Informatics Project Management Concepts

GPI - Gestão de Projectos Informáticos
Basic Concepts
Maria do Rosário Bernardo

1
The concept of project
Which are the basic characteristics differentiating

projects from other activities ?
A simple definition could be:
“something which has a beginning and an end”
Barnes, M (1989)

Project Definition
“A project consists of a unique set of processes consisting
of coordinated and controlled activities with start and end
dates, performed to achieve project objectives”
Achievement of the project objectives requires the provision of deliverables

conforming to specific requirements. A project may be subject to multiple
constraints.
ISO 21500:2012 Guidelines on project management

3
Project Definition
“A project is a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a

unique product, service, or result.”
PMBOK (PMI, 2013)

4
Project Definition
“A project is a temporary organization to which resource

are assigned to do work to deliver beneficial change”
(Turner, 2009)
• Beneficial change - state we wish to archive

• Need resource to do the work
• Create a new organization within which those resources can work
• The organization will have only temporary existence, being disbanded
when the new state is achieved

5
Common project’s characteristics:
• Endeavour oriented to implement change;
• Specific objectives constrained by quality, cost and time;
• Involvement of persons from different functions /

organizations / geographies … some times from different
cultures
• Unique realization

6
Types of IS Projects
• Software Development
• Package Implementation
• System Enhancement
• Consultancy & Business Analyses
• System Migration
• Infrastructure Implementation
• Outsourcing
• Disaster Recovery
• Smaller IS Projects
7
Software Development
Specify; design; develop; test; implement a new system
Difficulties:
• Users to express their wishes clearly
• Business analysts to capture them
Project Manager need
• Flexibility of approach; revisit and negotiate specifications
• Interpersonal skills
“Agile” methods a response to the SW requirements difficulties

8
Package Implementation
Difficulties:
• For the customer: select the correct package
• For the supplier: adjust the package to match the customer’s ways
of working
• For both: issue of integration with existing systems
Project Manager need
• Manage: package customization; data migration; training; cutover
• Ensuring the system fits customer organization
• Keep users realistic in their demands
• Balancing end-users demands with
– Time and budget constraints
– Package actual / new versions functionalities
9
System Enhancement
Update and/or develop new requirements in a existing system
Difficulties:
• Keeping the existing system operational
• Balance resources assigned to develop / support the system
• Need of regression testing

10
Consultancy & Business Analyses
Do not involve developing or installing anything tangible

Investigate and propose solutions using IT
Difficulties:
• Estimate, plan and control
• Hard to fix the scope

11
System Migration
Move a system to a new operational environment
Includes: analyses; development (“changes” and interfaces); tests;

users training and final migration.
Final migration should be done when the old system is “killed”
The project success will be judge by smoothness of the process

12
Infrastructure Implementation
Introduce or replace hardware; communications infrastructure; prepare

a new office,…
Difficulties:
• Maintain the operational systems when putting in place new
infrastructure
• Most work usually subcontracted

13
Outsourcing
Reasons to outsource IT:
– Gain access to expertise
– Difficulty to maintain internally
– Reduce costs through economic scale
– Reduce employees
– Transfer risks
Difficulties:
• Contracts
• IT resources resistance

14
Disaster Recovery
The objective is to get the organization’s IT systems “back” as soon as

possible to ensure the continuity of the business.
Be Preventive
• Disaster recovery plan with contingency plans
• Agreements with suppliers (alternative workplaces and data centres)
• Backups processes
• ….

15
Smaller IS Projects
If the project can be done by 1 developer for a few days do we nedd

project management methods?
Typical project management deliverables (plans, reports,…) should be

abbreviated to be proportional to the size of the project.
At least we need a “Project Initiation Document” and a Close Report

16
Organization
Organizational Strategy
Opportunities
Benefits
Project Context Project
Business Case Governance
Project Organization
Operations Project
Project Management Process
Deliverables
Product Process
Support Process
source: ISO 21500 Guidelines on project management

17
Projects vs Operations
Characteristics:
Projects Operations
Unique Repeatable
Time limited No time limit
Revolutionary change Evolutionary change
Unbalance Balance
Temporary resources Permanent resources
Flexibility Stability
Effectiveness Efficiency
Goals Rules
Risk and uncertainty Experience

Project Management
The first, direct, answer is
“A set of processes through which a project is completed with

success”
“Project management is the application of knowledge, skills,

tools and techniques to project activities to meet project
requirements.”
Project Management Process Groups (PMBOK 2004)
“Project management is about converting vision into reality”

The Handbook of Project-Based Management, Turner, J.Rodeney, 2009

Project Management
Project management is the application of methods, tools,
techniques and competencies to a project.
– Project management includes the integration of the various phases

of the project life cycle.
– Project management is accomplished through processes.
– The processes selected for use in a project should be aligned in a
systemic view.
– Each phase of the project life cycle has deliverables.
– These deliverables are regularly reviewed during the project to meet
the requirements of the sponsor, customer and other stakeholders.
source: ISO 21500:2012 Guidelines on project management

Project Management Processes (PMI)
Initiating Planning
Processes Processes
Controlling Executing
Processes Processes
Closing
Processes
Project management is accomplished through the application and

integration of the project management processes
21
PMBOK, Knowledge areas

• 10 Project Management knowledge areas
– Project Scope Management
– Project Time Management
– Project Cost Management
– Project Quality Management
– Project Human Resources Management
– Project Communications Management
– Project Risk Management
– Project Procurement Management
– Project Integration Management
– Project Stakeholders Management (PMBOK 2013)
22
Project Management Processes (ISO)
Controlling
Initiating Planning Closing
Implementing
Source: ISO 21500:2013

23
Subject Process groups

Groups
Initiating Planning Implementing Controlling Closing
Integration Develop Project Develop Project Control Project Close Project

Direct Project Work
Charter Plans Work. Phase or Project
Collect Lessons
Control Changes
Learned
Stakeholder Identify
Manage Stakeholders
Stakeholders
Define Scope Control Scope
Create Work
Scope Breakdown Structure
Define Activities
Establish Project
Estimate Resources Develop Project Team Control Resources
Team
Resource
Define Project Manage Project
Organization Team

Subject Process groups

Groups
Initiating Planning Implementing Controlling Closing
Sequence Activities Control Schedule
Time Estimate Activity

Durations
Develop Schedule
Estimate Costs Control Costs

Cost
Develop Budget
Identify Risks Treat Risks Control Risks

Risk
Assess Risks
Quality Perform Quality Perform Quality

Plan Quality
Assurance Control
Procurement Administer
Plan Procurement Select Suppliers
Procurement
Plan Manage
Communication Distribute Information
Communications Communication
For a new project Project Project

Charter plans
Outline
Business
Case
Contract
Statement
of Work Controlling
Project Charter
Stakeholders
register
Initiating Planning Closing
Project plans
Documentation
from previous Implementing
phase Lessons
For a new phase
learned Source: ISO 21500

Lessons learned
Progress reports
Approved Changes Approved Changes

Approved Changes
Controlling
Issue log
Progress Reports Progress
Change requests
reports
Project Plans Project Close Project/Phase
Closure
Risks Register Reports report
Closing
Initiating Planning
Change Requests
Project Plans Issues List
Risks Register Progress Data
Implementing Issues List

Lessons Learned
Lessons
Source: ISO 21500 learned

Project Concept
The project concept is linked to a set of specific features that are generally accepted and should be
considered in the decision to classify a work that should be carried out as a project.
Projects are defined based on , and limited by, a set of objectives (scope, quality, deadlines and costs)
that are predefined, and which form the basis for evaluating the success of the project.
Singularity (Unique). The results to be achieved in each project, as well as the way they are
achieved, are new to the Organization, have never been achieved before and will not be repeated
Creates change. Projects should be directly related to the implementation of the Organization's
strategies, being the key vectors for their implementation. The change associated with projects is by
nature a drastic change and can be fundamentally of two types:
• Change of business (eg: designing and developing new products or new services, extending
business to new markets);
• Change of organization (eg: reengineering of business processes, modification of organizational
design, implementation of new working methods).
The beneficial change delivered by the project, commonly referred as the project benefits, or project
outcome, usually is only perceived by the Organizations after the project closure, many times months
or even years after the project term.
Multifunctional involvement. The diversity of competencies that contribute to the realization of a
project requires the planned participation of different functions within the Organization or even the use
of external capacities, when these do not exist internally.

28

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GPI - Gestão de Projectos Informáticos

Maria do Rosário Bernardo

The concept of project

Which are the basic characteristics differentiating

A simple definition could be:

“something which has a beginning and an end”

Maria do Rosário Bernardo

Achievement of the project objectives requires the provision of deliverables

ISO 21500:2012 Guidelines on project management

“A project is a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a

PMBOK (PMI, 2013)

Maria do Rosário Bernardo

“A project is a temporary organization to which resource

• Beneficial change - state we wish to archive

Maria do Rosário Bernardo

Common project’s characteristics:

• Endeavour oriented to implement change;

• Specific objectives constrained by quality, cost and time;

• Involvement of persons from different functions /

Maria do Rosário Bernardo

Specify; design; develop; test; implement a new system

“Agile” methods a response to the SW requirements difficulties

Update and/or develop new requirements in a existing system

Maria do Rosário Bernardo

Consultancy & Business Analyses

Do not involve developing or installing anything tangible

Maria do Rosário Bernardo

Move a system to a new operational environment

Includes: analyses; development (“changes” and interfaces); tests;

The project success will be judge by smoothness of the process

Maria do Rosário Bernardo

Introduce or replace hardware; communications infrastructure; prepare

Maria do Rosário Bernardo

Maria do Rosário Bernardo

The objective is to get the organization’s IT systems “back” as soon as

Maria do Rosário Bernardo

If the project can be done by 1 developer for a few days do we nedd

Typical project management deliverables (plans, reports,…) should be

At least we need a “Project Initiation Document” and a Close Report

Maria do Rosário Bernardo

source: ISO 21500 Guidelines on project management

Maria do Rosário Bernardo

“A set of processes through which a project is completed with

“Project management is the application of knowledge, skills,

“Project management is about converting vision into reality”

Maria do Rosário Bernardo

– Project management includes the integration of the various phases

source: ISO 21500:2012 Guidelines on project management

Project Management Processes (PMI)

Project management is accomplished through the application and

PMBOK, Knowledge areas

Project Management Processes (ISO)

Initiating Planning Closing

Source: ISO 21500:2013

Maria do Rosário Bernardo

Subject Process groups

Integration Develop Project Develop Project Control Project Close Project

Define Scope Control Scope

Source: ISO 21500:2013

Maria do Rosário Bernardo

Subject Process groups

Sequence Activities Control Schedule

Time Estimate Activity