CHAPTER 1: Project Management - Lessons learned

PROJECT MANAGEMENT - Documentation

- is the application of processes, methods,
knowledge, skills and experience to achieve Project management as a [best] practice
the project objectives (The Association of - is a method of planning and guiding a
Project Management) project from start to finish.
- Typically involves:
o A short-term project Small Scale Case Study
o A specific outcome - New president
o Resources – human and capital - Interim vice president for Advancement
- Request for Executive dashboard
THE PROCESS  Educational and actionable
1. Define - The outcome/goal(s) typically  Current year and comparative historical
predetermined, and initiates and drives the data
project.  Data visualization
2. Plan - Planning is the most important step in  Representative of broad division goals
the process – and most complicated.
3 key elements: Executive Dashboard
o Time – deadline, milestones, allocation ► Project management process
of work between team members and - A clearly defined outcome
business as usual. - Plan
o Cost – the project budget,  Time: 8 weeks
additional/unexpected costs, staff  Cost: time, collaborative opportunity
time, comparable value. (no budget)
o Scope – directly effected by time and  Scope: superior executive style
cost, and vice versa. report
 Roles: project manager,
Time, Cost and Roles – clearly defined roles developers/programmers,
are required to move a project through stakeholders (internal and external)
stages: and partners
o Project Manager ► Implementation
o Product Owner - Review sample dashboards from other
o Team Members institutions
o Stakeholders - Drafted sample dashboards, secure
o Users approval
3. Implementation - Assess data in new data warehouse
- Strategy - Assess visualization tools with reporting
- Milestones tool (Microsoft Reporting Services)
- Resource allocation
- Adjustments
- Documentation
- Communication
4. Evaluation
- Result
- Process
- Budget
 - Evaluate ability to publish online and o Evaluate all tables, rules, logic for
schedule delivery logins
► Evaluation o Assess best way to rebuild tables and
- Outcome was met on time/budget add enhancements
- Stakeholder feedback was positive o Carefully stage the tasks and
- Options to schedule delivery and publish timelines
online and in real time met o Assign project milestones and regular
- Reporting tool was flexible to communication
accommodate reporting changes and
enhancements over time

Large scale Case Study

- Disastrous database conversion
- Many applications tied to old db in shambles
- Rebuild Class Agent Portal
o Re-engineer back end data with new
database
o Evaluate volunteer and login structure
o Enhance front end user interface

Class Agent Portal

- Project management process

o Clearly defined goal
o Scope: rebuild to function in time for
vol training
o Time: 5-6 months
o Cost: time/labor intensive
o Roles: assigned a project manager,
multiple staff member roles,
stakeholders (Annual Giving staff and
volunteers) and partners (ITS)
- Process steps
o Review former class agent portal
- Evaluation
o Project completed on time/budget
o Stakeholder feedback was positive
o Better team approach and cross
training
o Increased usage each year
o Flexibility for enhancements in data
or design added each year since
Time + Cost => Scope

Project Management tools

- MS software and web version

Project Prioritization Models: 4 Quadrants

- online project management w/

app (https://basecamp.com/tour)

- an online project management

app
 Project Priority Matrix
(https://www.zoho.com/projects/features.html) - Sample
Time Technical Mission Project
Project  Budget # Staff Scope
sensitivtiy complexity Priority Rank
Project Prioritization Models Project A - Executive
0 1 1 1 3 1 4
Dashboard
Project B - Class Agent
0 2 4 1 7 1 8
Portal rebuild
Project C - Profile report 0 3 2 2 7 4 11
Project D - alumni app 1 4 4 2 11 4 15

Scores 1-5 (0= n/a; 1 very

important - 5 least important)

Scope = B+C+D+E
Project Rank = Scope +
Mission priority
 - It is important to build mutual trust between
line managers and team members, as this will
enable delegation to happen more effective

Skills of an Effective Manager

1. Superior Communication Skill

- A good manager is your classic
communication expert. Promoting a work
environment where everyone feels valued
and heard takes excellent communication
skills and practice.
- Frequent and effective communication
through multiple channel (in-person,
email, phone, voice over IP) strengthen
your ties with your employees to
The Four Quadrants time matrix comes from a encourage trust and limit conflict.
book by Stephen Covey, First Things First. By 2. Leading with Transparency and Honesty
using this approach, activities are categorized to - Whenever possible, update your team on
fit in one out of four quadrants for time anything from small successes/concerns
management to large restructuring possibilities so
that they are aware what’s going on at all
Project Prioritization Models: Matrix
times.
A matrix provides a compact way of conveying results, - Even if the issue at hand does not pertain
the quality of the tool depends on the quality of the directly to them, it helps to assure that
multi-criteria method used to produce the results,
they are an integral part of the company
including the logic for defining the criteria and the
and that their support and understanding
processes used to evaluate projects and assign weights.
is valued.
Project Prioritization Models: Venn 3. Supporting Your Employees With Clear
Direction and Removing Their Roadblocks
Venn diagrams are used to compare and contrast
for Them
sets of data or ideas. They can be used to
- You are on their side and they need to
classify and/or show relationships between sets
feel that all times.
– and therefore contribute to planning and
- Be clear with your expectations for them
prioritizing.
– have them create S. M. A. R. T.
(Specific, Measurable, Achievable,
Relevant, Time bound) goals or something
CHAPTER 2: Qualities of a Project Manager
similar and go through it with them.
Effective Manager - Then help them succeed with all the
(reasonable) requests for technology or
- are always good delegators. time that they need.
- can distribute tasks to their team as well as 4. Embracing Technology
ensuring that their own time is well used for - A good manager always keeps an eye out
management issues and important tasks. of technology that will promote the
- Employees that feel trusted are better productivity of the team.
placed to achieve their potential and are - Though some employees may be resistant
given incentive to ensure that they perform to change, the bottom line is that
well.
 technology may be able to take care of - Allow your employee to address their
the more tedious aspects of their job emotions and issues so you can help them
responsibilities, which frees up time to be move beyond it with an effective solution
more strategic in their thinking. and get back to productivity
5. Motivating with Positive Feedback and 8. Promoting Cross-level and Cross-functional
Recognition Collaboration
- You can never praise someone too much! - Many companies have their teams
If an employee is doing a great job, be “working in silos”, where they only
sure to recognize it privately and in the immerse themselves in their process
general office space so that he or she without greater understanding of what’s
feels appreciated. happening in the company as a whole.
- At the same time, if there’s an employee - Encourage employees to spend some time
that needs some improvement, let them sharing with their other departments or
know that you’re aware of the situation implement a mentorship program.
and that you’re there to help through - On a recreational level, cross-team
constructive criticism. Never criticize in lunches or retreats do wonders for
public. employees getting to know each other.
6. Expert in the Field 9. Creating a Productive and Lively Work
- Being a leader means also means that you Environment
need to have answers to some, if not all, - Team spirit is wonderful thing. Make sure
of the questions. to set aside time for your employees to
- A good manager is an authority in the get to know each other personally, such
industry and understands each role of the as small office celebrations for
company. birthdays, etc.
- Consider some training sessions for your - At meetings, create team challenges to
team that allow you to share some new get their competitive juices going –
strategies and refresh on methods to nothing bonds a team like a contest.
keep your team learning from you - Or have an employee set up a humor
7. Mediating with Productivity and Calmness board where employees can contribute
- Unfortunately, many managers report jokes or funny pictures.
that a large portion of their time goes 10. Trusting Your Employees
toward conflict resolution and mediating - Micromanaging, unless specifically
between employees and clients. requested by your employee, is rarely a
- Even if it’s more personal than business- good thing.
related, do not ignore the emotions of - After you’ve clearly laid the tasks and
your employees. expectations, trust them to do the best
- Doing so will create unnecessary and job they can.
possibly harmful distance between you - You are their leader and to acquire their
and the employee, eroding the trust in trust, you must lead by example
your relationship and compromising
CHAPTER 3: Developing Project Management
productivity in the workplace.
Plan
- When approached with a situation, be
sure to stay calm and use the rules of Developing Project Management Plan
effective communication to resolve the
issue – listen, question, facilitate and Many professionals think of a Project

direct. Management Plan as a Gantt chart or a Schedule.

Professionals who carry this misconception into
the PMP® certification exam are the least likely
ones to pass the exam. As you will see in this
article, a Project Management Plan is a document
that defines how a project is executed,
monitored, and controlled; it is much more than a
schedule chart.

A project management plan is a formal

document that defines how a project is going to
be carried out. It outlines the scope, goals,
budget, timeline, and deliverables of a project,
and it's essential for keeping a project on track.

Creating Project Management Plan

1. Collect requirements from key stakeholders

Once you’ve created a project charter and
identified key project stakeholders, it’s
essential to gather requirements. You need
input to generate output. The planning
process starts with collecting requirements
from stakeholders. Once you have this
information, you will be able to define the
scope of the project and determine exactly
what you need to deliver to your
stakeholders.
2. Define the scope of the project After identifying which resources you’ll
What is it the team needs to produce or need, Alexis suggests identifying the skill
deliver and what problems are the level needed for each activity.
stakeholders trying to solve? Then, work 8. Build in contingencies
with your stakeholders to develop a A plan without contingency is a bad plan.
comprehensive description of the project Projects rarely go as planned, so you need to
and the product deliverables in the form of a build in backup plans. The contingencies can
project scope statement. You must have a be determi ned by looking at historical data
clear understanding of the boundaries of the to identify risks that occurred on similar
project. projects in the past.
3. Create a work breakdown structure 9. Create a performance measurement
Break down the project’s scope into smaller, baseline
more manageable deliverables and groups of Develop an integrated scope-schedule-cost
related tasks, also known as “work packages.” baseline for the project work, which will
This will allow you to assign resources to serve as a control tool for your project.
different parts of the project based on the Then, compare the execution of the project
skills needed. The work breakdown structure to your baseline to measure and manage
facilitates planning and coordination, which performance. These baselines can be
are two important functions of project established through status reports within
management. project management software applications
4. Define project activities 10. Develop all subsidiary plans
Break down work packages into a list of Developing a comprehensive and realistic
project activities. Consider this an action project plan requires time and effort.
plan. It can help to ask what are the However, planning can make your life easier
activities that must be performed to create during the execution phase of the project by
the deliverables of the project? preventing nasty surprises and
5. Sequence project activities misunderstandings.
Almost everything happens in a sequence, but Most project plans need to incorporate the
the trick is to do as many things in parallel as following subsidiary plans:
possible—if you have the resources to do so.
One of the key reasons for adopting formal
project management methodologies is to
reduce time-to-market. In dynamic and
hyper-competitive industries, the ability to 11. Document everything
reduce cycle time is a competitive advantage. Document a project plan that outlines the
6. Estimate activity duration, costs, and scope, schedule, and cost of the project.
resources Typically, plans should cover cost
The cost, duration, and resources required to management, quality management, resource
complete the project activities depend on management, communication management,
the scope of the project. Proper estimating risk management, procurement processes, as
is important for any project, as it helps well as ongoing stakeholder engagement (i.e.,
determine if the plan is viable, set how to continually engage stakeholders
expectations, and keep costs under control through the lifecycle of the project.)
7. Assign resources to work packages and 12. Build a knowledge base
activities according to skills and interests Some organizations have a learning culture
Resources include not only labor but also where project managers are expected to
materials, equipment, space, and technology.
 document and share their plans. This can be a  Using the 5 Whys will help you find the
valuable way to learn from the mistakes and root cause of any problem and protect
successes of others. In other companies the process from recurring mistakes and
where this historical knowledge isn’t failures.
documented, this could be more challenging,
o One of the key factors for
and it may be necessary to reach out directly
successful implementation of the
to other project managers to gain insights.
technique is to make an informed
CHAPTER 4: DEVELOP A MISSION, VISION, decision
GOALS, AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE PROJECT
o The decision-making process
Defining the problem should be based on an insightful
understanding of what is actually
 Every project solves a problem of some
happening on the work floor
kind, but people are inclined to skip over
the definition of the problem. This is a o The root cause analysis process
big mistake. should include people with
practical experience
 The way you define a problem determines
how you will solve it, so it is critical that a o Often, issues that are considered
proper definition be developed. a technical problem actually turn
out to be human and process
Project Problem Definition
problems.
 Definition: The group or individual
o This is why finding and eliminating
understand and can prioritize the current
the root cause is crucial if you
challenges that they require to improve
want to avoid iteration of failures.
 A project is a plan of work that ideally
Another approach for problem definition is the
gets you to the desired outcome. Before
questioning method of the 5W1H approach:
a project takes place, you really must
Who, What, Where, When, Why and How
think about and define why you are taking
on the project. - It allows you to discern the information
needed to better understand, encompass,
 Most problems are hidden, and it is the
clarify, structure, frame a situation; as this
symptoms of the problem that you see. It
way of thinking allows you to explore all the
is therefore important to do a proper
dimensions from different perspectives”
root cause analysis so that you are not
just treating symptoms but curing the
condition

 Ask yourself the five whys. Keep asking

the following question of the problem –
“But why?” Eventually, you will uncover a
solid reason which is the root cause or
the condition, not a symptom

 The 5 Whys technique is one of the most

effective tools for root cause analysis in
the Lean management arsenal  It will help you ask the right questions,
expand your inquiry and obtain the right
 information, which in turn helps you find  The vision you are trying to achieve is the
the best solutions one the customer holds.

 This method allows you to guide all your
team members and to gather all the
factual elements needed for a complete
and objective understanding.
 Who does it effect?
 Another way to say this is that you are
trying to satisfy the customer’s needs,
that is the primary objective
 Your motive may be to make profit in the
process, but 

 What happens, what are the  The mission is always to meet the needs
symptoms? of the customer

 Where does it happen? 1. What are we going to do?

 When does it happen? 2. For whom are we going to do it?

 Why does it happen? VISION

 How does it happen?  A Vision Statement describes the

desired future position of the company
 Once the root causes or problems are
identified, a decision needs to be made  It provides strategic direction and
about which problems to address first. describes what the owner or founder
 The decision-making approach may differ wants the company to achieve in the
from one company to another for future
example; simply using your gut, forming a
MISSION
holistic approach, or group consensus
 When final decisions are made, they  A Mission Statement defines the
should be documented and communicated company’s business, its objectives and its
to the entire team so everyone is on the approach to reach those objectives
same page. This phase will form the
Problem Statement, a clear and short  It describes an organization’s purpose

description of the issues that need to be and answers the questions “What

addressed by a problem-solving team business are we in? and “What is our

business for? 
The Real World
OBJECTIVES
 Your boss or project sponsor will say,
“Here is your mission,” without any  A thing aimed at or sought; a goal

mention of a problem statement.  Objectives are specific, measurable steps

 It is possible that some discussion of the that can be taken to meet the goal 

sponsor’s vision of the end result will take  It specifies a desired end result to be
place, but even that may be fairly achieved
sketchy
 A task is an activity performed to
THE REAL MISSION OF EVERY PROJECT achieve that result.

 The mission is always to achieve the  An objective usually a noun, whereas a

vision task is a verb
Risk Analysis vs. Risk Identification vs. Risk
Management
Risk analysis is the process that figures out
how likely that a risk will arise in a project
 It studies uncertainty and how it would
impact the project in terms of schedule,
quality and costs if in fact it was to show
up. 
 Two ways to analyze risk is quantitative
and qualitative
Risk identification is also a process, but in this
case it lists all the potential project risk and
what their characteristics would be.
 If this sounds like a risk register, that’s
because your findings are collected
there.
 This information will then be used for
your risk analysis.
 It’s an iterative process and continues
throughout the project life cycle.
Risk Management is the overall process that
project managers use to minimize and manage
risk.
- It includes risk identification,
assessment, risk response development
and risk response control
Benefits of Risk Analysis
To understand risk analysis, note the importance
of examining risk in methodical detail. Why?
Avoid potential litigation, Address regulatory
issues, Comply with new legislation, Reduce
exposure, and Minimize impact
How to Evaluate Project Risk
The process of evaluating project risk begins in
the planning stages, but it must continue through
every stage of the project.
 you need to perform both qualitative and
quantitative risk analysis.
Qualitative risk analysis is the process of
prioritizing risks for further analysis or action.
You do this by determining each risk’s likelihood
or probability of occurring, as well as rating its
impact on the project.
Quantitative risk analysis is a statistical
analysis of the effect of those identified risks
on the overall project. It counts the possible
outcomes for the project and figures out the
probability of still meeting project objectives.
Developing Project Objectives
 This will help you to minimize the risk
 The schedule
 The budget
 Project Quality
 Customer Satisfaction 
CHAPTER 5: Creating project risk and
communication plans
Project risk management
- Is the process of identifying, analyzing and
responding to any risk that rises over the
risk life cycle of a project to help the project
remain on track and meet its goal
- it should be part of the planning process, it
figures out risk that might happen in the
project and how to control that risk if it in
fact occurs
Risk- is anything that could potentially impact
your project’s timeline, performance or budget
- Risks are potentialities, and in a project
management context, if they become
realities, they then become classified as
“issues” that must be addressed
Risk Management
- is the process of identifying, categorizing,
prioritizing and planning for risks before
they become issues
- It can mean different things on different
types of projects.
- On large-scale projects – it might include - created to cover unknown risks to the
extensive detailed planning for each risk to project
ensure mitigation strategies are in place if
Managing Multiproject Risks
issues arise
- For smaller projects – it might mean a Handling several projects at once means more
simple, prioritized list of high, medium and than dealing with just multiple schedules; it
low priority risks involves multiple risks and multiple functional
managers who allocate resources.
The six-step process for a project risk plan
The key to managing multiple projects expertly
- is a common and practical approach to
is to recognize priorities and delegate wisely-
establishing the project risk plan
not an easy feat in today’s complex environment.
- this process should not be created in a
To do that successfully, you need to understand
vacuum and typically involves a great deal of
what makes up your workload, as well as
research and collaboration with the project
understanding of how risks, human resources,
team
and schedules must be integrated.
o Step 1: Make a List
o Steps 2 and 3: Determine the Coordination Points
Probability of Risk Occurrence and
- are the areas where the projects touch
Negative Impact
- identify these points, after which a standard
o Step 4: Prevent or Mitigate the Risk
multi project risk plan can be created
o Step 5: Consider Contingencies
- emphasize that the Six-Step focus here
o Step 6: Establish the Trigger Point
must be on the coordination points
Establishing Reserves exclusively
- focus on creating a risk plan for each project
▪ enables to leverage the plan to its fullest
individually to manage intraproject risks and
potential
then turn your attention to the coordination
The best-laid plans are impotent without the points and perform the same process to
time and/or budget to allow for effective manage interproject risks
implementation. As a result, you need to
Risk matrix
establish contingency and management
reserves - A useful tool when managing many risks
across projects is the standard risk matrix
Contingency reserves
- The risk matrix will help you plot your risks
- are designated amounts of time and/or in quadrants according to probability and
budget to account for risks to the negative impact
project that have been identified and
inactively accepted
- created to cover known risks to the
project

Management reserves

- are designated amounts of time and/or

budget included in your plan to account
for risks to the project that cannot be
predicted
Risk Register Example of synchronous communications:

- a useful tool in managing actions taken - Live meeting: Gathering of team

regarding accepted risks to the project members at the same location
- the last ingredient of the project risk - Conference call: A telephone call in
plan, is a living, breathing dynamic tool which several people participate
that can help you to track risk status as - Audio conference: Like a conference
your project matures through the life call, but conducted online using
cycle software like Skype
- it also helps you identify ownership of - Computer-assisted conference: Audio
contingency implementation, outcomes iof conference with a connection between
actions taken, and inactive and inactive computers that can display a
risks document or spread sheet that can be
edited by both parties
- Video conference: Similar to an audio
conference but with live video of the
participants. Some laptop computers
have built-in cameras to facilitate
video conferencing
- IM (instant messaging): Exchange of
The Communication Plan
text or voice messages using pop-up
- A Communication Plan is intended to outline windows on the participants’ computer
in detail how the communication strategy will screens
be implemented. It defines the messages, - Texting: Exchange of text messages
delivery methods, audiences, timeframes, and between mobile phones, pagers, or
the methods/channels for delivery. personal digital assistants (PDAs)—
- Determining this kind of information involves devices that hold a calendar, a
a lot of initial analysis to derive messages for contact list, a task list, and other
each audience that are meaningful, timely, support programs
effective, and complete
Synchronous Transmission is efficient, reliable
- Taking the time to create a detailed and well
and is used for transferring a large amount of
thought out Communication Plan will help in
data
facilitating a successful change
implementation Asynchronous Communications

Types of Communication - In asynchronous the transmission of data is

generally without the use of external clock
Synchronous Communications
signal, where data can be transmitted
▪ In Synchronous the transmission of data is intermittently rather than in a steady
sent in a continuous stream at a constant rate stream
- Data flows in a half duplex mode, 1 byte or a
▪ Synchronous communication requires that the
character at a time. It transmits the data in
clocks in the transmitting and receiving devices
a continuous stream of bytes
are synchronized running a the same rate

▪ Data flows in a full duplex mode in the form

of blocks or frames
Example of Asynchronous communications:

- Mail and Package Delivery

- Fax
- Email
- Project Blog
- Really Simple Syndication (RSS)

Assessing New Communication Technologies

Using a new technology that is unfamiliar to the

team increases the technology complexity, which
can cause delays and increase costs. To decide if
a new technology should be included in a
communications plan, seek answers to the
following questions i(Business Dictionary):

- Does the new communication technology

provide a competitive advantage for the
project by reducing cost, saving time, or
preventing mistakes?
- Does the project team have the
expertise to learn the new technology
quickly?
- Does the company offer support such as a
help desk and equipment service for new
communication technology?
- What is the cost of training and
implementation in terms of time as well as
money

Communication Plan Template

So how do you create a communication plan?

1. Identify your stakeholders (to whom)

2. Identify stakeholder expectations (why)
3. Identify communication necessary to
satisfy stakeholder expectations and
keep them informed (what)
4. Identify time-frame and/or frequency of
communication messages (when)
5. Identify how the message will be
communicated (the stakeholder’s
preferred method) (how)
6. Identify who will communicate each
message (who)
7. Document items – templates, formats, or
documents the project must use for
communicating