Municipal Government of Pangil

BALIAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

4018 Pangil, Laguna
Tel. No.: (049) 557 1457
E-mail: bcc__1972@yahoo.com

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN ACCOUNTING INFORMATION SYSTEM

Second Year
First Semester - Academic Year 2022-2023

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

MODULE 1

INTRODUCTORY CONCEPTS
 Municipal Government of Pangil
BALIAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
4018 Pangil, Laguna
Tel. No.: (049) 557 1457
E-mail: bcc__1972@yahoo.com

What is a Project in Project Management?

A project is defined as a sequence of tasks that must be completed to attain a certain outcome. According to the
Project Management Institute (PMI), the term Project refers to any temporary endeavor with a definite beginning
and end”. Depending on its complexity, it can be managed by a single person or hundreds.

Characteristics of a project

A project is a set of interdependent tasks that have a common goal. Projects have the following characteristics:

1. A clear start and end date – There are projects that last several years but a project cannot go on forever. It
needs to have a clear beginning, a definite end, and an overview of what happens in between.

2. A project creates something new – Every project is unique, producing something that did not previously
exist. A project is a one-time, once-off activity, never to be repeated exactly the same way again.

3. A project has boundaries – A project operates within certain constraints of time, money, quality, and
functionality. We’ll see more about this in later sections.

4. A project is not business as usual – Projects are often confused with processes. A Process is a series of
routine, predefined steps to perform a particular function, say, expense reimbursement approvals. It’s not
a one-off activity. It determines how a specific function is performed every single time.
 Municipal Government of Pangil
BALIAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
4018 Pangil, Laguna
Tel. No.: (049) 557 1457
E-mail: bcc__1972@yahoo.com

The diverse nature of projects

Projects come in a wide range of shapes and sizes.

A project can:

 Be big: Like the construction of the Hoover Dam, take years to complete, and have a humongous budget.

 Be small: Like your weekend project of installing a pathway in your lawn

 Involve many people: Like planning a wedding

 Just yourself: rearranging the photos in your wedding album

Types of projects

Projects can be diverse in the ways in which they are implemented. Here are some examples of projects:

 Traditional projects: These are run sequentially in phases. These phases are typically initiation, planning,
execution, monitoring, and closure. Most high-cost infrastructure projects make use of traditional project
management.

 Agile projects: These are used mainly in software development. They are people-focused and adaptive.
They also typically have short turnaround times.

 Remote projects: Remote project management is usually used by distributed teams that seldom meet in
person. Handling freelance contributors is an example of a remote project.

 Agency projects: Agency projects are outsourced to an agency that is likely to have projects with multiple
clients. Marketing and design projects are commonly outsourced to agencies.

The boundaries of a project

Every project operates within certain boundaries called constraints:

 Project scope
 Project schedule
 People
 Resources.
 Municipal Government of Pangil
BALIAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
4018 Pangil, Laguna
Tel. No.: (049) 557 1457
E-mail: bcc__1972@yahoo.com

All of these project constraints depend on what the project aims to achieve and when. The outcome of a project
results in deliverables. Anything that’s produced during the project’s development such as documents, plans, and
project reports is considered a deliverable. A deliverable may also be the result of the project itself.

Having a final deliverable, as well as a finite timespan, distinguishes project management from business-as-usual
operations. Since projects are unlike routine operations, most people involved are those who usually don’t work
together. Sometimes, the professionals involved will come from different organizations and geographies. If the
desired outcome is achieved on time and within budget, a project is considered to be a success.

Project Life Cycle – 5 stages

Often, projects are divided into five project phases each of which comes with a distinct set of tasks, objectives, and
a particular deadline. Dividing a project into different phases enables teams to stay on track throughout their
entire life cycle.

1. Initiation

The first phase in a project’s life cycle is called project initiation. Here, a project officially launches. It is
named, and a broad plan is defined. Goals are identified, along with the project’s constraints, risks, and
shareholders. At this point, shareholders decide if they want to commit to the project.

Depending on the project, studies may be conducted to identify its feasibility. For IT projects,
requirements are usually gathered and analyzed during the initiation phase.

2. Planning

A roadmap that will guide teams from creating a project plan throughout the project’s execution and
closure phases is developed comprehensively during the planning stage. Deadlines must be set, and
 Municipal Government of Pangil
BALIAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
4018 Pangil, Laguna
Tel. No.: (049) 557 1457
E-mail: bcc__1972@yahoo.com

resources must be allotted. Breaking down tasks into smaller, manageable activities makes it easier to
manage project risks, costs, quality, time, and so on.

At the same time, breaking down tasks into digestible pieces will empower everyone involved to
accomplish the project on time and stay within budget.

3. Execution

The project plan is implemented during the project execution phase. At this point, teams will work on the
deliverables to ensure that the project meets the necessary requirements.

Everyone usually gathers for a meeting to mark the official start of the project, where teams can get
acquainted with each other and discuss their roles in the success of the project. Modes of communication
and project management tools are identified before the project plan is executed.

In addition, team members familiarize themselves with the necessary status meetings and reports that
will be conducted throughout this phase to collect project metrics. The project execution phase is a critical
point in a project’s life cycle as it will help everyone determine if their efforts will ultimately be fruitful or
not.

4. Monitoring and Controlling

The project monitoring and controlling phase happen at the same time as the execution phase. It’s the job
of the project manager to oversee operations and make sure that everything is headed in the right
direction, according to plan.

Aside from overseeing the project’s performance, project managers have to monitor resources, manage
risks, head status meetings, and reports, etc. If unforeseen issues arise, the project manager may have to
make adjustments to the plans, as well as the project schedule.

5. Closing

The final phase of the project management life cycle known as the project closure phase isn’t as simple as
delivering the output itself. Project managers have to record all deliverables, organize documents in a
centralized location, and hand over the project to the client or the team responsible for overseeing its
operations during the project closure phase.

Not only that, but teams come together for a final meeting to discuss the insights they’ve learned and to
reward the hard work of each member.
 Municipal Government of Pangil
BALIAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
4018 Pangil, Laguna
Tel. No.: (049) 557 1457
E-mail: bcc__1972@yahoo.com

When is a project considered a success?

The short of it is that a project that is completed on time and on a budget can be considered a success. However, a
project can be evaluated on many criteria:

 Does it meet business requirements?

 Is it delivered on schedule and on a budget?

 Does it deliver the expected value and ROI?

What defines a successful project is likely to change based on the type of project. This is why it is important to
define what project success means during the initiation and planning phases of a project.

How to implement a project

Project implementation can vary based on the methodology used. In traditional project management,
implementation is done in 5 phases.

1. Initiation: This phase involves making the case for the project to convince the project stakeholders. A
Project Initiation Document (PID) is created with basic information about the project including probable
resource use and feasibility.

2. Planning: This phase occurs once a project has received approval from stakeholders. This is a critical
phase that involves a myriad of tasks including contingency planning, allocating tasks, and planning
resource sharing.

3. Execution: This is the phase when the actual work happens. Periodical reviews are conducted to ensure
that execution happens within schedule.

4. Monitoring: Monitoring happens in tandem with execution. Constant monitoring by the project manager
is required to ensure that work goes on minus hiccups.

5. Closure: This phase involves the important final tasks in the project including project delivery to the client
and documenting the learnings from the project.

Once these steps are complete, a project can be said to be implemented well.
 Municipal Government of Pangil
BALIAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
4018 Pangil, Laguna
Tel. No.: (049) 557 1457
E-mail: bcc__1972@yahoo.com

How project management helps you manage projects

Projects can be very complex undertakings that require a huge amount of effort and resources. No matter what
the goal is, using project management principles will help the initiative run smoothly. Without proper project
management principles, projects will be handled haphazardly and are at a much higher risk of

 project failure,

 delay in the project, and

 being over budget.

Knowing the fundamentals of project management improves one’s chances of completing a project successfully.
No matter what industry or niche an organization is in, project management methodologies and frameworks
enable them to steer the project in the right direction.

Source: https://kissflow.com/project/what-is-a-project/

What Is Strategic Project Management and How to Develop It?

Strategic project management is the next big thing within the project management community. A
popular and growing trend that is slowly sweeping the business world. The main idea of the concept is
based on project management teams learning how to support their company's strategy and deal with
the business aspects of their projects. Rather than just focusing on traditional project management
issues - budget, goals, and timelines.

Project management is a set of methodologies and frameworks responsible for moving a project from
start to finish. But you need a strategy to shape the decision about products and initiatives, including
projects. Strategy without projects is almost as useless as projects without a strategy.

What Is Strategic Project Management?

Strategic Project Management (SPM) defines the big picture of how the project may benefit the
company's efficiency and as a whole. This process combines project management methodologies and
frameworks and business strategies to drive organizational breakthroughs.

It's accelerated by brainstorming and problem-solving activities so that a project will not only be
completed successfully but more efficiently and faster.
 Municipal Government of Pangil
BALIAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
4018 Pangil, Laguna
Tel. No.: (049) 557 1457
E-mail: bcc__1972@yahoo.com

What's the Difference Between Strategic Project Management & Project Management?

There's an extensive overlap between traditional and strategic project management. Simply put, it's all
about looking at your existing portfolio of projects through a strategic lens.

That means that you'll still apply all of your traditional project management methodologies and
frameworks to strategic project management. Also, project management teams will need to manage the
broader business aspects of their projects to align and support the organizational strategy. They will no
longer be concerned just about meeting the aforementioned traditional project management
challenges.

It's probably easier to think of strategic project management as a new sub-discipline within the broader
discipline of project management. Just like resource management or dependencies are today.

Benefits of Strategic Planning in Project Management

The implementation of strategic project management leads to achieving a competitive market

advantage.

A vast majority of companies have already implemented their project management methodology of
choice many years ago. However, they are still coming to terms with understanding the concept of using
a strategic vision when selecting their projects. The art of identifying and choosing the right projects to
work on in a given time frame is proving to be a significant advantage in the modern marketplace.

Expanding the project management function to include strategic project management methodologies in
the selection of projects allows a growing number of businesses to identify and select projects that
provide the maximum value, both for them and their clients. Therefore, aligning project management
and organization strategy produces significant benefits for the organization.

Contrasting the practice of leading expensive projects that are not fully compatible with the business
goals, this alignment can cast a new light on the project selection process. Funds are more carefully
spent on improving the impact on the company's overall performance, thereby increasing profitability
and reducing unnecessary expenses.

This alignment can also improve project success rates and the organization's ability to address customer
needs and expectations quickly. Research has shown a sharp increase in financial performance and
overall project success rates for projects that were more aligned with business strategies. When each
 Municipal Government of Pangil
BALIAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
4018 Pangil, Laguna
Tel. No.: (049) 557 1457
E-mail: bcc__1972@yahoo.com

project directly contributes to the company's bottom line, the organization as a whole improves,
improving customer experiences and retention rates.

How to Develop Strategic Project Management

Managing priorities is an essential part of both traditional and strategic project management. If your
business is focused on educating a certain customer profile, this customer strategy will affect every
aspect of your business operations, including the project management teams. Therefore, a strategic
project manager should pay attention to the following:

 Simplify decision-making - With a clear strategy before you, the decision-making process
becomes easier as you always have the northern star to guide your conclusions.

 Improve priority management - How about starting your day with priorities in mind, and not
with emails? Going through the emails every single morning feeds your bias to tackle and focus
on urgent things instead of the important ones. Advance your strategy and your projects every
day by developing a habit of starting with one important thing. Then you can go through all the
emails you want.

 Link budgets to strategy - Allocating the required budget is a clear signal of the company's
priorities. Therefore, the overall business strategy must play a vital role in all financial decisions
when it comes to every project.

 Contribute to the project strategy - Most of the high-performing companies call on their project
management offices to contribute to strategic planning. Even if you're starting as a project
manager and have limited input on the strategy today, you need to educate yourself and
prepare when the time comes. And it will most definitely come.

 Focus on organizational ambitions - People want to be recognized and admired for their work,
and that is the same in any branch, including project management. However, some managers
often seek personal glory and recognition at the cost of business outcomes. Maintain a close
look at what your company needs and resist the urge to focus solely on the challenges and
issues that affect you personally.

 Revisit strategic progress - Some businesses consider creating the strategy as nothing more
than an annual thought exercise - they focus much energy and invest countless hours into
developing the strategic documents. However, there's a great danger of all that effort going to
waste unless you and your project management team aren't constantly measuring progress and
revisiting the strategy as needed. Measuring progress on your strategies should be as easy as
adding an agenda item to your weekly meetings.
 Municipal Government of Pangil
BALIAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
4018 Pangil, Laguna
Tel. No.: (049) 557 1457
E-mail: bcc__1972@yahoo.com

Source: https://activecollab.com/blog/project-management/strategic-project-management-and-how-to-develop-it

Culture and Project Management

What Is Organizational Culture?

When working with internal and external customers on a project, it is essential to pay close attention to
relationships, context, history, and the corporate culture. Corporate culture refers to the beliefs,
attitudes, and values that the organization’s members share and the behaviors consistent with them
(which they give rise to). Corporate culture sets one organization apart from another, and dictates how
members of the organization will see you, interact with you, and sometimes judge you. Often, projects
too have a specific culture, work norms, and social conventions.

Some aspects of corporate culture are easily observed; others are more difficult to discern. You can
easily observe the office environment and how people dress and speak. In one company, individuals
work separately in closed offices; in another, teams may work in a shared environment. The more subtle
components of corporate culture, such as the values and overarching business philosophy, may not be
readily apparent, but they are reflected in member behaviors, symbols, and conventions used.

Project Manager’s Checklist

Once the corporate culture has been identified, members should try to adapt to the frequency,
formality, and type of communication customary in that culture. This adaptation will strongly affect
project members’ productivity and satisfaction internally, as well as with the client organization.

 Which stakeholders will make the decision in this organization on this issue? Will your project
decisions and documentation have to go up through several layers to get approval? If so, what
are the criteria and values that may affect acceptance there? For example, is being on schedule
the most important consideration? Cost? Quality?

 What type of communication among and between stakeholders is preferred? Do they want
lengthy documents? Is “short and sweet” the typical standard? 72 What medium of
communication is preferred?

 What kind of medium is usually chosen for this type of situation? Check the files to see what
others have done. Ask others in the organization.
 Municipal Government of Pangil
BALIAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
4018 Pangil, Laguna
Tel. No.: (049) 557 1457
E-mail: bcc__1972@yahoo.com

 What vocabulary and format are used? What colors and designs are used (e.g., at Hewlett-
Packard, all rectangles have curved corners)?

Project Team Challenges

Today’s globally distributed organizations (and projects) consist of people who have differing
“worldviews.” Worldview is a looking glass through which people see the world as Bob Shebib describes:
“[It is] a belief system about the nature of the universe, its perceived effect on human behavior, and
one’s place in the universe. Worldview is a fundamental core set of assumptions explaining cultural
forces, the nature of humankind, the nature of good and evil, luck, fate, spirits, the power of significant
others, the role of time, and the nature of our physical and natural resources” (Shebib, 2003, p. 296).

If, for example, a Canadian manager is sent to India to manage an R&D team or a joint venture, they are
likely to have to “[cope] with eco-shock or the physiological, psychological, and social reaction to a new
assignment ecology.” Hanging a shingle in a fluid and culturally diverse organization, project team, and
work culture, a project manager may find new working relationships and hidden challenges have
significant implications for performance and knowledge exchange – for the manager and colleagues at
home and in the host country.

In most situations, there is simply no substitute for having a well-placed person from the host culture to
guide the new person through the cultural nuances of getting things done. In fact, if this “intervention”
isn’t present, it is likely to affect the person’s motivation or desire to continue trying to break through
the cultural (and other) barriers. Indeed, optimal effectiveness in such situations requires learning of
cultures in developing countries or international micro-cultures and sharing perceptions among the
culturally diverse task participants on how to get things done. Project leaders require sensitivity and
awareness of multicultural preferences. The following broad areas should be considered:

 Individual identity and role within the project versus family of origin and community
 Verbal and emotional expressiveness
 Relationship expectations
 Style of communication
 Language
 Personal priorities, values, and beliefs
 Time orientation

There are many interpersonal dynamics and intra-project challenges faced by a globally distributed
team. Individual members and the team itself requires important social supports to mitigate
uncertainty, conflict, motivational challenges, culture shock, 73 and the more-encompassing eco-shock
 Municipal Government of Pangil
BALIAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
4018 Pangil, Laguna
Tel. No.: (049) 557 1457
E-mail: bcc__1972@yahoo.com

that comes from facing head-on the unfamiliar and diverse situations consistent with a different cultural
and geographically distributed context.

Diverse and globally distributed project teams (i.e., different ethnic cultures, genders, ages, and
functional capabilities), often working on complex projects spanning multiple time zones, geography,
and history, and operating with tight deadlines in cost-conscious organizations, need to make time and
resources available to physically meet each other, and connect (at the very least) at a formal “kick-off”
meeting. Especially when working with team members from high-context cultures, it is essential to meet
face-to-face, discover member’s individual identities and cultural preferences, share professional
knowledge and personal stories, and observe critical verbal and non-verbal cues (that may not easily be
observed online, or on the telephone). This is key to establishing a safer climate and building trust for
stronger relationships among both team members and management.

Dealing with Conflict

The question isn’t whether, when, or with what frequency conflict will occur among intercultural team
members — or what will create the conflict. If a team wants to overcome (or harness) conflict for
effectiveness and productivity, the question is how to navigate and resolve the conflicts. Conflict that
springs from diversity can actually assist the team in completing complex problem solving. However, if
not navigated successfully, it can create relationship strain and derail achievement due to increased
difficulties in communication and coordination.

The question isn’t whether, when, or with what frequency conflict will occur among intercultural team
members — or what will create the conflict. If a team wants to overcome (or harness) conflict for
effectiveness and productivity, the question is how to navigate and resolve the conflicts. Conflict that
springs from diversity can actually assist the team in completing complex problem solving. However, if
not navigated successfully, it can create relationship strain and derail achievement due to increased
difficulties in communication and coordination.
 Municipal Government of Pangil
BALIAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
4018 Pangil, Laguna
Tel. No.: (049) 557 1457
E-mail: bcc__1972@yahoo.com

ENGAGING ACTIVITIES

Answer the ff:

1. Enumerate and explain each of the boundaries of a project.

2. It was mentioned in this module that without proper project management principles, projects will be
handled haphazardly and are at a much higher risk of project failure, delay in the project, and being over
budget. Explain each of the 3 risks.

3. If you were to start a SUPERMARKET business, what type of project implementation will you utilize in the
business operation? Traditional? Agile? Remote? Or Agency. Explain your answer.

4. Why is culture important in project management? Explain your answer.

5. If you are a manage in a business or an organization and you found out that there are conflicts among
your subordinates. how will you handle or resolve the conflict? Explain your answer.
 Municipal Government of Pangil
BALIAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE
4018 Pangil, Laguna
Tel. No.: (049) 557 1457
E-mail: bcc__1972@yahoo.com

PERFORMANCE TASK

Go on the Internet and find real life examples of companies that utilizes project management and how it
impacted them.