Project Management and Documentation

1. Project Management and Documentation - Rebecca Lyles, PMP

2. My experience • Technical Writer since 1982 • Technical Editor since 1985 • Technical Manager since 1991 • PMP since 2003

3. Shameless Plug www.textcpr.com

4. Industries and fields • Telecommunications (landline and cellular) • Technology development process • Software development • Manufacturing • Publishing • Information systems • Enterprise content management • Sales, marketing, training

5. PMP certification – what is it? • Project Management Institute • Website: pmi.org • PMBOK® • Process-based • Inputs • Tools and techniques • Outputs • Five process groups • Nine knowledge areas

6. PMBOK® • Ultimate guide and standard • Source and reference • Inputs (documents, plans, designs) • Tools and Techniques (mechanisms applied to inputs) • Outputs (documents, products) • Updated often – check editions

7. Project Management Institute Five process groups • Initiating • Planning • Executing • Monitoring and Controlling • Closing

8. Project Management Institute Nine knowledge areas • Integration • Scope • Time • Cost • Quality • Human Resource • Communications • Risk • Procurement

9. PMP eligibility requirements • Four-year degree (bachelor’s or global equivalent) • Three years project management experience • 4,500 hours leading and directing projects • 35 hours of project management education - or – • Secondary diploma (high school or global equivalent) • Five years of project management experience • 7,500 hours leading and directing projects • 35 hours of project management education

10. PMI Certifications • Project Management Professional (PMP)® • Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)® • Program Management Professional (PgMP)® • PMI Scheduling Professional (PMI-SP)® • PMI Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)®

11. PMP exam preparation • Challenging exam • Psychometric • Monitored • Four hours • Books (PMBOK® and supplements) • Week-long boot camps • Entire industry around prep books, CDs • College courses, lectures • Private seminars, study groups • Do-it-yourself

12. DIY Tips • PMBOK® - latest edition • Rita Mulcahy • Prep book, CDs • Buy used, but check edition • Make a plan • Stick to your schedule • Record your own audio • Carry note cards • Use spare time

13. Scope of knowledge for certification? • PMBOK covers everything • Much is irrelevant to documentation • Costs (usually not your responsibility) • Quality (may be relative, “luxury”) • Risk – someone else’s problem • Formulas for finite measurements • Procurement practices

14. Network diagrams - PERT • Program Evaluation and Review Technique

15. Network diagrams - Gantt • Used in MS Project

16. Project management formulas ∞

17. Is PMP certification worthwhile? Pro: • Discipline, knowledge, structure • Sense of accomplishment • Opens doors • Provides credibility Con: • Significant effort • Can be expensive • Learn many things you’ll never use

18. How does PM apply to documentation? • Ensure thorough requirements definition • Engage stakeholders appropriately • Keep scope contained • Identify items in critical path • Assign resources • Define responsibilities • Track deadlines • Communicate as necessary

19. Project, process, procedure • Project – “a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.” • PMBOK® Guide, 2004 • Process – a series of ongoing, repeatable, functional actions that can be applied to different situations and needs. • Procedure – a series of steps or actions always performed the same way, in the same situation, for the desired result.

20. Project, process, procedure • A documentation • project • can be part of an overall development process • in which the (naming, backup, fire safety?) • procedures • are defined by the company.

21. Taking the best from PM • Get buy-in from stakeholders • Sequence tasks, progress, critical path • Check often to maintain requirements and scope • Triple constraint • Define roles and responsibilities

22. Simplified project plan Goal Start date Completion date Scope Stakeholders Project team Responsibilities and workflow Risks Milestones, deliverables

23. Project goal • Who is the audience and what is the purpose? • What is the desired outcome? • Why are we doing this? • What are the deliverables? • How will we evaluate our success? • How will the company evaluate our success?

24. Project start date • What is the official kickoff date? • Are we waiting for something? • Is there anything we can do now? • Do the stakeholders know the start date?

25. Project target completion date • When does the requester need it? • Is that realistic? • If not, what can we do to meet it? • What are our options? • Documentation usually doesn’t have the luxury of deciding completion date

26. Project scope • What will we do? • What will we not do? • Do the stakeholders understand that? • “Beyond the scope of this project.”

27. Project stakeholders • Outside the project team, who has a special interest in this project?

28. Project team • Who will perform the tasks required for this project?

29. Project milestones and deliverables • What are the important events, results, and products, and when do they need to be completed?

30. Responsibilities and workflow

31. Risks • What unplanned events could affect the outcome of the project? • What will we do if these happen?

32. Conclusion • Research the options at pmi.org • Talk to people who have certification • Assess your career choices • Choose a learning method • Apply what works for you • Certified or not, use the principles – They’re good!

33. Resources • Project Management Institute • SD Chapter, PMI • Text CPR • LinkedIn • Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide®) • Amazon – Rita Mulcahy prep book, CDs

34. Questions ? ? ? ? ?