Project Leadership
Autumn 2011
Learning Objectives

Awareness-raising; instill
common language of project
planning and delivery
“A rising tide lifts all boats”

Provide helpful project tools

Seek commitment to
champion project leadership
principles
Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
2
Context and Background

About “doing work well”

Helping you achieve project
goals/outcomes….a means to
an end

“Just Do It” – really??
Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
3
Context and Background

The work of the college is a combination of
operations and projects……occur simultaneously.
“We need to be able to serve lunch
while renovating the kitchen!”
--Dr. Jan Rogers
Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
4
Project Leadership Defined

“The application of knowledge, experience, skills,
tools, and techniques to project activities in order to
meet project requirements and objectives.”
Project Management Institute

Project leaders help turn “ideas into action”
Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
5
Project Characteristics








Temporary; clear beginning and end
Unique product, service or result
Progressive elaboration
Require resources
Has primary sponsor
Vary in size and complexity
Involves uncertainty
Sometimes, work needed beyond normal
operational limits
Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
6
Projects and Operational Work
OPERATIONAL
WORK
On-going and
repetitive
Work done by
people
Constrained by
limited resources
PROJECT
WORK
Temporary and
unique
Planned,
executed and
controlled
Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
7
Project or Operational - Quiz
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
Switch to Semesters
Quarterly Financial Aid processing
Student Registration
Select and implement new package tracking system
Building course catalog
Switch CSCC banker
Replace all printers across campus
Reaffirmation of Accreditation
Renovation of Union Hall
Update course content and programs of study
Building and opening Delaware campus
Scheduling sections for each term
Set up file suite for new Financial Aid year
Rollout Document Management System to each department
Replace printers as they wear and tear
Design/Develop a new course
Back door access to Bookstore
Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
Project
Operational
Operational
Project
Operational
Project
Project
Project
Project
Operational
Project
Operational
Operational
Project
Operational
Project
Project
8
Project Success Factors
From your experience,
what has made projects successful?
Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
9
Project Success Factors









Administrator or Cabinet support
Clear objectives, benefits and requirements
Focused and well defined scope
“Start less, finish more” – focus resources
Experienced project leadership
User and department involvement and ownership
Repeatable and common project approach/methods
Team mindset (“No heroes”)
Important work moved to “middle of desk”
Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
10
Benefits of Project Approach
In your experience,
what benefits have you seen?
Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
11
Benefits of Project Approach









Repeatable methods and forms drives efficiency
Align project team toward common goal
Enhance project communication to many stakeholders
Work gets done effectively, timely and with quality
Discipline to achieve benefits (a means to an end).
More efficient use of resources
Project leaders can help each other
Shorter implementation times
Communication of successes to share for future projects
Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
12
Basic Project Lifecycle
Initiation
Planning
Execution
Control
&
Monitor
Closeout
Project Management Institute
http://www.pmi.org/
Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
13
From Idea to Approved Project





An idea is NOT a project
Idea college collaboration
proposal
project!
Project proposals linked to annual
resource planning process
Ensure sponsorship from the start
Raise culture of rewarding project
planning
Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
14
Project Proposals
Strategic priorities drive
selected projects
 Can’t implement all projects…
“start less, finish more”
 Cabinet sponsors determine
which projects get
implemented….

Project Proposals go to your Administrator / VP
Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
15
Project Thought Framework
What are we doing? And why?
 Who is involved?
 What are key milestones?
 What do we want to get done, by who, and by when?
 How can we launch project successfully?
 How do we monitor our progress?
 What might hinder our progress? How do we mitigate?
 Who needs to know what, when and how?
 How do we resolve key decisions effectively?
 How do we officially close the project?

Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
16
Supporting Project Tools
What areand
weScope
doing? And why?
Charter
Who is involved?
 Organization
and Roles
What are key
 Milestone
Listmilestones?
What do
weand
want
to get done and by when?
 Work
plan
Schedule
How canGuidelines
we launch project successfully?
 Kickoff
How do we
monitor our progress?
 Progress
Report
WhatPlan
might
hinder
our progress? How do we mitigate?
 Risk
and
Mitigation
Who needs to know
 Communication
Planwhat, when and how?
HowBusiness
do we resolve
key(KBD)
decisions effectively?
 Key
Decision
How do we
officially close the project?
 Closeout
Document

Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
17
Project Charter











Executive Summary
Background and Context
Purpose
Objectives and Benefits
Scope
Milestone Summary
Organization and Roles
Major Assumptions
Initial Barriers and Constraints
Success Factors
Guiding Principles
Autumn 2011
Charter provides consistent
communication of key project information
to a wide range of stakeholders
Project Leadership
18
Organization and Roles
Promote and drive the work
Sponsors / Steering
Part time, consistent
meeting schedule
Project Leadership
Plan and do the work
Advise on the work
Autumn 2011
Core
Implementation
Team
Subject Matter
Experts
Project Leadership
“Middle of desk”,
dedicated resources
Part time, as needed
19
Milestone List





Milestones are “stakes in the
ground” for more detailed
project work planning
Month or week granularity
Red, Yellow, Green status
Interdependency of
milestones
Project team awareness of all
milestones
Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
20
Work Plan and Schedule








Link activities to milestones
Hour estimate
Activity owners
Start and end dates
Dependencies
Progress tracking
Gantt format to show project
schedule over time
Level of granularity of activities
varies by project
Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
21
Project Kickoff Guidelines






Official start
Visible and reiterated
sponsorship
Align project participants
around goals
Communicate the charter
Review known project roles
Common understanding of
milestones
Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
22
Progress Report






Time period
Major accomplishments
Current activities
Current challenges
Attached milestone list
Attached – any other
supporting documents (i.e.
budget analysis)
Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
23
Risk Plan and Mitigation






List of project risks
Risks identified early and
throughout project
Probability and impact
Mitigate or Accept?
Risk mitigating actions
Project sponsors and team
identify risks and mitigating
actions; collective minds
Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
All projects have risk!
How well you identify
and manage them
impacts success.
24
Communications Plan






Plan Overview and Objectives
Types of Information needing
communicated
Audience / Stakeholder
analysis; internal and external
Communication methods and
vehicles
Timing of communications
Anticipated Challenges
Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
25
Key Business Decision (KBD)







KBD title and author
Background and description
Key assumptions
Multiple options; pros/cons
Recommendation
Next steps based on
recommendation
Review and approvals required
Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
26
Project Closeout





Document to guide closeout
meeting
Document lessons learned and
success factors
Confirm operational
acceptance
Communicate project success
Celebration and thank you’s
Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
27
Project Document Templates
CSCC Website…..
Faculty & Staff….
Resources….
Project Document Templates
Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
28
…and we value your feedback
Autumn 2011
Project Leadership
29