
• The project management
process groups include:
Project Management Process Groups
Project Management Process Groups
• Project phases cannot be compared with process groups.
• Each project phase can be considered as a sub project,
within which all management processes occur.
Level of Activity and Overlap of Process Groups Over Time
Project Initiation processes
• Initiating processes take place during each phase of a
project.
• Project managers and team should reexamine the business
need for the project during every phase of the project life
cycle to determine if the project is worth continuing.
• Initiating processes are required to end a project:
• Someone needs to ensure that the project team complete all
the work
Initiation processes at the project initiation phase
• Initiating a project includes recognizing and starting a new
project.
• Some organizations use a pre-initiation phase, while
others include items such as developing a business case as
part of the initiation.
• The main goal is to formally select and start off projects.
• Key outputs of the initiation processes of the project
initiation include:
• ………………………………………………..
• ………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………….
Initiation processes at the project initiation phase
• Initiating a project includes recognizing and starting a new
project.
• Some organizations use a pre-initiation phase, while
others include items such as developing a business case as
part of the initiation.
• The main goal is to formally select and start off projects.
• Key outputs of the initiation processes of the project
initiation include:
• Assigning the project manager.
• Identifying key stakeholders.
• Completing a business case.
• Completing a project charter and getting signatures on it.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT KNOWLEDGE
AREAS
Project management knowledge areas describe the
key competencies that project managers must develop.
 Nine knowledge areas of project management.

Project Scope Management
Project Time Management
• Four Core knowledge
Areas
Project Cost Management
Project Quality Management
Project Human Resource Management
• Four Facilitating
Knowledge Areas
Project Communications Management
Project Risk Management
Project Procurement Management
• Project Integration Management
Mapping knowledge areas with Initiation processes at the
initiation phase
Project Initiation Documents
• These are the documents prepared at the project initiation
phase.
• Business case.
• Charter.
• Every organization has its own variations of what documents are
required to initiate a project. It’s important to identify the project
need, stakeholders, and main goals.
Business case
• Business case describes the need for the project and the basic
underlying concepts.
• Information included in a business case :
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Introduction / background
Business objective
Current situation and problem / opportunity
Critical assumptions and constraints
Analysis of options and recommendation
Preliminary project requirements
Budget estimate and financial analysis
Schedule estimate
Potential risks
Exhibits
• Sample business case
What is the main purpose of this project?
Write two assumptions or constraints of this project.
Identify the major risks of this project.
What is the estimate of the cost for the entire project?
CHARTER
• A project charter is a document that formally recognizes
the existence of a project and provides direction on the
project’s objectives and management.
• Information included in a project charter :
• Project title
• Project start date, projected finish date
• Project manager
• Project objectives
• Approach
• Roles and responsibilities
• Sign off
• Comments
Project Planning
• The main purpose of project planning is to guide execution.
• Key project planning process outputs at the planning phase:
• A team contract.
• A scope statement.
• A work breakdown structure (WBS).
• A project schedule, in the form of a Gantt chart with all
dependencies and resources entered.
• A list of prioritized risks (part of a risk register).
Mapping project
management knowledge
areas with planning
processes
Similarly as given in this table, every
knowledge area is included in the
planning processes.
A scope statement
This document includes
• Product scope description
• Product user acceptance criteria
• Detailed information on all project deliverables
• Information on project boundaries
• Constraints and assumptions
There are often several versions of the project scope statement to keep scope
information detailed and up-to-date.
An example
Project WBS
An example Project Baseline Gantt Chart
Project scheduling – Network scheduling
• After defining project activities, the next step is network
scheduling.
• A network diagram is a schematic display of the logical
relationships among or sequencing of project activities. Networks
consists of logically and sequentially connected arrows and nodes
representing activities and events of a project.
• Activity : An activity represents some action and is a time
consuming effort necessary to complete a particular part of the
overall project. Each andAevery activity has a point of time where it
y
x
begins and a point
where it ends.
• A is called the activity and x and y are start and end nodes/events.
• Bursts : Occurs when two or more activities follow a single node.
j
Network Scheduling
• Merge : Occurs when two or more nodes precede a single node.
k
• Preceding activities: Activities which must be accomplished before a
given node/event.
• Succeeding activities : Activities which cannot be accomplished until an
event occurs.
• Concurrent activities : Activities which can be accomplished concurrently
• Dummy activity : Certain activities which neither consumes time nor
resources but are used simply to represent a connection or a link
between the events are known as dummies. It is shown in the network by
a dotted line. The purpose of introducing dummy activity is • To maintain uniqueness in the numbering system as every activity may have
distinct set of events by which the activity can be identified.
• To maintain a proper logic in the network.
COMMON ERRORS IN NETWORK DIAGRAMS
• Looping (cycling) : Drawing an endless loop in a network is known as
error of looping. A loop can be formed if an activity were represented
as going back in line.
• Dangling : To disconnect an activity before the completion of all the
activities in a network diagram is known as dangling.
• Redundancy : If a dummy activity is the only activity spread out
from an event and which can be eliminated is known as
redundancy.
List of Prioritized Risks
Project Executing processes
• Include coordinating people and other resources to
carryout the various plans and produce the products,
services or results of the project or phase.
• Examples of executing processes
• Acquiring and developing the project team.
• Performing quality assurance.
• Distributing information.
• Managing stakeholder expectations.
Mapping project management knowledge areas with
Executing processes
Project Executing processes at the execution
phase
• Project execution usually takes the most time and
resources and ensure that activities in the project plan
are completed.
• Project managers must use their leadership skills to
handle the many challenges that occur during project
execution.
• Many project sponsors and customers focus on
deliverables related to providing the products, services,
or results desired from the project.
• A milestone report can keep the focus on completing
major milestones.
Milestone report
Part of a Milestone Report
Project Monitoring and Controlling
• Involves measuring progress toward project objectives,
monitoring deviation from the plan, and taking corrective
action to match progress with the plan.
• Monitoring and controlling is done throughout the
project.
• Affects all other process groups and occurs during all
phases of the project life cycle.
• Outputs include performance reports, requested
changes, and updates to various plans.
Mapping project management knowledge areas with Monitoring
and Controlling processes
Project Closing
• Involves gaining stakeholder and customer acceptance of the
final products and services.
• Even if projects are not completed, they should be formally
closed in order to reflect on what can be learned to improve
future projects.
• Outputs include project archives and lessons learned, which
are part of organizational process assets.
• Most projects also include a final report and presentation to
the sponsor or senior management.
Mapping project management knowledge areas with closing
processes
Constructing networks - examples
• Construct a network for the project whose activities and their
precedence relationships are given in the following Table.
Constructing networks - examples
• Construct a network for the project whose activities and their
precedence relationships are as given in the following Table.
Constructing networks - examples
• Consider the following table summarizing the details of a project
involving 11 activities. Construct the project network.
• A construction company has listed down various activities that are
involved in constructing a building. These are summarized along with
predecessor(s) details in the following table. Draw a project network for
the above project