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Chapter 1 Overview of Project Management:

A project is a unique, transient endeavour, undertaken to achieve planned objectives, which

could be defined in terms of outputs, outcomes or benefits. A project is usually deemed to
be a success if it achieves the objectives according to their acceptance criteria, within an
agreed timescale and budget. Time, cost and quality are the building blocks of every
project.

Time: scheduling is a collection of techniques used to develop and present schedules that
show when work will be performed.

Cost: how are necessary funds acquired and finances managed?

Quality: how will fitness for purpose of the deliverables and management processes be
assured?

Project management is the application of processes, methods, skills, knowledge and

experience to achieve specific project objectives according to the project acceptance
criteria within agreed parameters. Project management has final deliverables that are
constrained to a finite timescale and budget.

What Is Project Management?

Project management involves the planning and organization of a company's resources to

move a specific task, event, or duty towards completion. It can involve a one-time project
or an ongoing activity, and resources managed include personnel, finances, technology,
and intellectual property.

Project management is often associated with fields in engineering and construction and,
more lately, healthcare and information technology (IT), which typically have a complex

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set of components that have to be completed and assembled in a set fashion to create a
functioning product.

No matter what the industry is, the project manager tends to have roughly the same job:
to help define the goals and objectives of the project and determine when the various
project components are to be completed and by whom. They also create quality
control checks to ensure completed components meet a certain standard.

Key Attributes of a Project are:

1. Projects have a start and finish point.

2. Projects have a set budget, which is capitalised.
3. The first prototypes of a mass produced product would be considered a project
4. A project seeks to make instant changes/benefits
5. A project has a number of steps that make up the project life cycle

Once you have your list you can then go on to describe each element in more detail in a
separate paragraph. Here the examiner wants you to demonstrate basic understanding
and also further understanding of the topic. Each of these represents half the total marks
available so you need to demonstrate both basic and further understanding to pass the exam.

You can demonstrate basic knowledge simply by stating facts about a project but to
demonstrate further understanding you need to:

 state why certain attributes are important

 provide examples

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So you can see how the original poster’s answers below lacked a demonstration of further
knowledge and would be unlikely to achieve a high mark in the exam:

1. Projects have a start and finish point; A project could be used to produce a standard
operating procedure for manufacturing a new product. Once the SOP is approved
and is being used to produce said product: The project ends and business as usual
proceeds.
2. Projects have a set budget, that is capitalised. Whereas business as usual would be
funded by op’s budget.
3. The first prototypes of a mass produced product would be considered a project; as
they would form part of the development and launch phase a project. Once in
production, the manufacture of said product then becomes business as usual.
4. A project seeks to make instant changes/benefits; whereas business as usual looks
to steady incremental changes over a longer period.
5. A project as a number of steps that make up the project life cycle; whereas business
as usual, products go through ‘product life cycle’: build, use, end of life – disposal.

Benefits or Importance of Project Management

Here are some of the top benefits that a well-defined project management strategy brings
to an organization.

1. Better Planning

Project management allows the team to see the big picture. When requirements are
captured, budgets are planned, timelines are mapped out and there are realistic,
achievable targets, the project can get off on the right foot and stay on track.

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2. Collaboration and communication

Project management smoothens channels of communication, directing the team to get

together at regular intervals to discuss progress, iron out obstacles and brainstorm on the
way forward. The whole team collaborates and works together as a cohesive unit to
achieve end goals, and this improves team morale and enhances productivity.

3. Optimized resource allocation

Without proper project management, resource allocation would go haywire. When

project management techniques are implemented, people of different skill levels and
with expertise in diverse domains are optimally used, so that their talents are brought to
the fore and they can make meaningful contributions to the project. This is made possible
through smart planning and resource allocation.

4. Reduced costs and timely deliveries

When processes are in place and resources are optimized, budgets and timelines can stay
on track and within limits. There will be no delays, and the project goals can be rolled
out in a timely manner.

5. Enhanced quality

Project managers are always under pressure to perform better than their best. Budgets
are inevitably tight and timelines are short, but with the right project planning quality
control can be achieved. Methodologies like Scrum and Kanban facilitate planning and
ensure that the quality standards are met.

6. Higher customer satisfaction

With the cutthroat competition in the market today, retaining a loyal customer base is of
greater importance than ever before. Thoughtful project planning and implementation

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increases the chances of being able to meet and exceed the end-user’s
requirements. Greater customer satisfaction will lead to increased word-of-mouth
referrals, and consequently more projects will come your way.

7. Increased productivity

Proper planning of time, budget and resources, and having efficient systems and
processes in place, leads to the team being able to roll out products faster and with
enhanced quality. This increases team productivity and boosts the organization’s
bottom-line.

8. Increased flexibility

Today’s projects must be able to adapt to changing requirements, and without the right
project management this will become impossible. With flexibility at the core, project
managers can navigate their way around volatile market needs and course correct as
needed to meet customer expectations.

9. Happy employees

As the team works with heightened efficiency, greater communication and more
collaboration, team morale is bound to increase. With the rollout of a successful project,
the team will gain confidence and stay engaged, looking to perform even better the next
time round. Project managers can inspire and motivate teams by incentivizing top
performers and this will further increase employee engagement.

10. Continuous learning

Introspections at the end of each project cycle allow for continuous improvement, where
the team can look back on the completed work and try to list out what went wrong and
what could have been improved. Agile frameworks factor in regular reviews and

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retrospectives where the main agenda is to find out how the team can collectively better
themselves.

Process of Project Management:

Project management is one of the critical processes of any project. This is due to the fact that
project management is the core process that connects all other project activities and processes
together.
When it comes to the activities of project management, there are plenty. However, these plenty of
project management activities can be categorized into five main processes.
Let's have a look at the five main project management processes in detail.

1 - Project Initiation

Project initiation is the starting point of any project. In this process, all the activities related to
winning a project takes place. Usually, the main activity of this phase is the pre-sale.
During the pre-sale period, the service provider proves the eligibility and ability of completing the
project to the client and eventually wins the business. Then, it is the detailed requirements
gathering which comes next.
During the requirements gathering activity, all the client requirements are gathered and analysed
for implementation. In this activity, negotiations may take place to change certain requirements or
remove certain requirements altogether.
Usually, project initiation process ends with requirements sign-off.

2 - Project Planning

Project planning is one of the main project management processes. If the project management team
gets this step wrong, there could be heavy negative consequences during the next phases of the
project.
Therefore, the project management team will have to pay detailed attention to this process of the
project.
In this process, the project plan is derived in order to address the project requirements such as,
requirements scope, budget and timelines. Once the project plan is derived, then the project
schedule is developed.
Depending on the budget and the schedule, the resources are then allocated to the project. This
phase is the most important phase when it comes to project cost and effort.

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3 - Project Execution

After all paperwork is done, in this phase, the project management executes the project in order to
achieve project objectives.
When it comes to execution, each member of the team carries out their own assignments within
the given deadline for each activity. The detailed project schedule will be used for tracking the
project progress.
During the project execution, there are many reporting activities to be done. The senior
management of the company will require daily or weekly status updates on the project progress.
In addition to that, the client may also want to track the progress of the project. During the project
execution, it is a must to track the effort and cost of the project in order to determine whether the
project is progressing in the right direction or not.
In addition to reporting, there are multiple deliveries to be made during the project execution.
Usually, project deliveries are not onetime deliveries made at the end of the project. Instead, the
deliveries are scattered through out the project execution period and delivered upon agreed
timelines.

4 - Control and Validation

During the project life cycle, the project activities should be thoroughly controlled and validated.
The controlling can be mainly done by adhering to the initial protocols such as project plan, quality
assurance test plan and communication plan for the project.
Sometimes, there can be instances that are not covered by such protocols. In such cases, the project
manager should use adequate and necessary measurements in order to control such situations.
Validation is a supporting activity that runs from first day to the last day of a project. Each and
every activity and delivery should have its own validation criteria in order to verify the successful
outcome or the successful completion.
When it comes to project deliveries and requirements, a separate team called 'quality assurance
team' will assist the project team for validation and verification functions.

5 - Closeout and Evaluation

Once all the project requirements are achieved, it is time to hand over the implemented system and
closeout the project. If the project deliveries are in par with the acceptance criteria defined by the
client, the project will be duly accepted and paid by the customer.

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Once the project closeout takes place, it is time to evaluate the entire project. In this evaluation,
the mistakes made by the project team will be identified and will take necessary steps to avoid
them in the future projects.
During the project evaluation process, the service provider may notice that they haven't gained the
expected margins for the project and may have exceeded the timelines planned at the beginning.
In such cases, the project is not a 100% success to the service provider. Therefore, such instances
should be studied carefully and should take necessary actions to avoid in the future.

Conclusion

Project management is a responsible process. The project management process connects all other
project activities together and creates the harmony in the project.
Therefore, the project management team should have a detailed understanding on all the project
management processes and the tools that they can make use for each project management process.

The Project Lifecycle typically involves these four stages:

1. Project Initiation – this is the start of the project. It may involve many sub-activities
including: a feasibility study, identifying the scope, identifying deliverables,
identifying project stakeholders, developing a business case, creating a statement of work,
and possibly initial costs, price, and timeline for work to be done.
2. Project Planning – Once the project is approved from the initiation phase, it moves
into planning. This phase involves creating a project plan, including the tasks, schedule,
resources, and constraints on the project. The budget for the project is also created in this
phase. In addition, risk should be anticipated and identified at this stage, as well as
mitigation plans.
3. Project Execution – This phase is where the work gets done. Task owners begin work and
the project manager oversees that tasks are done in a timely manner and workflow
continues smoothly. Monitoring and Controlling (managing the work and financials) are a
big part of this phase, as issues will always arise and require quick adjustments as the
project progresses.
4. Project Closure – Once the team has completed all the tasks, and the project owner signs
off that all deliverables are complete, the project is closed. Any documentation is handed
over to the project owner and if required to an ongoing maintenance organization. The
project is then analyzed for performance to determine whether the project’s goals were met
(tasks completed, on time and on budget).

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Main Causes of Project Failure.

Top 10 Major Causes of Project Failure

Preventing project failure demands advanced planning and stopping common project
pitfalls in their tracks. Review the ten most agreed-upon causes of project failures are brace
up for difficult situations:

1. Lack of Planning

Benjamin Franklin rightly said that when you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Poor planning
is the root cause of project failures. A project's success relies heavily on defining in detail
the scope, each member's role, and the time frame. Lack of concrete planning exposes a
project to unprecedented risks and issues. Wastage of quality time is bound to occur when
you try to figure out ways of solving challenges after you kickstart the project.

Solution: With every detail laid down, keeping a realistic approach, the chances of meeting
a failure are considerably reduced.

2. Kitchen Sink Syndrome

When project deliverables change as the work progresses and exceed the project scope,
you end up with more tasks and responsibilities than you bargained for. Such a situation is
termed scope creep or requirement creep, or kitchen sink syndrome. While requirement
creep can be as blatant as an unexpected list of requests, it usually doesn't happen all at
once; it slowly creeps in.

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For instance, you planned five advertisements for your new product launch.
The stakeholder then requests you to add two additional online blogs to support a different
product. This new addition stretches your present resources and can delay the initial
assignment. Changes in the scope of the project are a major cause of missed deadlines and,
thus, project failures.

Solution: It is crucial to define, circulate, and obtain mutual agreement on the scope of your
project before you begin.

3. Inconsistently Defined Resources

Planning should not be limited to timetables, meetings, and responsibilities. Rather human,
financial, intellectual, and structural resources are crucial too. When these factors aren't
consistently determined, deadlines are missed, jeopardizing a project's conclusion.

Often enterprises embark on a project without having the resources needed to get the job
done, such as budget, tools, staff, time, or space.

Solution: Making a resource management plan in advance is a promising approach to

avoiding project failures.

4. Unrealistic Deadlines

Project failures are bound to occur when you plan complex tasks for short due dates. It is
vital to carefully look through all the aspects of a project and consider how long every
phase would take. Additionally, keeping room for unexpected events is a realistic approach
that helps develop a quality project.

Solution: Considering every aspect before determining the deadline is a must. It is better
to consult your team and the team leader before making a commitment.
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5. Lack of Transparency

Complete project visibility for every person related to its completion is a must to avoid
failures. You must maintain transparency not just with the project manager but with other
team members too.

Solution: Clear guidelines, effective communication, timely meetings, good document

management, and honesty in commitments help maintain the much-needed
transparency. Project management software has stood the test of time for transparency
maintenance.

6. Lack of Communication

PMI's report revealed that companies risk approximately $135M for every $1 billion spent
on a project. Nearly $75M of that $135 million (which translates to approximately 56%) is
put at risk by ineffective communications.

Poor communication results in misunderstandings in the workflow and, consequently, a

weak return on investment or even loss of revenue. Communication has the power to spell
either the success or failure of a project.

Solution: the right project management tools facilitate active interaction among team
members and the project manager.

7. Unrealistic Expectations

Setting unrealistic deadlines is a flawed approach, but what's worse? Expecting to complete
a project quicker, with a limited budget and a reduced team. Project managers often have
an unrealistic approach when it comes to assessing their teams' capabilities. They set high
expectations that meet their doom.
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Solution: Avoid overburdening your team to obtain quality work rather than getting a high
quantity with compromised quality.

8. Lack of Monitoring

Planning, communicating, and assigning tasks for a project is not enough for a project to
be successful. It is obligatory for project managers to ensure that everything goes as
planned.

Solution: Earned Value management: This technique monitors the project plan, actual
work, and completed work to see if a project is on track. It estimates what amount of the
budget and time should have been spent right on the work done so far.

Gemba walks: Taking out time to visit the exact location where the work is done helps
closely monitor the progress.

9. Lack of Risk Management

Zero risk is too much to ask for. However, if you have not thought about a solution
beforehand, an adverse situation can turn into a disaster and lead to project failures.

Solution: It is essential to set up risk management from the beginning of the project.
Identifying and prioritizing risks can help limit or even eliminate them with effective
preventive and corrective methods.

10. Inadequate Stakeholder Management

Stakeholders have an intrinsic interest in the project. Poor stakeholder management, such
as defining them too narrowly, failing to strike a balance between compliance and strategic
opportunities, and hiding self-interest, lead to project failures.
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Solution: It is the responsibility of a project manager to identify stakeholders and

communicate with them timely. Engaging stakeholders gives support and insights to steer
your projects towards success.

How to create a work breakdown structure

1. Define the scope and objectives. Record the overarching objective you are trying to
accomplish. This objective could be anything from developing a new software feature to
building a missile. Document these details in your project charter. This will be your
guiding reference.

2. Break it down into key phases and deliverables. Depending on the nature of your project,
start dividing by project phases, specific large deliverables, or sub-tasks. Divide the
overarching project into smaller and smaller pieces, but stop before you get to the point
of listing out every action that must be taken. Remember to focus on concrete
deliverables rather than actions.

3. Organize deliverables into work packages. Break down each deliverable into all the tasks
and sub-tasks required to complete them. Organize the tasks into work packages. Work
packages are the lowest level of the breakdown and should define the work, duration,
and costs for each task, as well task owners. Each work package should provide
assignments that can be completed within a reporting period.

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What Is Work Breakdown Structure in Project Management?

Work breakdown structure (WBS) in project management is a method for completing a

complex, multi-step project. It's a way to divide and conquer large projects to get things
done faster and more efficiently.

In this FAQ article, we’ll go over what a WBS is in project management, how to create a
WBS and what characteristics are important, as well as thorough examples of WBS on
which you can base your own WBS.

In Wrike, you can build a WBS quickly and easily by creating folders and subfolders and
can go further to divide individual tasks into subtasks. Or, simply use our pre-built WBS
template that will help you jumpstart the WBS process.

Now, let’s look at how to create a work breakdown structure in project management.

How to create a work breakdown structure

Before you create a work breakdown structure, it's essential to first assess the project scope
by talking to all stakeholders and key team members involved.

As the project manager, you want to ensure that all critical input and deliverables are
gathered and transparently prioritized. You may use Gantt charts, flow charts, spreadsheets,
or lists to show the hierarchical outline of importance and connectivity between the tasks
needed to complete the project.

After outlining the deliverables and tasks in order of completion, you can then assign each
task to a project team member. Ensure no team member carries the majority of the project's
weight by spreading duties and responsibilities across the team.

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CHAPTER 2 Project Planning:

• Estimating – The process of forecasting or approximating the time and cost of

completing project deliverables. – The task of balancing expectations of stakeholders and
need for control while the project is implemented.

Why Estimating Time and Cost Are Important EXHIBIT

• To support good decisions.

• To schedule work.

• To determine how long the project should take and its cost.

• To determine whether the project is worth doing.

• To develop cash flow needs.

• To determine how well the project is progressing.

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• To develop time-phased budgets and establish the project baseline.

Major project estimation techniques

Here are six common estimating methods in project management:

1. Top-down estimate

A top-down estimating technique assigns an overall time for the project and then breaks it
down into discrete phases, work, and tasks — usually based on your project’s work
breakdown structure (WBS).

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If a client tells you the project has to be done within six months, a top-down approach
allows you to take that overall timeline and estimate how much time you can take for
each activity within the project and still complete it on time.

2. Bottom-up estimate

A bottom-up estimate is the reverse of top-down. Using this estimation technique, you start
by estimating each individual task or aspect of the project. Then you combine all those
separate estimates to build up the overall project estimate.

Since each activity is being assessed individually, this type of estimate tends to be more
accurate than the top-down approach. But it also takes more time.

3. Expert judgment

Expert judgment is one of the most popular estimation techniques, as it tends to be quick
and easy. This technique involves relying on the experience and gut feel of experts to
estimate projects.

It’s most useful when you’re planning a standard project that is similar to projects your
team has completed before. Expert judgment can be used for creating top-down or bottom-
up estimates.

4. Comparative or analogous estimation

Comparative estimation uses past project data combined with a top-down approach
to estimate project duration. If the average completion time of similar projects was eight
months, you’d assume the current one will take eight months. Then you can break those
eight months down across tasks and activities to get your lower-level work estimates.

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5. Parametric model estimating

Parametric modeling also uses past project data, but it attempts to adjust the data to reflect
each project's differences. This technique takes the detail of past projects and pro-rates it
to estimate the current project.

Imagine your company builds houses. Parametric modeling could take the cost of all past
construction projects divided by each project's square footage to come up with an average
project cost per square foot of the home. Then, you’d multiply that number by the planned
square footage of the current home to create your overall project budget.

6. Three -point estimating

Three-point estimating is a technique sometimes used for creating bottom-up estimates.

Rather than assuming one duration for a task, you may assign three: optimistic, pessimistic,
and most likely. These three numbers are averaged to create your actual estimate.

The PERT (Program Evaluation and Review Technique) method uses three-point
estimating, but it takes a weighted average of the three points, with the ‘most likely’ guess
carrying more weight.

In this day and age of complex projects that span geographies, time zones, rapidly
changing technology and requirements, having tools that enhance efficiency can greatly
increase the chances of project success. Project Management tools that help to better
manage resources and budgets and which help to track project progress are a boon for
stressed and overworked project managers. In order to be a good project manager, one
must have a thorough understanding of tools required and conflict management.

One such tool is the network diagram in project management that gives a visual
representation of the workflow of a project, thus allowing users to track the progress of

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the project at any time. In this blog, we look at the various characteristics and benefits
of network diagrams in project management.

Here is an article on project description.

What is a project network?

Visual aids like project networks have been widely used in project management to help
project managers and team members stay clued in on the progress of projects and share
it with all those involved in the project.

A project network, also called project activity network, is a graphical description of the
sequence in which the terminal events or milestones of a project must be completed. The
project network is similar to a flow chart. The terminal events of the network represent
activities and deliverables derived from the work break down structure and are arranged
sequentially like in a flowchart

Project Networks can be created using techniques like Gantt Charts, PERT charts,
and Critical Path Management. There are multiple paths in the project network but each
terminal element must lie on only one path of the network.

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Get to to know more about agile vs traditional project management.

Project Management Network Diagram

Network diagrams are used by Project Managers to track the progress of activities during
the course of the project. In other words, they represent the workflow of the project.
Those involved in the project can get a bigger picture of the activities and timeline of
the project. Project network diagrams help everyone involved in the project to visually
track the progress of every phase of the project from its inception to its completion. The
network diagram is a chart and contains boxes and arrows. The boxes denote tasks and
responsibilities, and the arrows denote the sequence in which the tasks must be
completed and the schedule.

The network diagram also shows how an activity relates to the other and the sequence
of activities to be conducted. The precedence of activities as shown in the diagram is
important, as some activities have to be completed before the next one starts.

Network diagrams also help to determine the impact of finishing tasks early or late, on
the overall project. Managers can use network diagrams to better allocate resources and
schedule their timelines.

But creating a network diagram requires a lot of planning. All activities must be
identified and estimated as leaving even one task out from the network diagram can
cause a cascading effect on the projected schedule, commitments, resource allocation
and cost of the project.

Know more about characteristics of project management.

Types of Network Diagrams

Project network diagrams can be of two types:

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1. Arrow diagram method (ADM):

As the name suggests, this type of diagram uses arrows to depict terminal
elements/activities. The length of the arrows typically represent the duration or time
taken for completing a particular activity or task. The tail shows the start of the task
while the head shows the completion of the task. The order of activities or their
precedence is represented by circles that are connected by arrows.
The diagram may also contain dummy tasks that are used to show the inter-
dependency between tasks. Dummy tasks, though, do not represent any real
sequenced activity but they are more of check-points or milestones that may need to
be completed on the way to moving forward with the next task.

Advantages of the PDM are as follows:

 Simple to create
 Easy to understand
 Helps track project schedule
 Helps in ‘what if’ analyses

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2. Precedence diagram method (PDM):

PDMs too, like ADMs are used in project management. The activities are represented
by boxes or nodes. The arrows connecting them represent the relationship between
the activities. Depending on the precedence of the activity, the arrows represent
different relationships. For example, an arrow can be used to show that an activity
cannot start before the completion of its predecessor or if both activities can be started
simultaneously.

Here are the four ways of developing the diagram and connecting the tasks based on
precedence:

 Finish-Start: An activity has to be completed before starting the next activity

 Start-Start: Both activities can start together
 Finish-Finish: Both tasks need to finish together
 Start to Finish: This is a rare dependency and requires one activity to start before the other can be
finished
The duration for completion of the particular activity can be mentioned over the
arrow connecting the activity to its successor.

Advantages of the PDM are as follows:

 Makes planning more efficient by focusing on relationships and dependencies between activities
 Helps identify missing tasks
 Critical tasks can be identified and prioritized
 Helps in evaluating alternatives
 Helps to share project timelines across the team and with stakeholders
 Helps the project manager to better manage and control the project

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Benefits of a Network Diagram

Being visual aids, network diagrams have a lot of advantages, such as:

 Aid for tracking projects

 Sequential arrangement of project activities helps to better plan and schedule
 Helps to visually monitor project status
 Detailed representation helps identify critical activities
 Helps identify risks in terms of time delay
 Helps to identify co-dependent activities for tasks
 Helps resolve issues that may arise in the course of the project
 Can be shared with project team members
 Useful for project team members who can better understand visual representations
 Increases project productivity
 Represents project scope on a macro level
 Used to create project schedule
 Helps in budget allocation
 Helps to establish clear deadlines
 Used to estimate the duration of the project
 Helps in resource allocation as items are clearly represented

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 Accurate description of activities helps in getting funding and in getting together

the right team
 Enhances efficiency as teams are well aware of deadlines
While there are a whole lot of advantages to network diagrams, there are also
certain disadvantages:

 Can be an expensive tool to create

 May involve too many activities and tasks and may be difficult to understand
 There may be errors when creating the network diagrams
 Network diagrams can be misinterpreted that can lead to serious errors in the way
the project is executed
 May get effected by external factors
By earning a PMP Certification, you will be equipped with the right skills and best
practices to manage projects of all sizes and complexity.

Developing a Network Diagram

Developing a network diagram is not an easy task, in the sense that it requires a whole
lot of homework to be done before being created. Project Managers or others who are
involved with every aspect of the project and know the project requirements at a very
detailed level are ideal candidates for creating the network diagram.

The network diagram requires the involvement of people responsible for the different
activities of the project. A well-done network diagram smoothens out the project path
and ensures early identification of issues and bottlenecks.

Requirements for creating a network diagram

As mentioned above, the creation of a network diagram requires a whole lot of pre -
planning. The following information must be at hand before the network diagram is
created:

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 The start and end points of the project must be identified and defined
 All project activities must be identified
 Accurate estimation of the completion time of each activity must be carried out
 Dependencies must be identified
Best Practices to be followed while creating Project Network Diagrams

Network diagrams when created accurately can bring in a whole lot of benefits. Let’s
look at the best practices to be followed while making the network diagram.

 Use standard network diagramming symbols that are universally known and
accepted
 If using different symbols, make sure they are correctly defined
 Always use straight arrows
 Avoid crisscrossing arrows
 Use minimum number of dummies
 Arrows should be used from left to right
 Use just one starting point or start event and one culmination point or end event
 Use tools for more accuracy and lucidity
 Make sure your diagram contains relevant and up to date information
 The network diagram must contain the right amount of detail
 Ensure that the data used to create the network diagram is accurate and well
managed

What Is a Network Diagram in Project

Management?

A project network diagram is a visual representation of the workflow of a project.

A network diagram is a project management chart that is populated with boxes
noting tasks and responsibilities, and then arrows that map the schedule and
the sequence that the work must be completed. Therefore, the project network

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diagram is a way to visually follow the progress of each phase of the project life
cycle to its completion.

Project managers use a network diagram to track the project schedule network,
allowing them to see the progress of each activity. Then they can share the
status with the rest of the project management team. This is especially helpful
for those who better understand information that is delivered visually. For those
team members, project network diagrams will help with the performance of their
tasks and increase the project’s productivity.

Another aspect of the network diagram is that it literally illustrates the project’s
scope. That’s because the project network diagram collects all the activities,
milestones and deliverables defined on the work breakdown structure of the
project. The Critical Path Method (CPM) and the Program Evaluation and
Review Technique (PERT) are good examples of how to use network diagrams
in project management. Project managers use these methods to estimate the
duration of the project and create a project schedule.

Types of Project Network Diagrams: ADM & PDM

Project network diagrams can be divided into two types, the arrow diagram
method (ADM) and the precedence diagram method (PDM). The main
difference between an ADM and a PDM project network diagram is the way
they represent tasks and milestones.

As expected, the arrow diagramming method uses arrows to represent the

project activities, with the tail of the arrow being its start and the point the finish.
The length of the arrow is the duration of the activity. The arrows connect nodes
or boxes that are milestone symbols of the start and finish of the activity in
sequence.

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In the precedence diagram method, each node or box is an activity. There are
arrows, but in this case, they represent task dependencies. There are four types
of task dependencies:

 Finish to start: This means an activity cannot start before its

predecessor is finished.
 Start to start: Use this when two activities can begin
simultaneously.
 Finish to finish: Use this when activities must finish together.
 Start to finish: Use this when one activity cannot finish until
another one starts.

Network Computation Process

Performing a few simple computations allows the project manager to complete a

process known as the forward and backward pass. Completion of the forward and
backward pass will answer the following questions:

Forward Pass—Earliest Times

1. How soon can the activity start? (early start—ES)

2. How soon can the activity finish? (early finish—EF)
3. How soon can the project be finished? (expected time—TE)

Backward Pass—Latest Times

1. How late can the activity start? (late start—LS)

2. How late can the activity finish? (late finish—LF)
3. Which activities represent the critical path (CP)? This is the longest path in the network
which, when delayed, will delay the project.
4. How long can the activity be delayed? (slack or float—SL)

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CHAPTER 3 Project Scheduling & Risk Management:

What Is Resource Scheduling?

Resource scheduling is the process of identifying when project resources are needed and
allocating them based on factors such as capacity planning or resource availability. The
main purpose of resource scheduling is to guarantee that there’s no over or under-allocation
of resources at any point of the project.

This leads to not only getting projects done on time and within budget, but also builds
morale, fosters better relationships, helps with profitability and boosts stakeholder
satisfaction

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In order to properly allocate resources, you need to know their availability. Project
Manager is award-winning project management software with powerful resource
management features that help ensure your resources are working at capacity. When
onboarding teams, you can add any PTO and even global holidays so that when you’re
building a schedule, you know who’s available. Get started with Project Manager today for
free.

Project constraints
While scope, cost, and time are the triple constraints of project management, there are
three other project constraints you may encounter in your project life cycle: risk,
resources, and quality.

Risk
Project risks are any unexpected occurrences that can affect your project. While most
project risks are negative, some can be positive. For example, a new technology may
be released while your project is in progress. This technology may help you finish your
project quicker or it may cause more competition in the market and reduce your product
value.

You can determine project risks using risk analysis and risk management strategies to
keep them at bay. Some risks you may face include:

 Stretched resources

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 Operational mishaps
 Low performance
 Lack of clarity
 Scope creep
 High costs
 Time crunch

Use a risk register to assess the likelihood and severity for each project risk, then
mitigate the most likely and severe risks first.

Resources
Resources tie closely with cost constraints on your project because these project
requirements cost money. Without proper resource allocation, can experience lower
project quality, an increased budget, and timeline delays.

Some resources to consider include:

 People
 Equipment or materials
 Facilities
 Software

Use a resource management plan to ensure you have the resources you need for every
element of your project so that this constraint doesn’t negatively affect other project
areas.

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Quality
Project quality is the measure of how well your project deliverables meet initial
expectations. Every project constraint affects project quality because project quality is
the ultimate result of your project. However, project quality is also its own constraint
because there are aspects of the project that can result in poor quality that aren’t
necessarily related to cost, time, resources, risk, or scope. These include:

 Lack of communication
 Poor design or development skills
 Too many project changes

You must manage project quality as its own entity while also balancing the other five
project constraints if you hope to achieve high project performance. If you fail to
manage your constraints, the result can be low project quality and low customer
satisfaction.

How to Allocate Resources on a Project

A crucial resource planning activity is resource allocation, a strategy you create

intending to get the most out of the available resources in a project. This is primarily
a short-term plan put in place to accomplish future goals.

The following are some broad guidelines to assist you with allocating resources
when overseeing a project.

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1. Know Your Scope

First, establish the scope of the project, objectives, and tasks that must be executed.
Once you have established the scope, you can estimate what resources you will
require and how many are needed to finish the project. The clearer the project scope,
the easier it will be to determine how to allocate resources.

2. Identify Resources

Now, you must gather your resources. Determine who is available, which equipment
is needed, and where the project's tasks will be performed. Also, check if the area is
available.

First, obtain the resources before allocating them. Prepare a list based on the criteria
above, and ensure it falls within the allotted budget.

3. Don't Procrastinate

Resources will inevitably need reallocating. Thus, during the planning phase, spend
some time researching if and when there might be a blocked teammate or task
dependencies.

Set up a resource plan and take note of these warning signs. Figure out how you'll
respond to them ahead of time, so you are ready to deal with them when they occur.

4. Think Holistically

Remember to keep track of the project's progress, but more importantly, be updated
on the status of your resources. For example, what is the team's schedule, would any
of them go on vacation, how long is the lease for the equipment or the project site,
and so on? These are crucial issues to consider while allocating resources.

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5. Know Your Resource Dependencies

Preplanning helps to eliminate bottlenecks that may trap your resources when they
are most needed during project execution. It also keeps your resources from running
out. Have a backup plan ready to keep your plans from becoming overly dependent
on a single resource to avoid problems later.

6. Track Time

Keep an eye on the schedule, how your team is performing, and how efficient they
are. As a project manager, you must maintain track of your team's workload to avoid
delays. That requires using the appropriate tools to provide real-time information
recorded on a single page that you can view and schedule ahead of time as needed.

7. Use Tools

Use project management software to manage your resources more effectively. You
can get project data instantly updated with an online tool. You can see how your
resources are distributed throughout a calendar that can indicate if they are on-task,
off-task, sick, or on vacation. Rescheduling to assist overburdened teammates can
become extremely simple.

8. Don't Over-Allocate

Managers often over-allocate, which instead of completing projects on time and

under budget, over-allocation risks team burnout. It's unjust to put so much pressure
on your resources that they break down. Reexamine the resource plan, then use it to
distribute your project resources appropriately.

9. Be Realistic

Although it is good to be prepared for problems that may arise in the future, avoid
skewing the project estimate by adding too many resources or days to the project
schedule. It may compromise the effectiveness of long-term planning. Remember to
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compare the estimated to the actual usage. It comes in handy to keep you
appropriately allocated. Using a tool is essential for accurately assessing the project's
progress.

10. Have a Routine

Set up regular check-ins to review your resources, verify the project management
tools, and ensure no one is overburdened for the upcoming week's work. Speak with
your teammates to get a feel of what's happening on the project's front lines, and ask
if they have any concerns.

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Benefits of scheduling resources

1. Smarter Task Distribution

(Auto Task Allocation)

Once you know what you need for your business, distribution of resources for different
tasks that need completion is a must.

Allocation of resources also needs to be done smartly as the need segregation is based on
capabilities of resources and completion time.

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The sources include categorization of consumable and reusable resources, estimation of

available quantity, and overall effort required for the tasks.

With that, for resources to be allocated to the specific staff, equipment, and people’s
availability needs to be checked.

The best solution would be to use a resource scheduling tool that makes all of these tasks
listed above simpler.

A resource scheduling tool can let you determine if you need more staff and respond to
time-off requests, and help to find replacements quickly without disrupting output or
delaying tasks.

2. Real-time tracking of data and analytics

Monitoring business processes is one of the key functions to perform giving you a perfect
picture of what is working for you and who is buying your products.

Tracking resources and employees assigned to a project, proper allocation of resources

to the staff, and predicting delays in the work schedule can increase productivity.

A resource management software can offer all the information you need in real-time and
a tool like Kapture can help managers with the resource allocation.

3. Advance Planning

One of the best parts of using resource scheduling is to plan ahead and prepare for the
increase in volume and demand.

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Anticipated planning assists in monitoring demand, understanding trends, and predicting

the need for more resources improves employee trust and loyalty.

Without a proper resource scheduling in place, all of the processes will be a mess,
deadlines will be missed, budgets will be overshot, and cause confusion and add to the
stress of the employees.

Using an automated platform can give you an advantage in resource

management, helping you cut down half of the workload by allocating resources,
predicting scenarios better, and facilitating good decision-making.

4. Effective Organization

For a project, there will be an involvement of different teams, departments, and various
types of resources.

Resource scheduling helps in organizing all of the involved sources, drawing out an
effective plan, and completing the plan as per the schedule.

The process of resource planning involves:

1. Project definition
2. Prediction of the estimated time duration
3. Roadblock sorting

Charting out a plan that circles around these three core processes, will help your
employees reach effective solutions with a common goal of better results.

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5. Impactful Estimation

Using traditional methods to predict a project’s completion time, keep a track of an

employee’s record, and putting together necessary resources can lead to imperfect
estimations.

This is where a resource scheduling platform can be of great help to managers where all
the data parameters mentioned above will be quite accurate.

Also, making changes to projects according to the time constraints and deadlines is vital
as every client’s expectations are different.

Methods like resource smoothing and resource-leveling can help in streamlining

deadlines or time constraint projects.

For instance, when a project has a fixed deadline, resource smoothing postpones some
work and removes some free time off the schedule. This is normally more efficient and
cost-effective.

And, resource leveling is done when you have limitations on available resources with
start and finish dates adjusted based on resource restrictions.

Assigning Project Work:

1. Assign based on priority

Naturally, some tasks will be more important than others. When you break down a project
into tasks, spend some time assessing their priority level.

High-priority tasks should be the first on your list to allocate. Whether it’s because they’re
time-sensitive, or require more effort and dedication.

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Low priority tasks can be allocated as fillers to the first available person.

2. Assign based on employee availability

Another factor to consider when assigning tasks is who is available at the moment.

As the project moves along, new tasks will be added. You will have to allocate new work,
but odds are you won’t always be able to pick who you want. Especially if a deadline is
approaching, the person with the smallest workload should be your first choice.

Overloading an already busy individual just because they’re more skilled or you have faith
in them the most puts an unnecessary strain on them. It’s cause for frustration, poorer
results, and decreased productivity.

And as we’ve mentioned, if you have a timesheet with an overview of all the tasks and
employees working on them, it’ll be much easier to spot who is free and who isn’t.

3. Assign based on employee skill level

High-priority tasks should go to employees with more experience in a given field or skill.
However, you should occasionally give such tasks to other employees as well, to help them
grow and become just as dependable. Giving people challenging tasks that can boost their
experience is essential to productivity and morale.

Not to mention you get to have multiple high-skilled employees.

Low-priority tasks can be assigned to anyone, despite their experience level. They’re a
good opportunity to practice, pick up new skills, or get smaller tasks out of the way to make
room for more important ones.

4. Assign based on preference

Last, but not the least, preference can also play a big part in how you assign tasks.

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It’s a given that some employees will prefer certain tasks over others. So it could be good
to assign tasks at a meeting with the team. As you discuss priorities, deadlines, and
availability, ask them which tasks they would like to work on.

If someone shows interest in a specific type of work, they should (with some
consideration), be allowed to take it. After all, people are more productive when they’re
assigned to something they find new or exciting.

Note: Apply this rule with caution. Letting people do only the tasks they want can stunt
their career growth. Getting out of our comfort zones and occasionally doing tasks that we
don’t like is how we develop and learn. So, don’t forget to document assignments as you
hand them out, to spot these potential issues early on.

Allocating vs delegating tasks

While semantically similar words, delegation and allocation in terms of tasks are two
different things.

When you allocate tasks, you are assigning tasks without giving the employees much
authority, challenge, or room to grow. It includes you keeping all of the responsibility –
writing out the tasks, making deadlines, providing resources, tools, etc. These are
usually recurring tasks that can become repetitive.

When you delegate tasks, you allow for some of that responsibility to fizzle out from your
fingers. All you think about are the objectives, while letting the employees figure out the
details and means to get there.

However, that doesn’t mean delegation is right and the allocation is wrong.

Task allocation has its own place. It is just as important, as a lot of tasks come down to
repeated processes that are still vital to the project progress. Task delegation is just a good

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opportunity for employees to learn, challenge themselves, and assess their skills and
performance.

Multi Project resource Schedules

The challenges can get intense when the deadlines are very close. Here are the ways you
can learn to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines:

 Break the workload: When you divide the workload into small projects, you are more
motivated to complete your jobs. You can check and evaluate performance at each level
making the overall project a big hit.

 Prepare a list of all the tasks in multiple projects: Pull out details of each task you need to
complete in multiple projects. It will make monitoring very easy for you.

 List the urgent and important tasks: You need to identify, out of the tasks you have listed,
which ones will be urgent and which ones are important. Urgent will be the work that is
not completed, you will not be able to progress. Whereas important are the jobs, which you
cannot avoid because that will impact the performance of the project.

 Minimize deviations and distractions: Try and minimize the deviations from work. Reduce
distractions that can affect your business. You will have to pull out strength to manage
other jobs like meetings also. Rope in email tools to send automated replies to the
customers so that you do not lose a business.

 Stick to the working hours but work extra, if possible: Sticking to the working hours will
give an idea to the employees that they cannot take a chance with the deadlines. Try to
carve excellence within the stipulated because you will have no room for changes.

 Don't burden and take adequate breaks so that the quality of the work is also not affected.

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 Take care of mental health: Take care of yourself as well as your employees' mental health.
Deadlines are important but more than that quality benchmarks are taller. You can engage
them in some activities during break time. It keeps them motivated, focused, and positive
for performance.

No one knows the pain in the process of project management when multiple projects have
competing deadlines and each need apt resource scheduling.

It is only the project managers who bear the pressure to manage varied projects with
available resources. They possess the talent to organize multiple projects at work.

Rationale for Reducing Project Duration

 Time Is Money: Cost-Time Tradeoffs

 Reducing the time of a critical activity usually incurs additional directcosts.
 Cost-time solutions focus on reducing (crashing) which activitiesto shorten overall
duration of the project?Explanation of Project Costs
 Project Indirect Costs
 Costs that cannot be associated with any particular work package orproject activity.
 Costs that vary (increase) with time.
 Project Direct Costs
 Normal costs that can be assigned directly toa specific work package orproject
activity.Reducing Project Duration to Reduce Project Cost.

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Steps of A Risk Management Process

1. Identify the Risk

2. Analyze the Risk
3. Evaluate or Rank the Risk
4. Treat the Risk
5. Monitor and Review the Risk

Step 1: Identify the Risk

The initial step in the risk management process is to identify the risks that the business is
exposed to in its operating environment.

There are many different types of risks:

 Legal risks
 Environmental risks
 Market risks
 Regulatory risks etc.

It is important to identify as many of these risk factors as possible. In a manual

environment, these risks are noted down manually. If the organization has a risk
management solution employed all this information is inserted directly into the system.

The advantage of this approach is that these risks are now visible to every stakeholder in
the organization with access to the system. Instead of this vital information being locked
away in a report which has to be requested via email, anyone who wants to see which risks
have been identified can access the information in the risk management system.

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Step 2: Analyze the Risk

Once a risk has been identified it needs to be analyzed. The scope of the risk must be
determined. It is also important to understand the link between the risk and different factors
within the organization. To determine the severity and seriousness of the risk it is necessary
to see how many business functions the risk affects. There are risks that can bring the whole
business to a standstill if actualized, while there are risks that will only be minor
inconveniences in the analysis.

In a manual risk management environment, this analysis must be done manually.When a

risk management solution is implemented one of the most important basic steps is to map
risks to different documents, policies, procedures, and business processes. This means that
the system will already have a mapped risk management framework that will evaluate risks
and let you know the far-reaching effects of each risk.

Step 3: Evaluate the Risk or Risk Assessment

Risks need to be ranked and prioritized. Most risk management solutions have different
categories of risks, depending on the severity of the risk. A risk that may cause some
inconvenience is rated lowly, risks that can result in catastrophic loss are rated the highest.
It is important to rank risks because it allows the organization to gain a holistic view of the
risk exposure of the whole organization. The business may be vulnerable to several low-
level risks, but it may not require upper management intervention. On the other hand, just
one of the highest-rated risks is enough to require immediate intervention.

There are two types of risk assessments: Qualitative Risk Assessment and Quantitative
Risk Assessment.

Step 4: Treat the Risk

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Every risk needs to be eliminated or contained as much as possible. This is done by

connecting with the experts of the field to which the risk belongs. In a manual environment,
this entails contacting each and every stakeholder and then setting up meetings so everyone
can talk and discuss the issues. The problem is that the discussion is broken into many
different email threads, across different documents and spreadsheets, and many different
phone calls. In a risk management solution, all the relevant stakeholders can be sent
notifications from within the system. The discussion regarding the risk and its possible
solution can take place from within the system. Upper management can also keep a close
eye on the solutions being suggested and the progress being made within the system.
Instead of everyone contacting each other to get updates, everyone can get updates directly
from within the risk management solution.

Check our recent post: Improving Risk and Compliance Results With Smarter Data

Step 5: Monitor and Review the Risk

Not all risks can be eliminated – some risks are always present. Market risks and
environmental risks are just two examples of risks that always need to be monitored. Under
manual systems monitoring happens through diligent employees. These professionals must
make sure that they keep a close watch on all risk factors. Under a digital environment, the
risk management system monitors the entire risk framework of the organization. If any
factor or risk changes, it is immediately visible to everyone. Computers are also much
better at continuously monitoring risks than people. Monitoring risks also allows your
business to ensure continuity. We can tell you How you can create a risk management
plan to monitor and review the risk.

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Chapter 4 Project Organization:

Role and Responsibilities of the project Manager,

Specific responsibilities of the project manager

The project manager, operating within agreed reporting structures, is responsible for:

 designing and applying appropriate project management standards for

incorporation in the NI Gateway Review Process
 managing the production of the required deliverables
 planning and monitoring the project
 adopting any delegation and use of project assurance roles within agreed
reporting structures
 preparing and maintaining project, stage and exception plans as required
 managing project risks, including the development of contingency plans
 liaison with programme management (if the project is part of a programme) and
related projects to ensure that work is neither overlooked nor duplicated
 monitoring overall progress and use of resources, initiating corrective action
where necessary
 applying change control and configuration management processes
 reporting through agreed lines on project progress through highlight reports and
end-stage assessments
 liaison with appointed project assurance representatives to assure the overall
direction and integrity of the project
 maintaining an awareness of potential interdependencies with other projects and
their impact
 adopting and applying appropriate technical and quality strategies and standards

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 identifying and obtaining support and advice required for the management,
planning and control of the project
 managing project administration
 conducting a project evaluation review to assess how well the project was
managed
 preparing any follow-on action recommendations

In construction projects the project manager also provides the interface between the
project sponsor and the supply side of the project team.

Skills of Project Manager:

1. Collaboration

Collaboration is the cornerstone of all project management skills. In project management,

collaboration helps you get work done quickly and more efficiently. When you can
coordinate across teams, you gain valuable insights into your project that you might not
find within your team. If more minds are involved in the work, projects are inherently more
creative and well developed.

To improve your collaboration skills, practice having conversations. Use techniques

like active listening, where you stay engaged and focused when others are speaking to you.
It sounds simple, but learning how to have open communication, reduce boundaries, and
co-create are critical for a collaborative team.

Read: 10 easy steps to boost team collaboration

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2. Teamwork

Everyone on your team has something to bring to the table, and your team is more effective
working together than they would be alone. Teamwork ensures that everyone feels
welcome, valued, and they are supported to contribute.

If you’re working to boost your teamwork skills, dig deeper into team brainstorms, 1:1
conversations, and ask for feedback from your team—how can you be a better team
member? Notice if there’s someone who hasn’t spoken up in a while, and be supportive
when another team member has a new idea.

3. Communication

Miscommunications are common when you’re working with a group of people. Learning
how to communicate well and avoid these will make projects run more smoothly and be
more enjoyable.

To develop your communication skills, practice being open and honest with your
coworkers. This requires a lot of trust between you and your team members. To build this
trust, encourage your team members to bring any thoughts into a discussion—even if you
disagree with them.

4. Time management

Time management and organization skills go hand in hand. As you become better at
organizing your tasks, you’ll also have a clearer sense of everything that’s on your plate
and how long your upcoming tasks are going to take.

Still, it can be hard to buckle down and prioritize your work. To improve your time
management skills and reduce procrastination, try prioritizing tasks. When you’re clear on

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which tasks are higher priority, you can tackle them first, to make sure nothing gets left
behind or falls through the cracks.

5. Leadership

Even if you don’t think of yourself as a leader or have a role in team management, when
you’re managing a project, your project team is looking to you for leadership, guidance,
and support.

To develop your leadership skills, practice approaching situations with empathy and
understanding. Good leaders bring everyone together and make them feel supported to
foster teamwork and collaboration.

6. Organization

For a lot of project managers, organization is the most intimidating soft skill. You might
think organization is either something you “have” or “don’t have.” But, like every other
project management skill in this article, you can develop your organizational skills and
become a Marie Kondo in your own right.

The best way to become a better organizer is to create (and maintain) a central source of
truth for your work and your team’s work. We’re often disorganized because work is
disconnected—in fact, the average employee switches between 10 tools per day. Instead of
splitting your time between 10 tools, try using a digital organization tool to act as that one
central source of truth for your team.
Read: How to get organized: 17 tips that actually work

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7. Problem solving

Problem solving skills are collaborative, iterative skills that help you approach a problem
and, ultimately, solve it. Developing problem solving skills isn’t about always having the
“right” answer to every problem—rather, people with great problem solving skills practice
approaching problems from new perspectives and methodically working towards a
solution.

To become a better problem solver, use data-driven decision-making frameworks or

routine analyses. For example, if you need to solve for how to boost sales by 10% over
your competition, you can run a competitive analysis to determine where you currently
stand in the market. Then, use that information to solve the problem of lower sales. In this
case, you could develop a new marketing strategy coordinated with the sales team.
Read: Turn your team into skilled problem solvers with these problem-solving strategies

8. Critical thinking

Critical thinking, like problem solving, doesn’t have a “solution.” You can’t “win” at
critical thinking, but you can practice approaching problems logically instead of making
decisions based on your emotions. Good critical thinkers practice analyzing information in
front of them and forming their own conclusions based on the facts—the way Sherlock
Holmes solves a mystery.

To practice critical thinking, always take a step back and ask yourself: how did I come to
this conclusion? Could there be another answer? Am I being swayed by something other
than factual information? Emotional decisions aren’t necessarily bad—in fact, some of the
best decisions are those we’re passionate about. But critical thinking is a helpful way to
make sure you’re approaching a situation from the right perspective.

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9. Adaptability

At some point, whether it’s this project or the next one, aspects of your project plan will
change. Maybe your deadline or priorities shifts, and you need to adapt your workflow
accordingly. Great project managers are able to pivot and adapt to new situations to
continue steering their project team in the right direction.

Becoming more adaptable is all about understanding when and how to shift gears. To do
this, you need to understand yourself. Developing other soft skills, such as self-awareness
and mindfulness, can help you be more in touch with and manage your emotions, which
are often in flux during times of change.

Read: 6 Tips to Increase Your Adaptability In the Workplace

10. Conflict resolution

Inevitably, conflict will arise during the projects you manage. It could be that a stakeholder
wants to change the project scope. Or maybe you missed your budget or deadline. Conflict
resolution is about addressing both sides of the conflict so everyone feels heard and
supported. If there are harmed parties, take the time to listen to them and try to find a
solution that works for everyone. Even when that can’t happen, approaching the
conversation with patience and empathy can help defuse a potentially frustrating situation
and lead to a better result.

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Managing Project Teams:

Project management techniques and methodologies are important to ensure clarity and
focus when establishing your project. However, it’s how well the people at the centre of
the project work together, that can have the biggest impact on its overall success.

Here are 10 tips for managing project teams, to improve team effectiveness:

1. Establish a balanced team

Identify project team members with both the right technical expertise as well as a broad
spectrum of communication and thinking styles.

This balance can be identified through past questionnaires that potential project team
members may have taken, e.g. Belbin’s Team Roles or MBTI Myers Briggs Type Indicator
or your own observations.

2. Ensure clarity and ‘buy in’ to the project objectives

Regardless of the seniority or experience level of the project team members, each person
needs to be totally clear and committed to achieving the project objectives.

Providing the team with an opportunity to raise concerns or issues early on in the project
either publicly or in private with you should avoid any negative effects associated with lack
of commitment.

Any ‘vibes’ or negative behaviours should be explored immediately to ensure the issue can
be resolved. Getting your team involved at the early stages of the project planning will
assist greatly.

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3. Ensure line management support

When selecting project team members from different departments it is critical to gain their
line managers support and commitment to the project and the time the project member will
need to allocate to project meetings, research and agreed actions.

Identify with the line manager any potential areas or times of conflict with the team
member’s job or personal commitment.

4. Establish a team code

At the first project team meeting draw on the group to identify the behaviours that will help
the project team. This can be done simply by capturing ‘expectations of the project leader’
and ‘expectations of each team member’; onto flip-chart paper. These can then be typed up
and circulated to the team and used as a reminder at the start of each meeting.

Any variances of these behaviours can then be constructively challenged referring back to
the team code.
5. Recognise the stages of team development

Research shows that all teams go through different stages of development to reach peak
performance, and however skilled and experienced each team member is, the group
dynamics will vary for each new team.

You will need to adapt your leadership style (from a directive to consultative approach) to
each of these stages to ensure you get the team quickly and effectively through the first
three stages (forming, storming and norming) to ensure they are at maximum performance
in the quickest possible time.
6. Use a facilitator for critical meetings

A neutral facilitator to help the project team get under way or progress at a critical stage
such as idea generation or decision-making can help the project team immensely.

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Alternatively, develop your own skills at facilitating groups, to ensure you are getting the
best from the project team.

7. Use all internal and external networks

With the project team, establish early on in the project who else could help you with your
project objectives e.g. to conduct research, view best practice, seek opinions and learn from
past experiences.

Look across the whole of the organisation before looking outside, as there may be others
who have faced similar issues or want to join forces, as they would like to address the
project objective. Suddenly your resources may have increased!

8. Communicate with key stakeholders

At the same time as you identify who can help you, consider who are your key influencers
for this project i.e. project sponsor, project owner, key stakeholders, and plan your
communication strategy to ensure you have their full commitment and support throughout
the project.

9. Plan how to celebrate the project team success

Helping the team visualise success at the offset of the project whilst the objectives are still
being defined, clarified or conveyed, will increase your success rate and make the project
team members feel valued from the beginning and therefore more likely to respond well to
future challenges that may lay ahead.

Consider how you will celebrate the project success at the end of the project involving all
key contributors as well as ensuring the project sponsor is present to thank the team
personally.

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10. Review the team learning on a regular basis

Timely, regular reviews scheduled into your project plan will ensure that the project team
work in the most effective manner and will help develop the team spirit and ultimately their
commitment to the project.

Stages of Team Development

Forming stage

The forming stage involves a period of orientation and getting acquainted. Uncertainty is
high during this stage, and people are looking for leadership and authority. A member who
asserts authority or is knowledgeable may be looked to take control. Team members are

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asking such questions as “What does the team offer me?” “What is expected of me?” “Will
I fit in?” Most interactions are social as members get to know each other.

Storming stage

The storming stage is the most difficult and critical stage to pass through. It is a period
marked by conflict and competition as individual personalities emerge. Team performance
may actually decrease in this stage because energy is put into unproductive activities.
Members may disagree on team goals, and subgroups and cliques may form around strong
personalities or areas of agreement. To get through this stage, members must work to
overcome obstacles, to accept individual differences, and to work through conflicting ideas
on team tasks and goals. Teams can get bogged down in this stage. Failure to address
conflicts may result in long-term problems.

Norming stage

If teams get through the storming stage, conflict is resolved and some degree of unity
emerges. In the norming stage, consensus develops around who the leader or leaders are,
and individual member’s roles. Interpersonal differences begin to be resolved, and a sense
of cohesion and unity emerges. Team performance increases during this stage as members
learn to cooperate and begin to focus on team goals. However, the harmony is precarious,
and if disagreements re-emerge the team can slide back into storming.

Performing stage

In the performing stage, consensus and cooperation have been well-established and the
team is mature, organized, and well-functioning. There is a clear and stable structure, and
members are committed to the team’s mission. Problems and conflicts still emerge, but
they are dealt with constructively. (We will discuss the role of conflict and conflict
resolution in the next section). The team is focused on problem solving and meeting team
goals.

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Adjourning stage

In the adjourning stage, most of the team’s goals have been accomplished. The emphasis
is on wrapping up final tasks and documenting the effort and results. As the work load is
diminished, individual members may be reassigned to other teams, and the team disbands.
There may be regret as the team ends, so a ceremonial acknowledgement of the work and
success of the team can be helpful. If the team is a standing committee with ongoing
responsibility, members may be replaced by new people and the team can go back to a
forming or storming stage and repeat the development process.

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Chapter 6 Project Evaluation:

Any time spent searching for information you need to complete a project is time wasted.

Scrolling through long email threads or sifting through tools or documents to find data
is tedious and slows the entire project down.

There’s an endless amount of communication that needs to happen as a project

progresses. If you can’t make sense of it, you’re not going to get anywhere fast.

It’s estimated that 41% of companies that don’t rely on a PM operational or

organizational system don’t complete their projects on time.

Using a project management information system is one way to make sure you’re hitting
your deadlines and not wasting company cheddar. In this article, we’ll talk about what
they are, how they work, and how to get started with one today.

What is a project management information

system?

A project management information system (PMIS solution) is a way to organize how

a project manager gives and receives project information and data over the course
of a project.
According to the Project Management Book of Knowledge (PMBOK):

“A PMIS is an information system consisting of the tools and techniques used to gather,
integrate, and disseminate the outputs of project management processes.”

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Basically, it’s a centralized storage hub for all your essential project info.

PMBOK also states that a PMIS collects information from several places, including
external tools your team is already using.

In fact, the ability to integrate with multiple tools is one of the biggest advantages of an
online solution.

Modern, cloud-based PMIS software can store and process documents, links,
notifications, emails, designs, written content, team messages, lines of code, and other
project-based information and distribute it automatically and without mistakes.

For instance, here’s a snapshot of monday.com’s notification search function —

enabling PMs and their teams to quickly search and find relevant information sent to
them:

Project Monitoring

Project monitoring is an integral part of the project management. It provides understanding of the
progress of the project so that appropriate corrective actions can be taken when the performance
deviates significantly from the planned path. It consists of regular systematic collection and
analysis of information to track the progress of the project implementation against pre-set targets
and objectives. It is an important management tool which, if used properly, provides continuous
feedback on the project implementation progress as well assists in the identification of potential
successes and constraints to facilitate timely decisions.

Effective monitoring of the project is a critical element of good project management. It supports
informed and timely decision making by the management and provides accountability for
achieving results. It is a key part of project cycle management. It is to be built into the project at

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the planning stage. It is not an ‘add on’ tool which can be used during mid-way of the project
implementation. On the other hand, it is to be woven throughout the project.

Project monitoring clarifies project objectives, links activities and their resources to objectives,
translates objectives into performance indicators and sets targets, routinely collects data on these
indicators, compares actual results with targets, and reports progress to the management and alerts
the management about the problems which frequently gets cropped up during the implementation
of the project. It provides information to the management whether the project is proceeding as per
schedule relative to the targets or there is time over run in the project implementation. It also
focuses, in particular, on the efficiency and the use of resources during the project implementation.
It provides support to the management in its efforts to complete the project in time and within the
budget.

Project monitoring activities take place in parallel with the project execution activities so that,
while the project work is being executed, the project is being monitored by implementing the
appropriate level of oversight for the purpose of the mid-way corrective actions. High quality
monitoring of the project progress encourages timely decision making, ensures project
accountability, and provides a robust foundation for successful completion of the project. It is
through the continuous monitoring of project performance that the management has an opportunity
to learn about what is working well, what is lagging behind, and what challenges are arising.

Project monitoring activities

Project monitoring activities involve (i) the monitoring of actual project progress as compared to
the planned project progress and the collection of key progress metrics such as risks, issues,
changes and dependencies, and (ii) the reporting of project status, costs and outputs and other
relevant information, at a summary level, to the management. The format and timing of project
monitoring and reporting varies in each organization and also depends upon such items as the size,
duration, risk and complexity of the project.

Project monitoring is carried out (i) measuring progress of project activities against established
schedules and indicators of success, (ii) identifying factors affecting the progress of project

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activities, (iii) measuring the response of the decision taken on the project activities and its effect
on the progress of project implementation, and (iv) to minimize the risks of project failure.

Timing and method of project monitoring are significant aspects of the project management.
Important steps in project monitoring (Fig 1) include the following.

 Study of the project, its schedule, and costs.

 Selection of the parameters to be monitored.

 Selection of the frequency of reporting and its format.

 Collection of data for the parameters being monitored.

 Analysis of the data by using appropriate monitoring technique.

 Presentation of the analyzed data and reporting it to the management.

 Review of the presented data by the management for decision making.

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Controlling Process Steps in Project Management

While the control process is flexible and looks different for every project and manager,
the overall structure is broken down by the PMBOK® Guide into five specific steps as
follows:

Set Performance Standards

Before a project manager can begin holding their team and project to a set of standards,
they first need to develop those standards. A performance standard is a goal that must
be met for the project to be considered on track or successful. The project team is held
to these standards throughout the active phase of the project, which gives them
guidelines and benchmarks to steer their attention toward.

Standards also offer project managers a critical yardstick for understanding a project’s
status. So long as standards are being met or exceeded, managers can trust that their
team is on track. Meanwhile, if standards are not being met, the manager knows that
they should return to the earlier process groups and revise elements like their team,
timelines, or goals.

Every project will have two types of standards: tangible and intangible. Tangible
standards are specific and measurable goals that can be directly monitored, while
intangible standards are more abstract and can’t be actively measured.

Examples of tangible performance standards include:

 Schedules
 Budgets
 Production rates
 Overtime

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 Waste

Intangible standards, meanwhile, may be:

 Team morale
 Managerial performance
 Customer satisfaction

While it is more difficult to set intangible standards, it’s still possible and valuable.
Tangible and intangible elements of a project are intertwined, and improvements in one
will often affect the others. Project managers who prioritize intangible standards will
also see improved results in their tangible standards.

Measure Performance

Once standards have been set, the next step of the control process group is measuring
and tracking performance against those standards. Measurement and monitoring is what
allows a project manager to quickly and effectively respond to lagging performance and
return the project to its correct course.

The simplest way to track performance is to monitor metrics connected to the standards
that have been set. Tangible standards typically have clear connections to certain
metrics. For example, a manager tracking their team’s adherence to a specific schedule
can monitor when work is submitted and the number of revisions necessary before the
work is approved. Similarly, to monitor how the team is performing regarding the
budget, the manager can track spending on different supplies.

When monitoring performance regarding intangible standards, project managers may

need to get creative. There’s no single metric that can be tracked to effectively monitor
employee morale. Instead, managers can collect qualitative data by talking to

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employees, collecting anonymous surveys, and monitoring the team’s general attitude
over time.

Compare Actual Performance with Standards

After collecting data regarding performance, project managers are responsible for
comparing that data to the standards they set. During this phase, the manager can
identify gaps between the standards and their team’s actual performance.

These gaps may be both positive — where the team is exceeding standards — and
negative — where the team has failed to meet goals. Positive gaps are good news and a
sign that the manager was appropriately conservative in their estimates. These gaps can
be monitored and the team praised, but otherwise require no additional action.

Negative gaps spell problems for a project. Once a manager identifies a failure to
achieve standards, they need to further investigate the gap to determine its size and
severity. A minor gap may be a simple variation that can be safely left alone. For
example, if a team is one day behind schedule, it’s possible that the project will naturally
return to schedule. However, if the project has fallen a week behind schedule, this is a
more significant deviation that may need to be addressed.

Analyze Deviations

Once a project manager has identified places where their team is failing to meet
standards, it’s necessary to understand why those failures are occurring. If a project
manager has invested appropriate time and effort into the previous process groups, then
deviations should be rare. When they do occur, it’s a sign that the manager did not fully
account for all elements of the project’s circumstances or requirements. Identifying the
elements that were missed is essential for effectively revising the standards or activities
involved in the project to achieve the original goal.

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Analyzing deviations involves a thorough examination of both the standards and the
team’s performance. The specific nature of the gap between the two will assist project
managers in identifying the cause. One example may be a team that is consistently
failing to meet deadlines. If the lag between the intended deadline and the submission
of the work is steadily growing, the team may not have the skills, drive, or manpower
to accomplish high-quality work in the time allotted.

Managers should also consider tangentially related metrics to better understand the root
cause of deviations. In the example above, a project manager could check the number
of overtime hours recorded by the team. If they are regularly recording significant
overtime, then the problem is likely a simple lack of manpower. However, if overtime
is rarely recorded, or only recorded shortly before a deadline, then the team may not be
motivated to put in the work to accomplish goals on time.

Take Corrective Actions

The last step of the process is acting to improve the identified deviations. When positive
gaps are identified, managers should avoid changing anything until the project is
complete. These points where performance has exceeded expectations give the project
buffer room in case of later delays or setbacks.

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Need for an Integrated Information System,

What Is a PMIS Used For?

A Project Management Information System is designed to assist all elements of project

management, including information that must be monitored or collected. PMIS can be used
for project scope management, integration management, project time management, project
cost management, project quality management, project risk management, communications
management, and more.

Essential Features of a PMIS

When a tsunami of information needs to be organized and tracked for the smooth progress
of a project, a Project Management Information System becomes a necessary tool to help
with efficient project management. The information also proves helpful in reducing costs,
improving efficiency, and lower risk for all future projects.

The software has numerous tools to assist in storing data, making it easily searchable,
analyzable, retrievable, and thoroughly organized.

Schedule and Planning

It is one of the primary functions of project management. PMIS computes the critical path,
slack times, and early and late schedules.

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Resource Management

Resources in a project include everything, from material to human. Project Management

Information System makes this management of resources easy by including resource input,
allocation, resource leveling, and more. In addition, it helps keep track of the task's
expenses spent on procurement and allocation.

Budget

PMIS keeps track of all costs associated with individual tasks since the entire project's
budget depends on the estimates of each task. Thus, for more accurate budget estimation -
the customer's budget, resources allotted, and time available is taken into consideration,
and then the budget is generated.

Control and Performance

PMIS provides performance management by analyzing and controlling cost and

performance, updating existing plans as new information becomes available or existing
data changes, and providing what-if scenarios for the project manager.

Reporting and Communication

The Project Management Information System generates reports for every task, creates
charts and graphs of all the collected information and analyzes data that can be shared with
the team and stakeholders. It facilities effective communication among team members.

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Integration and Ease of Use

PMIS might even access data from several projects for multi-project analysis and integrate
it with other systems such as inventory, payroll, and so on. The easier it is to operate a
PMIS, the less cost and time it takes to train.

Types of Project Audit in Project Management

Undertaking an audit isn't the very best of occasions for any PM without having a clear
overview of the numerous kinds of audits listed in the PMBOK.

Take a look at the list given below for your overview

Normal Audit

This is called even simply' an audit' which is an element of Monitoring as well as the
Controlling method team. It's additionally called Inspection as it's essentially a QC
operation. Assessment is completed after the item is built

Quality Audit

This is included in the execution procedure and is a critical review of the project. They find
out whether the team follows the business's process

Risk Audit

These audits are included in the Monitoring as well as the Controlling team. These assist
with total procedure advancement. Here you can additionally audit as well as evaluate the
usefulness of the project risk management process as a whole.

Procurement Audit

The procurement Audit is an element of the Closing procedure team. As a component of

procurements closure, an organized general comment flushes away concerns, sets up

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instructions mastered, ensures troubles are solved for succeeding tasks as well as identifies
positive results as well as problems which justify transfer to various other procurements

Final Takeaway

Register for a PMP certification training with StarAgile and become a quality auditor of
your team. This online PMP certification program is customized to every PM and will
make you successful in your career.

8 steps to take to correctly evaluate your team:

We wanted to create a checklist so that you can properly evaluate your team. Hopefully it
will come in handy, let’s take a look at it together.

Knowing expectations and needs

First of all, you need to know what the expectations and needs of the organization in general
are. These can be a variety of valuable objectives, such as streamlining internal processes,
increasing sales, reducing staff turnover or improving employee morale.

Talking to team members

The project manager should spend some time talking to team members, first in groups and
then individually, to learn about their feelings, concerns, goals and ambitions about their
progress and obstacles in activities and roles as well as in the work environment in general.

Listening carefully

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When the project manager talks to team members, they must also listen carefully.
Sometimes you can read between the lines when an employee is trying to act diplomatic
because they fear recrimination or even losing their job.

Identifying the challenges team members are facing

These challenges may be obvious and predictable factors, but project managers should also
be aware that while some problems are internal to the organization, others occur in the
employee’s private life and can also have consequences in the workplace, causing the
person to become tired, irritable and stressed.

It is obvious that these factors must be taken into account when assessing the work of the
team.

evaluation of the team

Ensure that existing procedures and systems are in place and actually work

Sometimes systems can be installed but do not work, making the team’s work more
complicated than it should be. This can reduce productivity and increase levels of
frustration.

Requesting external feedback

Ask for feedback from customers – where possible – or even suppliers about how they
view the team’s work. This can be done either by anonymous survey or in other ways.
Getting feedback from all stakeholders is an important measure that can help to assess the

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work of the team and to understand if the direction the organization is going in is the right
one or not. However, it is worth remembering that it is impossible to win everyone’s
approval.

Making the necessary changes and monitoring

It is no surprise to learn that a negative assessment of the team’s work is also caused by a
lack of feedback, follow-up, leadership and monitoring from the manager. Therefore, the
project manager must make sure that they are present before assessing – especially if
negatively – the members of their team.

Creating a team evaluation process

In general, creating a process for the evaluation of the team’s work can make things clearer
for both the project manager and the team members. Here are some examples of questions
that might be included:

Does the person show up on time at work?

Is the person well prepared for the meetings?

Does they take responsibility or do they always find an excuse when things go wrong?

Do they focus on the needs of the team and not on their individual successes, failures or
wants?

Clearly, it is crucial that team members receive feedback after the evaluation. Feedback is
even more valuable when it is conducted with solid data.

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Team evaluations help an organization to visualize and achieve broader results and
objectives, making them an integral part of the evaluation process.

It is essential that the project manager avoid public criticism from team members at all
times.

If negative feedback is needed, the person should be called separately to discuss the
performance evaluation calmly and without pressure.

Moreover, the project manager should give feedback on how to improve and achieve the
objectives by outlining, if necessary, a training or mentoring program.

Generally speaking, each team works differently, so it is important to choose evaluation

methods that help prioritize results and areas for improvement that fit the overall business
strategy.

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