Project Management: a Best Practice

1. Project Management: a Best Practice Monica M. Keith Director of Advancement Operations

2. Learning Outcomes • Define project management • Breaking down the process • Case studies: small and large-scale • Review of tools for project management • Applying project management to your work

3. Defined… Project management is the application of processes, methods, knowledge, skills and experience to achieve the project objectives. -The Association of Project Management

4. Project management typically involves: • A short-term project • A specific outcome • Resources – human and capital

5. The Process • Define goal/outcome • Plan • Time • Cost • Scope • Implement • Evaluate

6. 1. Define The outcome/goal(s) typically predetermined, and initiates and drives the project.

7. 2. Plan Planning is the most important step in the process – and most complicated. Planning involves assessing 3 key elements:

8. Time – deadline, milestones, allocation of work between team members and business as usual. • Cost – the project budget, additional/unexpected costs, staff time, comparable value. • Scope– directly effected by time and cost, and vice versa.

9. Time, Cost and Roles – clearly defined roles are required to move a project through stages: • Project Manager • Product Owner • Team Members • Stakeholders • Users

10. Implementation • Strategy • Milestones • Resource allocation • Adjustments • Documentation • Communication

11. Evaluation • Result • Process • Budget • Lessons learned • Documentation

12. Project management as a [best] practice is a method of planning and guiding a project from start to finish.

13. Small Scale Case Study • New president • Interim vice president for Advancement • Request for Executive dashboard • Educational and actionable • Current year and comparative historical data • Data visualization • Representative of broad division goals

14. Executive Dashboard • Project management process • A clearly defined outcome • Plan • Time: 8 weeks • Cost: time, collaborative opportunity (no budget) • Scope: superior executive style report • Roles: project manager, developers/programmers, stakeholders (internal and external) and partners

15. Executive Dashboard • Implementation • Review sample dashboards from other institutions • Drafted sample dashboards, secure approval • Assess data in new data warehouse • Assess visualization tools with reporting tool (Microsoft Reporting Services) • Evaluate ability to publish online and schedule delivery

16. Executive Dashboard

17. Executive Dashboard • Evaluation • Outcome was met on time/budget • Stakeholder feedback was positive • Options to schedule delivery and publish online and in real time met • Reporting tool was flexible to accommodate reporting changes and enhancements over time

19. Large scale Case Study • Disastrous database conversion • Many applications tied to old db in shambles • Rebuild Class Agent Portal • Re-engineer back end data with new database • Evaluate volunteer and login structure • Enhance front end user interface

20. Class Agent Portal • Project management process • Clearly defined goal • Scope: rebuild to function in time for vol training • Time: 5-6 months • Cost: time/labor intensive • Roles: assigned a project manager, multiple staff member roles, stakeholders (Annual Giving staff and volunteers) and partners (ITS)

21. Class Agent Portal • Process steps • Review former class agent portal • Evaluate all tables, rules, logic for logins • Assess best way to rebuild tables and add enhancements • Carefully stage the tasks and timelines • Assign project milestones and regular communication

22. Class Agent Portal Colby.edu/mvp

23. Class Agent Portal

24. Class Agent Portal

25. Class Agent Portal Class Statistics

26. Class Agent Portal • Evaluation • Project completed on time/budget • Stakeholder feedback was positive • Better team approach and cross training • Increased usage each year • Flexibility for enhancements in data or design added each year since

27. Time + Cost => Scope

29. Project Management tools - MS software and web version - online project management w/ app • https://basecamp.com/tour - an online project management app • https://www.zoho.com/projects/features.html

30. Project Prioritization Models

31. Project Prioritization Models: 4 Quadrants The Four Quadrants time matrix comes from a book by Stephen Covey, First Things First. By using this approach, activities are categorized to fit in one out of four quadrants for time management.

32. Project Prioritization Models: Matrix A matrix provides a compact way of conveying results, the quality of the tool depends on the quality of the multi-criteria method used to produce the results, including the logic for defining the criteria and the processes used to evaluate projects and assign weights.

33. Project Prioritization Models: Venn Mission/Business Project Alignment Client(s) or constituencies Resources Venn diagrams are used to compare and contrast sets of data or ideas. They can be used to classify and/or show relationships between sets – and therefore contribute to planning and prioritizing.

34. Project Management Project management is the application of processes, methods, knowledge, skills and experience to achieve the project objectives. -The Association of Project Management

35. Questions? Project Management