Managing Projects

1. Managing Projects Project Management as a Process

2. Project Management as a Process • Defining and organizing the project • Planning the project • Managing project execution • Closing down the project The project management model is not entirely linear. There must be feedback loops and opportunities for re-adjustment between the four phases

3. Defining and Organizing the Project This phase has two purposes: • Clearly define the project’s objectives as thoroughly as possible • What problem or opportunity motivate the project • What are the deliverable expected • All objectives should be specific and measurable • Specify the time frame within which each objective will be achieved. • To organize the right people and all necessary resources around those objectives • Identify the people and resources needed to accomplish the objectives

4. Planning the project Given our objective, what set of tasks must we complete? In what order and within what time frame the tasks must be completed? • The stated goal is broken down into a set of key tasks. • Create time frames within which each task must be completed for the overall objective to be completed on schedule • Study the feasibility of the project • Find out whether some individuals are overloaded while others are not being asked to do enough • It the end-to-end time required for the project is greater than expected, adjustments must be made to the scope of the project, to the schedule and/or the resources committed

5. Managing project execution • Keep people motivated and focused on goals • Keep team-work effective: mediating between people, solve interpersonal conflicts, collaboration, communication • Making decisions • Allocating scarce resources to their highest uses • Reallocating resources to deal with emerging problems • Monitor and control adherence to the schedule, budget, and quality standards

6. Closing the project • Learning is the most important activity of this project phase • What went well ? • What could have been improved? • Using the benefit of hindsight, how should the project have been planned and executed? • The lesson learned must be recorded and incorporated in future projects

7. Summing Up • Projects have 4 basic phases: defining and organizing, planning, managing execution, and closing down. The four phases are not linear • The first phase is clearly define project objectives and to organize the right people and resources around them • The second phase generally begins with the objective and work backward, identifying each of the many tasks that must be completed, estimating the time needed to finish them, and scheduling them in the right order • The managing execution phase requires careful monitoring and control to assure adherence to the schedule, budget and quality standards • The last phase is reflecting on the lessons learned from the experience