CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Project management is not new. It has been in use for hundreds of years. Examples of project
outcomes include: Pyramids of Giza, Olympic games, Great Wall of China, Development of
commercial jet airplanes, Polio vaccine, Human beings landing on the moon, Placement of the
International Space Station into Earth’s orbit, and more.

The outcomes of these projects were the result of leaders and managers applying project
management practices, principles, processes, tools, and techniques to their work. The managers of
these projects used a set of key skills and applied knowledge to satisfy their customers and other
people involved in and affected by the project.

What is a Project ?

A project is a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result. The
temporary nature of projects indicates that a project has a definite beginning and end. Temporary
does not necessarily mean a project has a short duration. Projects are undertaken to fulfil
objectives by producing deliverables.

Examples of projects include but are not limited to: Developing a new pharmaceutical compound
for market, Expanding a tour guide service, Merging two organisations, Improving a business
process within an organisation, Acquiring and installing a new computer hardware system for use
in an organisation, Exploring for oil in a region, Modifying a computer software program used in an
organisation, Conducting research to develop a new manufacturing process, and un Constructing a
building.

The end of the project is reached when one or more of the following is true:

- The project’s objectives have been achieved;

- The objectives will not or cannot be met;
- Funding is exhausted or no longer available for allocation to the project;
- The need for the project no longer exists (e.g., the customer no longer wants the project
completed, a change in strategy or priority ends the project, the organisational management
provides direction to end the project);
- The human or physical resources are no longer available; or
- The project is terminated for legal cause or convenience.

What is Project Management

Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project
activities to meet the project requirements.
In simple terms, Project management involves the planning and organisation of a company's
resources to move a specific task, event, or duty toward completion.

Project management is equally the process of leading the work of a team to achieve all project
goals within the given constraints. The primary constraints are scope, time, budget, and quality.

DEFINITION OF SOME KEY TERMS IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT

A project objective is the goal you set to achieve by the end of a specific project

A project scope clearly identifies the goals, deadlines, and deliverables that a project is set to
complete in a specific period of time.

Project deliverables refer to all the outputs, tangible or intangible, that are submitted within the
scope of a project. Examples of tangible outputs could be; acquisition of new computers,
construction of a building, and more while intangible outputs could include; raising customer
satisfaction rate, improved employee motivation, and better reputation for a company's brand.

A project manager is the person assigned by an organisation to lead the team that is responsible
for achieving the project objectives. A project manager is equally a professional who organises,
plans, and executes projects while working within restraints like scope, budgets and schedules.

A project plan (or project management plan) is a detailed map of all of the elements your team
needs to accomplish to reach your project's goals.

Project budget is a formally approved document featuring a comprehensive list of financial

resources, including project expenses, required to complete a project.

A project timeline outlines the project events in order of their occurrence.

A milestone represents a major achievement in a project lifecycle.

Project stakeholders are the people who are directly or indirectly impacted by a project. They
could be internal; team members, administration, etc or external; government, creditors, partners,
etc.

Project quality refers to the degree to which the final deliverable of a project conforms with its
initial plan and specifications.

A project risk is an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or negative effect
on a project.
A key performance indicator (KPI) is a metric that showcases how your team is progressing
toward a specific goal or project objectives.

Benefits of Project Management

CLEARLY DEFINED SCOPE

The project manager works with the customers and team to ensure that the scope is well-defined
from the outset. This enables the team to write clear requirements, and everyone has the same
understanding of what to deliver at the end of the project.

ORGANISATION AND PLANNING

The project manager works with the team to create schedules, budgets, and other components of
the Project Plan. This gives the team clear direction and sets expectations for management and
customers regarding each project deliverable.

TEAM ACCOUNTABILITY

The project manager holds team members accountable to honour their commitments. This helps
the project stay on track, and avoid leaving behind some tasks.

BUDGET AND COST MANAGEMENT

The project manager gathers information on the project cost and creates the project budget during
project planning. Going forward, she also manages project spending through the course of the
project and ensures the project stays on budget with no surprises.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT

The project manager works with the team to build quality into the project from the beginning.

The PM ensures the team follows appropriate processes, such as gathering requirements and
testing where appropriate. The team may need to follow compliance guidelines or contract
considerations. Throughout the life of the project, the PM coordinates multiple activities to address
quality.

RISK MANAGEMENT

Risk management includes identifying risks early in the process and addressing them before they
cause problems. It also involves managing change throughout the project by tracking changes and
communicating them effectively.
The project manager identifies potential risks at the beginning of the project. She works with the
team to actively manage risk throughout the life of the project.

As a result, this keeps the project moving forward even if there are threats to the project plan.

TEAM BUILDING

Because project success depends on many different team members, you need to bring that project
team together to focus on the common goal. If there are conflicts, personal agendas, or conflicting
desires, the project could stall or churn. A good project manager knows how to bring the team
together to work toward common success.

RECORD KEEPING AND ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES

The project manager understands the project at a higher level and knows when to schedule a
meeting and who to bring to the table. He anticipates the need for important project discussions
and drives these activities to keep the project moving forward and on track. He ensures necessary
documents are created and stored for compliance and historical purposes.

Projects, Programs and Portfolios

A project is a temporary endeavour undertaken by a company or organisation (such as the

creation of a new product, service, or result)

A program is a group of projects that are similar or related to one another, and which are often
managed and coordinated as a group instead of independently

A portfolio is a group of different programs and/or projects within the same organisation, which
may be related or unrelated to one another
The difference between Projects, Programs and Portfolios

The Phases of a Project Management - Project lifecycle

1. Project initiation

Before you begin the project lifecycle, you need to determine if this is even a project worth
pursuing. If you don’t know why the business needs or would benefit from this project, you’ll need
to undergo feasibility testing.

Questions to ask during project initiation:

Is this project feasible?

What’s the ultimate goal?
What problem are we trying to solve?
What outcome are we trying to achieve?
How will we measure the success of this project?
Which stakeholders are involved?

Deliverables:

Project charter including scope, objectives, and participants.

Project initiation document (PID) defining the scope of the project, who will be managing the
project, and how you will measure success. May also contain necessary context, team info, and
collaborators.
Project brief communicating the reason for, and approach to, a project. Summarise your objectives,
scope, main deliverables, milestones, and timeline.

2. Planning

Now it’s time to develop an outline or roadmap that your team will follow to complete the project.
This is essentially where you determine how you’re going to achieve the goals you defined in the
previous phase.

Define the project in detail, then develop and define costs, resources, and timelines. Be sure to
define who’s responsible for what during this phase so everyone understands their individual
responsibilities.

Questions to ask during the planning phase:

What project managing software should we use?

What’s the budget?
What resources do we have to work with?
What’s the deadline?
What risks are we taking?

Deliverables:

Statement of scope
Communication plan
Risk management plan
Gantt chart
Milestone chart
Work breakdown schedule

3. Project execution
Now it’s time to get to work! You’ll usually begin the third stage with a kickoff meeting, then each
team and its members will begin working on their responsibilities.

Questions to ask during the project execution phase:

What tracking system are we using?

When is the kickoff meeting and who’s coming?
When will we have our recurring status meetings?
What are we doing to avoid any negative consequences?
Have we developed a communication plan for all stakeholders?

Deliverables:

Define team
Assign resources
Begin project management plan
Set up tracking system
Execute task assignment
Kick-off and status meeting
Project schedule updating
Refined project plan

4. Project performance and monitoring

Now’s your chance to become drunk with power...or nervously monitor the project’s progression.
You’ll use KPIs to measure project performance and also actively work to resolve any issues or
roadblocks that may arise.

Questions to ask during the performance and monitoring phase:

How is the quality of the project?

Where are we in terms of budget?
Are we on schedule?
Are there any roadblocks?
Are we still projected to meet the deadline?

Deliverables:

Use your project management software and shared visuals to mark completed project steps and
make notes on progress and status.

5. Project closing phase

This involves sending out a congratulatory email, and taking a nap. It’s important to give step five
its proper due because there’s much to be learned by taking a look back at every project.

Questions to ask during the closing phase:

What went well?

What did we learn?
What can be improved next time?
Are there any steps we can do away with?

Deliverables:

A proper celebration
Project closure report that includes:
Project name
Goal
Start date
Deadline and actual delivery
Projected budget and actual budget
Team members
Stakeholders
Pain points
Wins
Observations

Process Groups

The PMBOK® Guide defines a process as “a set of interrelated actions and activities performed to
create a pre-specified product, service or result.” It goes on to say that “project management
processes ensure the effective flow of the project throughout its life cycle.” Processes get things
done.

Each process has prerequisites (known as inputs), tools and techniques you can use to actually do
the process, and then outputs: one of more things that you get as a result of having done the
process. The achievement of those things lets you know the process is over (at least until the next
time you need to use it). There are around 50 processes.

Note:
The Process Groups are not the same thing as a project life cycle. A life cycle shows how the
project moves from start to finish in different phases. Within one phase you might go through all the
Process Groups, or just some of them, so don’t confuse the two. Process Groups help you apply
what knowledge you have about the different professional areas of project management. They
define what you need to do.
 CHAPTER TWO

INITIATING A PROJECT

The Initiation Phase is that time in the project lifecycle when the project idea is defined, evaluated
and then authorised to proceed by the Project Sponsor and the Vice Chancellor/Chief Information
Officer. The project justification, significant deliverables, risks, estimated cost and resource
requirements and other information about the project are documented and reviewed in a formal
project discovery process. This detailed information will later be contained in the project charter.

Initiation Processes Activities

● Agree to a vision for the project

● Define the major goals & project justification
● Review project charters, project change controls and lessons learned from previous projects
● Identify all of the project stakeholders
● Identify service/product owners
● Identify project team member roles and responsibilities
● Identify the resources required, the cost estimates, and a broad timeline

Criteria for Project Selection

Project selection involves choosing which projects to pursue based on their potential value and
strategic fit. It is essential to have a project selection process to ensure that resources are invested
in projects that are aligned with the organisation's goals and have the potential to deliver value.

To effectively evaluate and prioritise potential projects, there are several common management
focus areas that stakeholders typically consider. Here are some of the most common management
focus areas in project selection:

1. Strategic Alignment: The project should match the organisation's overall strategy. It should
contribute to the organisation's long-term objectives and provide a significant return on
investment.

2. Feasibility: The project should be feasible regarding time, budget, and resources. The project
team should be able to complete the project within the given timeframe, budget, and available
resources.
3. Risk Assessment: The project should be evaluated for risks that could impact its success.
Risks may include budget overruns, delays, scope creep, or other factors hindering the project's
success.

4. Benefit Analysis: The project should provide benefits that justify the investment. The benefits
may be financial or non-financial, and stakeholders should consider the short-term and
long-term impact of the project.

5. Resource Allocation: The project should be evaluated for resource availability and allocation.
The project team should have the necessary skills, experience, and resources to complete the
project successfully.

6. Sustainability: The project should be evaluated for its sustainability, including the long-term
impact on the environment and social and economic factors.

7. Market Potential: The project should be evaluated for its potential impact on the market. It
should be relevant to the target audience and provide a competitive advantage.

8. Organisational Capability: The project should be evaluated based on the organisation's

capability to manage it successfully. The organisation should have the systems, processes, and
people to deliver the project successfully.

9. Stakeholder Engagement: The project should be evaluated for its potential to engage
stakeholders, including customers, employees, partners, and other relevant stakeholders.

10. Alignment with Regulatory Requirements: The project should be evaluated for its alignment
with regulatory requirements and compliance with legal, ethical, and social standards.

A Business case

According to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, a business case is a document that
allows decision-makers to determine whether the project is worth the investment. It presents a
current business problem and suggests ways to solve it by implementing a certain initiative. The
basic purpose of this document is to justify the initiation of a project.

A business case vs. a feasibility study

Both a business case and a feasibility study are decision-making tools that present a project’s
viability. But still, they have certain differences. Take a look at the table below.
Components of a Business Case Document

There isn’t any single standard for writing a business case. In addition, some companies have their
own templates. Let’s consider one of the variants of this document.

Executive summary
This section describes a business problem along with related issues, and how a proposed project
is going to address it. As a rule, it’s compiled at the end and summarises all other sections.

An executive summary creates the first impression of a project. In addition, it may happen that
some decision-makers will read only this section. So, make sure that it covers the most relevant
information about the initiative.

Here are the proposed components of the executive summary.

● Problem: this section should briefly describe an issue to be addressed.

● Expected outcomes: how will the business benefit from the implementing the proposed project?
● Recommendations: this part describes in what way the proposed project is going to resolve the
outlined business problem and how desired results will be achieved.
● Justification: why implement the proposed project? How does it differ from other alternatives?
What consequences will the business face in case of declining the initiative?

Business case analysis team

This section describes the roles of employees responsible for developing a business case and
describes their responsibilities. They can be as follows: executive sponsor, technology support,
process improvement, project manager, and software support.

Problem description
This section should cover the following aspects:

● Problem statement (it can be process, technology, or product-oriented);

● Organisational impact: how will the proposed project transform the existing organisational
processes, tools, hardware, and/or software;
● Technology migration: this subsection is required when a project involves the implementation of
new technologies and data migration from legacy systems.

Overview of a project
This section should provide the most comprehensive information about a project and describe it in
the following way:

● Project description presents the approach that will be used to solve the outlined business
problem, a project’s components, purpose, and the way it will be implemented;
● A list of business goals and objectives and how the project is expected to achieve them;
● Project performance section describes the criteria to assess project outcomes in relation to key
resources, processes, or services;
● Project constraints (e.g., limited resources or budget); this list is preliminary and will be
extended upon project plan development;
● Major project milestones: this subsection presents a rough milestone schedule, so that
stakeholders can get the idea of an approximate timeline.

Strategic alignment
This section should describe how the project outcomes will be aligned with goals and objectives of
an organisation’s strategic plans.

Cost-benefit analysis
This is one of the most important sections of a business case. Cost-benefit analysis involves the
use of measurable financial metrics (earned revenue or costs saved as a result of project
implementation) to make a decision regarding a project initiation. Its main purpose is to illustrate
that the benefit a company gets will outweigh the investment.

Alternative analysis
One of the compulsory elements of a business case is presenting possible alternatives to a
proposed project, which should include the following information:

● the list of all possible alternatives and their consequences;

● the reasons for not selecting other alternatives;
● the substantiation for selecting a particular project among other options
 Project Goals and Objectives

Goals are the general long-term outcome you want to achieve, while Objectives are the short to
mid-term specific, measurable actions you take to help you achieve a goal.

Characteristics of a good objective

SMART is an acronym used to identify the characteristics of good objectives. SMART objectives
identify who should do what, under what conditions, according to which standards. SMART
objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Use the following guide
to develop good exercise objectives.

1. Specific
Objectives should address the five Ws: who, what, when, where, and why. The objective specifies
what needs to be done with a timeline for completion.

2. Measurable
Objectives should include numeric or descriptive measures that define quantity, quality, cost, etc.
Their focus should be on observable actions and outcomes.

3. Achievable
Objectives should be within the control, influence, and resources of exercise play and participant
actions.

4. Relevant
Objectives should be instrumental to the mission of the organisation and link to its goals or
strategic intent.

5. Time-Bound
A specified and reasonable timeframe should be incorporated into all objectives.

Creating an Objective Statement

An Objective statement defines the Who, What, Why, When and Where - 5Ws of a Project.

What are the different project activities

Why should the project be carried out

Who is in charge of what activity in the project

Where will the project be carried out

When will what activity be carried out

A Project Charter

A project charter is a formal short document that states a project exists and provides project
managers with written authority to begin work. A project charter document describes a project to
create a shared understanding of its goals, objectives and resource requirements before the project
is scoped out in detail.

Project charters are an important part of project management, as they help plan out the basics of a
project and can be referenced throughout the project's lifecycle. The formal document can also
show a project's viability and possible return on investment, helping the work get approved.

The project charter helps project managers explain to participants and stakeholders the scope of a
project, project objectives, who will participate in the project, along with other details such as
possible risks. Depending on a company's culture and management style, a charter may serve the
same purpose as a business case. In a large organisation, the charter may be a multipage
document, but in smaller organisations, it may just be a few paragraphs with bulleted items.

What should a project charter include?

Project charter templates often include the following parts of the project:

Project goal.
This documents the reasons for undertaking the project in clear, concise language. This should
determine the project's scope.

Project participants.
This identifies who will be involved in the project and clearly states their roles.

Stakeholders.
This identifies project sponsors or other people who will be directly affected by the project and need
to know about its progress.

Requirements.
This identifies the resources required for the project's objectives to be achieved.

Constraints.
This documents potential roadblocks or bottlenecks and should help prepare participants for the
potential issues of the project.

Implementation milestones.
This identifies the start and ideal completion dates, as well as dates for other potentially important
checkpoints, like a project schedule.
Communication.
This specifies how the project manager will communicate with project owners, participants and key
stakeholders throughout the project.

Deliverables.
This documents what specific products, processes or services the project provides upon
completion.

Cost.
This identifies a general overview of the project budget.

The project manager should create the project charter at the beginning of the project. Signing the
document can also act as a way to authorise the project, giving the project manager the go-ahead
to officially begin executing the project. This includes the authority to begin employing
organisational funds and resources. For larger projects that are multi-phased, project managers
can create a charter for each phase.