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Project management in SE. Execution of projects Peeter Normak 15.10.2015. Plan. Discussion: home assignment Presentation of project plans Starting a project execution Deciding on a project management methodology Everyday management Scope management Information management and reporting
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Project management in SE • Execution of projects • Peeter Normak • 15.10.2015
Plan • Discussion: home assignment • Presentation of project plans • Starting a project execution • Deciding on a project management methodology • Everyday management • Scope management • Information management and reporting • Quality control and resource management • Using power (authority) in management • Promoting motivation and devotion • Supporting creativity and teamwork • Handling conflicts
Discussion on home assignment • Questions about the previous topic (Project Planning). • Analyze the Charter of the project “Quality system of ICT vocational education” (Appendix 1 of Lecture Notes) and answer the following questions: • What aspects would need more detailed description? • List three biggest weaknesses of the Charter. • List three main strength and three main weaknesses of the Needs Analysis described in the document IMKE-Archimedes-application.doc.
Communicating (30, 14) 6.1 Actively listens, understands and responds to stakeholders (11,4) 6.2. Maintains lines of communication (3,4) 6.3Ensures quality of information (12,3) 6.4 Tailors communication to audience(4,3) Leading(30, 25) 7.1 Creates a team environment that promotes high performance (6,10) 7.2 Builds and maintains effective relationships (8,6) 7.3 Motivates and mentors project team members (8,7) 7.4Takes accountability for delivering the project (8,2) 7.5 Uses influencing skills when required (9,4) Managing (19, 15) 8.1 Builds and maintains the project team(5,6) 8.2 Plans and manages for project success in organized manner (6,7) 8.3Resolves conflict involving project team or stakeholders (7,2) Cognitive Ability (32, 17) 9.1 Takes a holistic view of project (6,4) 9.2 Effectively resolves issues and solves problems (9,2) 9.3Uses appropriate project management tools and techniques (5,8) 9.4Seeks opportunities to improve project outcome (12,3) Effectiveness (17, 14) 10.1Resolves project problems (9,2) 10.2 Maintains project stakeholder involvement, motivation and support (6,7) 10.3 Changes at the required pace to meet project needs (3,5) 10.4 Uses assertiveness when necessary (6,3) Professionalism (43, 10) 11.1Demonstrates commitment to the project (14,0) 11.2 Operates with integrity (9,2) 11.3 Handles personal and team adversity in a suitable manner (6,1) 11.4 Manages a diverse workforce (3,5) 11.5Resolves individual and organizational issues with objectivity (11,2) PMCD Framework – Personal competencies (186, 102) Numeric tags – Estonian group: bigger difference in 7.5, 8.3
Presentation of project plans • My legacy • Development and evaluation of a tool that enables to read faster (Rapid Serial Visual Presentation). • OESELIAN (use padlet.com) • Usability study of piletilevi.ee and redesign proposal. • Harmonizing Inter-Cultural Diversity • User Experience Prototype Requirements • E-integration: a Website …
The aim of the project execution phase • Achieving the project objective according to the project plan, in a sustainable manner.
Starting a project execution – the inputs • Project execution bases on general principles of management. • Inputs: • Project planning documents. • Other related documents (standards, technical documentation, analyses, contracts etc). • Institutional regulations (accountancy, hiring, procedures for preparing contracts etc). NB! Very important, if the PM has not managed projects or structural units before. • In a later phase of a project: corrections to the project plan and other related documents.
Starting a project execution – recommendations • Use wisely the starting energy (like swarming effect by bees). • Make staff members aware that starting a new project should cause inevitable change in the list of their priorities and also on the structure of their activities. • Take into account that initial phase of the project execution has huge impact to the way how the whole project will be executed (using tools/methods, interpersonal relations etc).
Discussion 1 • What activities could be conducted for stressing the importance of the project and for motivating the team members to devote more time to the project?
Project management methodology – the concepts • Method (“meetod” in Estonian): principles for solving a single task from a restricted problem area. • Methodology (“metoodika” in Estonian): combining different methods for solving a complex task. NB! Estonian “metodoloogia” has different meaning: science about methods. Examples of project management methodologies: • Agile methodologies • PRINCE2 (“PRojects IN Controlled Environment”)) • V-model
The problem • Whether – and to what extent – to use a well-established project management methodology? • A general principle 1: the bigger the project, the bigger the role of a project management methodology. • A general principle 2: for small projects, an agile methodology is mostly more suitable.
More general principles • For deciding on a methodology, take into account the following: • Different methodologies are based on quite different – if compared to each other – principles. • By applying, any methodology should be adapted to the concrete needs, conditions and practices. • Experience and flexibility/creativity is more important than any methodology/theory. • Application of a new project management methodology presumes certain adaptation of general processes of the institution as well.
Agile project management methodologies The need: classical (linear) approaches to project planning and execution are rigid and in many cases not flexible enough. The main principles: Multiple iterations of planning and execution (based on the Release Plan). Heavy involvement of stakeholders. Empowerment of the project team; SSS-principle (speed, smart, simplicity). Role of the project manager – focus on creating of a supporting environment (not so much on process management): Selecting the personnel. Ensuring availability of necessary tools and work conditions. Forming a “big picture” and ensuring that it is followed. The basic documents: Project Charter and Release Plan.
Source: http://www.inadev.com/developmentproc General scheme of agile development methodology
Agile project management methodologies • Some practices: • Easy implementation of changes. • Intense communication and knowledge/experience sharing between the team members (TEAM – Together Everyone Achieves More). • Reasonable delegation of decision making and responsibilities. • Optimization of the activities (increasing job performance). • Supporting creativity and innovations. • Gradual implementation of the projects’ outcome.
V-model – the general principles • Is mainly used for (IT-)development projects in public and military sectors. • Minimizing the risks: determination of roles/responsibilities, enhancing the planning practices, assuring transparency. • Ensuring the quality of the outcome: selecting indicators and milestones. • Minimizing the total costs occurred during the whole life cycle of a product: standardized methods for development, using and maintenance of products. • Enhancing communication between the stakeholders: diminishing differences and misunderstanding. • Structure • (partly, one • interpretation): User requirement Verification, validation Acceptance testing Specification System testing General design Integration testing Detailed design Unit testing Coding
V-model – specific principles • Outcomes, activities and responsibilities/roles are structured and correspond to each other. • Responsibilities are fixed: Who? When? What? • Activities are divided into compulsory and recommended; Compulsory activities are: project management, quality assurance, configuration management, problem and change management. • There are concrete strategies (more than ten) developed for project execution using V-model methodology. • Is strongly focused on outcomes.
PRINCE2 – processes • PRINCE2 (https://www.axelos.com/best-practice-solutions/prince2.aspx) is process based: 7 basic processes and 7 components/themes. • Basic processes: • Starting up a project (the only pre-project process) • Initiating a project • Directing a project • Managing stage boundaries • Controlling a stage • Managing product delivery • Closing a project. • Every basic process has sub-processes/activities. • NB! Processes are designed according to the needs of a project.
PRINCE2 – elements of the processes • For each process the following elements should be defined: • Fundamental principles • Relations to other processes • Process description • Requirements • Hints and tips. • Additionally for sub-processes/activities: • Responsibilities • Information needs • Key criteria.
Everyday management – the basic principles • The tasks should be coherent/correspond to the capabilities of the team members (“there is nothing more unequal than assigning equal tasks to the people with unequal capabilities”). • Follow the subordination of project team members. • Contribution of the project team members should be adequately compensated. • Clearly state the responsibilities. • Follow the codes of conduct. • Take into account the personality characteristics of staff members.
Recommendations – everyday management • Make explicit agreements about tasks and reporting (and working hours, if necessary). • Take into account a Chinese saying “People are not performing the tasks a chief wishes but tasks that he checks (or will award)". • Discuss and agree on the role of meetings. • NB! The decisions should be in written!
Discussion 2 • What are the basic threats and opportunities related to the project team members that are product/outcome oriented, activities oriented or communications oriented?
Discussion 3 • A case study: the project manager and software developer are working on a project that is conducted in a department. Head of the department – who does not belong to the project team – assigned tasks to the software developer without informing the project manager and partly contradicting the tasks that were assigned by the project manager. How would you – being in the role of project manager – would solve this case?
Scope management • Scope is defined as "The work that needs to be accomplished to deliver a product, service, or result with the specified features and functions.” • The aim of scope management is to assure that all necessary activities are performed and only these. • The project’s scope depends directly from the product’s scope. • Measuring: • For the project’s scope – comparing with the project plan; • For the product’s scope – comparing with the requirements/intended outcome.
Scope management – the main principle • General principle of scope management – the Simplicity Principle: • KISS – Keep It Small and Simple • NB! Better to have 50% in good quality rather than 100% in bad quality.
Scope change management • The need for scope change is usually caused because: • Mistakes/inaccuracies in the determination of the product scope • Mistakes/inaccuracies in the determination of the project scope • Changes of internal and external conditions. Example: JEP 12418 (1y 2y). • The activities of scope change: • Identify the need in scope change • Analyse factors that influence project outcome in a positive direction • Manage changes integrating them into other processes. NB! Every change causes some expenses!
Communication management – processes • According to the PMBOK Guide, Communications management is one of the knowledge areas of project management. • The main purpose of communication management is to assure information handling (creation, collecting, processing, spreading, storing) necessary for effective project execution. • Basic processes: • Planning – finding the information needs of stakeholders (what, when, how) • Transmission – making information (timely) available • Feedback – reports, proposals, assessments • Completion – handling information necessary for completing a phase (composing “lessons learned” document, archiving documents etc).
Communication management – aspects and responsibilities • Aspects: • Agreements between the stakeholders (example: confidentiality) • Deciding on tools (mail, web, RSS, Dropbox, meetings etc) • Forms (oral, written, graphic; structuring, generality) • Responsibilities of a information provider: assuring completeness, clarity, unambiguousness and compactness of information. • Responsibilities of a receiver: read and understand; confirm receiving if necessary.
“Rules” of oral communication • “Rules” of oral communication (see section 4.5 of the Lecture Notes): • Listen with comprehension • Reflect/give feedback • Do not interrupt • Ask questions • Observe the body language • … • NB! Oral communication is an important instrument in developing common vision and identity.
Discussion 4 • What are the main functions of speaking and listening?
A problem – the extent of internal reporting • The aim of (internal) reporting is to provide information about the advancement of project execution and: • assure the stakeholders (including decision makers) that the completion of the project goes according to the project plan; • determine the deviations from the project plan.
Recommendations – reporting • Internal reporting should be as small as possible and as big as necessary. Example: a collection of articles was planned to be composed. Only about half of the articles was completed before the deadline. • Prior agreement on changes with the decision makers, honesty (do not manipulate the costs!) and transparency are necessary. • Check thoroughly reports before submitting. Example: printer was changed immediately before submitting, and not properly installed. Consequence: formula were not readable.
(Quality) control • The aim of control is to supervise the project execution and intermediate results for assuring correspondence to the Project Plan and making corrections if necessary. • The aspects to follow : • Finding the rate of tolerance (allowable difference from the requirements). • Differentiation of random and systematic deviations. • Conducting preventing activities (depends on risks and potential losses). NB! The need for controlling people varies – clarity about this is important.
Resource management • The aim: distribute available resources between the actors in the best possible (legitimate) way. • The basic principles for distribution of resources: • Balanced and purposeful. • Adequate (remuneration corresponds to the results). • Collegial and grounded. • NB! Distribution of resources is one of the major reasons of conflicts.
Staff development • Staff development normally does not belong to the tasks of a project: competence development is a long-term process. • On the other hand: • Every project should contribute to the development of the whole institution; people are normally the most important asset of an institution. • Investment to professional growth of staff members increases their devotion. • The problem of investment: identification of training and consultancy needs. • NB! Continuing training of project managers is almost always appropriate.
Professional development – aspects • Systematic education can be considered as an investment to the future; during a project concrete knowledge and skills are needed. • From the point of view of a project, short term courses (especially, discussion of case studies) and consultations handling concrete problems are preferred. • Helpdesks and knowledge transfer portals may turn to be very useful (especially if the regulations can differently be interpreted).
Resource management – problems • Finding quantitative and qualitative indicators, their proportion and evaluation methodology. • Finding balance between funds allocated for achieving the direct needs of the project and for enhancing the quality. Example: funding of research projects in Estonia. • To what extent optimization and “optimization” (formally correct but in fact not correct) of spending finances is reasonable. Example: stipends for students. • Taking into account external factors (conflict of interests, salary levels etc). • Deciding on additional tasks that will be extra remunerated.
Discussion 5 • How to measure the quality of the project execution?
Discussion 6 • What does “Having (and using) the power” mean?
Using the power • Having the power := being capable (capability to influence the behaviour, values and beliefs of others in the desired direction). • The goal: achieve possibly high total capability and direct this for achieving the project objective. • A big problem: realization of the power. • The main tool: reasonable delegation of power (and responsibilities). • NB! Influencing team members is a team-work, not just the project manager's job.
Using the power – expectation of the team members • Expectations of project staff from the project manager: • honesty, • competency, • understanding the trends, • inspiration, • ....
Aspects/types of power • Positional power (): • Legitimate power • Supportive power • Restrictive power (). Prevention instead of punishment. • Personal power (): • By example • As expert. • More: informational, charismatic, of tradition etc.
