Project Management
- Concepts and Frameworks
LPS
WHAT ARE PROJECTS?
Projects are temporary endeavors undertaken to create a
unique product or service.
Temporary
Every project has a definite beginning and a definite end.
The beginning and end are associated with clearly stated objectives for
the project.
The objectives are always stated in terms of designed/expected
outcomes or results of the project in relation to the time, effort, and
cost required to achieve the outcomes or results.
The word “temporary” does not mean “short duration”.
Uniqueness
Projects involve doing something that has not been done before in the same
environment
The project may require some innovation to be completed
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Projects Vary in Size and Scope
NASA shuttle launch
Building a boat
Building a hospital
Building renovation and & space modification
Planning a party or wedding
Organizing the Olympic games
Developing a new software program
Getting a university degree
Company mergers
WHAT IS PROJECT MANAGEMENT?
It is the integrated set of
discussions among,
decisions made by, and
directions given by
managers while they deal with a project life cycle beginning with
the project’s conception and ending with the project’s closure.
The discussions, decisions and directions always concern
the scope, time, cost, and quality of the project under consideration.
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When is a task a Project?
A task or set of work assignments may be done by one or more persons
using a simple “to do” list
A task becomes a project when the characteristics of a project begin to
dominate and overwhelm individuals
Unable to meet deadlines, budgets and corporate expectations
Formal Definition
Project management is a method and/or set of techniques
based on the accepted principles of management
used for planning, estimating and controlling work activities
to reach a desired result on time, within budget,
and according to the project specifications.
Resources in Project Management
1. People;
2. Data, Information, Knowledge;
3. Finance;
4. Technology: Equipment, Machines, Facilities, Utilities, Tools, etc.;
5. Material Resources;
6. Organizational Systems and Processes;
7. Time.
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Project Characteristics
Constant communication across Multiple priorities
organizational boundaries Complex and numerous activities
Many people involved, across Unique, one-time set of events
several functional areas Deadlines
Sequenced events Start and end dates
Goal oriented Identifiable stakeholders
Has an end product or service Limited resources and budget
Business and Social Aspects of Project Management
Hard and soft skills
Technical aspects of project management
Interpersonal skills
Influence
Politicking
Negotiation
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Project Management
Projects and project management are about people and teamwork
– Who does what?
– Who takes what risk?
– Who else is involved or interested/affected?
Challenges
– Lack of a common understanding on the question: “What is project
management?”
– Managing stakeholders, expectations, teams, projects, uncertainty
Major Causes of Project Failure
The project is a solution in search of a problem
Only the project team is interested in the result
No one is in charge
There is no project structure
The plan lacks detail
The project has insufficient budget and/or resources
Lack of team communication
Straying from original goal
The project is not tracked against the plan
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Major Causes of Project Success
Stakeholders are identified
Stakeholders expectations are known and met
Senior Management support
There is a clearly stated purpose and a sound plan
Goal and objectives are understood and communicated
A constructive goal-oriented culture
Technically competent team
Effective (and committed) team
Excellent communication
Trust
Laws of Project Management
Projects progress quickly until they are 90% complete. Then they
remain at 90% complete forever.
When things are going well, something will go wrong. When things
just can’t get worse, they will. When things appear to be going better,
you have overlooked something.
If project content is allowed to change freely, the rate of change will
exceed the rate of progress.
Project teams detest progress reporting because it manifests their
lack of progress.
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Few Common Project Challenges
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STAGES/PHASES IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT
(The Project Life Cycle)
Processes Processes required Processes Processes required Processes
performed to to establish the performed to to track, review, performed to
define a new scope of the complete the and regulate the finalize all
project or a new project, refine the work defined in progress activities across
phase of an objectives, and the project and performance of all Process
existing project by define the course management the project; identify Groups
obtaining to start of action required plan to satisfy the any areas in which to formally close
the project or to attain the project changes to the project or
phase. objectives specifications. the plan are phase.
that the project required; and
was undertaken to initiate the
achieve. corresponding
changes.
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Project Boundaries
Projects, Programs and Portfolios
• Led by the business
• Business goal alignment Portfolio
Portfolio • Business Value
• Sponsored by the business Program
• Ownership of benefits
Program • Stakeholder Value
• Delivery of product or service
Project
• Scope, cost, schedule
Project • Quality Deliverables
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Project Lifecycle: Staffing Levels and Outputs
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Project Management: Core Processes
(or Knowledge Areas)
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4
4
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Project Integration: “Getting the job done”
Project Integration: “Getting the job done”
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Project Scope Management : “Doing the right stuff”
* WBS: Work Breakdown Structure
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Project Scope Management : “Doing the right stuff”
Defining Project Scope
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Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Note: WBS breaks down deliverables or work packages (NOT activities)
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Typology of Projects
Project Management: Key features
1. A single person, the project manager, heads the project organization and works
independently of the normal chain of command. The project organization reflects the
cross-functional, goal-oriented, temporary nature of the project.
2. The project manager is the person who brings together all efforts to meet project
objectives.
3. Because each project requires a variety of skills and resources, project work might be
performed by people from different functional areas or by outside contractors.
4. The project manager is responsible for integrating people from the different functional
areas or outside contractors.
5. The project manager negotiates directly with functional managers or contractors who
might be responsible for the individual work tasks and personnel within the project.
6. While the project manager focuses on delivering a particular product or service at a
certain time and cost, functional managers are responsible for the pool of workers and
resources in their areas. As a result, conflict may arise between project and functional
managers over the people and resources allotted to a project.
7. A project might have two chains of command—one functional and one project and
people working in a project report to both a project manager and a functional manager.
8. Decision-making, accountability, outcomes, and rewards are shared between the
project team and supporting functional units and outside contractors.
9. Although the project organization is temporary, the functional or subcontracting units
from which it is formed are permanent. When a project ends, the project organization is
disbanded and people return to their functional or subcontracting units.
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NASA program and organization chart
Spaceship Project: Allocation or traceability matrix
CI: Configuration Item
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SpaceShipTwo spaceplane (central fuselage) under its mothership, White Knight Two
System-level breakdown of functions for spaceship
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WBS for Spaceship Project
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International Space Station (NASA):
Major components (hardware and assembly)
Project Management Office (PMO):
Major functions and responsibilities
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Mapping of Artifacts Likely to Be Used
in Each Performance Domain (1/2)
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Mapping of Artifacts Likely to Be Used
in Each Performance Domain (2/2)
Assessing the Organizational and Project Factors When Tailoring
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Project Management
- Advanced Models and Tools
Project Management: Two Major Drivers
The triple constraint:
Project managers see their jobs as successful when they are able to complete the
project on time, within budget, and within performance goals (or requirements) -
named the triple constraint (or “iron triangle”). Deviations from the triple
constraint are seen as negative signals that must be prevented or corrected.
One size fits all:
Many executives and managers assume that all projects are the same, thus
suffering from the “project is a project is a project” syndrome. They expect to
succeed by simply following a standard set of activities as outlined in
conventional project management books, none of which currently includes
guidelines for distinguishing among projects and for selecting the right approach
for a project.
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Project Management: From Traditional To Adaptive
New success criteria
- involve at least five dimensions (or metrics)
Project efficiency: meeting time and budget goals
Impact on the customer: meeting requirements and achieving customer
satisfaction, benefits, and loyalty
Impact on the team: satisfaction, retention, and personal growth
Business results: return on investment, market share, and growth
Preparation for the future: new technologies, new markets, and new
capabilities
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Specific Success Measures
The Diamond Model: Four Bases
Novelty: This base represents the uncertainty of the project’s goal, the
uncertainty in the market, or both. It measures how new the project’s product
is to customers, users, or to the market in general and thus how clear and well
defined the initial product requirements are.
Novelty includes three types: derivative, platform, and breakthrough.
Technology:This base represents the project’s level of technological uncertainty.
It is determined by how much new technology is required.
Technology includes four types: low-tech, medium-tech, high-tech, and
super-high-tech.
Complexity: This base measures the complexity of the product, the task, and
the project organization.
Complexity includes three types: assembly, system, and array (or system of
systems).
Pace: This base represents the urgency of the project—namely, how much time
there is to complete the job.
Pace includes four types: regular, fast/competitive, time-critical, and blitz.
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The Diamond Model (NTCP)
TECHNOLOGY
Super-high-tech
High-tech
Medium-tech
Low-tech
Array System Assembly Derivative Platform Breakthrough
COMPLEXITY Regular NOVELTY
Fast/Competitive
Time-critical
Blitz
PACE
Impact of NTCP Dimensions on Project Management
TECHNOLOGY
Later design freeze
More design cycles
Less market data
Later requirements freeze
COMPLEXITY
NOVELTY
Complex Organization
Formality
Autonomy
PACE
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Benefits and Risks of High NTCP levels
Project Novelty: Definitions and examples
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Project Novelty and Project Success
Impact of project novelty levels on project management
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Technological Uncertainty
and Project Success
Technological Uncertainty: Project types
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Product Complexity: Examples
Product Complexity: Three Levels
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Project Complexity:
Project Characteristics
Product Pace: Four Levels
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Project Characteristics
Project Pace:
Combined Project Uncertainty and its Impact
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Risk
Assessment
Dean Kamen
New Policies
Treat project management as the next core of your competitive assets. Raise
the awareness of managers at all levels about the potential of their projects.
Treat your projects as investments, not costs. Your investment in projects is
perhaps the best investment you can make for your organization, often more
important than capital investments.
Get the best people to lead projects. Avoid the temptation (and the norm) to
put your best people in charge of operations. Remember that it is easier to
manage operations than complex, uncertain projects.
Treat process building as a project.
Implement a mechanism to identify failure before it is too late. Use short
planning and execution intervals and milestones, and not just dates.
Implement a policy that encourages project managers to overspend on the up-
front planning plus prototyping that will enable quick, small implementations
to resolve early unknowns in bigger programs.
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