Project Management
for Public Health Professionals
February 2011
David Sabapathy, MD, MBA, PEng
Department of Community Health Sciences
3rd floor TRW building
Faculty of Medicine
University of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta
Canada T2N 4Z6
david.sabapathy@albertahealthservices.ca
Section 4
Project Execution and Close-Out
Learning Objective
Acquire practical skills to develop a
Project Management Plan to effectively
and efficiently achieve a health objective
Initiation  Definition  Planning  Execution  Close-Out
Course Map
Initiation
Definition
1. Idea
2. Authority
Planning
3. Project
Charter
4. Design
Execution
5. Schedule
6. Resource
Plan
  
Project Management Plan
Initiation  Definition  Planning  Execution  Close-Out
Close-out
7. Project
Outcomes
8. Evaluatio
n
Project Execution and Close-out
 Outside the scope of this course
 Good references provided at the end of this section
 If you’ve gotten this far you’re headed for success
 Execution
 Implementation, monitoring and control of the project plan
 Close-out
 Evaluation of project challenges and successes
Initiation  Definition  Planning  Execution  Close-Out
Specific Learning Objectives
1. Understand the project life cycle stages of Project
Execution and Close-out
Initiation  Definition  Planning  Execution  Close-Out
Topics

Project Life Cycle: Stages 4,5 – Project Execution and
Close-out

Execution principles

Evaluation framework
Initiation  Definition  Planning  Execution  Close-Out
Learning Method
In-Class
Case
Study
Initiation  Definition  Planning  Execution  Close-Out
Activity
Modules
x3
Project
Management
Plan
Execution
Initiation  Definition  Planning  Execution  Close-Out
Project Execution
 Time to put the Project Management Plan into action!
 Role of Project Manager:
Communicate with
Stakeholders
Outcomes
Measure
Progress
Time
Corrective
Action
Initiation  Definition  Planning  Execution  Close-Out
Assess
Risk
Resources
Organizational Risk vs. Project Risk
 What if it doesn’t work?
 Project management = Risk management
 Two types of risk
 Organizational risk - The world outside the project
 Project risk - Everything we have been trying to manage
 Can have a successful project that fails!
Initiation  Definition  Planning  Execution  Close-Out
Project Management = Risk Management
Project Management is actually a process of
Risk Management with respect to the
Triple Constraint
Initiation  Definition  Planning  Execution  Close-Out
Five Rules for a Successful Project
Stakeholder
agreement on
goals of project
Management support
Plan with clear
schedule and
responsibilities
Initiation  Definition  Planning  Execution  Close-Out
Effective
communication
among stakeholders
Controlled scope
A Project is Deemed Successful If…
Outcomes
Achieved
On Time
Initiation  Definition  Planning  Execution  Close-Out
Accepted by
Stakeholders
(Expectations)
Within
Resources
Close-out
Initiation  Definition  Planning  Execution  Close-Out
Evaluation
 Why? Many reasons to review the project
 Confidence in project management approach
 Celebrate successes
 Learn from challenges
 Closure and sense of completion
 Document for auditing and future reference
 Team building
–
Project team
–
Stakeholder
 …
Initiation  Definition  Planning  Execution  Close-Out
Evaluation
 Project evaluation has four steps
Acceptance of
Deliverables
Assessment of
Project
Management
Evaluation of
Original
Concept
Review of
Stakeholder
Relationships
Initiation  Definition  Planning  Execution  Close-Out
End of Section 4
Project Execution and Close-out
Triple Constraint
Scope
Time
Team
Resources
News from Project Sponsor

Announcement for each project team

Describe in your presentation how you will compensate
Learning Objective
Acquire practical skills to develop a
Project Management Plan to effectively
and efficiently achieve a health objective
Key Lessons – Intro to Project Management
1. Innovation is important in Public Health
2. Innovation starts with an Idea
3. Project Management achieves that Idea
A project is a time-limited method to
complete a series of activities leading to a
specific outcome given a fixed timescale
and resources
Two unique characteristics of projects:
1. Defined start and end (i.e. temporary, one-time)
2. Creates a unique product or service
Key Lessons – Intro to Project Management
The Project Life Cycle is a process for managing
projects from Idea to Outcome
The Project Management Plan is a final product of the
Initiation, Definition and Planning stages and is used as
a roadmap for Project Execution
Key Lessons – Project Definition
The project charter serves two purposes:
1. Organizes our thoughts (e.g. project overview)
2. Formal approval from Sponsor to begin
In the Project Charter don’t over-commit to
project deliverables. Project Deliverables will be
defined later during the Project Design.
Projects must protect against ‘Scope Creep’.
All scope changes must be carefully evaluated
and approved by all Project Stakeholders in
accordance with the Triple Constraint.
Key Lessons – Project Definition
One of the most common reasons for Public
Health projects to fail is poor attention to the
Project Design
The Preliminary Design produces a list of the
Project Deliverables
If the project’s time and resources cannot be reasonably
apportioned across the WBS, repeat the Preliminary
Design and develop a new list of Project Deliverables
Key Lessons – Project Planning
Work Packages are the only tasks in the project that
will be completed (not summary tasks). Only
sequence Work Packages and do not let
Resource Constraints affect sequencing.
Work Packages are the only tasks in the project that
will be completed (not summary tasks). Only
sequence Work Packages and do not let
Resource Constraints affect sequencing.
Two elements are required to create a Gantt Chart:
Work Package Sequence
&
Work Package Duration
Key Lessons – Project Planning
The Critical Path is the sequence of tasks that must be completed on
schedule if the project is to be on schedule. Any delay in a task along
the Critical Path will result in a project delay.
Attention must always be paid to the Critical Path.
A Human Resource Plan is a useful communication tool that
identifies when people are scheduled to work on a project task.
Project estimation (scope, time, resources) improves as the project life cycle unfolds.
Improved estimation requires additional cost.
Key Lessons – Evaluation & Close-Out
Project Management is actually a
process of Risk Management with
respect to the Triple Constraint
Thank You
End of Course
David Sabapathy, MD, MBA, PEng
Department of Community Health Sciences
3rd floor TRW building
Faculty of Medicine
University of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta
Canada T2N 4Z6
david.sabapathy@albertahealthservices.ca
References
1.
Campbell, C.A. “The One-Page Project Manager: Communicate and Manage Any
Project with a Single Sheet of Paper”, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2007.
2.
Dwyer, J., Stanton, P., Thiessen, V. “Project Management in Health and
Community Services: Getting good ideas to work”, Routledge, 2004.
3.
Kyle, M. “Making it Happen: A Non-Technical Guide to Project Management”,
John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd., 1998.
4.
Schwalbe, K. “Introduction to Project Management”, Thomson - Course
Technology, 2006.
5.
Verzuh, E. “The Fast Forward MBA in Project Management”, 3rd Edition, John
Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2008.
6.
“Project Management Breakthroughs”, Learning Guide, Priority Management
International, 2003.
Project Management
for Public Health Professionals
February 2011
David Sabapathy, MD, MBA, PEng
Department of Community Health Sciences
3rd floor TRW building
Faculty of Medicine
University of Calgary
Calgary, Alberta
Canada T2N 4Z6
david.sabapathy@albertahealthservices.ca