Project Planning (& Management)

1. Project Planning(& Management) Communications System Design 2007 January 15, 2007 (Main source: Johan Packendorff)

2. Project Management • Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to a broad range of activities in order to meet the requirements of the particular project. A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to achieve a particular aim. Project management knowledge and practices are best described in terms of their component processes.

3. Component Processes • These processes can be placed into five Process Groups: • Initiating • Planning* (early in course) • Executing (bulk of the course) • Controlling • Closing

4. Knowledge Areas • Project Integration Management • Project Scope Management • Project Time Management • Project Cost Management • Project Quality Management, • Project Human Resource Management • Project Communications Management • Project Risk Management • Project Procurement ManagementSource: http://www.pmi.org/projectmanagement/project.htmtop

5. Definition - Project • An unique, non-repetitive task • With a predetermined date of delivery • Specified from a number of goals • Consisting of a number of interrelated and/or complex activities

6. Why are projects initiated? • Market opportunity • Customer request • Technological advance • Legal requirement

7. Scope formulation process • Given the background of the project (establishing a common history, including the reasons for the project) • What is to be done and/or achieved in the project (major deliverables) • What is not to be done and/or achieved in the project (preventing misguided action) • Summarized in the goal(s)

8. Project goal formulation • Statement on what the project will deliver and what external need(s) it will address • What is the unique contribution of the project

9. Project goal statements • The project goal- What will be delivered in the end of the project- A compromise between cost, time and quality • The effect goal- What long-term effects the project is supposed to have on its environment • Secondary goals- Other deliverables and effects that principals, stakeholders or project team members see as desirable outcomes of the project process • Then: Come up with a catchy yet precise name of the project! • This has partially already been done for you.

10. Goals II • They must be measurable!!

11. The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Breaking down the project goal into concrete parts and activities that can be planned and assigned to different persons on the project. 1 The deliverable items, i.e. a breakdown of the system/product/service that the project results in. 2 The functional tasks needed to create and deliver these items. 3 Other functional tasks necessary to manage and control the project.

12. From WBS to time schedule • This is an important step • The WBS is a list of activities • For each activity, specify- what is to be done- who will do it- what other people that are related to the activity- how long time it will take- how the activity is logically related to other activities

13. The time schedule • Put the activities in its proper chronological order • Start with the deadline and calculate backwards • Identify some milestones – i.e. major decision points during the project when the principals are to review the whole project and make decisions on its further progress • Recommended tool: Gantt chart

14. Gantt chart

15. Gantt chart with milestone

16. Risk management • Risks = probable events that will to some extent (given that they happen) imply that project implementation must be changed as compared to initial plans • Risks can be handled through- avoiding the event- decreasing the probability of the event- sharing the risk with others- just accepting that the event might happen, living with it • A risk priority list is needed => The Minirisk method!

17. Minirisk • Identify risk events(events with a probability between 1% and 99%) • Assess degree of probability (P) that the risk event happens (1-5) • Assess degree of effect (E) upon the project when it happens (1-5) • Calculate a risk index for each event (probability x effect, i.e. between 1-25)

18. Minirisk: Risk matrix

19. Organizing the project • The project manager – the team leader that leads the daily work and assumes responsibility for the project. Keeps the principal involved and the stakeholders informed. The spider in the web! (Mandatory biweekly meetings with teaching team – Starting January 25 at 11:00.) • Team members – committed experts that are assigned different tasks • The principal – the owner or the client of the project (the boss of the project manager) • Stakeholders – other people or organizations that have interests in the project

20. The responsibility matrix

21. Committing the team Team development • Forming • Storming • Norming • Performing • Adjourning How can each team member fulfill his/her personal goals through the project? One way is to: Ask everybody for a written commitment and personal goals statement!

22. Stakeholders - Project owners/clients/customers - Other actor categories in the own organization- Target group(s)- Authorities, political assemblies- Interest organizations, - Others- Teaching team, coaches, etc. - Emergent stakeholders?

23. Stakeholder analysis • Gather information about the stakeholders- Interviews- Experiences from previous projects • Analyze the intentions of the stakeholders- What interest do they have? What do the say they want? - What do they want but not telling you?- Active/passive?- What do they not want? • How can we make stakeholders as satisfied as possible with the project process and outcomes?

24. The project plan • Title page • Project background and context • The project principal • Project goal statements • Work Breakdown Structure • Time schedule/Gantt chart • Responsibility matrix • Risk map • Description of project team members • Stakeholder analysis

25. Project Plan Outline • Should contain a brief statement for each of the 10 plan sections highlighted in the previous slide