1) INTRODUCTION TO PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING

Project management is the structured approach to managing projects.

The success of project managers is helped by their ability to develop a fully integrated information and control
system to plan, instruct, monitor and control large amounts of data, quickly and accurately to facilitate the
problem-solving and decision-making process. The project manager works with a computer producing
organisation charts, work breakdown structures, bar charts, resource histograms and cash-flow statements.

Project definition
A project may be defined as undertaking in which human, (or machine), material and financial resources are
organised in a innovative way to undertake a unique scope of work, of given specification, within constraints
of cost and time, so as to deliver beneficial change defined by quantitative and qualitative objectives.
Projects range in size, scope, cost and time from mega international projects costing millions of dollars over
many years - to small domestic projects with a low budget taking just a few hours to complete. Examples of
projects include:
• Career development (education and training courses)
• Designing and constructing a building, a house or a yacht.
• Designing and testing a new prototype (eg a new pump design, water treatment equipment).
 The launch of a new product (advertising and marketing project).
• Implementing a new computer system (IT project, or upgrade).
 Designing and implementing a new organisational structure (human resource project).
• Planning and conducting an audit (quality management project).
• Disaster recovery (limiting the damage of fires, floods or any type of accident).
• Moving house or going on holiday (a domestic project).
The main difference between project management and general management (or any other form of
management for that matter) relates to the definition of a project and what the project intends to deliver to the
client and stakeholders.

Project management
It is defined as the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities in order to meet
stakeholder's needs and expectations from a project.

Definition of terms
 Deliverables: Tangible ‘things’ that the project produces
 Milestones: Dates by which major activities are performed.
 Tasks: Also called Actions. Activities undertaken during the project
  Risks: Potential problems that may arise
 Issues: Risks that have happened
 Gantt Chart: A specific type of chart showing time and tasks. Usually created by a Project
Management program like MS Project.
 Stakeholder: Any person or group of people who may be affected by your project

Project objectives
These are the business goals that the project must accomplish. Simply put, they are the specific goals that you
hope to accomplish with your project. Within project management, it is of utmost importance that a project’s
objectives are stated clearly as these will impact every decision in the project lifecycle.
Project objectives must be measurable and contain key performance indicators that will be used to assess a
project’s success. These indicators will often encompass areas such as budget, quality, and time to
completion.

Distinctive features/characteristics of a project include

 Projects are Temporary in nature and thus has a start and finish
 Projects have a life-cycle (a beginning and an end, with a number of distinct phases in between).
 Has unique deliverables Ie it produces new unique product or service that does not implying that it is
non repetitive
 It is Progressive whereby actions follow a sequence of pattern and progresses over time.

Projects and organisational strategy

Strategy It is defined as a course of action for achieving an organization’s purpose
An organizational strategy includes all the actions a company intends to take to achieve long-term goals.
Together, these actions make up a company’s strategic plan. Strategic plans take at least a year to complete,
requiring involvement from all company levels.
Organizational strategy must arise from a company's mission, which explains why a company is in business.
Every activity in the company should seek to fill this purpose.
A company's vision describes what the company will have achieved in fulfilling its mission. The vision thus
brings about the long-term goals of an organizational strategy.

Role of projects in achieving organizational strategy

The topic of projects and project success should be a focus of top management since projects are the means by
which the organizations accomplish their strategic intent through business change, as well as means by which
some organizations deliver profits to their stakeholder.
Projects organizations can further accomplish beneficial change and corporate success. All successful projects
contribute to beneficial change as a means of implementing corporate strategy, and to generate more corporate
value. Many organizations tend to focus a lot on improving new products, services, or infrastructure. But to
manage an organization in turbulent periods, it is also important to focus on bringing some kind of change.

PROJECTS AND SOCIOECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Defination "socio-economic development" refers to general advancement of a given society to a higher level
of welfare or well-being. Thus the concept of development encompasses all those factors on which welfare
depends. While the "economic" part of the term refers to goods and services related to material welfare, the
"socio" part of the term includes the full range of socio-cultural characteristics fundamental to welfare.
The objectives of development include, at a minimum means reduction of pain and suffering associated with
such factors as inadequate nutrition and health conditions, or a reduction in what has been called "illfare" But
development objectives generally go beyond bare survival and include other components such as the
widespread diffusion of certain goods and services above essential needs and the fulfilment of nonmaterial
needs to allow individuals the opportunity for full lives and fulfilment of human potentials.

Factors influencing socio-economic development

Although development involves a variety of additional socio-cultural factors, economic growth continues
generally to be viewed as a central component of socioeconomic development.
Economic inputs important to the productive process include
i) Natural resources
ii) Capital
iii) human resources
i) Natural resources
These inputs include such resources as agricultural land, industrial raw materials, power supply, water supply,
and a suitable climate and terrain for the activities involved. The existence of certain highly valued resources
in abundance can be the predominant factor in the development of a particular nation or region as indicated by
the case of the petroleum-producing countries
ii) Capital
One of the determinants of the effectiveness with which natural resources are developed is capital investment
in the productive processes through which resource development and use take place. Thus, the process of
capital formation is a fundamental aspect of the economic growth process.
iii) Human resources and the socio-cultural factor
The earlier tendency to neglect the socio-cultural dimension was likely due, in addition to lack of
understanding of its significance, to difficulties of incorporating it in economic growth programs and the
sensitivity of the issue. Programs to promote economic growth that avoid controversial social issues by
focusing solely on investment in physical facilities are simpler to design and may have greater political
feasibility even if ultimately ineffective. The tendency to avoid the socio-cultural dimension is especially
strong in cross-cultural programs due to concern for possible charges of ethnocentricity or imperialism. The
danger of cultural bias is always present in such situations since the individual's own cultural background
tends to limit objectivity.

Project Life-Cycle
The project life-cycle and the work breakdown structure (WBS) have come to the forefront in recent years as
key frameworks or structures for subdividing the project's scope of work into manageable phases or work
packages. Where the WBS is a hierarchical subdivision of the scope of work, the project life-cycle subdivides
the scope of work into sequential project phases.
All projects pass through a number of recognisable stages from initiation to completion. And, as these stages
are interrelated and dependant on each other, so it is reasonable to say the project passes through a project
life-cycle.
There is general agreement that most projects pass through a four phase life-cycle under the following
headings
 Concept and Initiation Phase: The first phase starts the project by establishing a need or opportunity
for the product, facility or service. The feasibility of proceeding with the project is investigated and on
acceptance of the proposal moves to the next phase.
 Design and Development Phase: The second phase uses the guidelines set by the feasibility study to
design the product, outline the build-method and develop detailed schedules and plans for making or
implementing the product.
 Implementation or Construction Phase: The third phase implements the project as per the baseline
plan developed in the previous phase
 Project control and monitoring- Done during the execution phase to determine potential problems
and help determine the progress of the work
 Commissioning and Handover Phase: The fourth phase confirms the project has been implemented
or built to the design and terminates the project.
Example of the life cycle of a simple house building project which passes through the following four phases:
i) Concept and Initial Phase: The desire for a new house develops into a need. The options and
alternatives are considered, and the feasibility of the best options are evaluated.
ii) Design and Development Phase: The preferred option is now designed and developed in detail,
together with all the associated planning of schedules, procurement, resources and budgets. The
land and long lead items may be bought in this phase.
iii) Implementation or Construction Phase: The contracts are let and the house is built to the detailed
plans developed in the previous phase. Changes may be made to the original baseline plan as
problems arise or better information is forthcoming.
iv) Commissioning and Handover Phase: The building is inspected and approved. The house is now
 ready to be handed over to the owner.

Projects and programmes

Difference between a project and a program
A project is a temporary undertaking to create a unique product or service. A project has a defined start and
end point and specific objectives that, when attained, signify completion. A programme, on the other hand, is
defined as a group of related projects managed in a coordinated way to obtain benefits not available from
managing the projects individually. A programme may also include elements of on-going, operational work.
A programme therefore is comprised of multiple projects and is created to obtain broad organizational or
technical objectives. There are many differences between a project and a programme including scope, benefits
realization, time, and other variables. One notable difference is time; for example, a project by definition has a
beginning and an end (or at least one hopes so!); certain programmes, while having a beginning may not have
an end. A classic example of one of these types of programmes is an annual construction programme.
Difference in skill sets between a project and a programme manager
The skill sets definitely overlap and it’s a bit artificial to try to separate the two. Nonetheless, there are
differences which tend to come along a continuum. The difference between the project and programme
manager, is that the latter requires more refined skills in business areas such as negotiation, organizational
change management, financial management, consensus building, and political savvy. Additionally, a
programme manager needs to always keep his or her eye on the achieving the intended benefits of the
program which can be different and apart from the objectives of any individual project
What differs for a programme manager is the degree of expertise, application, and focus. Because a
programme manager is really more of a business manager, programme managers do not necessarily have
strong project management backgrounds. They hail from a variety of disciplines. To be sure, one finds many
MBA’s as programme managers as well as those having backgrounds in various technical and scientific fields.

Project Management standards and Framework:

Project Management (PM) framework is widely used in many methodologies and approaches as a general
term to explain what key components are included in managing and governing a project.
Framework is a collection of structural elements or units that create a theoretical foundation for the project
management process. For example, you want to build a house. House building will be your project. First, you
need to create a draft of the house and outline the structure including walls, ceiling, floor, doors, and so on.
Then you need to acquire tools and materials as well as hire workers who will do your project and construct
the house. In this particular case, the framework of your project will be the draft, all the resources you are
going to utilize for building the house, and all your plans and expectations
The most common use of the term ‘standard’ usually refers to something (documents) a professional
organization establishes for others to use. For example, there are engineering standards, programing standards,
and standards for numerous areas of practice.
Standards, as the name implies are the best known practices while framework are those that are normally put
into practice in the absence of well defined or standard practices. All over the world, ISO has set standard in
virtually every field of enterprise and conformity to ISO means following standard practices that are accepted
in all parts of the world.
Taking a closer look at the differences between standard and framework to remove confusion from the minds
of the readers.
While standard is often rigid and generally accepted all over as the best method of doing something, a
framework is at best, a frame that can be used as a practice. While a standard has just one way of doing things,
a person can evolve his methodology using a framework as it is flexible and allows for experimentation.
Framework defines a system, not the method itself. For example, you have a framework in your mind for your
house, but you can introduce changes anytime you like to suit your requirements. A framework is not the
whole picture; it is more of guidelines but help to proceed in a particular direction. On the other hand,
standard does not leave any choice and one has to follow specific method to complete a job.
However, standard does not leave room for enterprise and it does not allow a person to experiment as he is
forced to follow practices that are accepted as best all over the world whereas framework, by providing a set
of guidelines, allows people to evolve their own methodologies that suit them best.
In summary
 Standard are accepted as best practices whereas framework are practices that are generally employed
 Standard are specific while framework are general

Project management framework (PM framework) may be defined is a subset of tasks, processes, tools and
templates used in combination by the management team to get insight into the major structural elements of the
project in order to initiate, plan, execute, control, monitor, and terminate the project activities throughout the
management life-cycle. PM framework allows using various methodologies and approaches to plan and
schedule the major phases of the lifecycle. Regardless of the type, size and nature of project, a typical PM
framework includes micro & macro phases, templates and checklists, processes and activities, roles and
responsibilities, training material and work guidelines – all this information is organized and systematized into
a structure allowing managers and planners to control progress of their projects throughout the lifecycle.
The idea behind the project framework is to create and share a clear understanding of the basis of a project
and share this understanding among all stakeholders, including the team. The idea should be followed by all
the stakeholders throughout the whole management lifecycle, thereby the project will be accomplished
according to a chosen methodology and delivering expected results.
Basic Elements
We tried to create a detailed description of the project framework to allow individuals and groups involved in
their projects to review the content of the framework and investigate its basic elements. Following project
management best practices, we made a description of PM framework showing the elements in hierarchical
order.
With reference to the given PM framework definition, there are several basic elements:
 Initiation.
 Planning.
 Execution.
 Control.
 Closure.
The purpose of PM framework is to:
 Simplify and assist with sharing information on project management best practices, approaches, tools,
templates and samples.
 Create and share an understanding of the best practices for planning & management for all types and
kinds of project, including IT projects, construction projects, etc.
 Improve the level of competence
 Contribute to setting common standards and requirements for various projects and establishing
common terminology.
primary reasons for project failure
Based upon our direct experience, as consultants engaged to identify why things went wrong, these are the
most frequent causes of project failure:
1. Mismatch between the project and organisation’s strategic priorities.
2. No pre-agreed measures of project success.
3. Ill-defined senior management ownership and leadership.
4. Ineffective engagement with stakeholders.
5. Poor project management technical skills.
6. Non-standard approach to project management and risk management.
7. Inability to differentiate stages of project development and implementation.
8. Proposal evaluation focused on price rather than long-term value for money and achievement of business
benefits.
9. Lack of contact with senior management levels in the organisation.
10. Poor project team integration between clients, the supplier team and supply chain .

Of the ten reasons for failure raised above, only one is the result of insufficient technical knowledge. The rest
relate to more fundamental issues within the organisation. Some are cultural or structural, but all serve as
indicators of low project management maturity at the organisational level. In many instances, organisations
that fail have highly competent project managers, whose abilities far outstrip the capabilities of the
organisations that they work for in terms of project management maturity.
Strategy Meets Project Management
Strategy directly shapes decisions about products, pricing and other matters. In fact, the excellent way to
assess your strategy – does it give you a framework to make decisions and achieve results? If not, the strategy
needs further development. A strategy that you cannot apply to work has no value.
Once you make strategic choices, you can move forward. If organization is struggling to achieve its current
strategy or pursuing new goals, projects are the answer. Even if your organization is focused on the status quo,
the world is constantly changing. You need projects simply to maintain your position relative to competitors.
Want to achieve an ambitious strategy? Get strategic project managers.
The fact is that the ‘‘processes and decisions to translate strategy into programmes and projects’’, become, in
practice, a suite of ‘‘corporate project management practices’’ that in turn create the context for the
management practices on individual practices,
The link between strategy and projects To a certain extent, every project relates to a business objective aimed
at creating a competitive advantage. In delivery, perception should be focused on realizing business results
and generating better performance. Strategic changes to the organizational state are cascaded down to a set of
projects that are coordinated and managed as a unit in programs, such that they achieve outcomes and realize
benefits in line with strategic objectives. PPM (project portfolio management) is about decisions or choosing
to do the right things. The foundation is formed based on excellent execution, with the triple constraint of
delivering the agreed scope, on time and within budget, driving through from decision to completion with an
appropriate level of quality. Project management is about doing things right. Coordinating multiple
interrelated projects helps ensure that the combined results achieve the benefits envisioned. Program
management is about benefits realization. There is a great opportunity to improve both the visibility around
the decision-making process, the linkage between strategy and projects as well as, potentially, improving the
return on investment. In a recent study in the public sector, participants indicated an improvement in overall
project success of 30%–40% from implementing PPM

Implementing Strategy through Programmes of Projects

An organization will want to ensure the projects it undertakes are wisely chosen and are aligned to its
corporate strategy.
Corporate strategy is the means by which an organization thinks through and articulates how its corporate
goals and objectives will be achieved. This strategy is typically operationalized at a strategic business unit
[SBU] level, and strategic initiatives are then clustered into portfolios of programmes and projects for
implementation. Much of traditional management writing tends only to cover the in practice the two sets of
activities are well connected; projects and programmes are important ways for strategy to be implemented in
the enterprise and we ought to understand much better how this occurs.
Strategic management is often an ambiguous and complex process, fundamental and organization-wide, and
generally has long-term implications. While the typical corporate planning process is generally ordered and
analytical, strategy management is a dynamic process. Emergent strategy is that which becomes evident as it,
and events, emerge with time. This emergence suggests a more incremental approach to strategy formulation
and implementation, where results are regularly appraised against benefits and changes are made and managed
against the evolving picture of performance.

INTERACTION BETWEEN PROJECTS, PROGRAMMES AND CORPORATE, STRATEGY

The interaction between projects, or programmes, and the enterprise’s strategy may be either ‘deliberate’, as
formal vehicles for strategy implementation, as in capital expenditure projects for example, or ‘emergent’, in
that as they are implemented they create new conditions which in turn influence and shape the intended
strategy. Consequently projects and programmes often have a two-way relationship with the corporate
environment in which they evolve. Though there may be formal strategy planning processes and practices,
strategy may not
be realized in as rigid or formal a manner as many planners assume. Nevertheless, a formal strategy process
does bring clarity and discipline.
The role of project management in implementing strategy cooperate strategy is often not clear. For example
some senior managers believe project managers should not be involved in strategy formulation Others see
project management as strongly execution oriented and as such it is not perceived as strategically important by
senior managers.