Project Management
Tomáš Sabol
Technical University in Košice
Tomas.Sabol@tuke.sk
Contents:

What is Project and Project Management?

5 Phases of Project Management:
– Define
– Plan
– Organize
– Control
– Close
What is a project?
Characteristics:
1. Complex and numerous activities
2. Finite – with a begin and end date
3. Defined priorities & deadlines
4. Horizontal communication across
several functional areas required
What is a project?
1. Limited resources and budget
2. Unique – a one-time set of activities
3. Innovative
4. Goal-oriented, must result in an end
product/service
 PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Project is successful, if:
• Project’s result satisfy defined
specification (function, quality, ...) –
the result approved by the Project
client
• Within defined time limit
• Within the budget and defined
resources
Causes of Project Failure:
• Wrong definition of problem, definition
of problem is constantly changing
• No one except the project team is
interested in the end result
• Inappropriate structure of management
• The project plan lacks structure
• The project is underbudgeted
• Insufficient resources are allocated
Causes of Project Failure (2)
• The project is not tracked against its plan
• Lack of communication between team
members
• Wrong style of project management
• Improvisation, occasional/nonconsistent
interventions of a "strong personality“
• Analytical phase was underestimated in
the planning phase
5-Phase Project management
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Define
Plan
Organize
Control
Close
PLANNING + IMPLEMENTATION
Phase 1: DEFINING THE PROJECT
Project Overview:
• General information piece
• Statement of the problem and
opportunities to be addressed
• Early statement of the goal
• Serves for decision „Go / Non Go“
Yes  Reference base for the Project
Project Overview:
• Brief (1-2 pages), concise
• Goal & Objectives - standard for
solving conflicts in future
• Close contact wih end users
• Answers question „What?”, not
“How?”
Define the problem
 Where are you now?
 What is your expectation? (& Why do
you want it?)
 How do you want to achieve it?
 When do you want to achieve it?
 How much are you willing to invest?
 What resources are available?
 What risk is necessary to accept?
Define the Project …
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


What is the problem/opportunity?
What is to be done?
Who is responsible for the project?
When must the project be completed?
 Imposed deadline
 Planned deadline
Identify Project Goal
 Goal statement – action oriented, short,
simple, as understandable as possible
 Defines the final outcome in terms of the
end product or services
 Continual point of reference for settling
disputes about the project
 Guide that keeps all objectives and the
work on the track
Goal in triangle: Time vs. Costs vs. Quality
List the Objectives
Criterion S.M.A.R.T.:
 Specific)
 Measurable
 Assignable
 Realistic
 Time-related
Define the Project …
 Determine preliminary resources:
• Finances
• Human resources (how many
people, who, when, for what time)
• Equipment (how much, when, for
how long)
• Technologies
 Identify assumptions and risks
Identification of risk and
assumptions
Risk analysis:
 Identify risks
 Estimate probability of risks
 Design how to prevent negative
circumstances
 Evaluation of possible impact of negative
circumstances
 Contingency (what to do if something
wrong happens)
Milestones
 Check points towards the defined
objective, achievement of specific
subgoal
 Measuring work progress towards the
final goal
 Project division into phases
 Deliverable (tangible outcome) is linked
to each milestone
Roles in the project management
• Project manager
• Project investor / Sponsor / Top
management
• Supervisor
• Client (end user)
• Expert team
Example: Planning an Annual Conference
Problem: Association of Project Managers
(APM) is a new organization. Its future
depends on its ability to maintain
membership and conduct a successful
annual conference.
Goal: To secure a upward trend in
membership and annual conference
attendance.
Example: Conference Planning (2)
Objectives:
• Conduct APM Annual Conference with
at least 120 participants.
• Net profit from the conference has to
be at least $25,000.
• Offer two sessions in the program led
by internationally recognised experts
Example: Conference Planning (3)
Succes criteria:
• At least 40% members of APM will
attend.
• 15% non-members receiving
invitation will attend a conference.
• At least 20% non-members, which
will attend a conference, will join
APM as new members
Example: Conference Planning (4)
Assumptions:
• Successful Annual Conference will
increase interest in membership of
APM
• Quality professional program will
attract members and nonmembers as well
Project Overview Acid Test:
• Understandable to an outisder
• It can be used to “sell” the project
(to top management, partners,
team members)
• Can be used to develop a project
proposal
• Core project team participated and
approved the Project overview
TEAM ASSIGNMENT 1
Develop a Project Overview for the
„ACRU Continuing Education
Project“ with the following items:
• Problem
• Goal & Objectives
• Approach taken, Expected benefits
• Assumptions and risks
1st Phase: PROJECT DEFINE
Summary
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Define a project
Project characteristics
Design of a Project overview
Basic parts of the Project overview
Functions the Project overview serves
Write a Project overview for your idea