 TIME

CHAPTER 1
– deadline, milestones,
allocation of work between team
members and business as usual.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
 COST – the project budget,
Learning Outcomes additional/unexpected costs, staff
 Define project management
time, comparable value.
 Breaking down the process
 Case studies: small and large-scale
 SCOPE – directly affected by time and
 Review of tools for project
cost, and vice versa.
management
 Applying project management to
TIME, COST and ROLES – clearly defined roles
your work
are required to move a project through stages:
 Project Manager
DEFINED….  Product Owner
Project Management is the
 Team Members
application of processes, methods, knowledge,
 Stakeholders
skills and experience to achieve the project
 Users
objectives.
- The Association of Project Management
3. IMPLEMENTATION
 Strategy
Project Management typically involves:  Milestones
 A short-term project
 Resource Allocation
 A specific outcome
 Adjustments
 Resources – human and capital
 Documentation
 Communication
THE PROCESS
1. Define goal/outcome
4. EVALUATION
2. Plan
 Result
 Time
 Process
 Cost
 Budget
 Scope
 Lessons Learned
3. Implement
 Documentation
4. Evaluate

1. DEFINE
 The outcome/goals(s) typically
CHAPTER 2
predetermined, and initiates and QUALITIES OF A
drives the project. PROJECT MANAGER
2. PLAN
 Planning is the most important step in Effective Manager
the process and most complicated.  Effective managers are always good
 Planning involves assessing 3 key and delegations
elements:  They can distribute tasks to their
team as well as ensuring that their
own time is well used for
management issues and important
tasks.
 Employees that feel trusted are better
placed to achieve their potential and
are given incentive to ensure that they
perform well.
  It is important to build mutual trust  Then help them succeed with all the
between line managers and team (reasonable) requests for technology
members, as this will enable or time that they need.
delegation to happen more
effectively. EMBRACING TECHNOLOGY
 A good manager always keeps an eye
SKILLS OF AN EFFECTIVE MANAGER out of technology that will promote
 Superior communication skills the productivity of the team.
 Leading with transparency and  Through some employees may be
honesty resistant to change, the bottom line is
 Supporting your employees with that technology may be able to take
clear direction and removing their care of the more tedious aspects of
road blocks for them their job responsibly, which frees up
 Embracing technology time to be more strategic in their
 An expert in the field thinking
 Promoting a cross-level and cross-
functional collaboration MOTIVATING WITH POSITIVE FEEDBACK AND
 Creating productive and lively work RECOGNITION
environment  You can never praise someone too
 Trusting your employees much! If an employee is doing a great
job, be sure to recognize it privately
SUPERIOR COMMUNICATION SKILL and I the general office space so that
 A good manager is your classic he or she feels appreciated.
communication expert. Promoting a  At the same time, if there’s an
work environment where everyone employee that needs some
feels values and heard takes excellent improvement, let them know that you
communication skills and practice. are aware of the situation and that
 Frequent and effective you’re there to help through
communication through multiple constructive criticism. Never criticize
channels (in-person, email, phone, in public.
voice over IP) strengthens your ties
with your employees to encourage EXPERT IN THE FIELD
trust and limit conflict.  Being a leader means also means
that you need to have answers to
LEADING WITH TRANSPARENCY AND HONESTY some, if not all, of the questions.
 Whenever possible, update your team  A good manager is an authority in
on anything from small the industry and understands each
successes/concerns to large role of the company
restricting possibilities so that they  Consider some training sessions for
are aware what’s going on at all your team that allow you to share
times. some new strategies and refresh on
 Even if the issue at hand does not methods to keep your team learning
pertain directly to them, it helps to from you.
assure that they are an integral part of
the company and that their support MEDIATING WITH PRODUCTIVITY AND CALMNESS
and understanding is valued.  Unfortunately, many managers report
that a large portion of their time goes
SUPPORTING YOUR EMPLOYEES WITH CLEAR toward conflict resolution and
DIRECTION AND REMOVING THEIR ROADBLOCKS mediating between employees and
FOR THEM clients.
 You are on their side and they need to
feel that all times.
  Even if it’s more personal than TRUSTING YOUR EMPLOYEES
business-related, do not ignore the  Micromanaging, unless specifically
emotions of your employees requested by your employee, is
 Doing so will create unnecessary and rarely a good thing
possibly harmful distance between  After you’ve clearly laid the tasks
you and the employee, eroding the and expectations, trust them to do the
trust in your relationship and best job they can.
compromising productivity in the  You are their leader and to acquire
workplace. their trust, you must lead by
 When approached with a situation, be example.
sure to stay calm and use the rules of
effective communication to resolve “A good manager is a man who isn’t worried
the issue-listen, question, facilitate about his own career but rather the careers of
and direct those who work for him” – H.S.M. Burns
 Allow your employee to address their
emotions and issues so you can help
them move beyond it with an
effective solution and get back to CHAPTER 3
productivity
DEVELOPING PROJECT
PROMOTING CROSS-LEVEL AND CROSS-FUNCTIONAL MANAGEMENT PLAN
 Many companies have their teams
“working in silos”, where they only
Developing Project Management Plan
immerse themselves in their process
Many professionals think of a Project
without greater understanding of
Management Plan as Gantt chart or a
what’s happening in the company as
Schedule. Professionals who carry this
a whole.
misconception into the PMP certification
 Encourage employees to spend some
exam are the least likely ones to pass the
time sharing with their other
exam. As you will see in this article, a Project
departments or implement a
Management Plan is a document that defines
mentorship program.
how a project is executed, monitored, and
 On a recreational-level, cross-team
controlled; it is much more than a schedule
lunches or retreats do wonders for
chart.
employees getting to know each
other.
A project management plan is a
formal document that defines how a project is
CREATING A PRODUCTIVE AND LIVELY WORK
going to be carried out. It outlines the scope,
ENVIRONMENT
goals, budget, timeline, and deliverables of a
 Team spirit is wonderful thing. Make
project, and it’s essential for keeping a project
sure to set aside time for your
on track.
employees to get to know each other
personally, such as small office
Creating Project Management Plan
celebrations for birthdays, etc.
 At meeting, create team challenges to
1. Collect requirements from key
get their competitive juices going-
stakeholders
nothing bonds a team like contest
 Or have an employee set up a humor
Once you’ve created a project charter and
board where employees can
identified key project stakeholders; it’s
contribute jokes or funny pictures
essential to gather requirements. You need
input to generate output. The planning process
starts with collecting requirements from
stakeholders. Once you have this information,
you will be able to define the scope of the important for any project, as it helps determine
project and determine exactly what you need if the plan is viable, set expectations, and keep
to deliver to your stakeholders. costs under control.

2. Define the scope of the project 7. Assign resources to work packages and
activities according to skills and
What is it the team needs to produce or deliver interests
and what problems are the stakeholders trying
to solve? Then, work with your stakeholders to Resources include not only labor but also
develop a comprehensive description of the materials, equipment, space, and technology.
project and the product deliverables in the After identifying which resources you’ll need,
form of a project scope statement. You must Alexis suggest identifying the skill level
have a clear understanding of the boundaries needed for each activity.
of the project.
8. Build in contingencies
3. Create a work breakdown structure
A plan without contingency is a bad plan.
Breakdown the project’s scope into smaller, Projects rarely go as planned, so you need to
more manageable deliverables groups of build in backup plans. The contingencies can
related tasks, also known as “work packages”. be determined by looking at historical data to
This will allows you to assign resources to identify risks that occurred on similar projects
different parts of the project based on the skills in the past.
needed. The work breakdown structure
facilitates planning and coordination, which 9. Create a performance measurement
are two important functions of project baseline
management.
Develop an integrated scope-schedule-cost
4. Define project activities baseline or the project work, which will serve
as a control tool for your project. Then,
Break down work packages into a list of compare the execution of the project to your
project activities. Consider this an action plan. baseline to measure and manage performance.
It can help to ask what are the activities that These baselines can be established through
must be performed to create the deliverables status reports within project management
of the project. software applications.

5. Sequence project activities 10. Develop all subsidiary plans

Almost everything happens in a sequence, but Developing a comprehensive and realistic

the trick is to do as many things in parallel as project plan requires time and effort. However,
possible-if you have the resources to do so. planning can make your life easier during the
One of the key reasons for adopting formal execution phase of the project by preventing
project management methodologies is to nasty surprises and misunderstandings.
reduce time-to-market. In dynamic and hyper-
competitive industries, the ability to reduce Most project plans need to incorporate the
cycle time is a competitive advantage. following subsidiary plans:
Scope Resource Stakeholder
6. Estimate activity duration, costs, and Management Management Engagement
resources Schedule Communication Requirement
Management Management Management
The cost, duration and resources required to Cost Risk Change
Management Management Management
complete the project activities depend on the
Quality Procurement Configuration
scope of the project. Proper estimating is
Management Management Management
 11. Document everything Project Problem

Document a project plan that outlines the The group or individual understand
scope, schedule, and cost of the project. and can prioritize the current
Typically, plans should cover cost challenges that they require to
management, quality management, resource improve.
management, communication management,
A project is a plan of work that
risk management, procurement processes, as ideally gets you to the desired
well as ongoing stakeholder engagement (i.e., outcome.
how to continually engage stakeholders
through the lifecycle of the project.) It is when there are obstacles that
make it difficult to reach the goal that
12. Build a knowledge base one has a problem

Some organizations have a learning culture The Questioning Method

where project managers are expected to
document and share their plans. This can be a  WHO?
valuable way to learn from the mistakes and  WHAT?
successes of others. In other companies where  WHERE?
this historical knowledge isn’t documented,  WHEN?
this could be more challenging, and it may be  WHY?
necessary to reach out directly to other project  HOW?
managers to gain insights.
Allows you to discern the
information needed to better understand,
CHAPTER 4 encompass, clarify, structure, frame a
situation; as this way of thinking allows you to
explore all the dimensions from different
perspectives
Develop a Mission, Vision,
Goals, and Objectives for This tool is very popular amongst
the Project journalists whilst also being used and applied
to different contexts.
Learning Objectives:
Allows you to guide all your team
 To define mission, vision, and members and to gather all the factual elements
objectives needed for a complete and objective
 To understand the importance of understanding.
developing a mission, vision, and
Mission and Vision Statement
objectives in project management
 To define and assess project risks
MISSION
message to the rest of the world about
Defining the Problem what you intend to accomplish with
your project.
Every project solves a problem of
some kind, but people are inclined to statement needs to express your
skip over the definition of the purpose without overwhelming the
problem. reader with obscure or overly detailed
information.
From the perspective of an
organization, the problem may be that
Not the place for a history of the
you are not focusing on what you
want to achieve and how you will company or the reason for the project
achieve it.
VISION o Attainable
description or declaration of what an  Ensure you have the
organization/project team wants to resources required to
obtain or accomplish upon the accomplish the objective
completion of a project. you’re setting forth.

used as a very general road map for o Realistic

projects, pinpointing where it should  This one is really important.
be heading and what the ultimate goal Don't set objectives that
and objectives are. can't be achieved within the
constraints of your
is it to motivate, engage and inspire organization. Make sure
the project team working on the your objective is practical.
project, as well as the projects
different stakeholders.  Time limited
 Having a clear end date or
Developing Project Objectives time frame defined helps
everybody involved as it lets
Project objectives are what you plan them know when they need
to achieve by the end of your project. to prioritize this objective.
This might include deliverables and
assets, or more intangible objectives Assessing Project Risks
like increasing productivity or Once you have established your
motivation. objectives, you can develop plans for how to
achieve them. Unfortunately, the best plans
It is important because they offer a sometimes don’t work. One safeguard in
measurable threshold to monitor a managing projects is to think about the risks
project's progress and then determine ahead that could sink the job. This can be done
whether the project was a success. for critical objectives and for other parts of the
plan.
According to Dysart (2023), project
objectives are the concrete, practical, Risks are anything that can
measurable tasks you need to potentially disrupt your project or your team.
complete in order to achieve your Since every project is unique, no two projects
business goals. are likely to have the same risks.

Objective must be SMART Risk Analysis vs. Risk Identification vs. Risk
Management
The key to a great project objective is
clarity; the best way to achieve it is with the RISK ANALYSIS
SMART framework, an acronym that stands Risk analysis is the process that
for: figures out how likely that a risk will arise in a
project. It studies uncertainty and how it
o Specific would impact the project in terms of schedule,
 Ensure your objective is quality and costs if in fact it was to show up.
clearly defined. Narrow the Two ways to analyze risk is quantitative and
scope of your objective until qualitative. But it’s important to know that risk
it has a very tangible and analysis is not an exact science, it’s more like
specific outcome. an art.

o Measurable RISK IDENTIFICATION

 Ensure you can quantify the Risk identification is also a process,
objective; after all, you but in this case, it lists all the potential project
won't know when the project risks and what their characteristics would be.
objective has been met if it's If this sounds like a risk register, that’s
not measurable. because your findings are collected there. This
information will then be used for your risk
analysis. Though this process starts at the
beginning of the project, it’s an iterative Qualitative Risk Analysis
process and continues throughout the project This risk analysis risk analysis
life cycle. involves identifying threats (or opportunities),
how likely they are to happen, and the
RISK MANAGEMENT potential impacts if they do.
Finally, risk management is the
overall process that project managers use to process of prioritizing risks for
minimize and manage risk. It includes risk further analysis or action
identification, risk assessment, risk response
development, and risk response control. determining each risk’s likelihood or
probability of occurring, as well as
BENEFITS OF RISK ANALYSIS rating its impact on the project
 Avoid Potential Litigation
likelihood scale used is commonly
 Address Regulatory Issues ranked from zero to one (0-1)

 Comply with New Legislation impact scale is measured from one to

five (1-5: 5 = most impact)
 Reduce Exposure
beneficial because not only do you
 Minimize Impact reduce uncertainty in the project, but
you also focus mostly on high-impact
Project managers who have some experience risks, for which you can plan out
with risk management in projects are a great appropriate mitigation responses
resource. We culled some advice from them,
such as: Quantitative Risk Analysis
This risk analysis focuses on a
There’s no lack of information on statistical technique to understanding financial
risk uncertainty or risk in a project or business
venture.
Much of that information is complex
a statistical analysis of the effect of
Most industries have best practices those identified risks on the overall
project
Many companies have framework
helps team leaders to make decisions
Risk analysis is done in extremes with reduced uncertainty, and
supports the process of controlling
RISK MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES risks

Identifying Risks counts the possible outcomes for the

project and figures out the probability
Determining Probability of still meeting project objectives

Evaluating Impact
helps with decision-making,
Planning Responses especially when there is uncertainty,
and creates cost, schedule or scope
targets that are realistic
Documenting and Tracking
DETERMINING THE IMPACT
Communicating Risks
Activity Resource Estimates
HOW TO EVALUATE PROJECT RISKS
 Theses provide information
The process of evaluating project risk that help the project team in
begins in the planning stages, but it must assessing the nature and
continue through every stage of the project. number of material, HR,
 CHAPTER 5
tools, or supplies that is
required to finish a
particular project.

Activity Duration Estimates CREATING PROJECT

RISK AND
 These are approximations of COMMUNICATION PLAN
how much time a project
task will take, which can be RISK is anything that could potentially impact
in the form of different time your project’s timeline, performance or
periods, such as hours, days, budget. Risks are potentialities, and in a
weeks or months, and project management context, if they become
usually refer to work or realities, they then become classified as
business periods.
“issues” that must be addressed.
Schedule Risk management is the process of identifying,
categorizing, prioritizing and planning for
 This serve as a timetable that risks before they become issues.
organizes tasks, resources
and due dates in an ideal On large-scale projects, risk management
sequence so that a project
strategies might include extensive detailed
can be completed on time.
planning for each risk to ensure mitigation
strategies are in place if issues arise.
Cost Estimates & Budget
For smaller projects, risk management might
 Cost Estimates refer to the mean a simple, prioritized list of high, medium
predicted quantity, cost, and and low priority risks.
price of the resources
required by the scope of a Project risk management is the process of
project. Budget is the total identifying, analyzing and responding to any
projected costs needed to risk that arises over the life cycle of a project
complete a project over a to help the project remain on track and meet
defined period of time.
its goal.
Quality THE SIX-STEP PROCESS FOR A PROJECT RISK PLAN
 It is the the totality of
It is a common and practical
characteristics of an entity
approach to establishing the project risk plan.
that bear on its ability to
satisfy stated or implied
Step 1 : Make a list
needs.
Making a list of potential risks to the
 Procurements project should not be an analysis but a formal
brainstorming session, when all ideas are
 These pertain to the act of captured. You should take a holistic approach
obtaining goods, supplies,
to establishing the list, as all types of risks will
and/or services necessary for need to be identified and dealt with
the execution of the project. accordingly.

Steps 2 and 3 : Determine the Probability of Risk

Occurrence and Negative Impact

These two steps allow you to

prioritize all identified threats to the project
and help you determine how much time,
effort, staff, and money should be devoted to
preventing or mitigating each.
 ESTABLISHING RESERVES

The most comprehensive risk plan can be

compromised if you realize that you do not
have the time or means to take appropriate
action. Establishing reserves enables you to
leverage the plan to its fullest potential.

The best-laid plans are impotent without the

time and/or budget to allow for effective
implementation.
Step 4 : Prevent or Mitigate the risk
Contingency Reserves
Some risks can be prevented; others are designated amounts of time
can only be mitigated. Earthquakes or the and/or budget to account for risks to
retirement of an important stakeholder, for the project that have been identified
instance cannot be prevented. and actively accepted

If a risk has been identified and you They are created to cover known
have the ability to prevent its occurrence, do risks to the project.
so.
Management reserves
For those risks that cannot be are designated amounts of time
prevented, an attempt should be made to and/or budget included in your plan
lessen the impact they should occur. to account for risks to the project that
cannot be predicted.
Steps 5 : Consider Contingencies
are created to cover unknown risks to
Contingencies represent the specific the project.
actions that will be taken if the risk occurs.
MANAGING MULTIPROJECT RISKS
If the risk becomes reality, what will
do? Many, if not most, project managers
find themselves leading more than
Contingencies are directly linked to one project. The multiproject
the prioritization factors introduced in Step 2 manager confronts unique issues not
and 3. normally encountered when
managing a single project. In the
Step 6 : Establish the Trigger Point multiproject world, many projects
overlap or experience direct
The trigger point is often the most dependencies with other projects,
important element of the project risk plan. It is similar to those in a typical network
a judgment call meant to maximize the value diagram.
of the predetermined contingency by
implementing it at the optimal time. Trigger Two perspectives are required here
too soon, and you will probably spend time,
effort or money for no good reason. Trigger First, you must focus on the
too late, and you may end up experiencing the individual project and the associated risks for
full impact of the occurrence with little value each.
added by implementing the contingency.
Then, you must assess your entire
Point at which the risk becomes portfolio and determine the nature of the
enough of a reality that the project manager relationship of these projects.
needs to trigger the contingency.
Your portfolio is the sum of all
The trigger point is a best practice for projects under your purview and
project managers that will improve the these projects must all be properly
efficacy of the entire plan. integrated and working toward the
completion of a single deliverable.
 In the portfolio environment, you portfolio or program management world, this
must identify where the projects can prove to be a very effective approach.
coincide or overlap with regard to
any project work.

Many projects will have direct

predecessor– successor
relationships (one must be
completed before the next can begin)
in the program world.
COORDINATION POINTS

In either case, the areas where the projects

touch are called coordination points. You need RISK REGISTER
to identify these points, after which a standard
multiproject risk plan can be created. It is The risk register is a useful tool in managing
important to emphasize that the Six-Step focus actions taken regarding accepted risks to the
here must be on the coordination points project, as shown below.
exclusively.
The risk register, the last ingredient of the
In reality, you focus on creating a risk plan for project risk plan, is a living, breathing
each project individually to manage dynamic tool that can help you to track risk
intraproject risks and then turn your attention status as your project matures through the life
to the coordination points and perform the cycle.
same process to manage interproject risks.
The portfolio or program risk plan is meant to The risk register also helps you identify
supplement and enhance the individual risk ownership of contingency implementation,
plan in the multiproject environment. outcomes of actions taken, and active and
inactive risks.
RISK MATRIX

A useful tool when managing many risks

across projects is the standard risk matrix. The
risk matrix will help you plot your risks in
quadrants according to probability and
negative impact.

THE COMMUNICATION PLAN

Communication management is vital for

project success, constituting 90% of a project
manager's role.

The process includes analyzing stakeholders'

Once the threats have been plotted onto the communication requirements to avoid
risk matrix, an H-M-L prioritization can be information overload. Various methods like
applied where the highest-priority risks are reports, emails, meetings, and online tools are
positioned toward the upper right corner and employed, considering factors like timing and
lower priority ones toward the lower left. You technology.
can then color code individual risks as they
apply to each project. In the fog of the
A robust communication plan documents TYPES OF COMMUNICATION
what information is needed, when to distribute
it, and how. Stakeholder needs guide project Completing a complex project
planning, ensuring effective and timely successfully requires good communication
information delivery. among team members. If those team members
work in the same building, they can arrange
The communications planning process regular meetings, simply stop by each other’s
concerns defining the types of information you office space to get a quick answer, or even
will deliver, who will receive it, the format discuss a project informally at other office
for communicating it, and the timing of its functions.
release and distribution.
Many projects are performed by
THE FIRST STEP... teams that interact primarily through
electronic communication and are, therefore,
Communications Requirements Analysis called virtual teams. To avoid
Figuring out what kind of miscommunication that can harm trust and to
communication your stakeholders need from include team members in a project culture.
the project so they can make good decisions.
The project team needs a plan for
Communications technology has a major communicating reliably and in a timely
impact on how you keep people in the loop. manner.
Methods of communicating can take many
forms, such as written reports, conversations, This planning begins with
email, formal status reports, meetings, online understanding two major categories of
databases, online schedules, and project communication.
websites.
SYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATIONS
Factors
Synchronous communication involves real-time,
 The timing of the information simultaneous interactions among individuals
exchange or need for updates is the or groups. This direct form of communication
first factor. allows instant exchange of information and
enables immediate responses.
 Staff experience with the technology
is another factor. One key characteristic is the immediacy of
engagement, where participants are actively
 Finally, consider the duration of the involved at the same time, fostering quick
project and the project environment. decision-making and instant clarification of
queries. This real-time nature is especially
All projects require a sound communication beneficial for discussions, collaborative tasks,
plan, but not all projects will have the same and situations that require prompt feedback.
types of communication or the same methods While synchronous communication enhances
for distributing the information. The responsiveness and reduces delays, it may
communication plan documents the types of pose challenges related to scheduling, as
information needs the stakeholders have, when participants need to coordinate their
the information should be distributed, and how availability. Additionally, it relies on the
the information will be delivered. availability of suitable technology and a
reliable network for effective implementation.
The types of information you will Synchronous communication facilitates live,
communicate typically include project status, immediate interactions, making it well-suited
project scope statements and updates, project for dynamic discussions and collaborative
baseline information, risks, action items, activities but requiring careful coordination of
performance measures, project acceptance, participants' schedules.
and so on. It's important that the information
needs of the stakeholders be determined as EXAMPLE OF SYNCHRONOUSCOMMUNICATIONS
early in the planning phase of the project
management life cycle as possible. Live meeting
 Gathering of team members at the
same location
 authorized representative of each party to the
agreement.
Conference call
 A telephone call in which several If several signatures are required, this
people participate can take weeks to get all the signatures if the
contracts are transferred by a postal service. If
Audio conference the process is holding up the start of the
 Like a conference call, but conducted subject, you can use an overnight delivery
online using software like Skype service to minimize the time spent spent
transferring the documents.
Computer-assisted conference
 Audio conference with a connection FAX
between computers that can display a
document or spreadsheet that can be Fax machines have been around for a long
edited by both parties time and are still trusted for their ability to
transmit documents accurately. In many
Video conference countries, a fax of a signed contract is legal,
 Similar to an audio conference but but a computer-scanned image is not.
with live video of the participants.
Some laptop computers have built-in EMAIL
cameras to facilitate video
conferencing. Electronic Mail (email) is widely used to
coordinate projects and to communicate
IM (instant messaging) between team members. It has several
 Exchange of text or voice messages valuable characteristics for project
using pop-up windows on the management:
participants’ computer screens
 Information can be sent to a list of
Texting team members.
 Exchange of text messages between  Messages can be saved to document
mobile phones, pagers, or personal the process in case of a
digital assistants (PDAs)—devices misunderstanding or
that hold a calendar, a contact list, a miscommunication.
task list, and other support programs  Files can be attached and distributed.

Modern communication technologies make it PROJECT BLOG

possible to assemble project teams from
anywhere in the world. Most people work A blog is an online journal that can
during daylight hours, which can make be private, shared by invitation, or made
synchronous meetings difficult if the available to the world. many decisions in
participants are in different time zones. project management are made with incomplete
However, it can be an advantage in some knowledge, and reflecting on previous
circumstances; for example, if something must decisions to develop this decision-making skill
be done by the start of business tomorrow, is important to growth as a project manager.
team members in Asia can work on the
problem during their normal work hours while REALLY SIMPLE SYNDICATION (RSS)
team members in North America get some
sleep. Some projects are directly affected by
external factors such as political elections
ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATION economic trends, corporate mergers,
technological or scientific breakthroughs, or
Many types of communication do not weather. To keep informed about thes factors,
require that the parties be present at the same you can subscribe to online news sources.
time. This type of communication is
asynchronous communication. A technology that facilitates the
process of subscribing to online news sources.
MAIL AND PACKAGE DELIVERY
Web pages with RSS news feeds
Many companies prefer the final have labeled links.
contracts are personally signed by an
 CHAPTER 6
ASSESSING NEW COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

New technologies for communicating

electronically appear with increasing USING A WBS
frequency. Using a new technology that is
unfamiliar to the team increases the Learning Objectives:
technology complexity, which can cause  To define work-breakdown structure
delays and increase costs. To decide if a new
 To identify the guidelines for
technology should be included in a
developing the WPS
communications plan, seek answers to the
 To identify the uses of WBS
following questions:
 To identify various suggestions for
 Does the new communication effective estimating
technology provide a competitive  To define project procurement
advantage for the project by reducing management
cost, saving time, or preventing
mistakes? WORK-BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE

 Does the project team have the A work-breakdown structure

expertise to learn the new technology (WBS) in project management and
systems engineering, is a deliverable-
quickly?
oriented breakdown of a project into
smaller components.
 Does the company offer support such
as a help desk and equipment service
A work-breakdown structure is a
for new communication technology?
key project deliverable that organizes
the team’s work into manageable
 What is the cost of training and
sections.
implementation in terms of time as
well as money
Work-breakdown structure
element may be a product, data,
COMMUNICATION PLAN service, or any combination thereof.
A communication plan template is a document A WBS also provides the necessary
that outlines the strategies and objectives for framework for detailed cost
internal and external communication within an estimating and control along with
organization. providing guidance for schedule
development and control.
1. Identify your stakeholders (to whom)
HOW TO MAKE A WORK-BREAKDOWN STRUCTURE
2. Identify stakeholder expectations
(why) A good Work-Breakdown
Structure is created using an iterative process
3. Identify communication necessary to
by following these steps and meeting these
satisfy stakeholder expectations and
guidelines:
keep them informed (what)
1. GATHER CRITICAL DOCUMENTS
4. Identify time-frame and/or frequency
of communication messages (when)
 Gather critical project
documents.
5. Identify how the message will be
communicated(the stakeholder’s
 Identify content containing
preferred method) (how)
project deliverables, such as
the Project Charter, Scope
6. Identify who will communicate each
Statement and Project
message (who)
Management Plan (PMP)
subsidiary plans.
7. Document items templates, formats,
or documents the project must use for
communicating.
2. IDENTIFY KEY TEAM MEMBERS enough to ensure that 100%
of the project scope is
 Identify the appropriate covered. The descriptions
project team members. should include information
such as, boundaries,
 Analyze the documents and milestones, risks, owner,
identify the deliverables. costs, etc.

3. DEFINE LEVEL 1 ELEMENTS 6. CREATE GANTT CHART SCHEDULE

 Define the Level 1  Decompose the Work

Elements. Level 1 Elements Packages to activities as
are summary deliverable appropriate.
descriptions that must
capture 100% of the project  Export or enter the Work
scope. Breakdown Structure into a
Gantt chart for further
 Verify 100% of scope is scheduling and project
captured. This requirement tracking.
is commonly referred to as
the 100% Rule. USES OF THE WBS

4. DECOMPOSE (BREAKDOWN) ELEMENTS To show the scope of the job

 Begin the process of To assign responsibilities

breaking the Level 1
deliverables into unique Estimating Time, Costs, and Resources
lower Level deliverables.
This “breaking down” How long it will take?
technique is called
Decomposition. An estimate can be made only by
starting with the assumption that a
 Continue breaking down the certain resource will be assigned.
work until the work covered
in each Element is managed Parkinson’s Law state that work
by a single individual or expands to fill the time allowed.
organization. Ensure that all
Elements are mutually Suggestions for Effective Estimating
exclusive.
Historical Data
 Ask the question, would any
additional decomposition Level of Detail
make the project more
manageable? If the answer is Ownership of Estimate
“no”, the WBS is done.
Human Productivity
5. CREATE WBS DICTIONARY
Time/Cost/Resource Tradeoff
 Define the content of the
WBS Dictionary. The WBS HISTORICAL DATA
Dictionary is a narrative
description of the work  Considered the best source for project
covered in each Element in estimates
the WBS. The lowest Level
Elements in the WBS are  Sample questions:
called Work Packages.
1. How long did this task take to
 Create the WBS Dictionary complete last time?
descriptions at the Work
Package Level with detail
 2. How much did this assembly Worst-case assumptions = high
cost? estimates

 Learn from the past. Best-case assumptions = likely set

your project up for failure

LEVEL OF DETAIL THREE-POINT ESTIMATES TECHNIQUE

The smaller the unit of the work, the Used to identify the level of
more accurate your estimate is likely uncertainty in an estimate using three
to be. sets of assumptions

OWNERSHIP OF THE ESTIMATE Three sets of Assumptions

If the individual supplying the Optimistic

estimate owns it, it is likely to be
more accurate. Pessimistic

HUMAN PRODUCTVITY Most likely

THREE-POINT ESTIMATES TECHNIQUE

TIME/COST/RESOURCE TRADEOFF

Used to identify the level of

uncertainty in an estimate using three
sets of assumptions.

Program Evaluation and Review Technique

Is a variation of three-point
estimating that contains a weighing
factor

was developed in 1957

The figure demonstrates what PROGRAM EVALUATION AND REVIEW TECHNIQUE

typically results when an individual is working (PERT)
on multiple tasks.

INEFFICIENCIES when there are more than one

individual doing a task
o additional communications
requirements
o possible conflicts
o logical break points
REMEMBER
DISTRIBUTION OF ESTIMATES
Estimates are predictions
Distribution adds knowledge &
common sense to the estimating They are projections into the future
process. that are inherently uncertain
 Use your subject matter experts

Adjust

Project Procurement Management

Acquiring goods and services for a

project from outside the performing
organization
When procuring goods and services
4 PRIMARY PROCESSES from suppliers and vendors, project managers
must ask three questions:
Plan Procurement Management:
o What must be procured?
outlines how procurement processes o When is it needed?
will be managed throughout the o How will it be acquired?
project. It includes defining the
procurement requirements,
General request guidelines include the
identifying potential suppliers,
following:
determining the procurement
methods, establishing evaluation
Request for Information (RFI)
criteria, and outlining the contract
Request for Quote (RFQ)
administration procedures.
Request for Proposal (RFP)
Purchase Order (PO)
Conduct Procurement: Firm Fixed Price
Cost Plus Reimbursement
involves obtaining seller responses,
Time and Material
selecting a seller, and awarding a
contract. It includes preparing
ASSESSMENT
procurement documents, issuing
WHAT IS CONSIDERED AS THE BEST SOURE OF ESTIMATE?
requests for proposals (RFPs) or
requests for quotations (RFQs), - Historical Data
evaluating seller proposals,
negotiating contract terms, and
making the final selection.

Control Procurement:

focuses on managing procurements

relationships and monitoring contract
IT IS A DELIVERABLE BREAKDOWN OF A PROJECT INTO
performance. It involves ensuring
SMALLER COMPONENTS
that sellers meet their contractual
- Work Breakdown Structure
obligations, resolving disputes,
managing changes to the contract,
What are the uses of the WBS?
and maintaining communication with
suppliers to address any issues that 1. To show the scope of the job
arise. 2. To assign responsibilities

Close Procurement: What are the four primary processes of project

procurement?
involves completing all procurements 1. Plan Procurement
activities and finalizing the contracts. 2. Conduct Procurement
It includes verifying that all 3. Control Procurement
deliverables have been received, 4. Close Procurement
ensuring that all payments have been
made, obtaining formal acceptance of RFI, RFQ, RFP stands for?
the work from the seller, and closing 1. Request for Information
out the contracts. 2. Request for Quotations
3. Request for Proposal