Project Planning and

Management
MA program in Development
Management
By: Sintayehu Hailu
 Objective/Outline
• To provide participants with:
– An overview over the meaning of project and program.
– An awareness of the importance of applying good practice
Project Management in projects of any size.
– An understanding of essential elements, including the
• Leadership Role of the Project Manager
• Project Planning
• Risk Management and
• Stakeholder Engagement.
– Why do projects fail?
 Program, Project and Task
• Program, project, task, and work assignment are often confused. It will help
US to distinguish these terms from one another.

• A project is defined as having the following characteristics:

– Complex and numerous activities
– Unique-a one-time set of events
– Finite-with a begin and end date
– Limited resources and budget
– Many people involved, usually across several functional areas in the organizations
– Sequenced activities
– Goal-oriented
– End product or service must result

• A task or set of work assignments may be done by one or more persons by

using a simple "to-do" list. However, it is evident that a task becomes a
project when the above factors begin to dominate and overwhelm
individuals who become unable to meet deadlines, budgets, and corporate
expectations while working alone.
 What is a project?
• “Unique process consisting of a set of coordinated and controlled
activities with start and finish dates, undertaken to achieve an
objective conforming to specific requirements, including
constraints of time, cost, quality and resources”

• A Project is a planned set of activities

• A Project has a scope
• A Project has time, cost, quality and resource constraints

• A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique

product, service, or result. The temporary nature of projects
indicates that a project has a definite beginning and end.

• The end is reached when the project’s objectives have been

achieved.
 What is a Program?
• A program is different from a project.

• A program is larger in scope and may comprise

multiple projects.

• For example, a construction company contracts

a program to build an industrial technology park
with several separate projects.
 What is Project management?

• “The application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities

to meet project requirements.”

• According to James P. Lewis, “Project Management is the planning,

scheduling, and controlling of project activities to achieve project objectives.”

• It is the art of organising, leading, reporting and completing a project through

people

• A project manager is a person who causes things to happen

• Therefore, project management is causing a planned undertaking to happen.

• The whole purpose of project management is to accomplish the business

result that is desired.
 Project Management Components
• A set of skills. Specialist knowledge, skills and experience are
required to reduce the level of risk within a project and
thereby enhance its likelihood of success.

• A suite of tools. Various types of tools are used by project

managers to improve their chances of success. Examples
include document templates, registers, planning software,
modeling software, audit checklists and review forms.

• A series of processes. Various processes and techniques are

required to monitor and control time, cost, quality and
scope on projects. Examples include time management, cost
management, quality management, change management,
risk management and issue management.
 The Role of Project Manager
• A Good Project Manager
– Takes ownership of the whole project
– Is proactive not reactive
– Adequately plans the project
– Is Authoritative (NOT Authoritarian)
– Is Decisive
– Is a Good Communicator
– Manages by data and facts not uniformed optimism
– Leads by example
– Has sound Judgement
– Is a Motivator
– Is Diplomatic
– Can Delegate
 Key points in project setup and definition

• Create Project Management Plan (PMP)

• Be clear of scope and objectives
• Establish clear statement of what is to be
done (WBS)_Work Breakdown Structure
• Establish Risks to be Managed
• Establish Costs and Durations
• Establish Resources Required
 Project Management Plan-PMP
• Master Document for Project
• Defines the following:-
 Project Objectives, Scope, Deliverables
 Stakeholders (Internal & External)
 Work to be done (WBS)
 Project Organisation and Resources (OBS)
 Project Costs (CBS)
 Project Schedule
 Procurement/Contract Strategy
 Risk Management
 Quality management
 Change Management
 Stakeholder engagement

“A person or group of people who have a vested

interest in the success of an organization and
the environment in which the organization
operates”
 Typical Stakeholders
• Sponsor/Funding Body
• Customer
• Suppliers
• End User
• Environmental Agency
• Maintenance Team
• Neighbours/Community/Shareholders
 Stakeholder engagement process

• Identify Stakeholders
• Assess needs
• Define actions
• Establish communication channels
• Gather feedback
• Monitor and review
 Project Planning
• Planning involves the establishment of clear and precise
objectives (and the work activities that will have to take place to
accomplish them) in order to reach a final, stated goal.

• The goal may involve the solution of a problem or the

achievement of some state or condition different from the
present one.

• Adequate planning leads to the correct completion of work

• Inadequate planning leads to frustration towards the end of the

project & poor project performance

• "If you don't know where you're going, how will you know when
you get there?'
 Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
• The Work Breakdown Structure is the
foundation for effective project planning,
costing and management.

• It is the most important aspect in setting-up a

Project

• It is the foundation on which everything else

builds
 Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)-
definition

• “A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a

hierarchical (from general to specific) tree
structure of deliverables and tasks that need
to be performed to complete a project.”
 Project planning –key points
• Recognise that adequate project planning is
essential
• Produce a sound WBS
• Use the framework provided by the Project
Management Plan (PMP) template
• Involve the right people
• Allow enough time
• Be systematic
 Project monitoring
• Typical Monitoring Activities
– regular reviews of progress against schedule using
WBS as basis (Plan against Baseline)
– regular review of actual costs against budgeted
costs and Earned Value at WBS level
– regular review of resource loading
– regular progress meetings with project team
– production of periodic progress reports
– risk reviews
– inspections/ audits
 Project Control
• Typical Control Activities
– assign responsibilities at Work Package level
– staged authorisation of work to be done
– staged release of budgets
– ensure PM has a ‘Management Reserve’ under his
control
– seek corrective action reports when WPs go ‘off
track’ (overrunning or overspending)
– release Management Reserve carefully
 Controlling…

• Once the resources are assembled into a cohesive

structure, it will be necessary to monitor and maintain
that structure as the project progresses.

• Control also includes the definition and creation of a

reporting structure at specified points through the
project life cycle.

• These reports are designed not only as historical records

but also as early warnings of situations and occurrences
that are outside nominal performance measures.
 Five-Step Model for Project Control

1. Update the status.

2. Analyze the impact.
3. Act on the variances.
4. Publish the revisions.
5. Inform management.
Project Monitoring and Control Summary

• Monitor against the plan – status regularly

• Take a factual approach to decisions
• Identify management action early
• Check that defined controls are being applied
– correct if necessary
• Apply change control
 Project Risk-Definition
• “Project risk is an uncertain event or
condition that, if it occurs, has a positive
or negative effect on a project objective”

• “A combination of the probability of a

defined threat or opportunity
(Likelihood) and the magnitude of the
consequences of the occurrence (Impact)
defines a Risk Index”
 Risk Impact
Threat → Scope → Poor Quality Product
Threat → Schedule → Late Delivery
Threat → Cost → Overspend

• In addition there are health, safety and

environmental threats that must be managed.
 Risk management process
• Identify Risks
• Assess likelihood and impact
• Rank risks and prioritise
• Define risk management approach & actions
• Implement actions
• Monitor & review
 ORGANIZING

• In addition to organizing people, project

management includes the assembly of the
necessary resources (manpower, materials,
and money) for carrying out the work defined
in the plan.

• It also involves the creation of the structure

needed to execute the plan.
 Project Execution
• Being simpler does not mean easier.

• Project execution is nothing more than performing all of the

work as it is detailed in the project plan.

• If planning has been done well, project execution and control

will be accomplished with fewer problems.

• Some of the crucial aspects of project execution include

gathering and disseminating information; soliciting,
contracting, and administering vendor contracts; and
developing the project team and quality assurance.
 CHANGE

• Once situations have been discovered that require change,

the project manager will have to institute that change.

• Project management is therefore seen as a method and a set

of techniques based on the accepted principles of
management used for planning, estimating, and controlling
work activities to reach a desired end result on time, within
budget, and according to specification.

• To plan and execute a project using these principles we have

utilized a 5–phase method. Each method contains specific
steps that expand the general process into a detailed set of
procedures. The phased method that will serve as a guide to
our development of project management is shown
 TEN MAJOR CAUSES OF PROJECT FAILURE

• The 25 steps help prevent the 10 causes of project failure offered by Danek
Bienkowski (1989).
• Projects that follow no method often fail for the following reasons:

1. The project is a solution in search of a problem.

2. Only the project team is interested in the end result.
3. No one is in charge.
4. The project plan lacks structure.
5. The project plan lacks detail.
6. The project is under budgeted.
7. Insufficient resources are allocated.
8. The project is not tracked against its plan.
9. The project team is not communicating.
10. The project strays from its original goals.

• Anyone who has worked on a project has certainly had experiences that
would attest to each of these causes.
Thank You!