PM Tricks Classroom Workbook Ed9 R1 20180920 - Protección

Project Management
Tricks of the Trade ®
Workbook Ed9 R1
Project Management Tricks of the Trade® - Classroom
Project Management
Tricks of the Trade®
Welcome!
1 ©2018 (Ed9 R1 20180920)
About This Course
Tricks of the Trade is a registered trademark of RMC Project Management, Inc.
This course contains material from Rita Mulcahy’s™ PMP Exam Prep® — Ninth Edition,
which is copyrighted material of, and owned by, RMC Publications, Inc., copyright 2018.
PMI and PMBOK are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.
This course contains material from A Guide to the Project Management Body of
Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) — Sixth Edition, which is copyrighted material of, and
owned by, Project Management Institute, Inc. (PMI), copyright 2017. This course has
been developed and reproduced with the permission of PMI. Unauthorized reproduction
of this material is strictly prohibited.
This course uses the following terms copyrighted by the Project Management Institute,
Inc.: Project Management Institute (PMI)®, and A Guide to the Project Management Body
of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide).
RMC Project Management, Inc. has been reviewed and approved as a provider of project
management training by the Project Management Institute (PMI). As a PMI Registered
Education Provider (R.E.P.), RMC Project Management, Inc. has agreed to abide by
PMI-established quality assurance criteria.
2
Copyright
This document contains proprietary materials

copyrighted to:
RMC Learning Solutions
Phone: (952) 846-4484
Web: www.rmcls.com
E-mail: info@rmcls.com
This document is not for use or disclosure outside

of those who attend this course and may not be
copied or reproduced in any manner, in whole
or in part, without the prior written consent of
RMC Learning Solutions.
3
©2018 RMC Learning Solutions®. All rights reserved. This document is not for use or disclosure outside of those
who attend this course and may not be copied or reproduced in any manner, in whole or in part,
without the prior written consent of RMC Learning Solutions® (Ed9 R1 20180920)
1
About RMC Learning Solutions
• Founded in 1991 by Rita Mulcahy

• Trained over 750,000 in technical skills,
soft skills, and business knowledge
– Project Management, Business Analysis, Agile
– Numerous learning solutions and products ranging from
self-study, to eLearning, to virtual instructor-led, to classroom
• International reach – Currently train in

60 regions and 18 languages
• Outcome-based learning through professional
instructors, coaches, and mentors
4
Exercise: Problems On Projects
Instructions:
Work individually
• What drives you crazy
on projects?
• In your Workbook, list at
least 4 problems you have
experienced on projects.
Duration: 3 minutes
5
About your instructor …
2
Exercise: Good and Not-So-Good Practices
Instructions: Use a flip chart

Work as a team
• List all the good and
not-so-good project
management practices
you’ve experienced on
your real-world projects
• Discuss with your team
Duration: 10 minutes
7
Not Like Other Courses
• Choose a real-world project
• Focus on improving your

project management
• Practice tools to be more

successful
• Explore Tricks of the Trade®

gathered from over 4,000
project managers
8
Course Objectives
• Become a more professional project manager

• Use a step-by-step approach to complete projects
faster, cheaper, and using fewer resources
• Apply advanced project management
Tricks of the Trade® to your own projects
• Apply International Project Management
Standards to real-world situations
• Understand your role and the roles of others
• Avoid common errors in managing projects
• Use standard project management terminology
9
3
International Standards
• PMBOK® Guide
• Projects In Controlled Environments

(PRINCE2)®
• American National Standards Institute (ANSI)®
• Institute of Electrical and Electronics

Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)®
• And many others
10
Expectations
What do you want

to take away?
11
Ground Rules
12
4
What’s In It for Me?
• Amount of time spent solving problems

vs. preventing problems
• This course will focus on

how to avoid problems
• Look for holes in your

knowledge and experience
• Learn or improve skills, tools,

and techniques
13
Course Agenda
Day 1
• Key Concepts In Project Management
• Initiating Process
• Planning Process
Day 2
• Planning Process (Continued)
14
-Continued
Course Agenda (Continued)
Day 3
• Planning Process (Continued)
• Executing and Monitoring & Controlling Processes
• Closing Process
• Applying What You Learned
• What Will Be Difficult to Implement
In the Real-world?
15
5
Class Administration
Lunch
Breaks
Exercises &
Discussion
16
How to Use This Workbook
This Workbook is not intended to be

a textbook. It is a reminder of the course
and a source of checklists and notes.
To get the greatest benefit from this course:

• Choose one real-world project and apply
all of the concepts to that project
• Modify templates to your specific needs
17
Key Concepts In Project

Management
18
6
Exercise: Understand Key Concepts

Work as a team
• Describe the item
on your card
• Use available resources
19
A Project …
• Temporary endeavor
• Beginning and an end
• Creates unique product,

service, or result
• Has interrelated activities
• Length and/or complexity

warrant project management
techniques
20
A Program Is …
A group of interrelated projects and

other related work
Program
Other
Project Project Project
Related Work
21
7
Portfolio Management
Includes a group of programs, individual projects,

and other related operational work to achieve a
specific strategic business goal
Portfolio
Other
Program Project Program Project
Related Work
Other Related
Project Project Project
Work
22
PMOs and Governance
Project Management Office

(PMO) has 3 basic roles:
• Supportive
• Controlling Project Governance
Established and administered
• Directive
by the PMO
Organizational Governance
Designed to support the organization’s
specific culture and attributes
23
Organizational Project Management
24
8
Project Management Is…
• A Process: Systematic series of actions
• Science: Collection of knowledge
• Art: Skill in using and

tailoring the project
management process
and science
25
Discussion
Why is project management

important?
26
Benefits of Project Management
• Complete project faster, cheaper, with higher

quality, and fewer problems
• Get more done with less
• Obtain a better understanding of the project
• Provide a basis for monitoring and controlling
• Decrease development time:

– Lower costs equal higher profitability
27
-Continued
9
Benefits of Project Management (Continued)
• Improve quality and reliability
• Increase results orientation in organization
• Improve interdepartmental coordination
• Raise morale
• Achieve unexpected positive results
28
Discussion
Review the list in your

Workbook.
Who are the primary

people/groups in your
organization involved
in a project?
29
A Project Manager Is …
• Not a dictator
• Facilitator and integrator
– Creates plans that improve efficiency of project
delivery and reduce waste
– Manages execution
of entire project
– Empowers and motivates
the team
30
10
Exercise: Skills Necessary for a

Project Manager
Instructions:
Work individually
• In your Workbook, read
through the list
• Mark which skills you do well,
and which skills you could
improve upon
Duration: 3 minutes
31
Skills Necessary for High-Functioning Teams
Team members willing to:

• Tell the truth
• Ask for help
• Contribute ideas
• Take responsibility
• Be accountable
• Compromise
32
-Continued
Skills Necessary for High-Functioning Teams

(Continued)
Team members willing to: (Continued)
• Work toward project objectives,

not personal agendas
• Be empowered; participate in learning
what needs to be done, when, and how
their pieces fit into the project
• Find better ways to meet project objectives
• Realize how their work impacts other team
members and project success
33
11
What Are We Managing?
Project
Constraints
34
A Successful Project …
Meets all project constraints:

• Completing all defined scope
• On schedule
• Within budget
• With an acceptable quality level
• With an acceptable risk level
• With stakeholder satisfaction
• Fulfills organizational objectives
35
Rita’s
Process
Chart™
36
36
12
Development Approach: Project Life Cycles
Project life cycle: What you need to do the work

• Plan-driven
• Change-driven
• Hybrid
Examples:
• IS/IT:
– Requirements, design, code, test, implement
• Construction:
– Feasibility, requirements, design, build, turnover
37
Project Management Process Groups
Project management process groups: What you

need to do to manage the work (e.g., initiate,
plan, execute, monitor and control, close)
38
About 5% of Project Time
Initiating Process
39
13
Initiating Process
40
Select the Project Manager …
• In initiating process— Initiating

as early as possible
• Before the final budget,

schedule, and requirements
are set
• Before any contracts

are signed
41
Determine Company Culture and Existing

Systems
A great PM looks at how company culture might

affect the project. Are there any organizational or
project governance requirements, rules, or
procedures that may be challenging?
• Example: Due to a major problem with part of
the scope from a previous project, the company
requires a detailed review of scope for all projects
• Example: Stakeholder risk thresholds
Can you think of any other examples

42
of company cultural influences?
14
Collect Processes, Procedures, and

Historical Information
• People tend to want to start work

on a new project immediately
• Best PMs know it’s better
to follow a good project
management process
• Process begins with the collection
of all data needed to effectively
plan and manage the project
43
Discussion
Share examples of the type of

information you need to collect
before starting the project.
Where do you find the

information?
Where do you store it?
44
Information to Collect Before Starting

the Project
• Historical records: Past history with customer,

lessons learned, WBSs, risks, estimates,
schedules, etc., from past projects
• Company processes and procedures for
conducting work: Quality procedures and
standards, project management procedures,
financial management, vendor selection, evaluation
criteria, change management, and approval
• Government standards: Minimum wage
standards, construction standards, local and
national government regulations
45
-Continued
15
Information to Collect Before Starting

the Project (Continued)
• All e-mails and • Contracts, agreements,

meeting minutes benefits management
prior to project plan, business case,
approval, including project rationale
from customer
• Technical drawings,
• Technical and specifications
project management
• Organizational charts
articles, ideas,
problems, and • Resumes of potential
solutions related team members
to project • Marketing or sales reports
46
Subtle Information to Collect
• Corporate objectives; how your project does or

does not support them
• What decisions project manager can make
• Official or unofficial experts who can assist project
team with the customer, identifying scope or risks,
managing project, etc.
• Priority of this project compared with all others
• Cultural influences, concerns or possible
challenges, suggested protocol, documentation,
language barriers, and social customs
47
-Continued
Subtle Information to Collect (Continued)
• Who are key players for the team and

customer? What are their:
– Stated and hidden objectives?
– Areas of influence?
– Weaknesses?
• Thoughts of experts and stakeholders about:

– How to complete the project
– Potential problems or problem areas
48
16
Divide Large Projects Into Phases

Or Smaller Projects
If a project is too large or too long to easily

be managed, break it down into sub-projects or
create a “program with many projects”
• To make a large project smaller, phases
(feasibility, design, code, test, implement, turnover,
etc.) can be planned and managed individually,
making each phase of the project
life cycle a separate project
• Divide the large project by deliverables
• Divide by type of work
49
Example: Large Project With Phase Gates
50
Common Project Management Errors
Managing many projects

as one
If you feel you cannot plan
your project because one
part or phase determines
what is done in other phases
Failing to tailor project management

If you feel you can apply a one-size-fits-all
approach to how you plan projects
51
17
How to Determine If You Have More Than

One Project
• Personal preference
• If you can’t see the end of the project

and how to get there
• If any large piece of the project cannot be

done until another piece is done, such as:
– Coding can’t start until design is completed
52
Identify Stakeholders: Determine Their

Expectations, Interest, Influence and Impact
Individuals and organizations who are actively

involved in the project or who may be affected
by the project, including:
• Management
• Customer
• Team
• Project manager
• End user
• Public
• Funding sources
53
Facilitate the Identification of Stakeholders
• Identify anyone who can affect/be affected by

the project
• Identify anyone who wants/does not want
the project, or any part of it, to continue
• Ask stakeholders, “Who do you think are
stakeholders?” to discover any you may have missed
• Ask them to identify themselves by placing notices
in company newsletters, websites, and public
announcements, where appropriate
• Look at a list of departments or organizations the
project affects; make sure all are represented
54
18
Discussion
What could be some

consequences of not
identifying all of the
stakeholders?
55
If You Miss Stakeholders
• Added project changes

• Missed requirements
• Added conflict
• Loss of expertise
• Rework
• Lower quality
56
What to Do With Stakeholders
• Identify all; continually confirm throughout the project

• Determine all their requirements and expectations
• Understand their interest, influence, and authority
• Plan how you will engage them
• Plan for communications to/from stakeholders
as part of communications planning
• Communicate with stakeholders
• Manage their influence, expectations, and
engagement while project is ongoing
• Monitor communications and engagement
57
19
Develop Stakeholder Register
58
Exercise: Identify Stakeholders – Real World
Instructions:
Work individually
• In your Workbook, use
the Stakeholder Register to
identify as many stakeholders
as possible for your real-world
project
• Then work to complete the
other columns
59
Why Bother With Stakeholder Analysis?
How did you determine each stakeholders’

level of influence on the last exercise?
• How will you manage their influence and impact?
• What is their current engagement level?
• How can you move them to the desired
engagement level?
• Put stakeholders in
classifications. You could
be working with hundreds
on a large project
60
20
Stakeholder Analysis and Representation
• Stakeholder mapping
• Stakeholder cube
• Salience model
H
Power/Interest grid Level of
authority
Impact
Power/Influence grid L H
Level of
Influence/Impact grid Influence
interest
61
Initiating Process
62
Discussion
A B
A B
63
21
Develop Project Charter
64
A Standard Project Charter
• Project Title and Description

• Project Manager Assigned and Authority Level
• Business Case
• Resources Preassigned
• Key Stakeholder List
• Stakeholder Requirements as Known
• High-Level Product Description / See example
Key Deliverables in Workbook
65
-Continued
A Standard Project Charter (Continued)
• High-Level Assumptions
• High-Level Constraints
• Measurable Project Objectives
• Project Approval Requirements
• Overall Project Risks
• Project Exit Criteria
• Project Sponsors Authorizing See example
This Project in Workbook
66
22
Discussion
How could a charter

help your project?
67
Benefits of a Project Charter
• Ensure you understand sponsor’s needs

• Provide key information needed to get started
• Provide a mechanism to make sure everyone
is on the same page later in the project
• Provide a basis to plan the project
• Ensure sponsor’s needs are not forgotten
• Protect PM by having a description of what
they are being asked to do
68
Make Sure Objectives Are S.M.A.R.T.
pecific
easurable
greed-to
ealistic
ime-constrained
69
23
Exercise: S.M.A.R.T Project Objectives –

Case Study
Instructions:
Work as a team
• In your Workbook, read the
information and review the
two examples of S.M.A.R.T.
objectives
• Then use this information to work
through the questions, and draft
two measurable project objectives
70
Exercise: S.M.A.R.T Project Objectives –

Real World
Instructions:
Work individually
• In your Workbook, review
the examples of measurable
objectives.
• Then write two measurable

objectives for your real-world
project
Duration: 5 minutes
71
If You Cannot Get a Signed Charter
• Do not do the project

If you cannot get a charter, the project is not
determined, the scope is unsure, or there is
no support for the project
– It would be wasteful to start a project under
these circumstances
• Create the charter yourself

To make it official, publish it and provide
copies to team members, their managers,
and stakeholders
72
24
Initiating Process
73
Reflection
Update your
Action Plan form
74
Planning Process
75
25
Planning
Initiating Planning
• Project manager Create a project

creates project management
charter and it is plan that is:
issued by • Bought into
sponsor • Approved
• Realistic
• Formal
76
Planning Process
77
Is This a Project Management Plan?
NO!
A project management plan It’s a bar
is not a schedule in software! chart.
78
26
Determine Development Approach, Life Cycle

& How You Will Plan for Each Knowledge Area
• Consider how development approach will affect

the project
• Management plans are created by the PM as a
strategy for defining, planning, managing, and
controlling the project
• Each management plan is unique, based on the
needs of the project, so they cannot be used as
templates for future projects
• Management plans are created for scope,
schedule, cost, quality, risk, etc.
79
Example: Project With Adaptive Life Cycle
80
Types of Management Plans
• Scope • Change management plan

• Schedule • Configuration management plan
• Cost • Requirements management plan
• Quality
• Resources
• Communications
• Risk
These are required
• Procurement components
• Stakeholder of the project
management plan
81
27
Exercise: Teach the Class
Instructions: Work as a team

• Choose one project
management plan to research
• Prepare a 5-minute (maximum)
presentation on your topic to
present to the class. Use the
questions in your Workbook
to get you started.
82
Benefits of Management Plans
• Allows a walk-through of project before

work begins
• Discovers efficiencies
• Prevents problems
• Helps complete the project faster
• Saves project manager time later
• Provides performance measurement baselines
• Defines project team roles and responsibilities
83
Planning Needs to Be Monitored & Controlled
• Measuring to the plan
• When planning work is done by a large team,

monitor & control the planning process
and activities
• On larger projects, planning will have

deliverables, schedules, and assignments
84
28
Define and Prioritize Requirements

Requirements Inputs: May Result in Changes to:
• Project Charter • Product scope
• Business case • Project scope
• Business documents • Project management plan
• Agreements/contracts End Result:
• Stakeholder register • Requirements
Process Focus: documentation
Requirements management • Traceability Matrix
plan directs how additional
requirements, elicitation,
documentation, analysis, and
prioritization are performed
85
Product Scope and Project Scope
What do
they want?
What work
will we do to
produce the
product scope?
86
How Do You Finalize Requirements?
• Make sure requirements are complete

and understandable
• Have more than one
person review them
• Ask for any additional
requirements for project scope
• Decide if any additional work needs
to be done to finalize requirements
• Ask questions
87
-Continued
29
How Do You Finalize Requirements? (Continued)
• Use the requirements management plan

that defines, in part, how requirements are
documented, analyzed, and prioritized to make
them finalized and balanced
• Create a Requirements Traceability Matrix
• Review all needs, wants, and expectations

of stakeholders
88
Example: Requirements Traceability Matrix
ID User Requirements Forward

Traceability
Users shall process

U2 S10, S11, S12
retirement claims
Users shall process survivor

U3 S13
claims.
ID Functional Backward
Requirements Traceability
The system shall accept

S10 U2
requirement data.
The system shall calculate the
S11 U2
amount of retirement.
The system shall calculate
S12 U2
point-to-point travel time.
The system shall calculate the
S13 U3
amount of survivor annuity.
89 Source: http://www.jiludwig.com/Traceability_Matrix_Structure.html
Create a Project Scope Statement
• Use input from stakeholders

• Some contents of the project charter are used to
formulate the project scope statement, such as:
– Initial identified risks
– High-level product description
– Deliverables
– Assumptions and constraints
• This work involves analyzing the
product of the project and translating
objectives into deliverables
90
30
Discussion
What did you notice about

the Project Scope Statement?
How could you tailor it

to your development
approach?
91
Benefits: Project Scope Statement
• Gain valuable input from stakeholders about what

project scope should be
• Provide one place to find critical project details
• Used for:
– Improving stakeholders understanding
of project boundaries
– Uncovering unclear product scope
– Discovering misconceptions and prevent changes
– Ensuring team only plans what needs to be
planned; increases planning efficiency
– Assessing if later changes are within scope
92
Assess What to Purchase and Create

Procurement Documents
• Make-or-Buy analysis leads

to a decision
– Will you do all the work internally
or within the organization?
– Do you need to outsource work,
or purchase materials or equipment?
• Create a draft of the procurement

statement of work, the bid
documents― RFP, RFQ or IFB
93
31
Determine Planning Team
• Project management team is involved

in remainder of planning process
• Either a core team of experts, final team,

or some combination of both
• All projects are different, but it’s important

to have as many of the same team
members as possible performing both
planning and project work
94
Create a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
Lowest level of a WBS

is the “work package”
95
What Is a WBS?
• Deliverable-oriented
“family tree” of work packages
• Organizes, defines, and graphically

displays deliverables to achieve final
project objectives
• A way to break a project into smaller,

more manageable components
96
32
How to Create a WBS
• Best method: Use sticky notes with the team

to break project down (decompose project) into
smaller, more-manageable pieces
Project Name
Life Cycle
• Life cycle: Standardized for type of work you do;

may be something like research, requirements
analysis, design, code, and test
• Major deliverables or functional other methods
97
Discussion
Why use a WBS?
98
WBS Provides Foundation for:
99
33
Benefits of Using a WBS
• Helps the project team with

– An understanding of where their work fits
into the overall project management plan
– How their deliverables impact the whole project
– Buy-in and team building
– New team members understanding their roles
– Group contribution and use of the team’s
experience; focus on what really needs to be done
100
-Continued
Benefits of Using a WBS (Continued)
• Ensures deliverables are not missed

• Facilitates communication and cooperation
between the project team and other stakeholders
• Provides a basis for estimating and proof of need
for people & physical resources, cost, and
schedule
• Helps to:
– Prevent changes
– Identify risks by work package
– Improve quality of the project
101
Templates
• Reusable
• Templates for specific types of projects

can be created for future projects
• Create templates for future projects to only

a few levels, leaving additional levels to be
added for the unique needs of each
new project
102
34
Create a WBS
• Use all possible known resources that will be

on the final team, and stakeholders or customers
to improve buy-in, project quality
and decrease project risk
• Create a preliminary life cycle level of the WBS

before meeting with the team to give the team
direction, preview what a WBS is, and prevent
wasted efforts
• Use sticky notes
103
-Continued
Create a WBS (Continued)
• 2nd level of the WBS:

– Most commonly the same as project life cycle
(Examples in Workbook)
– Should be complete before working downward
to ensure deliverables are not forgotten
– Should always include research and project
management sections
104
-Continued
Create a WBS (Continued)
• Each level should break the level above into small

pieces of “what” needs to be done
• Add only pieces that work toward delivering the

project objectives; do not include any extras
• To break each level down further, ask: “What does

this deliverable include?” or “What does ________
mean for this project?”
• Purpose of the WBS is not to have a clean picture
105
35
Putting the WBS Into Software
A complete WBS can be

put into an organizational
chart or graphing
software, such as:
– Microsoft® Visio
– WBS Schedule Pro®
– Microsoft® Word
(organizational chart)
106
Project Management In the WBS
• Project management deliverables are not

commonly part of WBS for smaller projects
– Detailing them does not add value
– Determined by PM, not the team
• On larger projects that are outsourced

or require exacting cost calculations, project
management branch may be included
• Choice depends on project needs and

company practice
107
Research In the WBS
Deliverable example: Analysis document

• Reviewing past lessons learned
• Collecting & reviewing hardware product
information
• Reviewing relevant software development articles
• Attending demonstrations
• Visiting installed sites
• Surveying users by e-mail
• Determining customers/stakeholders
108
36
Exercise: WBS – Case Study

Work as a team
• In your Workbook, read the Case
Study information and review life
cycle examples
• Use the Case Study information,

sticky notes, and a marker to create
a WBS on a flip chart
109
Exercise: WBS – Real World
Instructions:
Work Individually
• Review the WBS life cycle

examples in your Workbook
• Then in the space provided,

create a WBS for your
real-world project
110
How Do You Know You Are Done With

a WBS?
Break the project into work packages that:

• Have a meaningful conclusion and deliverable
• Are realistic and can be confidently estimated
• Cannot be logically subdivided further
• Can be completed without further input
• Are the size needed to control the project
– Small projects: Maybe 4 to 40 hours of effort
– Large projects: Maybe 300 hours of effort
111
37
Benefits of a WBS
If you are not getting the

benefits listed earlier, you may
not be using the WBS to its
fullest advantage.
Review the WBS
Benefits Checklist
in your Workbook.
112
To Convert WBS Data Into Project

Management Software
• Work packages are listed in project

management software, usually on the bar chart
• List a WBS number, to identify the WBS level
where each deliverable originated
• Variety of WBS numbering systems
– Example 1.1
 1.1 might be further divided into
1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3
113
Exercise: What’s Wrong With This “WBS”?
Instructions:
Work Individually
• Review the WBS examples

in your Workbook
• List what is missing and/or

incorrect from each example
and how this might affect
the project
Duration: 4 minutes
114
38
Review: What’s Wrong With This “WBS”?
What about a project

Where is Hardware management branch?
research? Software Project
Hardware Software
Select Vendor
Answers are covered
Install Requirements
& Design
Design & Code Integration
Prepare RFP Install HW Interview Prepare System Design Install Y System

Analyze Proposals Inspect Business Unit Code System Install X System
Select Transfer Programs Interview Users
Negotiate Test Survey Management I/O screens
Sign Contract Develop Requirements Doc. Database Interface
Sign Off Error Messages
What about
“Prepare Room”
and “Receive Where are testing, training,
HW”? documentation, evaluation?
115
Do Not Create WBS By Functional Areas
When you create a WBS by the sport, it

results in many repeats at the 3rd level
Olympics
Track and Field Volleyball Rowing Equestrian
Tickets Facilities Press Athletes
116
WBS Should Focus On the Project
Creating a WBS in this manner might be better
Olympics
Research Tickets Facilities Press Schedule
Last Unique New

Olympics Requirements Location
Plan Lessons Advice

Learned
117
39
If You Cannot Complete a WBS
Problem
Team cannot determine how they will develop the
software without a complete requirements analysis
Solution
You may have more than one project
• Requirements analysis project
• Implementation project
118
Create a WBS Dictionary
• Define each work package so the person doing

the work knows the level of effort required
• WBS dictionary is like a work package charter

– Work package name and number
– Work package description
– Acceptance criteria
• Store other information from the

rest of the planning process
119
Why Bother Defining Each Work Package?
• Be careful! If you have done all we talked about but

you do not do this step, you may wonder why:
– Your resources may choose to work on other projects
whose work packages are easier to understand
– It’s difficult to gain cooperation
– You have to answer a lot of questions about what
needs to be done for each work package
– You have work package scope creep
• Better to invest the time creating a WBS dictionary

up front than to deal with problems later
120
40
Planning Process
121
Create an Activity List
Large projects: Smaller projects:

Work packages from Activity list can be skipped
the WBS are broken as WBS is broken down
down into activities to work packages small
These activities are enough to be estimated
then sequenced in accurately (“work 4 to 40
the network diagram hours”)
These work packages are
then sequenced in the
network diagram
122
Create a Network Diagram
• Derived from the WBS; shows logical relationships

and interdependencies between activities
• Shows how project will be completed from
beginning to end
• Flows from left to right, starting at project’s
beginning and ending at project’s end― no loops
• Used to:
– Determine how long project will take
– Shorten project’s duration
– Adjust for changes during project executing
123
41
How to Create a Network Diagram
• Take sticky notes from lower part of WBS

and sequence them with the team. Transfer results
to software by converting it to a chart.
• Determine any preceding activities for each activity
and enter them directly into the chart (available in
most project management software).
• Once completed, simply switch to network diagram
view. Network diagram should only need a little
fixing to look correct.
• Determine if any leads or lags are needed.
124
Types of Dependencies
• Mandatory dependency (Hard logic): Inherent in

work being done, such as you must design before
you can construct or required by contract
• Discretionary dependency (Preferred,
preferential, or soft logic): Based on experience,
desire, or preferences
• External dependency: Based on needs or desires
of a party outside the project, such as government
or suppliers
• Internal dependency: Based on the project needs
125
Relationships In a Network Diagram
Relationships between activities can be:

• Finish-to-start: Must finish digging a hole
before you can start the next activity of planting
a tree
• Start-to-start: Must start design and wait
for 2 weeks before you can start coding
• Finish-to-finish: Must finish testing before
you can finish documentation
• Start-to-finish: Rarely used
126
42
Example: Network Diagram
Start B C D End
B
A G
Start D
H End
F
C E
127
Convert WBS to a Network Diagram
For large projects, use a summary level of the WBS

for the network diagram to avoid too much detail
For smaller projects, use a lower level of the WBS

128
When instructed …
• Use the data from the chart
in your Workbook to draw a
network diagram
• The activity precedence
is listed
129
43
Network Diagram
E G H C
D
Start End
F B
A
130
Estimate Resource Requirements: Physical
• Equipment
• Materials
• Supplies
• Facilities
131
Estimate Resource Requirements: People
• Resources include anyone

who will be added to the team
later in the project
• Level of detail planned will

depend on such things as:
– Level of cost control needed
– If project costs are reimbursable
under a contract
– Your company’s accounting standards
132
44
Determine Availability
• Your outcome is to know the percent availability

of resources
• Use representation tools
– Resource histogram
– Resource breakdown structure
Resource Histogram Resource Breakdown Structure

133
Resource Allocation
• Resource management and allocation

is typically done by functional managers
– PM doesn’t have formal control over resources
• Some companies have a resource pool and

associated costs
– Functional managers assign team members
day-to-day work and projects based on
availability that is documented
134
How Many Hours Are People Actually Available?
• Even if people are assigned to the project

full-time, plan for 6 hours of availability each day
• Plan for fewer hours if they are working on more
than one thing each day
• Watch for vacation, sick time, personal time,
administration time, and education time
Hours Activity
8 Hours each person is available to work
-1 Administrative time (e-mail, phone, doctor)
-0.5 to -1 Time for breaks during the day
6.5 to 6 Maximum available hours per day
135
45
Situation
John, the PM, begins a new project by making

a list by himself of what needs to be done.
When he finishes the list, he “guess-timates”

time needed for each activity.
Finally, he totals the amounts for each activity

to come up with the project schedule.
This becomes the commitment What problems

date John gives the customer. might occur if
John uses this
136 method?
What Do You Need Before You Estimate?
• Project charter • Activity list

• Project scope • Activity attributes
statement
• Resource calendars
• WBS
• Historical records
• Network diagram
• Risks
• The team
137
Discussion
In your Workbook, read the

list of “Common Estimating
Errors”
• When have you made

one of these errors?
• What was the
outcome?
138
46
Improve Your Estimates
Eliminate common estimating errors by asking

yourself questions, such as:
• Is the product or project scope overly optimistic?
• What areas might not be complete?
• Can they be made complete before the

project starts?
139
Estimates Should Be In a Range
• Statistically, there is little possibility that

an estimate of 6 months or $100,000
will be achieved
• To improve accuracy, estimates should

always be in a range, such as:
– 6 to 7 months
– $90,000 to $110,000
140
Estimating During Project Selection / Budgeting
• Rough order of magnitude: When little

information is available and a WBS can only be
done with minimal decomposition
• Estimates are created using:

─ Analogous estimating
-/+50 % or
─ Historical records -25/+75 %
─ Broad, high-level guess
• Example: “The last 4 projects like this cost

$500,000 and took 8 months ─ so should this one”
141
47
Final Estimate At the End of Planning
Once WBS is completed:

• Work packages are clearly described
• Resources are involved
• Project is estimated by activities
• Accuracy of estimates made at this time
can be at the definitive level
-/+10 % -or-
-5/+10 %
142
When Are Estimates Usually Made?
• During budgeting: To help in project selection,

to create a budget, and to determine if a project
is feasible
• During project planning: To create a detailed

cost, schedule, and resource plan that will be used
to confirm actual project estimate, and manage and
control the project on a day-to-day basis
• During project executing: When changes arise

and to double check estimates
143
Estimating Approaches
Approach Pros Cons

Top-Down: • Fast • Not accurate
Estimates the project • Less costly • Can’t be used for
analogously based to create day-to-day
on previous projects management
of the project
Bottom-Up: • Provides a • Takes more time

Each activity is framework • May include hidden
estimated based on a to control padding
detailed the project
understanding of the • More accurate
project
144
48
Basic Rules for Bottom-Up Estimating
• Have a WBS so you • Have those responsible

can: for completing the work
create the estimates
– Estimate small
pieces of work • Expert opinions are
allowable on small
– Make sure all
work is estimated activities
• Hours rather than • Make sure you record

days to improve assumptions
overall accuracy • Communicate the level
of precision needed
• Prevent padding
145
Use Both Estimating Approaches
It’s a good idea to use both top-down and

bottom-up estimates to ensure a check and
balance on the estimate
Top-down Bottom-up
146
Discussion
Why estimate and

control costs?
Is it really ethical to complete
work for twice as much as
it should have cost?
147
49
Estimate Activity Durations and Cost
What schedule estimates are needed?

• Effort (or level of effort):
In hours
• Duration: How many

working days will it take
to complete?
Use this as a sanity check:

Effort divided by availability
should equal duration
148
Why Know Both Effort and Duration?
• What if a resource says that he is 50% available,

and then estimates that an activity will take 5 hours
of effort but 5 days duration? Based on his
availability, the duration should be 2 days.
• Knowing the resources’ availability can help the

project manager perform a sanity check on the
estimate and discover problems before they occur.
• This idea can be expressed as:

Duration = Effort / Availability
• Duration estimate is used in the schedule.

149
What Cost Estimates Are Needed?

Direct costs:
• Cost of all activities including:
– Quality efforts
– Risk efforts
– Recognition and rewards
– Project manager’s time
– Costs of project management activities,
including reports & meetings
– Training for the project
• Materials (paper, pens, and computers)
• Office expenses
• Profit, when applicable
150
-Continued
50
What Cost Estimates Are Needed? (Continued)
Indirect costs:
• Overhead, including
management salaries
• Fringe benefits
• Usually calculated as a percentage of costs
• Supplied to PM from accounting or financial

department within organization
151
Use the Best Method When Estimating
• Analogous/historical records: Estimates from

previous projects as a basis
• Parametric: Mathematical analysis of the past

estimates, such as:
– Cost for each line of code
– Software documentation is 15% of cost of coding
– Learning curves
– Cost for each kilowatt
• Benchmarks: Industry standards or metrics

152
-Continued

(Continued)
• One-time estimate for each activity

– Example: The activity will take 20 hours
– Use only with clearly defined,
small activities
• 3-point estimate for each activity

– Optimistically, if everything goes right,
the activity will take 5 hours
– Pessimistically, if everything goes wrong,
the activity will take 20 hours
– Most likely, the activity will take 11 hours
153
-Continued
51

(Continued)
Delphi technique: Delphi variation:

• Anonymously • Experts meet to review
survey experts project requirements
• Compile results • Each expert submits
• Have experts comment estimates
on the compilation anonymously
• Analyze and review • An average is taken
comments
• Try to build consensus;
• Re-estimate and repeat
repeat as necessary
to gain consensus
154
Estimating Format
• Provide all estimators a consistently

required format for estimates so estimates
can be compared
• Example:
– Cost per unit x number of units required
– Duration per unit x number of units required
155
About Padding
• Padding = Hidden extra time

• Reserves = Risk-based extra time,
communicated up front
• Name the problem in front of the team
and keep it visible
• Tell the team the truth about the impact
of padding
• Explain how you will create an environment
that will not require padding to protect the team
156
52
Why Is Padding a Problem?
• Those who pad get a reputation for padding.

This questions their integrity.
• Known “padders” are less likely to be selected

to work on the best projects.
• Creates historical project records that are biased

and, as a result, unreliable.
• If the team pads, team members can no longer use

the resulting bar chart schedule to manage their
day-to-day time. They will not know when their
activities are needed, and will never be in control.
157
How to Complete a Sanity Check
In addition to effort and availability

calculations, the project manager could:
• Compare estimate to:
– Experience
– Benchmarks
– Historical data
– A parametric estimate
• Review estimates with a higher or lower range
between optimistic and pessimistic estimates
• Ask questions of person who completed
the estimate
158
Ask Clarifying Questions
• How can you be sure Write 3

the estimate is additional
accurate? clarifying
• What part of this questions to
estimate are you less share with
sure about? the class
• What information
would help you make
this a more accurate
estimate?
159
53
Estimating Is Not Done Yet
• Final project estimate will not be

ready until risk management
is completed
• Risk management process will most likely:
– Change the WBS
– Change the Network diagram
– Change estimates
– Provide an estimate of schedule
and cost reserves needed
• Planning is iterative!
160
Example: Estimating Template
• Information Project ___________ Activity ____________ Completed by ________
repository Effort in hours ______ Percent availability __________________

Duration = Effort/Availability
Optimistic duration estimate, in hours ______
– Clarifies Pessimistic duration estimate, in hours ______

Most likely duration estimate, in hours ______
data How did you come up with this estimate? Circle one:
Historical information, specific previous WBS estimate, calculation, guess
– Ensures Please describe the assumptions you are making:

consistency
How can you be sure this is a good estimate?
• Adapt for How much padding is included?
your project
161
Determine the Critical Path
After the network diagram is completed, it’s time

to find out how long the project will take― this is
the critical path
• Longest duration path through the

network diagram
• Indicates the shortest time needed

to complete the project
• Activities on this path usually have no float

162
54
Importance of Knowing the Critical Path
• Helps to:
– Prove how long the project will take
– Manage multiple projects
– Coordinate resources over multiple projects
• Shows PM what activities to focus on in managing
the project; traditionally, only 10% of total activities
are on the critical path
• Indicates to team which activities have float/slack
and how much
• Shows if you can meet milestones or due dates
163
Example: Critical Path
9 4 2 7
4 E G H C
D
Start 8 4 End
3 F B
A
Start, D, E, G, H, C, end = 26 months (Critical Path)

Start, A, F, B, end = 15 months
Start, D, F, G, H, C, end = 25 months
Start, D, F, B, end = 16 months
Start, A, F, G, H, C, end = 24 months
164
Discussion
Review the Case Study network

diagram in your Workbook
What are the likely

critical path activities?
165
55
Planning the Work
166
Develop a Schedule
Discussion: What needs

to be done to develop a
schedule?
167
Schedule Model
• Create a schedule model containing

basic schedule data
– Project start date
– Activities
– Resource names for each activity
(or skills for larger projects)
– Estimate for each activity
• Perform schedule development to create
a working schedule model
• Schedule will go through iterations as it
168
progresses through the planning process
56
Representing the Schedule
Most “project management software” products

are only scheduling and reporting software that
translate duration estimates and network
diagrams into a calendar-based schedule
or bar chart
169
Bar Chart for a Sample Project
170
Leads and Lags
Leads: May be used to indicate

an activity can start before its
predecessor activity is completed
• Example: Web page design can be started 5
days before the database design is completed
Lags: Waiting time between activities

• Example: Wait 3 days after
pouring concrete to start
building the frame for a house
171
57
Float
Float: Amount of time an activity can be delayed

without delaying project completion date
• Determined by the formula:
– Late finish–early finish, or
– Late start–early start
• If float > 0 there is some flexibility as to
when activity must be completed
• If float = 0 the activity is critical; any delay
will delay whole project
• If float is < 0 you are behind schedule
172
Float: Details Behind the Schedule
• Early start (ES):

Earliest time an activity
can start
• Late start (LS):
Latest time an activity
can start
• Early finish (EF):
Earliest time an activity
can be completed
• Late finish (LF):
Latest time an activity
can be completed
173
Float of Activities
174
58
Milestones
• Show completion of activities

• Show phase or deliverable
completion
• Take no time
• Are shown on a high-level

bar chart
• Help control the project
175
Discussion
How will you know if

your schedule model is
acceptable?
176
Typical Answers
• Are there any danglers? All activities must start

in one place (Start) and end in one place (End).
• Where do you have float?
• Are there any activities with a large amount of

float that should be moved or have resources
reassigned?
• What is the critical path?
• Are there any near-critical paths?

177
-Continued
59
Typical Answers (Continued)
• Do you need to add any milestones to better

track progress?
• Can you meet all required deliverable dates?
• Do you have enough resources?

– Are they best utilized?
– Are they available at the required time?
178
Develop a Budget
Cost Budget:
Example 1
Cost Budget:
Example 2
Cost Budget:
Example 3
179
-Continued
Develop a Budget (Continued)
8. Cost Budget
7. Management Reserves
6. Cost Baseline
5. Contingency Reserves
4. Project Estimates
180
60
Planning: Quality
181
Determine Quality Standards, Processes,

and Metrics
• Quality must be planned into the project
• Responsibility of PM, not just the quality

department
• Managing quality helps PM know if he or she

will achieve project completion date and cost,
not just any quality requirements
182
Don’t Forget to Determine
Project quality standards

― and ―
Project management
quality standards
183
61
To Determine Quality Standards, Ask:
• What existing company quality standards or

procedures may apply to this project?
• What measures of quality (quality standards)
should I create for this project? How do I justify
that they are appropriate?
• What measurements will tell me how the project
is performing to plan?
• What are customer and sponsor expectations
for quality?
Remember, quality must be measurable
184
Some External Standards for Quality
• Occupational Safety and Health

Administration (OSHA®) in the USA
• International Organization for

Standardization (ISO®)
• PMBOK® Guide
• Projects In Controlled Environments

(PRINCE2®) project management standard
185
Examples: Internal Standards for Quality
• No more than 5 bugs per module

• No more than 1 injury
• Only 3 customer questions after deliverable is sent
for testing
• Only 2 changes on the project
• Concrete must have strength equal to ______ per
square foot and be measured by ______
• XYZ module must be able to process at least
1,000,000 records per day
• Equipment must be able to survive and function in
rain and in temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius
186
62
Discussion
How will you measure

quality for each
project deliverable?
187
Improving Quality
• Ask customer for his/her definition of quality

• Use results of past lessons learned
• Create an environment that encourages people
to tell you about problems
• Require formal sign-off for each deliverable
• Look at any standards that may be available
• Describe what will make a quality product of the
project, and then figure out how to get there
• Use quantitative data whenever possible
188
-Continued
Improving Quality (Continued)
• Continuously review product scope to make

sure it is being met
• Make use of quality professionals within
your organization
• Test different combinations of resources or
components of the project constraint that will
produce highest quality
• Benchmark what others do for quality and what
standards or measurements they use
• Analyze the benefits of quality improvements
189
vs. costs
63
What About Processes? Ask Yourself...
• If any processes already exist or are required

in your company. These can include:
– Hiring
– Making payments
– Reporting on personnel performance
• What processes you will create for the project,

such as:
– Rules for meetings
– Project ground rules
– How recurring activities will be done
190
Discussion
What processes can you

create to support meeting
objectives and requirements
on your projects?
191
Is There Waste In Your Projects?
UNDO
• Of course there is!
• Tendency to try to
make deliverables perfect,
add functionality, or
gold plate
REDO
• Project manager’s responsibility is to:

– Ensure all processes are fast and efficient
– Balance project management plan and project
objectives with costs and other constraints
192
64
Processes to Examine
Processes related to completion of the project

or product scope are the biggest candidates for
improvement. These might include how:
• Meetings are held
• Reports are compiled
• Programs are coded
• New pharmaceuticals are developed
• Business unit requirements are determined
• Products are ordered
• Work is contracted
193
Quality Management Plan
You just created

the beginning of a
quality management
plan for your project
194
Planning: Resources
195
65
Team Charter
Guidelines, criteria, and processes

• Values
• Communication
• Decision making
• Conflict resolution
• Meetings
• Agreements
196
Determine All Roles and Responsibilities
A common complaint from team members:

PM does not provide a clear description of their
roles and responsibilities on the project.
• If you do not determine roles in advance,

how can you expect anyone to fulfill them?
• Determining roles is a key step in project

planning.
197
Discussion
What might be included

in the project manager’s
role in resources
planning?
198
66
Team Must Know Project Management
• Team must know and be trained

in project management
• They will be expected to perform project

management activities, such as risk
identification and conflict resolution
199
Define Roles and Responsibilities
• Who
– Will complete each activity
– Should attend what meetings
– Should supply reports
– Will help with project management activities such
as risk management and quality management
• What resource management activities the

project manager must perform
200
Create Charts to Show Roles and Responsibilities
• Project organizational charts
• Responsibility
assignment matrices
• Position descriptions
201
67
Use Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)
Activities Other
Person Assigned Responsibilities
Samantha None • Continue to look at risks throughout the
project by interviewing others in the
department
• Assist the project manager with costing
changes that affect the department
Kerry Activities B, D • Be the scribe at team meetings

• Be the assistant project manager for the
training phase
202
-Continued
Use Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM)

(Continued)
Team Member
Activity Karla Patrick Muhammad Trisha
A P S
B S P
How can using a RAM reduce

issues with your project?
203
List Available Non-Team Resources
Experts Person Contact

Accounting Nancy NB@xxx.com
Mainframes Bob RL@xxx.com
Vendor X John JK@xxx.com
204
68
To Finalize Resources, Ask Yourself:
• Is there a good understanding of the scope

for each activity?
• Who will complete each activity?
• Is there a complete set of roles for each activity?
• Do the team members assigned to each activity
have necessary skills?
• Are team members assigned to each activity
available at required time?
205
-Continued
To Finalize Resources, Ask Yourself: (Continued)
• Are team members

assigned to each activity
needed for more or less
time than the percent they
are available?
• Are there any threats to
the resources assigned
to the project?
• Have you confirmed with
the resource managers?
206
Getting Resources
• Resources can be acquired by:

– Pre-assignment
– Negotiation
– Outsourcing
– Hiring
• Make sure you really have resources by
getting sign-off whenever resources are
allocated to a project
• If known at this time, explain specific
consequences of not having enough resources
or losing them during the project
207
69
Check Your Resources
• How do you know you really have

the resources you think you have?
• Are you making best use of your
best resources?
• Should best resources be assigned
to the critical path or non-critical path?
• Are you using your resources more than
the percent availability they told you
about earlier?
208
Check Your Plan vs. Their Availability
Resource Usage
Report
209
Check for Over-Allocations

November 10 November 17 Report for Niki
210
70
Check Where Your Resources Are Being Used
211
Planning: Communications
212
Plan Communications and Stakeholder

Engagement
Communication #1 problem on projects― doesn’t
need to be.
How do the following affect stakeholder
engagement?
• Sent an e-mail when you really needed to go see
someone?
• Deleted a voice message before listening to the
end?
• Neglected to say, “Can you repeat back to me
what you think I said, so we can ensure complete
understanding?”
213
71
Stakeholder Engagement Plan
• Based on the stakeholder communication

preferences, stakeholder analysis, and
engagement assessment
• What information does the stakeholder need,
when, and in what format
214
Communications Management Plan
• Considers how to store, maintain, distribute,

and retrieve information
• Determines what will happen to all the project
information after the project is closed
• Helps determine what systems and processes are
already in place to support communication needs,
and what will need to be created
• Focuses on information needs of stakeholders
• Decides what should be communicated, to whom,

when, what method, and how frequently
215
Benefits: Communications Management

Plan
• Decreases conflict
• Decreases communications problems
• Defines communications responsibilities
• Increases empowerment
and motivation
• Increase likelihood
of stakeholder engagement
216
72
Consider These Communications
217
-Continued
Consider These Communications (Constraints)
Addresses:
• Project constraints
• WBS
• Risk register
218
Exercise: Communications
Management Plan – Real World
Instructions: Work Work in pairs. Briefly explain

individually. In your your project at a high level and
Workbook, read the ask what your partner would
information regarding communicate on your project.
communications Do not show partner your plan
(5 minutes). (10 minutes).
Then complete the Switch roles. Provide your

communications partner with ideas about what
management plan for should be in their plan
your real-world project (10 minutes).
(10 minutes). Duration: 35 minutes
219
73
Planning: Risk
220
Perform Risk Identification, Risk

Analysis, and Risk Response Planning
• Risk: A discrete
occurrence that may
affect the project for
better or for worse
• Opportunity or threat
221
What Is Risk Management?
222
74
Risk Management Planning Steps
1. Plan risk management: Decide how you will

do risk management for the project
Objective: Determine how risk management will be
done, who will be involved, and any procedures
to be used
2. Identify risks: Determine specific risks

Objective: Get stakeholders involved in making
a list of risks as long as possible (hundreds of items).
Don’t evaluate or comment on responses.
223
Risk Management Planning Steps (Continued)
3-4. Perform qualitative & quantitative risk analysis:

Analyze risks to rank them
Objective: Subjective analysis ranks all risks and
divides them into “short list” and “watch list.” Decide
what risks warrant a response in the next step. Probability
and impacts are determined qualitatively. Decide if a
quantitative evaluation is also necessary.
5. Plan risk responses: Decrease project risk.

Plan responses for risks that occur
Objective: Take action to reduce overall risk of project by
decreasing probability/impact of threats and increasing
likelihood/impact of opportunities.
224
Risk Management Benefits
• Involves all stakeholders
• Identifies risks by project and by work

package or activity
• Saves project time and assists in minimizing

the project schedule and budget
Risk management is not difficult— even beginning

PMs can quickly and easily make a difference on
their projects using risk management
225
75
Discussion
What are some examples

of opportunities & threats
for the Case Study?
226
Impact of Risk Management Activities
Without risk With risk

management management
• Most common activities • Up to 90% of project
are workarounds, problems are prevented,
dealing with problems, saving a phenomenal
and fighting fires amount of time
• Work takes more of • Major improvement in
project manager’s time project performance
and project success
227
Results of Risk Management
Risks Removed
Original Budget Budget after Risk Management
Activity Cost Estimate Activity Cost Estimate
1 $ 100,000 1 $ 70,000
2 300,000 2 200,000
3 1,400,000 3 1,000,000
Reserve 300,000
Total Cost $1,800,000 Revised Cost $1,570,000
Estimate Estimate
Reserve Created
228
76
Creating a Reserve
• Reserve (contingency/management reserve):

Amount of time and/or cost added to project to
account for known and unknown risks
– Not a pad
– Pad is hidden; reserve is not
• Adding a reserve is required in project

management to come up with a realistic
schedule, cost, and project management plan
• Most appropriate way to create a reserve

is based on project risks
229
Calculating a Reserve
• Qualitatively analyzed risks: Estimate the

appropriate amount of reserve based on the
number and severity of the risks
• Quantitatively analyzed risks: Calculate the
cost reserve by totaling the expected monetary
value (EMV = Probability x Impact) of all the
top risks
A reserve may be an exact amount based on

calculation of the reserve, or it can be adjusted
to account for inexperience or “unknowns”
230
Risk Response Strategies
For Threats For Opportunities

• Avoid • Exploit
• Mitigate • Enhance
• Transfer • Share
(deflect, allocate)
For Threats &
Opportunities
• Escalate
• Accept
231
77
Expected Monetary Value (EMV = P x I)
• 25% probability: Delay in receipt of

customer approval; $10,000 cost
You are
planning the • 30% probability: Equipment will be
manufacture cheaper than expected, saving $15,000
of an existing • 50% probability: 2 specific parts
product’s will be returned for poor quality;
modifications $30,000 cost
• 40% probability: Certain expert will
become available, saving $10,000
in cost due to increased productivity
How much reserve should be in your budget?

232
How Reserve Is Calculated
Add 25% x $10,000 = + $ 2,500
Subtract 30% x $15,000 = - $ 4,500
Add 50% x $30,000 = + $15,000
Subtract 40% x $10,000 = - $ 4,000
Total to be added to budget

as a contingency reserve $ 9,000
233
Go Back ― Iterations
• Previous planning activities are iterative when:

– Risks are identified
– Risk management planning activities are
completed
• Risks, and what is done to prevent & address

them, will change
– Planning outputs previously described
– Possibly the project charter
• The better the initial planning process,

the less work iterations will take
234
78
Goal of Iterations
Develop a project
management plan that is:
• Bought-into
• Approved
• Realistic
• Formal
235
Discussion
What might you need

to rethink or redesign
to create final baselines?
236
Iterations Include:
Finalize the Rethinking completed

baselines: management planning
• Scope activities:
• Risk
• Budget (budget
development) • Procurement
• Schedule (schedule • Resources

development) • Communications
• Quality
• Stakeholder
237
-Continued
79
Iterations Include: (Continued)
Budget Schedule
development development
• Updating costs for • Meetings or presentations
any changes that to let stakeholders
result from risk, know which project
quality, resources, objectives cannot be met
or other planning
processes • Creating options for
schedule compression
• Adding reserves and presenting these
options to management
238
To Complete Iterations, Ask Yourself:
• Have all resources and related issues

been included?
• Would I feel comfortable staking my reputation

on this scope, cost, schedule, risk, and quality?
• Are all planning outputs really final (such as

WBS and scope statement)?
• What questions remain unanswered?
239
Schedule Development Includes:
• Optimizing schedule model by:

– Compressing schedule through crashing
and fast tracking
– Playing “what-if analysis” to see impacts of
various potential changes
– Performing schedule network analysis
– Checking resource allocation along critical path
– Noticing any near-critical paths
– Determining float and adjusting project to make
best use of float
240
-Continued
80
Schedule Development Includes: (Continued)
• Looking for impacts between your project & others

• Giving team members a chance to approve final
schedule that allocates team’s activity estimates
into a calendar schedule
• Making sure identified risks that rank high enough
are addressed in project schedule and budget
• Meetings or presentations to let stakeholders
know what project objectives cannot be met
• Creating options for schedule compression
and presenting these options to management
241
Unrealistic Schedules
• Do you have an
unrealistic schedule?
• Did you know an unrealistic

schedule (or budget) shows a
lack of project management ability?
• Project manager’s responsibility is to resolve

schedule (or constraint) challenges
242
Exercise: Unrealistic Schedule

• Select a timekeeper and a project manager
• Complete each situation as described
in your Workbook
– Situation 1 (3 minutes)
– Read answers (2 minutes)
243
-Continued
81
Exercise: Unrealistic Schedule (Continued)
Situation 3: Schedule Compression Chart

Which activities would you crash to save 3 weeks?
Activity Original Crash Time Original Crash Extra Risk

Duration Duration Savings Cost Cost Cost Impact
R 6 weeks 4 weeks 2 weeks $10 k $14 k $4 k High
S 7 weeks 5 weeks 2 weeks $17 k $27 k $10 k Low
T 5 weeks 4 weeks 1 week $15 k $16 k $1 k Low
U 7 weeks 6 weeks 1 week $8 k $10 k $2 k High
V 8 weeks 5 weeks 3 weeks $12 k $21 k $9 k None
244
Review: Unrealistic Schedule
Is scope, schedule, or cost most important?

• For each project, one project constraint
is most important.
• Project manager must know which is most
important and then trade one for the other to
balance project.
• For example, if cost is most important, project
manager may let schedule slip. If schedule is
more important, PM may let quality slip. This is
done by schedule compression.
245
-Continued
Review: Unrealistic Schedule (Continued)
Meeting with the sponsor to present options:

• Prove your duration and cost estimates by using
project management tools (WBS and network
diagram) to demonstrate how you arrived at them
• Ask sponsor for agreement with the estimates
• If sponsor cannot accept these estimates,
provide other options you have prepared
• Sponsor and customer make a selection from
these options
Use this opportunity to show sponsor your value with
analysis & ask to be involved earlier on the next project
246
82
Planning: Finalize and Communicate the Plan
247
Finalize Procurement Strategy
Strategy includes:
• How goods and services will be delivered
to the buyer
• What contract type will be used
• How procurement will be carried out
through each phase
248
Finalize Procurement Documents
• Drafted earlier, in planning

• Includes:
– Bid documents
 RFP (request for proposal)
 RFQ (request for quotation)
 IFB (invitation for bid)
– Contract statement of work
– Proposed contract
249
83
Create Change Management Plan
Change control describes how changes will be

requested, analyzed, evaluated, approved, and
implemented
May include:
• Setting up change control board
• Creating forms for changes to be submitted
• Rules for accepting, rejecting, or delaying changes
• Systems to help document each change as it goes
through change control process
• Includes emergency change management process
250
A Good Change Management Plan
• Controls to project baselines created

during planning
• Helps find problems early
• Controls only what is really necessary
• Is appropriate for size and complexity

of the project
• Uses diagrams, charts, graphs, or images

wherever possible― not just words
251
Discussion
Is the evaluation of changes

different for scope vs. resources,
or quality vs. procurement?
252
84
Change Control Board
In charge of reviewing, approving, deferring,

or rejecting changes
May include:
• Project manager
• Sponsor
• Technical experts
• Customer
• Management
• Team members
253
Create Configuration Management Plan
• Helps prevent people from working

with outdated schedules, product scope
descriptions, project management plans, etc.
• Ensures all parties have the current version

of all project plans and documents
• Defines how to manage changes to deliverables,

processes, and the resulting documentation
254
Project Management Information System

(PMIS)
Systems the PM sets up to collect and manage

information and help control the project
May include:
• “Project management” software
• Accounting software
• E-mail systems and archives
• Paper filing and retrieval systems
• Telephone conversation records
255
85
Finalize All Management Plans
• Management plans should address how

you will plan, execute (manage), and monitor
& control the project
• “How will I plan?” component was finished

earlier in project planning
• PM can now create and finalize execute

(manage) and monitor & control components
of the management plan
256
Execute Component: All Management Plans
• How will we execute

(manage) scope, schedule,
etc.?
• How will we facilitate the
completion of activities and
deliverables?
• How will you motivate the
team, continuously improve,
etc.?
257
Monitor & Control Component: All Management

Plans
• What will be monitored and controlled?

• What will be measured?
• How will be it be measured?
• What are the processes and procedures
to measure project progress to plan
(planned vs. actual)?
• What is acceptable variance?
• How to handle unacceptable variances?
258
86
Exercise: Management Plan
Instructions:
Work as a team
Create a management plan for

an assigned knowledge area
259
Develop Realistic and Sufficient

Project Management Plan and Baselines
• Multi-page document created by project manager

and approved by sponsor. Project team can
provide input to project management plan.
• Detailed plan for accomplishing project charter
and project scope statement. May change over
time, but is intended for use as a day-to-day
management tool.
It is not created by project

management software!
260
Project Management Plan ― What’s Included
• Scope management plan

• Schedule management plan
• Risk management plan
• Communications management plan
• Quality management plan
• Resource management plan
• Procurement management plan
• Cost management plan
• Stakeholder engagement plan
261
-Continued
87
Project Management Plan ― What’s Included

(Continued)
• Other plans:
– Requirements management plan
– Change management plan
– Configuration management plan
• Baselines:
– Cost
– Schedule
– Scope
262
Must All the Items Be In a Project

Management Plan?
Yes― Professional project management requires

that such activities take place
• For small projects, each item might take

only a few minutes
• For larger projects, each item in the project

management plan might take days of work
It’s worth the effort― it saves time

and money!
263
Can You Include Other Items In a Project

Management Plan?
Yes― Depending on company culture and type of

project being managed, other items might include:
• Transition plan, for transitioning to next phase

or version, or to operations and maintenance
• Documentation plan
• Testing plan
• Cash flow plan
264
88
Project Documents Support the Project

Management Plan
Documents used to manage the project
but are not part of the plan include:
• Charter
• Schedule network diagram
• Statements of work
• Milestone list
• Issue log
• Change log
• Risk register
• Agreements/contracts
265
Exercise
266
Discussion
Why plan?
What are the benefits

of planning?
267
89
How Much Time Should Be Spent Planning

Depends On:
• Technical competency
• Amount of outside contracting
• Experience of the project team
• Company experience in similar projects
• Operational philosophy of project manager
(formal or informal)
• Amount of time or cost pressure
• Importance of the project
268
Where to Begin?
• For every project:

– Create a project charter
– Identify stakeholders
– Create a project scope statement
– Create a WBS
– Identify and analyze risks
– Create a communications management plan
• All the professional project management

practices discussed should be used on
most projects
269
Gain Formal Approval of the Plan
• Must be approved in writing by sponsor to

authorize project manager to expend further
time on the project
• Ask: “Now that you have seen the project
management plan, do you authorize this
project to proceed?”
• Lack of project approval indicates

the project lacks support― now what?
270
90
Discussion
Why is it difficult to get

the project management
plan approved?
271
Hold Kickoff Meeting
• Meeting of all parties; including customers,

contractors, project team, sponsor, agencies,
and functional management
• Communications and coordination meeting
to explain roles, responsibilities, project objectives,
and expected benefits
• Scheduled right before executing process begins
• Specific topics depend on the nature of project
and people involved; might include communications
management plans, setting up meetings, discussing
potential problems, etc.
272
Request Changes
Revisiting the planning process while work

is going on may generate changes to the
project management plan
• Rolling wave planning
• Progressive elaboration
• Phase gates
273
91
Reflection
Update your
Action Plan form
274
Executing: About 25% of Project Time

Monitoring & Controlling: About 28% of Project Time
Executing
Monitoring &
Controlling Processes
275
Project Management Process
Monitoring &
Initiating Planning Executing
Controlling
• Project manager Create a project • Be of service to the • Measure

creates project management team • Control to the
charter and it is plan that is: • Execute the work project
issued by • Bought into according to the management plan
sponsor • Approved plan • Approve or reject
• Realistic • Implement only changes
• Formal approved changes
• Continuously
improve
276
92
Rita’s
Process
Chart™
277
277
Overall Focus: Executing
• Complete work defined in project

management plan
• Take corrective action
• Be of service to the team
• Engage and communicate

with stakeholders
278
Overall Focus: Monitoring & Controlling
• Measure adherence
to plan
• Evaluate variances
to plan
• Measure performance
• Identify corrective action
• Follow change
control system
279
93
Exercise: What’s Happening During Executing

and Monitoring & Controlling?
Instructions:
Work as a team
Using the cards, place each

action under the appropriate
heading:
• Executing
• Monitoring & Controlling
280
Executing Process
281
Monitoring & Controlling Process
282
94
Risk Management While the Project

Is Going On
Implement risk responses: Watch for risk triggers;

be ready to implement the planned responses
Objectives: Watch for risk triggers. Be ready to
implement any planned responses. When a risk
trigger occurs, the risk owner leads previously
assigned resources in performing response
activities.
Monitor risks: Control project to your risk plan

Objectives: Execute risk response plan to respond
to risk events over the course of the project.
283
Take Action to Monitor and Control

the Project
Situation: After much discussion, Nick and customer

agree on a completion date for a new modification.
Work begins. Nick is busy working on many projects.

Looking at his calendar one day, he notices the
modification is due in 2 weeks.
Frantically, he calls to check on the modification

progress. He discovers that he and his team will need
to work 80 hours a week to meet the deadline.
What should Nick have been

doing to prevent this problem?
284
Project Control Begins During Initiating

and Planning
If proper project management

techniques and processes
are followed …
Project control during
the executing process
becomes much easier,
simpler, and more productive
285
95
Plan Ways to Control:
• Schedule
• Cost
Not only is the
• Quality project managed
• Resources and controlled,
• Risk but the PM should
also focus on
• Scope
each of these
• Procurements items individually
• Communications
• Stakeholder Engagement
286
Examples: Project Control
287
How Should You Focus On Control?
Communications:
• Ask questions
• Watch what is going on
• Encourage the reporting of problems, potential
problems, and changes
• Make sure everyone has an adequate
understanding of the project management plan
• Use management skills of leading, facilitating,
assisting, communicating, etc.
• Hold team meetings
288
-Continued
96
How Should You Focus On Control? (Continued)
Information processing:
• Gather performance metrics
(schedule, cost, scope)
• Analyze information gathered
• Decide if variances
require action
289
Stakeholder Engagement
• Facilitate stakeholder engagement

and manage expectations
• Hold meetings
• Use and share knowledge
• Inform stakeholders of the results of all

change requests
• Monitor stakeholder engagement
290
Communicating About Issues and Problems
• Management philosophy that removes

the association of a team member from
their activities
• Instead of saying, “Nick has a problem,”

project manager would say, “The XYZ activity
is having some difficulties”
291
97
Key Concepts
• Meetings
• Forms and templates
• Reports
• Ask questions
• Improve processes
• Measure performance
• Integrated change control
• Rewards and team building
• Other control activities
• Update project management plans
292
Hold Meetings
• Team meetings
• Problem solving meetings
• Meetings with management
• Meetings with customer
• Meetings with other stakeholders
Isn’t it time you did something about

too many ineffective meetings?
293
Forms and Templates
People often have a negative impression of

using forms and templates when they don’t
understand their purpose
• Can save time and help improve communications
• If a form or template already exists, use it as is, or

tailor it to your project
• Explain to stakeholders why a form or template was

created and how it will help those using it; prevents
them from thinking it is “just more paperwork”
294
98
Discussion
Review the following list of forms and templates

that help control the project.
What do you currently use? Why?
• Status reports
• Meeting minutes
• Agendas
• Activity status forms
• Change control forms
• Lessons learned
• Testing forms
• Requisition forms
295
Sample: Activity Status

Project: _______________________ Activity Name and No.: _________
Person Assigned the Activity: ___________________________________
Exceptions to plan (if any):
Status:
How much has been done (in hours)? ______________
How much is left to do (in hours)? ______________
Items to be added to the agenda of the next team meeting:
Problems/issues:
Risks:
Any new risks?
Any changes to existing risks?
Discoveries:
SIGNED:
296
Use a WBS
Dictionary
As Part of
Your Work
Authorization
System
297
99
Report On Project Performance
• Monthly status reports: Outgoing from project

• Monthly status reports: Incoming from team
• Bar charts
• Network diagrams
• Milestone charts
• Resource usage reports
• Cost curves (Example: Planned vs. actual)
• Variance analysis
• Trend analysis
• Flowcharts
298
When to Use Some of the Reports
Bar charts Network diagrams

• Weak for planning, • Show interdependencies
but effective for of activities
scheduling and
• Show work progression
progress reporting
• Aid in effectively
• Don’t really show
planning and
interdependencies
organizing work
of activities
• Provide a basis for
• Don’t help organize
the project project control
effectively
299
Monthly Project Status Reports ― Consider

Including:
• Work planned vs. actual (cost, schedule,

performance, quality)
• Charts and graphs
• Accomplishments last month;
work to be accomplished next month
• Exceptions to plan
• Risks
• Goals and milestones, achieved or missed & why
300
-Continued
100
Monthly Project Status Reports ― Consider

Including: (Continued)
• Upcoming activities or milestones

• Problems
– Description
– Possibility of occurrence
– Estimated impact on project
– Solutions or actions being taken
– Forecasted get-well date
– Indication of need for management’s assistance
301
Example: Monthly Project Status Report
(Problems being handled)
(Needing management support)
302
Why Do We Have So Many Meetings

and Reports?
• Don’t know what else • Team not involved

to do in planning
• No WBS • Not enough buy-in
• Perceived need • Many interrelated
projects
• Activities are too large
• No milestones
• No sense of a team
• Volatile projects
• People judged
on work volume • Incomplete project
scope statement
303
101
Ask Questions As Part of Control to:
• Discover what is really going on

• Show support or interest
• Uncover problems and issues
you have not yet realized
• Solve a problem or issue
• Help others solve a problem themselves
• Learn what information is needed
or isn’t working
304
Discussion
How do you currently

measure your project
performance?
305
Some Ways to Measure
• Compare planned vs. actual
• Manage milestone accomplishment
• Use earned value
• Percent complete
306
102
What Should Be Measured?
• Performance against the performance

measurement baseline (scope, schedule & cost)
– “Total cost for this project is $100,000 to date
and we have spent $90,000”
• Other measurements set in place in

management plans to give an indication
of a problem
– “The activity cost $5,000 more than expected”
307
Examples
• Performance measurement baseline for cost

might be that the project does not cost more
than $100,000
• As assurance that the baseline will be met,

the PM may create additional baselines
to measure against
– “The first 9 activities should cost no more
than $20,000”
308
Earned Value Overview
• Measures schedule and cost performance and

helps to accurately predict future performance
• Is not used everyday for most companies
because:
– No adequate job costing or tracking systems
– Many acronyms (EV, PV, AC, BAC) and
formulas in earned value scare people away
– Real plan is required to measure against
Note: Earned value is not discussed

309
in detail in this course
103
Percent Complete
• Method most software programs use

to calculate percent complete is not realistic
– Uses time elapsed/duration to determine percent
complete of the activity, not the actual work
accomplished
• Actual percent complete for most activities

is arbitrary
• Percent complete lends a false sense

of security
– Can often result in making PM look bad when
problems are only discovered at the end
310
Alternatives to Percent Complete
• Set up your software to apportion activity

status using one of these methods:
– 0 at start, 100% when complete
– 50/50
– 10/90
– 20/80
• To determine project status: Instead of asking

“What percent complete are you?” ask …
– “How much have you done?”
– “How much is left to do?”
311
Measurements In Management Plans

Might Include:
• Resources used each month

• Reopened activities
• Activities added
• Completed activities vs. planned activities
• Changes
• Systems tested for each month
• Bugs for each code module
• Activities on schedule
312
-Continued
104
Measurements In Management Plans

Might Include: (Continued)
• Length of time an issue is open
• Percent of problems not in the risk

response plan
• Lines of code written for each month
• Availability of system access for each day
• Percent of billable time vs. non-billable time
313
Corrective Action
• Bringing project progress back in line

with project management plan by
measuring performance
• Can be difficult if quantitative measures of

project success were not determined
in project planning
• Usually results in changes to project

management plan and project documents
314
Corrective Action Includes:
1. Measure
2. Determine if there is a variance
3. Determine if the variance warrants action
4. Recommend corrective or preventive action
5. Have requested action approved
6. Change project management plan and project
documents, and manage to updated versions
7. Evaluate effectiveness of action taken
8. Determine need to take further action
315
105
Preventive Action
Project manager will analyze

measurements & trends to identify potential
problems and recommend action to prevent
a problem occurring … or prevent it from
growing larger
316
Perform Integrated Change Control
• To control a project, a project manager

measures scope, cost, risk, quality, schedule,
resources, communications, stakeholders,
and procurement
• When a change is requested, its impact

on all constraints is determined
• Options are created
• The change is approved or rejected
317
Changes Are Inevitable
Project manager:
• Manages change requests
from all stakeholders
• Requests changes based on results
of monitoring and controlling activities
• Requests changes based on process
improvement analysis
318
106
To Control Changes, Ask Yourself:
• What type of changes do you expect

to be made on the project?
• Why will the changes be made?
• Will such changes be a problem?

• How can you prevent such changes?
• What methods should be used
to make the changes?
319
Example: Change Request

Project: ________________________ Change Relates to Activity Name and No. _________
Proposed by: _____________________________________________________________________
What would you like to change?

Reason for the change:
Why is this change necessary?
Impact Analysis: All changes impact the project. This change will have impacts in the following areas:
Cost: ___________________________________ Risk: ___________________________________

Schedule: _______________________________ Quality: ________________________________
Scope: __________________________________ Resources: ______________________________
Technology used on the project: _______________________________________________________
What am I willing to give up to have this change? __________________________________________
I think this change is: ___ IN SCOPE ___ OUT OF SCOPE of the approved project
Date a decision on this change is needed by the project manager (change control board): _______________________
Decision: ACCEPT _____ REJECT _____ DEFER TO _____

Signed:
320
Example: Change Log
Original Approved Plan 6 Months $100,000

Approved Changes
Source Change Impact
Bob Review system B 2 weeks $10,000
Bob Redesign the 3 weeks $25,000

product size
Final Plan (With 7 months, $135,000
Approved Changes) 1 week
Actual 7 months $132,000
321
107
Discussion
In your Workbook, read the list

of “Managing Changes”
Note any questions
322
Responsibilities for Managing Changes
• Sponsor protects project from changes
• Project manager is generally responsible

for approving changes that do not impact
project management plan and performance
measurement baseline
– Example: Most project documents
• Change control board is generally

responsible for approving changes that impact
project management plan and performance
measurement baseline
323
-Continued
Responsibilities for Managing Changes

(Continued)
• Project team and functional managers

participate in changes relating to parts of
the project they were involved in planning
and approving
• Customer is involved in any changes that

impact product scope for internal customers
and contract for external customers
324
108
Use Issue Logs
Issue Date Raised Person Resolution Date

# Issue Added By Assigned Due Date Status Resolved Resolution
325
Exercise: Handling Common Changes
Instructions:
Work as a team
• In your Workbook, review
the list of changes
• Then discuss and document
your options, including what
you would do to solve the
problem (1 minute per item)
326
-Continued

(Continued)
1. An activity needs more time

2. Functional manager wants to add an activity to the project that will also add to
the project schedule
3. Functional manager wants to add an activity that can be handled within the
available project schedule
4. While completing an activity, a team member determines a better way to
complete it, yet still remain within activity duration and cost budget
5. Project manager realizes halfway through the project that 5 more resources
are needed
6. There is a change to cost for an activity
7. Project needs to be done 2 weeks sooner
8. In completing an activity on schedule, a team member estimates that the
desired quality level cannot be met
327
109
Hold Team-Building Activities
• Builds team performance and engagement
• May include:
– Celebrations
– Awards
– Offsite activities
– Discussions at team meetings
328
Evaluate Team Member Performance
Build skills/competencies of team

and other stakeholders through:
• Formal training Goal: To return an
• Informal assistance in learning individual better
than the one who
• Giving team members a chance
started on the project.
to be assigned to an activity that
helps them acquire a new skill Project manager has
(as long as the project is not a responsibility to the
negatively impacted) people on the project,
just as the functional
• Helping team members apply
managers do.
a new skill
329
Evaluate Performance of the Team

As a Team
How did they interact and perform?
• Professionalism
• Conflict
• Delivering work
• Inclusiveness
330
110
A Superior Team ...
• Maximizes use of team’s resources

• Has superior output against all odds
• Focuses on continuously improving
• Uses distinctive day-to-day informal processes:
─ Good communication skills
─ Responding and adapting
─ Influencing and improving
─ Appreciating and celebrating
• Has persistent positive feelings of:
─ Inclusion, commitment, loyalty, and trust
331 Adapted from Developing Superior Work Teams by Dennis Kinlaw, Lexington Books, 1991.
Release Resources As Work Is Completed
• As individual project team member’s work

is completed, resources can be released
back into the company
• Physical resources
are released as work
is completed
– Facilities
– Materials
– Equipment
332
Gain Customer’s Acceptance of Interim

Deliverables
Validate scope involves gaining customer
acceptance of project deliverables as they are
delivered to customer
Project manager ensures all deliverables are

completed correctly, in accordance with scope
statement, to prevent:
• Discovery of problems only at project end
• Unsatisfied customers
• Misunderstanding of project scope statement
333
111
Measure Performance Against

Performance Measurement Baseline
Control scope: Focus during project executing

should be to control scope and scope creep
by …
• Making sure everyone knows what is

and what is not in the project
• Ensuring all work― and only work required

in the project management plan― is completed
334
Discussion
How do you
control scope?
How do you
control quality?
335
Control Quality
• Hold specification reviews

• Hold regular customer or end-user walkthroughs
• Show customer pictures whenever possible
• Use samples
• Use a standard methodology
• Plan for and perform acceptance testing
• Perform demonstrations
• Manage against metrics
– Duration per system
– Duration per drawing
336
112
Update Project Management Plans
• Risk: Any new or changes in rankings?

• Team: Right team members assigned to right
activities? Do they have needed information
and support?
• Schedule and budget: Properly allocated
between activities? Enough?
• Reserves: Being used acceptably? Enough?
• Meetings: Too many? Effective?
• Stakeholders: Still appropriately engaged?
337
Use and Share Project Knowledge
Collaboration and sharing

of knowledge Explicit knowledge
Fact-based, communicated
• Team training
through words and symbols
• Seminars
Tacit knowledge
• Workshops Emotions, experiences,
• Work shadowing and ability, requiring an
atmosphere of trust
• Observation
Be aware of legal and
• Informal sharing regulatory requirements
and constraints when
• Lessons learned
sharing information
338
Discussion
How could you better use

knowledge sharing for
continuous improvement?
339
113
Reflection
Update your
Action Plan form
340
Closing Process
341
Project Management Process

Monitoring &
Initiating Planning Executing Closing
Controlling
• Project manager Create a project • Be of service to the • Measure • Index and

creates project management team • Control to the archive records
charter and it is plan that is: • Execute the work project • Celebrate!
issued by • Bought into according to the management plan • Formal
sponsor • Approved plan • Approve or reject acceptance
• Realistic • Implement only changes
• Formal approved changes
• Continuously
improve
342
114
Closing Process
Why is it so difficult
to perform these
closing efforts?
What can you do to
improve your closing
of projects?
343
Confirm Work Is Done to Requirements
Earlier in the project:

Validate Scope process was done to ensure each
deliverable was completed to specifications and to
customer satisfaction
Now:
PM makes sure overall project and product
deliverables conform to requirements before
delivering the product to customer
344
Complete Final Performance Reporting
• What to report
– Metrics
– Objectives
– Requirements
– Actual project results vs performance
measurement baselines and project constraints
• Validates performance of the project
• Improves project management support
345
115
Final Report: What to Include
So how did you do vs. performance measurement

baselines and project constraints? You might say:
• We were able to improve performance—
5% more than requested
• We completed the project with only 4 bugs—
25% better than any project so far
• We needed only 9 meetings on this project—
down from the average of 32
• We received a 95% customer satisfaction rating—
higher than any other project to date
346
Gain Final Acceptance of the Product
• From the customer, sponsor,

and preferably all stakeholders
• Required to “complete” the project
• Collect last set of data for

final of lessons learned
347
Hand Off Completed Project
Coordination is necessary between the result of the

project and its transition to operation & maintenance―
this helps make the transition smoother and ensures
the benefits of the project are recognized and
documented
This may include:
• Explaining how the product was created
• Providing ideas on how to maintain it
• Listing things to watch out for when using it
• Answering any questions
• Training end user (if not done in project executing)
348
116
Lessons Learned: What to Include
Gather final lessons learned and update

knowledge bases
Also include:
• Project management
• Management
• Technical
• Baseline performance
349
Exercise: Lessons Learned
Instructions:
Work as a team
• Discuss the lessons learned

from class and the exercises
• Take notes in your Workbook

Duration: 5 minutes
350
Creating Historical Records
• One of most critical things to do at project end,

if not done continually throughout
• Use as a basis for creating better projects
in the future
• Examples:
– WBS/activities
– Risks
– Activity duration and cost estimates
– Lessons learned from past projects
– Metrics created
– Benchmarks found
351
117
Discussion
What are your obstacles to

creating historical records?
Brainstorm 3 ideas to
overcome your obstacles.
352
Index and Archive Records
Consider:
• How will you find a specific e-mail from
the project? How about previous versions
of project management plan?
• Index and archiving will assist future project

review, in the event of:
– An audit
– Legal issues
– Further investigation of lessons learned
after project completion
353
-Continued
Index and Archive Records (Continued)
Having all project records organized allows

you, the team, and others to refer back to
project details after it is completed
• Important:
– If vendors, contractors, or consultants
are used
– In case of technical reviews or lawsuits,
or to obtain details of how the project was
managed for use on future projects
• Part of historical records
354
-Continued
118
Index and Archive Records (Continued)
• Most project teams don’t appreciate

having to create records
• Records become important to the team

only months after project is completed
– Make this easier by keeping
project records organized
from the start
355
Celebrate!
A project never seems successful if

its conclusion is not celebrated
• Do something unusual
• Have a virtual party
– Everyone shares what they learned
during the project
– Everyone sends other locations something
from their location
– Even more fun when other countries
are involved
356
Conclusion
357
119
Common Problems On Projects
• Stakeholder expectation management

• Stakeholders’ competing demands
• Lack of follow-through by team members
• No dedicated resources
• Not enough time
• Scope creep
• Unrealistic schedules
• Poor communication
• Changes to project
358
To Avoid Problems, PMs Must Practice

Or Use Knowledge of:
• How to determine if they have been given one

or many projects
• How to manage projects using professional project
management tools, techniques, and processes
• How to plan a project
• Where they should focus their efforts when project
work is being done
• How to include all stakeholders and to manage
their competing demands
• How to measure to ensure project is on track
359
Review Expectations
360
120
Exercise: Action Plan
Instructions: Work individually

• Review your Problems on Projects
form to help identify Action Plan areas
• Determine what you will implement
right away, and add those items to
your Action Plan
• When you are able to cross off
an item, add another to keep the
improvement process going
Duration: 4 minutes
361
Exercise: Apply Your Knowledge

• Go around the room, writing down
your thoughts about the topic
displayed on each flip chart
• Discuss other teams’ ideas and
add any new thoughts to their flip charts
• If you find any ideas of particular interest,
be sure to record them
362
Exercise: What Will Be a Challenge

to Implement?

• List 3 or 4 tools, processes,
procedures, or techniques that
will be a challenge to implement
in your real world.
• Determine 3 items you will
discuss. Spend time on each
item. List how you can
overcome those challenges.
363
121
Questions
364
Where Do You Go From Here?
• Use what you have learned!

Refer to this Workbook to
remember this course
• Get tips & training options at:

www.rmcls.com
• Earn your certification
365
Evaluation and Certificate
• Please make sure you have

completed the Questionnaire
and Evaluation in the back of
your Workbook
• Exchange your forms for

your Certificate of Completion
366
122
E-mail us if you have questions:

students@rmcls.com
Thank You!
367
123
Project Management Tricks of the Trade® Classroom
About This Course
Tricks of the Trade is a registered trademark of RMC Project Management, Inc.
This course contains material from Rita Mulcahy’s™ PMP® Exam Prep — Ninth Edition,
which is copyrighted material of, and owned by, RMC Publications, Inc., copyright 2018.
PMI and PMBOK are registered marks of the Project Management Institute, Inc.
This course contains material from A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge
(PMBOK® Guide) — Sixth Edition, which is copyrighted material of, and owned by, Project
Management Institute, Inc. (PMI), copyright 2017. This course has been developed and
reproduced with the permission of PMI. Unauthorized reproduction of this material is
strictly prohibited.
This course uses the following terms copyrighted by the Project Management Institute, Inc.:
Project Management Institute (PMI)®, and A Guide to the Project Management Body
of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide).
RMC Project Management, Inc. has been reviewed and approved as a provider of project
management training by the Project Management Institute (PMI). As a PMI Registered
Education Provider (R.E.P.), RMC Project Management, Inc. has agreed to abide by
PMI-established quality assurance criteria.
Important Disclaimer
This document cannot be used as a stand-alone guide to project management
independent of classroom discussion. RMC Project Management makes no
representation that this document covers all aspects of project management.
Attendees of this class agree to hold RMC Project Management harmless from
any and all loss, liability, incidental or consequential damages, for any reason,
arising out of their attendance at this class or the future use of this document.
©2018 RMC Learning Solutions. All rights reserved. • (952)846-4484 • info@rmcls.com • www.rmcls.com
These materials may not be copied or transmitted without the express written permission of RMC Learning Solutions® (Ed9 R1 20180920) 1
Table of Contents
Exercise: Problems on Projects. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Primary/People Groups Involved In a Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Exercise: Skills Necessary For a Project Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Rita’s Process Chart™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Exercise: Identify Stakeholders - Real World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Sample Project Charter/Charter Template. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Exercise: S.M.A.R.T. Project Objectives - Case Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Exercise: S.M.A.R.T. Project Objectives - Real World. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Exercise: Teach the Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Management Plans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Project Scope Statement Template May Include. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Exercise and Examples: WBS - Case Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Exercise: WBS - Real World. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Example: WBS Case Study Office Move. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
WBS Benefits Checklist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Exercise: What’s Wrong With This “WBS”? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Examples: WBS Dictionary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Example: Network Diagram. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Tricks of the Trade®: Common Estimating Errors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Example: Critical Path. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Example: Network Diagram - Case Study Office Move . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Exercise: Communications Management Plan - Real World . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Exercise: Unrealistic Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Exercise: Management Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Executing Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Monitoring and Controlling Actions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Tricks of the Trade®: Managing Changes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Exercise: Handling Common Changes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Exercise: Lessons Learned . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Exercise: What Will Be a Challenge to Implement?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Appendix
Articles. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61
Exercise: Action Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Start/Stop Form. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Questionnaire and Evaluation Forms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Exercise: Problems On Projects

Instructions: Work individually. What drives you crazy on projects? List at least four problems
you have experienced on projects. Duration: 3 minutes
What drives you crazy? How does it negatively impact the Tools, processes, procedures, or
List problems below: project? techniques that might prevent such
problems in the future
Primary People/Groups Involved In a Project

• Sponsor: Provides funding and supports project
• Customer: Provides product scope and approves some changes beyond what was already approved;
user of end product or result of project
• Project manager: Responsible for project
• Project management office (PMO): Centralizes management of projects; provides templates,
lessons learned, and other guidance; may help provide resources
• Change control board: Responsible for approving changes; may consist of project manager,
technical experts, sponsor, and others listed here
• Functional managers: Manage department resources and may control technical work
• May also include, in some industries:
-Business analysts: Those who perform business analysis including clarifying the business needs,
gathering specific requirements, and recommending solutions
-Government agencies
-Sellers
-Procurement department: Responsible for working with project manager to acquire resources or work
through contracts, legal evaluation of contract terms and conditions
-Quality department: Responsible for setting, measuring, and evaluating quality processes and metrics.
Agile Delivery Team Participants

• Development team: Organizes itself and the iteration work; backlog of tasks, story sign-off;
generalizing specialists willing to help with other tasks to achieve team’s goals.
• ScrumMaster/Coach/Team leader: Ensures process is followed; helps people improve; promotes
cooperation; helps facilitate stand-ups, planning, and review; ensures progress is radiating and plan
is alive; helps team self-govern and collaborate
• Product owner/Customer: Owns product backlog, decides on release dates and content; prioritizes
backlog; can change features and priority of each iteration; facilitates stakeholder engagement and
manages their expectations
• Sponsor: Provides direction to product owner; should have access to iteration reviews to see
incremental value being delivered; interested in value and cost
6 These materials may not be copied or transmitted without the express written permission of RMC Learning Solutions® (Ed9 R1 20180920)
Exercise: Skills Necessary For a Project Manager

Instructions: Work individually. Read through the list below. Mark which skills you do well,
and which skills you could improve upon. Duration: 3 minutes
Do Could Skill
Well Improve
1. Managing relationships with everyone
2. Resolving conflicts
3. Negotiating
4. Knowing what & how to communicate
5. Managing communications
6. Delegating
7. Building the team
8. Rewarding performance
9. Leading so people follow
10. Giving feedback
11. Aware of how politics affect the project and attempting to mitigate negative impacts
12. Having financial know-how
13. Delegating technical expertise to team
14. Preventing problems before they occur
15. Trusting and respecting team members and their contributions
16. Motivating team to achieve the end result
17. Influencing how organization works to help project accomplish its objectives
18. Innovative, thinking outside the box
19. Setting performance standards
20. Organizing project, processes, and people
21. Clarifying issues and objectives
22. Planning for the future
23. Strategizing alternative plans & actions
24. Prioritizing issues and alternatives
25. Solving “real” or root cause of problems rather than the problem as first presented
26. Oriented to the big picture
27. Driving toward achieving objectives
INITIATING PLANNING EXECUTING MONITORING & CLOSING

(This is the only process group
Select project manager with a set order.) Execute work according to the CONTROLLING Confirm work is done to
project management plan requirements
Determine company culture Take action to monitor and
Determine development
and existing systems Produce product deliverables control the project Complete final procurement
approach, life cycle, and
how you will plan for each (product scope) closure
Collect processes, procedures, Measure performance against
knowledge area performance measurement
and historical information Gather work performance data Gain final acceptance of
baseline product
Define and prioritize
Divide large projects into Request changes
requirements Measure performance against
phases or smaller projects Complete financial closure
Implement only approved other metrics in the project
Create project scope statement
Understand business case and changes management plan Hand off completed product
benefits management plan Assess what to purchase and
Continuously improve; Analyze and evaluate data and Solicit customer’s feedback
create procurement documents
Uncover initial requirements, perform progressive performance about the project
assumptions, risks, constraints, Determine planning team elaboration
and existing agreements Determine if variances warrant Complete final performance
Create WBS and WBS Follow processes a corrective action or other reporting
Assess project and product dictionary change request(s)
feasibility within the given Determine whether quality Index and archive records
constraints Create activity list plan and processes are correct Influence factors that cause
and effective change Gather final lessons learned
Create measurable objectives Create network diagram and update knowledge bases
and success criteria Perform quality audits and Request changes
Estimate resource requirements issue quality reports
Develop project charter Perform integrated change
Estimate activity durations Acquire final team and physical control
Identify stakeholders and and costs resources
determine their expectations, Approve or reject changes
interest, influence, and impact Determine critical path Manage people
Update project management
Develop schedule Evaluate team and individual plan and project documents
Request changes performance; provide training
Develop budget Inform stakeholders of all
Develop assumption log Hold team-building activities change request results
Develop stakeholder register Determine quality standards,
processes, and metrics Give recognition and rewards Monitor stakeholder
engagement
Determine team charter and all Use issue logs
roles and responsibilities Confirm configuration
Facilitate conflict resolution compliance
Plan communications and
stakeholder engagement Release resources as work is Create forecasts
completed
Perform risk identification, Gain customer’s acceptance of
qualitative and quantitative Send and receive information, interim deliverables
risk analysis, and risk response and solicit feedback
planning Perform quality control
Report on project performance
Go back—iterations Perform risk reviews,
Facilitate stakeholder reassessments, and audits
Finalize procurement strategy engagement and manage
and documents expectations Manage reserves
Create change and Hold meetings Manage, evaluate, and close

configuration management procurements
Evaluate sellers; negotiate and
plans Evaluate use of physical
contract with sellers
Finalize all management plans resources
Use and share project
Develop realistic and sufficient knowledge
project management plan and
Execute contingency plans
baselines
Update project management
Gain formal approval of the
plan and project documents
plan
Hold kickoff meeting
Request changes
Rita’s Process Chart ™
© 2018
©2018 RMC Learning RMC Publications,
Solutions. Inc. •• 952.846.4484
™
All rights reserved. (952)846-4484 •• info@rmcls.com
info@rmcls.com •• www.rmcls.com
www.rmcls.com
Exercise:
Identify
Stakeholders-
Real World
Instructions: Work
individually. Use the
Stakeholder Register
to identify as many
stakeholders as possible
for your real-world
project. Then work to
complete the other
columns.
-Continued
Exercise:
Identify
Stakeholders -
Real-World
(Continued)
Sample Project Charter

Project Title and Description (What is the project?) Customer Satisfaction Fix-It Project
Over the last few months, the quality assurance department has discovered that it takes many customers four times longer to place
orders for XYZ equipment using our online ordering system than it takes to place similar orders through our competitors’ systems.
The purpose of this project is to investigate the reasons for the problem and propose a solution. Development and implementation
of the solution will be authorized as a subsequent project (Customer Satisfaction Fix-It Project II). The quality control department has
detailed records of their findings, which will contribute to the analysis work on this project.
Project Manager Assigned and Authority Level (Who is given authority to lead the project, and can they determine,
manage, and approve changes to budget, schedule, and team assignments?)
Victor Rojas will be the project manager for this project and will have the authority to select team members and determine
the final project budget and schedule.
Business Case (Why is the project being done? On what financial or other basis can we justify doing this project? Describe the
project purpose and justification.)
Because it takes many customers four times longer to place orders for XYZ equipment using our online ordering system than it
takes to place similar orders through our competitors’ systems, our company is losing potential revenue. The company has also
experienced a measured decrease in customer satisfaction as a result of the problems with the online ordering system. This project
is the first of two projects designed to prevent a further erosion of customer satisfaction. We expect that improved customer
satisfaction will increase revenue to the company in the first year by at least $200,000 due to a decrease in service calls and
incomplete orders. As a side benefit, we hope the project will generate ideas on improving customer satisfaction while determining
how to address the problem with our online ordering system.
Resources Preassigned (How many or which resources will be provided?)

Two IT analysts have been assigned and dedicated to the project because of their expertise in computer systems of this type.
Other resources will be determined by the project manager during planning.
Key Stakeholder List (Who will affect or be affected by the project (influence the project), as known to date?)
Key stakeholders include Vihaan Gupta representing Quality Control, Benjamin Lang in Customer Service, and Shirley Price in
Marketing. These stakeholders will be available as needed.
Stakeholder Requirements As Known (Requirements related to both project and product scope)
Attached to this document are the detailed specifications for the existing system along with the requirements the existing system
was designed to meet. It is expected that this project will not change the existing system, but rather make a recommendation for
improving it. The project includes utilizing the data available from Quality Control.
Requirement High-Level Requirement/Request
Number
R1 Pay employees based on the agreed-upon rate/salary on the agreed-upon schedule.
R2 Adhere to country-specific government requirements related to tax withholding and payment schedules.
R3 Adhere to state, province, county, or other local government requirements related to tax withholding
and payment schedules.
R4 Allow the company to purchase benefits for employees as approved by the Board of Directors.
R5 Allow the company to collect benefit premium payments from employee pay as agreed to by each em-
ployee.
R6 Keep all employee data confidential, secure, and archived as required by law in each jurisdiction.
-Continued
High-Level Product Description/Key Deliverables (What are the key product deliverables that are wanted, and what will
be the end result of the project?)
Interim deliverables will include:
• Detailed customer ordering process flow
• Analysis of the time it takes to complete each step of the ordering process
• Recommended change
• Estimated time and cost of the proposed change
• WBS List of risks
The final deliverable will be a report that outlines what can be changed, how much it will cost, the expected decrease in the time
it will take to place an order, and what work will need to be done to implement the solution.
High-Level Assumptions (What factors may limit our ability to deliver? What boundaries or parameters will the project have
to function within?)
• WBS must be complete in two weeks.
• Risk register is due in three weeks.
• The scope is limited to identifying a solution that will reduce the time it takes to complete an online order.
High-Level Constraints (How does the project tie into the organization’s strategic goals? What project objectives support
those goals? The objectives must be measurable and will depend on the defined priority of the project constraints.)
The objective of this project is to develop a solution that will improve customer satisfaction rates for online orders to 95 percent
by reducing the time customers spend placing orders to 25 percent of the current time. Scope and customer satisfaction are the
top priorities on this project, closely followed by schedule and then cost.
Year-end tax reporting must be completed by the new system in the year of the implementation (payroll data must
be converted).
Measurable Project Objectives (How does the project tie into the organization’s strategic goals? What project objectives
support those goals? The objectives need to be measurable and will depend on the defined priority of the project constraints.)
The objective of this project is to develop a solution that will improve customer satisfaction rates for online orders to 95 percent
by reducing the time customers spend placing orders to 25 percent of the current time. Scope and customer satisfaction are the
top priorities on this project, closely followed by schedule and then cost.
• Summary milestone schedule: Due no later than September 1, 20XX
• Pre approved financial resources: $50,000
Project Approval Requirements (What items need to be approved for the project, and who will have sign-off authority?
What designates success?)
Approvals for this project include:
• The sponsors will approve the WBS before planning efforts continue.
• The sponsors will approve the list of risks before planning efforts continue.
• The sponsors will give final project approval.
Overall Project Risks (Overall potential threats and opportunities for the project)
• Because this project analyzes customer satisfaction, the project may help generate ideas to improve customer satisfaction,
resulting in higher levels of customer retention.
• Because we are using internal resources to analyze and propose a solution, it is possible that they may not be aware of all
possible solutions, and the proposed solution may be inadequate to address the problem successfully.
• Because this problem is greatly troubling to our customers, project delay could result in lost customers, further jeopardizing
the likelihood of meeting this year’s sales goals.
• Because assessment of this system is difficult, implementation of the proposed solution to change the system could impact
other business functions.
-Continued
Project Exit Criteria: (What needs must be met so that the project manager will be able to close or terminate the project or
phase?)
A final report will include a description of the solution, how much the solution will cost, and the expected decrease in the time it
takes to place an order expected to result from implementing the solution. The findings contained in the report must be agreed
to by the representatives of Quality Control, Customer Service, and Marketing, in addition to the project team.
Project Sponsor Authorizing This Project:
Alexandra Guyot, Executive Vice President Christopher Davis, Vice President
Notes:
Project Charter
Project Title
Project Description
Project Manager Assigned

and Authority Level
Business Case
Resources
Preassigned
Key Stakeholder List Stakeholder Name Stakeholder Requirements
High-Level Product Describe the features & functions of the product of the project
Description/Key Deliverables
Deliverable: Due date:
High-Level Assumptions
High-Level Constraints Number according to priority (1 is highest, 7 is lowest)

Schedule: Cost:
Quality: Risk:
Customer Satisfaction: Resources:
Scope:
Measurable Project Objectives
Project Approval
Requirements
Overall Project Risks
Project Exit Criteria
Project Sponsors Authorizing Signature

this Project
Printed Name
Date
Exercise: S.M.A.R.T. Project Objectives - Case Study

Instructions: Work as a team. Read the information below and review the two examples
of S.M.AR.T. objectives. Then use this information to work through the questions below,
and draft two measurable project objectives. Duration: 20 minutes
S=Specific, M=Measurable, A=Agreed-to, R=Realistic, T=Time-constrained
• Move our 50-person office in two weeks or less with little or no impact to critical operations.
• Move must be 100% complete by month end.
• Wait time for the call center should stay the same, before and after the move, and not increase by
more than 10% of the daily average during the physical move.
• New office will provide growth capability for an additional 50 people over the next two years.
• Nothing needs to be done to set up the office space for the additional 50 people during this move.
• Budget for move is $10,000.
Examples: SMART objectives

1. Wait time for customers to the call center should stay the same before and after the move,
and not increase by more than 10% of the daily average during the physical move.
2. Move 50-person office by March 26 with little to no impact to critical operations.
Business Case: Why is this project being done? On what financial or other basis can we justify doing this
project? Describe the project purpose and justification.
Key Stakeholder List (By Group or Individuals): Who will affect/be affected by this project (influence on the
project) as known to date?
-Continued
Exercise: S.M.A.R.T. Project Objectives - Case Study (Continued)
High Level Product Description/Key Deliverables: What are the key product deliverables that are wanted,
and what will be the end result of the project?
Measurable Project Objectives (S.M.A.R.T.): How does the project tie into the organization’s strategic goals?
What project objectives support these goals? The objectives need to be measurable and will depend on the
defined priority of the high-level constraints.
Exercise: S.M.A.R.T. Project Objectives - Real World

Instructions: Work individually. Review the examples below of measurable objectives.
Then write two measurable objectives for your real-world project. Duration: 5 minutes
Examples:
1. Carlos will complete testing on components A1, A2, A3 by Friday, May 10.
2. The analysis for January marketing rates will be completed and distributed
by Noon, Monday, December 15.
S=Specific, M=Measurable, A=Agreed-to, R=Realistic, T=Time-constrained
Objective 1
Objective 2
Exercise: Teach the Class

Instructions: Work as a team. Choose one project management plan to research. Prepare a
5-minute (maximum) presentation on your topic to present to the class. Use the questions
below as an example for one management plan to get you started. Duration: 30 minutes
Requirements Management Plan: Examples of questions that would be answered

• What are the requirements?
• Who should be involved in defining them?
• When should this be done?
• How often should the effort be repeated?
• What project job descriptions are required?
• How will I know if the management plan is complete?
Notes:
Management Plans
Types of Management Plans

• Scope • Risk
• Schedule • Procurement
• Cost • Stakeholder
• Quality • Change management plan
• Resources • Requirements management plan
• Communications • Configuration management plan
When Are Management Plans Created?

• Management plans need three components for each knowledge area: Plan, Execute/Manage,
Monitor/ Control.
• Project management planning begins with the “How will I plan?” for each knowledge area component
of management plans.
• Execute/Manage and Monitor/Control components are determined later in project planning after the
project manager knows what they will need to manage and control.
• Must be finalized before the project management plan can be complete.
• The level of detail and formal documentation should be tailored to the project’s size, development
approach, and importance.
Examples: Management Plan Components

• Meetings: What types? When? Who should come?
• Forms and Templates: What types? When to be used?
• Reports: What should they include? Who should they be received from and sent to?
• Questions: What to ask? About what? When?
• Policies, processes, and procedures: What? What purpose? How will I incorporate them?
• Processes to improve: What? How? When?
• Stakeholders: Who are they? What are their expectations? What should I do to manage and control them?
• Measure performance: What areas should I try to measure? How? How often? What will this tell me?
How will I know if measurement warrants action? What are the thresholds?
• Change control: What methods?
• Rewards and recognitions: Types? What purpose? When? How will I motivate and develop the team?
• Project monitor & control: What other activities do I need to control this project?
-Continued
Examples: For Scope, The Plan Component Might Address

• How will I obtain a finalized project scope statement, WBS, and WBS dictionary?
• Who should be involved? When?
• How will I make sure project scope is complete?
• How many iterations of the WBS are likely?
• How can I diminish that number?
• Should I have planning team or team members assigned to work package (“create the WBS
dictionary”), or should I do it myself?
• How can I be sure the WBS dictionary does not include gold plating?
Examples: The Execute/Manage Component Might Address

• When should management plans be reviewed for any needed changes: Project scope, schedule,
cost, risk, quality, resource, communications, and procurement
• What meetings, reports, and trend analyses will be needed? Who should attend or participate?
• Where will I look for potential or actual changes?
• What team-building activities should be planned?
• What reward systems should be put into place?
• How will team members’ performance be measured?
• How will team members know when to start their work? (Create a work authorization system)
• What data and information should be collected about the project, and who should it be collected from or sent to?
• How will any added or changed team members be integrated into the project?
• What product scope problems might arise? What will I do about them?
• How will I re-evaluate if the resource assigned is appropriate to each activity?
• What ground rules will I use?
• What administrative procedures will need to be set up for the project?
• How will major problems be handled differently from minor ones?
• How will I reduce rework?
• How can I be of service to team members?
• How will I keep stakeholders engaged?
-Continued
Examples: The Monitor/Control Component Might Address

• How will we measure against scope, schedule, and cost baselines? When?
• What metrics will I use to know how well the project is going?
• How will I evaluate whether variances warrant corrective action?
• What are my control limits?
• When will we meet with the customer? How will we obtain formal acceptance?
• How will I make sure everyone has the correct documents?
• Which defects will be repaired and which will be redone?
• Who will be on the change control board(s)?
• Who will perform risk audits?
• How will reserves be analyzed, monitored and controlled?
• Who will maintain the issue log and meeting minutes?
• What steps will be implemented when there is a conflict?
• What risk reports and work performance reports will be issued, when, and to whom?
• What forecasts will be needed, when, and sent to whom?
• How will I make sure all stakeholders are working from the latest version of the scope baseline
and project management plan?
• Where might changes come from and how can they be minimized?
• What contract administration will we need to perform? How much time should I allocate to that activity? Is there
any help available? What are the expected problems related to contracts? When should I close each contract and
what process should we use?
• How will I know if the work performed on each activity is acceptable? (Acceptance criteria)
Project Scope Statement Template May Include:

• Product scope description: Overall characteristics of the product of the project
• Project boundaries: What is/is not included in the project
• Clearly define what is not in-scope:
- For various reasons, there will be things that your project will not do
- Defining these exclusions up front can be essential in defining ambiguities
- Exclusions may include:
P Work being deferred
P Functions or business purposes not being addressed
P Features or standards the project is not expected to meet
P Project stakeholders or groups whose needs will not be explicitly addressed
• Project deliverables: Any product, result, or capability to perform a service that must be produced
to complete a project
• Product acceptance criteria: How will you know if the products of the project are acceptable?
• Project constraints: Detailed schedule, cost, and other factors that affect scope
• Project assumptions: Detailed lists of what is assumed to be true that may not be true
Exercise: WBS - Case Study

Instructions: Work as a team. Read the Case Study information below and review life cycle
examples. Use the Case Study information, sticky notes, and a marker to create a WBS on
a flip chart. Use the space below for notes. Duration: 30 minutes
1. Draft the life cycle for the project.
2. Draft the second level of deliverables by life cycle phase
3. Break the second level into smaller deliverables.
4. Work to break the WBS down at least 3 levels in the time allotted
Case Study Information
Title: Office Move

Description: Prepare for a move so that the actual move takes no longer than two weeks and is
completed no later than the end of next month.
Project Manager: You have the authority to make decisions on how to plan the project to get it
completed on time and within budget. Senior management will retain decision-making authority
on the items that can be duplicated.
• Move your office of 50 people into a newly procured facility with infrastructure
(e.g., cubes with power, but no phone or network connections).
• Move within a two-week period before the end of next month.
• Operations consist of the call center, computer operations, sales, support staff,
and senior management.
• The call center and operations are a 24/7 operation while the others are
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• There should be no customer-seen disruption to the 24/7 operations.
• The new facility is within two miles of the current location.
• People will pack their personal items; these personal items, company equipment,
and files will be moved by a relocation firm.
• Duplication of some equipment is acceptable to reduce disruption.
• The total cost should be as low as possible, not exceeding $10,000.
• Office space will provide room for growth of 50 people over the next two years,
but there is no effort that needs to be taken right now.
• Your company is losing its lease, so time is a constraint.
Example 1: New Product Projects
WBS Life Cycle Examples
Example: New Product Projects
New Product Projects
Planning
Research Feasibility and Production Turnover Start-Up Evaluation
Design
Example 2: IS/IT Projects

139 Example: IS/IT Projects
IS/IT Projects
Research:
Evaluation
Obtain Requirements High-level Detailed
Coding
g Testing
g Conversion Operation
p of
Background Analysis Design Design
Performance
Data

Example: IS/IT Projects
140
IS/IT Projects
Software
Research
Development
Installation Maintenance Training Procurement Documentation Evaluation
Requirements Prototype
Design Implementation Integration Testing
Analysis Development
-Continued
WBS Life Cycle Examples (Continued)

xample 6: IS/IT Projects
IS/IT Projects IS/IT Projects
Research
Example 6: Further Breakdown
Conceptual Planning Definition Design Implementation
Installation/
Conversion
Operation
Evaluation of
Performance
of “Definition”
Definition
145
Outcome or
High-Level Intermediate Detailed
Pre-Analysis Requirements
Analysis Analysis Analysis
Definition
Capture and
Prioritize which Consider Resolve
prioritize
customers should p
prioritizing
g conflicts
Identify customers’
customers
decide feature customer among
customers high-level
and functionality requirements by customer
wants, needs,
requirements customer area priorities
and tastes

146
Example 4: New
Example: NewProduct Development
Product Development
New Product
Development
Post-
Concept Analysis/ Project Design/
Implementation Launch
Generation Feasibility Planning Development
Implementation
Example 5:Infrastructure Projects

Example: Infrastructure Projects
Infrastructure
Projects
142Analysis
Current
of Initial
Improvement Design i & Detailed
il d
Post-
Cutover
Test Procurement Installation Cutover
System Investigation Improvement Design Review
(Research) Approval (Eval)
-Continued
WBS Examples (Continued)

Example 7: NT Architecture Roll Out
Example: NT Architecture Roll Out
NT Architecture
Roll Out
Cl i
Closing
Architecture Design Hardware Software Budget Implementation
(Evaluation)
Including servers
Including requirements
and
and specs
workstations
147
Exercise: WBS - Real World

Instructions: Work individually. Review the WBS life cycle examples on the previous pages.
Then in the space below, create a WBS for your real-world project. Duration: 15 minutes
Example: WBS - Case Study

Office Move
Research
-Continued

Office Move (Continued)
New Office Set-Up
Pack
-Continued

Office Move (Continued)
Move
Unpack
PM
WBS Benefits Checklist

Review the following checklist after iterating the WBS to ensure you are receiving the benefits of it.
Yes No Questions to ask yourself

Are all deliverables included?
Have you involved the entire team?
Have you elicited the team’s ideas during the WBS creation?
Yes No Do project team members understand:

• Their roles
• Where their work fits into the overall project management plan?
• How their work impacts the entire project?
Yes No What would you add?
Exercise: What’s Wrong With This “WBS”?

Instructions: Work individually. Review the WBS examples below. List what is missing and/or
incorrect from each example and how this might affect the project.
Duration: 4 minutes
Hardware
Software Project
Example 1
Hardware Software
Select Vendor Install Requirements Design & Code Integration

& Design
Prepare RFP Install HW Interview Prepare System Design Install Y System

Analyze Proposals Inspect Business Unit Code System Install X System
Select Transfer Programs Interview Users
Negotiate Test Survey Management I/O screens
Sign Contract Develop Requirements Doc. Database Interface
Sign Off Error Messages
Project Initiation
Example 2 Example 3
Project
Develop Planning Framework
Identify Goals & Objectives
Define Scope
Develop Work Breakdown Structure
Specify Deliverables
Size the Project
Prepare Sizing Estimates
Develop Summary Schedules
Organize Project Resources
HW SW
Obtain Resources
Develop Detailed Work Plans
Build Project Model – aaaa – 333
Prepare Detailed Schedules
Prepare Financial Plan
Set Up Project Environment – a3 – 222
Set Up Project Standards & Procedures
Set Up Project Book – a2 – 111

Document Project Plan
Document Project Management Plan
Requirements Definition & Package Selection
– a1
Change Management Environment & Develop Strategy
– bbb
Access Organizational Readiness for Change
Define Change Management Strategy
Present Change Management Strategy
Source: Created using

– ccc Microsoft® Office
Organizational Chart
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Examples: WBS Dictionary Do not use any form exactly as shown.

Adapt it to your project.
Define what needs to be done for each work package
Project: ________ Work Package Name/Number:
Person Responsible: __________
Authorized Work Package Work Description (What work is authorized?)
Work Package Product (Deliverables)
Acceptance Criteria
Assumptions/Constraints
Risks
Approved by: Project Manager: ____________________ Date: ___________
WBS Dictionary
Control Account Work Package Date of Update Responsible
ID # Name/Number Organization/
Individual
Advanced WBS Dictionary Work Package Deliverable Description
Combining Later Project
Work Involved to Produce Deliverable
Management Steps
Acceptance Criteria (How to know if the deliverable/work is acceptable)
Assumptions and Constraints
Quality Metrics
Technical Source Document
Risks
Resources Assigned
Duration
Schedule Milestones
Cost
Due Date
Interdependencies
Before this work package __________________________
After this work package __________________________
Approved By: Project Manager _______________________ Date: ______________

When instructed, use the data from the chart below and draw a network diagram. The activity precedence
is listed. Duration: 3 minutes
Activity Preceding Draw the Network Diagram
Activity
None
Start
Start
D,A
C,B
F,E
H
D
F
Start
End
G
H
D
C
E
F
Common Estimating Errors
1 Not estimating right project scope

2 Misinterpreting project scope statement
3 Misinterpreting product scope
4 Omitting product or project scope
5 Defining product or project scope improperly, or over-optimistically
6 Not creating an accurate WBS
7 Only estimating major work packages
8 Not combining work package estimates into one overall estimate that can be used to manage
and control work
9 Applying improper skill levels to activities
10 Not estimating all the work
11 Failing to account for risks
12 Failing to understand or account for cost escalation and inflation
13 Failing to use correct estimating techniques
14 Not using benchmarks
15 Not performing sanity checks on estimates
16 In contracting situations, failing to have the estimate match the payment schedule, and not
being able to compare the estimate to actual
Example: Critical Path

Instructions: Work individually. When instructed, use the network diagram with the duration estimates
to calculate each path and determine the critical path.
Activity Preceding Time
9
Activity Estimate
4 2 7
4 E G H C Start None 0 months
D D Start 4 months
Start 8 4 End A Start 3 months
3 F B F D,A 8 months
A
E D 9 months
G F,E 4 months
B F 4 months
H G 2 months
C H 7 months
End C,B 0 months
Example: Network Diagram - Case Study

Office Move
Exercise: Communications Management Plan - Real World

Instructions: Work individually. Read the information below and on the following two
pages regarding communications (5 minutes). Then complete the communications
management plan based on this information for your real-world project (10 minutes).
Work in pairs. Briefly explain your project at a high level and ask what your partner
would communicate on your project. Do not show partner your plan (10 minutes).
Switch roles. Provide your partner with ideas about what should be in their plan
(10 minutes). Duration: 35 minutes
What to Include in a Communications Management Plan

• Responsibility charts: who does what and who should talk to whom?
• How will you interface with other organizations involved in the project?
• How will you interface with the stakeholders?
• What reporting form does the sponsor require?
• What reporting form do you want from the project team?
• How will you clearly delineate project roles and responsibilities?
• What methods should the team use to bring problems or issues to your attention?
• How will you communicate:
→ Success
→ The project manager’s understanding of the complexity of the project
→ New ideas
→ Discoveries
→ Lessons learned
→ Achievement of milestones
• Where the project fits into the big picture and how you will communicate changes to that fit
• Consequences of changes
• Status of activities and the project
• Status of issue log items from meetings
• Stakeholder expectations
• Risks
• How you will control e-mail
• How you will control what information should go to whom
What Needs to Be Communicated TO OTHERS?

• Status of project or deliverables
• Successes
• Problems/risks
• Discoveries
• Updates on resources needed and when
• Changes to the project and their consequences
• Issue log items from meetings
• That the project manager cares about the project
• That the project manager is interested in others’ ideas and needs
• The project manager’s integrity
• That the project manager is in control of the project
-Continued

(Continued)
• That the project manager is open to hear conflicting ideas, problems, and new ideas
• Status of specific requirements
• Schedule for interactions with other departments
• Best way to get information to the project manager
• Best way to find out information about the project
• Cost
• Schedule
• Risk
• Quality
• Scope
• Customer Satisfaction
• Procurement
• Resources
What Needs to Be Communicated FROM OTHERS?

• Level of commitment
• Happiness
• Changes
• Problems
• Risks
• Areas of confusion
• Hidden agendas
• Bad news
• What they like and do not like about the project
• Their confidence level that the project will be successful
• Areas where they could provide extra help to the project
• Frustrations
• Little things that could become bigger
• Things the project manager missed
• The project manager’s performance
• How the project can be improved
• Cost
• Schedule
• Risk
• Quality
• Scope
• Customer Satisfaction
• Procurement
• Resources
-Continued

(Continued)
How Often Should You Communicate?

• Once a week
• Once a month
• As needed
• Whenever there is a success
• Whenever new risks are identified
• Whenever the monthly project status report is issued
• Each time there is a team meeting
Communication Type Method

Project management plan, other formal documentation (such
Formal written as the project charter), and reports; can be both physical and
electronic
Planned meetings and stakeholder briefings; can be face-to-face
Formal verbal
or remote
Email, handwritten notes, text messages, instant messaging,
Informal written
social media,and websites
Unscheduled meetings, conversations, and other casual
Informal verbal
discussions
-Continued
When and How

Often
Responsibility for
Sending
Best Method for
Communicating
Between Whom
Why
What Needs to Be
Communicated
-Continued

(Continued)
When and How
Often
Responsibility for
Sending
Best Method for
Communicating
Between Whom
Why
What Needs to Be
Communicated
Exercise: Unrealistic Schedule

Instructions: Work as a team. Select a timekeeper and a project manager.
Complete each situation as described below.
• Situation 1 (3 minutes)
• Read answers (2 minutes)
Situation 1: Create Options—What if the Cost Is Too High?

The solution to unrealistic schedules, budgets, or changes to the project is to create options.
What are your options?
Situation 2: Create Options—What if the Time Is Too Long?

The project manager takes all the estimates from the team and compiles the “master” or overall schedule
only to find that the schedule length is longer than the time available. What are the options?
Can you think of any tools we have discussed that would help deal with this problem?
-Continued
Answer Situation 1: Decreasing Costs During Project Planning or Executing

• Eliminate risks in estimates and reestimate.
• Use less expensive people.
• Cut project scope.
• Use less expensive equipment.
• Decrease quality.
• Change the schedule.
• Decrease profit (where applicable).
• Outsource part of the work to a less expensive source.
• Move some of the work back to the customer (where applicable).
Answer Situation 2: Cut 10 Percent Off Each Estimate?

• Many project managers and sponsors handle a project duration that is too long (or cost that is too high) by
asking for an across-the-board 10 percent reduction. This is an incorrect practice and shows a lack of
project management skills and knowledge.
• A better choice would be to:
→ Focus only on the critical path activities, not all activities.
→ Decrease or change the project scope.
→ Decrease the risks (uncertainty) in each activity and reestimate.
Fast Tracking
• Fast tracking refers to making activities “parallel.” Use the network diagram to:
→ Replan the sequence of activities to make more activities parallel.
→ Concentrate on the critical path.
→ Disadvantage likely to add risk and rework.
Crashing
• Crashing means adjusting the project schedule with the least cost impact.
→ Obtain more people (resources) and apply them to critical path activities.
→ Transfer resources from noncritical to critical activities (Warning: Make sure you verify that the
critical path does not change).
→ Get commitment for some team members to increase their percent of time available and change
that limitation in project management software.
→ Use more productive or experienced people.
→ Disadvantage: Always results in increased cost.
-Continued
Resource Optimization Technique

What is Resource Leveling?
Many projects use resources unevenly, employing 10 people one month, four the next, and 21 the month after.
The use of resources might look something like this:
Resources
21
10
4
May June July
If consistent resource usage is an important consideration, the trade-off analysis may include letting
the schedule and cost slip in favor of leveling the peaks and valleys of resource use. Project management
software allows for resource leveling. However, recent studies have shown that not all software does it well!
Resource Smoothing
Modified form of resource leveling where the resources are leveled with no contstraints or limits related
to the float of the associated activity. Completion of the activities does not change.
Agile Release Planning

Provides a high-level schedule that includes the frequency of releases and the number of iterations that
will be completed as a part of each release. The planning efforts result in a timeline, which indicates the
features to be included in each release.
Situation 3: Schedule Compression Chart

Which activity(s) would you crash to save three weeks? List all the options and select the one
your team recommends.
Activity Original Crash Time Original Crash Extra Risk

Duration Duration Savings Cost Cost Cost Impact
R 6 weeks 4 weeks 2 weeks $10 k $14 k $4 k High
S 7 weeks 5 weeks 2 weeks $17 k $27 k $10 k Low
T 5 weeks 4 weeks 1 week $15 k $16 k $1 k Low
U 7 weeks 6 weeks 1 week $8 k $10 k $2 k High
V 8 weeks 5 weeks 3 weeks $12 k $21 k $9 k None
-Continued
Situation 4: Schedule Network Analysis

Your planning efforts have resulted in a 26-month project duration. But marketing has already
committed to purchase media and the sales force is ready to sell the new product in 23 months. You know
that the most important project constraint is time and, secondarily, cost. Read the information
supplied by your team on the next slide to determine what to do.
• Activity D is currently being done by one person. Two people could be added to save 1 month.
This would cost 5% of the project budget and add a slight amount of risk to the project.
• Activity E includes work that the customer has requested but does not really need.
This item was listed on their “must have” list. Removing this work from the activity would save
2 months and 10% of the project cost.
• Activity F could be done by a person with higher productivity and save 2 months time on the
activity without impacting cost or risk.
• Activity H could be completed with less quality, saving one month and 2% of the project budget.
• Activity C could reallocate 2 resources from Activity B. Activity C would then take 5 months and
Activity B would take 7 months. There would be no impact to cost or risk.
• Activity G could be split in two. G1 would take 2 months and be done concurrently with Activities E
and F. Activity G2 would then take 3 months. But this will add a substantial amount of risk to the project.
Activity Preceding Time

Activity Estimate
Start None 0 months
D Start 4 months
A Start 3 months
F D,A 8 months
E D 9 months
G F,E 4 months
B F 4 months
H G 2 months
C H 7 months
End C,B 0 months
-Continued
The critical path (project duration) is 26 months and is highlighted with bold letters and arrows.
9 4 2 7
4 E G H C
D
Start
8 4 End
3 F B
A
Based on the information given and the critical path drawing, what is your decision?
Note: The instructor will discuss the answers to #3 and #4

after the exercise.
Exercise: Management Plan

Instructions: Work as a team. Create a management plan for an assigned knowledge area.
Duration: 20 minutes Knowledge Area:
Management Plan Format

Meetings—What types? Who should come? When?
Plan
Execute/ Risk owner holds meetings during implementation of contingency plans, as needed
Manage
Monitor/ Risk review meetings every two weeks with Developer/team representatives/Systems architect/Business
Control owners/Quality department
Forms—What types? When to be used?

Plan
Execute/
Manage
Monitor/ Risk identification forms used as new risks are identified

Control
Reports—What should they include? Who should send and receive?

Plan
Execute/
Manage
Monitor/
Control
-Continued
Exercise: Management Plan (Continued)

Questions—What to ask? About what? When?
Plan
Execute/
Manage
Monitor/
Control
Processes to Use—What? How? When?

Plan
Execute/
Manage
Monitor/
Control
Processes to Improve—What? How? When?

Plan
Execute/
Manage
Monitor/
Control
-Continued
Management Plans Format

Measure performance—In what communications areas should I try to measure performance? How? How
often? What will this measurement tell me? How will I know if the measurement warrants action?
Plan
Execute/
Manage
Monitor/
Control
What methods will I use to control change?

Plan
Execute/
Manage
Monitor/
Control
Recognition and rewards—What types? For what purpose? When?

Plan
Execute/
Manage
Monitor/
Control
-Continued

What other activities do I need to control this project?
Plan
Execute/
Manage
Monitor/
Control
Procedures—What? For what purpose? How will improve them?

Plan
Execute/
Manage
Monitor/
Control
Executing Actions
ACTIONS Involved in Project Executing
1 Communicate your expectations for stakeholders and the project, and
manage the involvement and needs of all stakeholders throughout the
project to ensure everyone has a common understanding of the work.
2 Implement the most up-to-date version of the project management plan,
including revisions made as a result of control activities.
3 Complete work packages.
4 Collect, document, and share lessons learned.
5 Establish and manage communication channels.
6 Evaluate how effectively the team members function as a team.
7 Implement approved changes, including corrective actions, preventive actions,
and defect repair.
8 Confirm that practices and procedures are being followed and are still appropriate
for the project.
9 Produce and distribute reports on project performance.
10 Hold team-building activities.
11 Use the team charter for guidance on team interactions; follow ground rules at team meetings.
12 Obtain needed training for team members.
13 Exchange information about the project according to the plan, and solicit feedback to ensure
communication needs are being met.
14 Remove roadblocks.
15 Achieve work results that meet requirements.
16 Meet with managers to reconfirm resource commitments.
17 Keep managers apprised of when their resources will be needed on the project.
18 Commit, manage, and release physical and team resources in accordance with the
project management plan.
19 Guide, assist, communicate, lead, negotiate, facilitate, and coach.
20 Use your technical knowledge.
21 Hold meetings to identify or address issues, assess risks, and keep the project work moving
forward.
22 Manage stakeholder engagement and expectations, increase project support, and prevent
possible problems.
23 Focus on preventing problems rather than just dealing with them as they arise.
24 Make sure all team members have the skills, information, and equipment needed to complete
their work.
25 Look for exceptions to the approved project management plan in team members’ performance,
rather than checking up on every person’s work.
26 Recommend changes to be evaluated in the Perform Integrated Change Control process.
27 Follow organizational policies, processes, and procedures.
-Continued
Executing Actions (Continued)

ACTIONS Involved in Project Executing
28 Increase the effectiveness of processes.
29 Make updates to the project management plan and project documents to reflect current
information about the project.
30 Create recommendations for the performing organization to increase its effectiveness.
31 Ensure continued agreement from the stakeholders to the project management plan.
32 Keep everyone focused on completing the project to the project charter and project
management plan.
33 Keep the project’s business case and benefits management plan in mind while managing
the project, especially when problems occur.
34 Solve problems.
35 Determine where project changes are coming from and what you can do to eliminate
the root cause of the need for change.
36 Determine final team members and other resources, and bring them on to
the project as needed.
37 Recognize and reward the team and individuals for their work and performance on the project.
38 Gather initial measurements and details about activities of project work
(work performance data).
39 Implement approved process improvements.
40 Use an issue log to record project issues and details about their resolution,including
who is responsible for resolving each issue and the expected timeline.
41 Obtain seller responses to bid documents.
42 Review proposals, bids, and quotes; negotiate contract terms with
prospective sellers; and manage the evaluation and selection of sellers.
43 Manage the integration of sellers’ work and deliverables into the overall work
and deliverables of the project; manage any seller-related conflicts or challenges.
44 Expend and manage project funds.
45 Facilitate conflict resolution using conflict resolution techniques.
46 Assess individual team member performance.
47 Update human resource records of team members to reflect new skills acquired
while working on the project.
48 Carry out contingency plans in response to risk triggers.
Monitoring & Controlling Actions

ACTIONS Involved in Project Monitoring & Controlling
1 Measure project performance according to the planned measures in the management plans.
2 Measure against the performance measurement baseline.
3 Analyze and evaluate work performance data.
4 Determine variances.
5 Use your judgment to determine what variances are important and if they
warrant recommending a change or corrective action.
6 Recommend changes, including defect repair and preventive and
corrective actions; do not just wait for others to recommend them.
7 Make or obtain a decision in integrated change control about whether
changes should be approved, rejected, or deferred.
8 Track and evaluate naming conventions, version control processes, the storage and retrieval
system (configuration management), and the use of the PMIS. This ensures everyone knows
which version of the project or product documentation is the latest version.
9 Control scope, schedule, and cost to their baselines.
10 Perform procurement inspections and reviews of seller performance to the contract.
11 Refine control limits as needed.
12 Identify the root causes of problems with the help of techniques such as
process analysis (Example, Lean, Kanban, and Six Sigma).
13 Obtain formal acceptance of interim deliverables from the customer.
14 Identify the need for replanning.
15 Replan and make updates to the project management plan and project
documents to reflect approved changes and updates to the project.
16 Evaluate stakeholder relationships and involvement to determine if they require improvement.
17 Manage the schedule and cost reserves.
18 Recalculate how much the project will cost and how long it will take; create forecasts.
19 Obtain additional funding if needed.
20 Prepare work performance reports from the analyzed data and measurements.
21 Hold periodic inspections.
22 Make decisions to accept or reject completed deliverables.
23 Evaluate the effectiveness of implemented corrective actions.
24 Assess the effectiveness of project control systems.
25 Spend time trying to improve quality.
26 Determine if project controls need to be updated.
27 Identify and analyze trends.
28 Evaluate the effectiveness of risk responses in a risk review.
29 Look for newly arising risks.
30 Reanalyze existing risks.
-Continued
Monitoring & Controlling Actions (Continued)

ACTIONS Involved in Project Monitoring & Controlling
31 Use milestones as a project control tool.
32 Observe and analyze.
33 Use variance reports to help correct small problems before they become serious.
34 Calculate estimate to complete.
35 Use and interpret earned value calculations.
36 Use quality control tools such as inspections, histograms, performance
reviews, and cause-and-effect diagrams.
37 Influence any factors that could result in the project’s change control and
configuration management measures being bypassed.
38 Control changes.
39 Control to make sure that only approved changes are implemented.
40 Work with the change control board.
41 Evaluate stakeholder satisfaction.
42 Control procurements through actions such as reviewing, approving, and paying invoices;
administering claims; and performing inspections and audits.
43 Validate defect repair.
44 Determine where project changes are coming from and what you can do
to eliminate the root cause of the need for change.
45 Consider the project’s business case and the organization’s strategic
objectives when analyzing change requests.
46 Use active listening, inquiry, and data gathering to confirm that communications and
stakeholder engagement efforts are effective and working as planned; make or recommend
needed adjustments.
47 Evaluate the use, cost, and other aspects of physical resources; make appropriate changes and
adjustments.
48 Close procurements after final deliverables are accepted.
49 Update risk report to keep key stakeholders informed about the status of
overall project risk and highest ranking individual risks.
Managing Changes
1 Determine why changes are being made

2 Ask those who make changes how to prevent them on current project
3 Educate about the need to have changes identified earlier; have a finalized project scope
statement
4 List specific changes as a risk; make the list public
5 Educate stakeholders about impacts of change
6 Involve project manager or team in any change discussions so that impacts of the change can
also be considered
7 Challenge justification for change
8 Get early buy-in on project scope statement
9 Understand needs of those making changes
10 Require a project scope statement sign-off
11 Include a change process and concept of preventing changes in your management plans and
management
12 State it during initiating and mean it: “No changes allowed!” “Include all your needs now, be-
cause you can’t add them later.”
13 Have a description for each activity
14 Watch for changes made indirectly by team
15 Have people or departments that make changes attend your WBS session and other planning
meetings
16 Focus everyone’s attention on the WBS during planning to prevent changes
17 Make sure that changes to any part of project are reviewed, approved, and documented by
the same people who approved that part of original plan
18 Record changes as additional line items to baseline project management plan whenever
possible, instead of adding them to existing activities. This will keep them visible and help
prove why project will take longer or cost more
19 Create a problem list (those needing management support) and issue log (those being handled
by project manager)
Questions:

Instructions: Work as a team. Review the list of changes below. Then discuss and document
your options, including what you would do to solve the problem (1 minute per item).
Change Options
1. An activity needs more time.
2. Functional manager wants to

add an activity to the project
that will also add project
time.
3. Functional manager wants

to add an activity that can be
handled within the available
project time.
4. While completing an activity,

a team member determines
a better way to complete
it, yet still remain within
the activity time and cost
budget.
-Continued
Exercise: Handling Common Changes (Continued)
Change Options
5. Project manager realizes
halfway through the project
that five more resources
are needed.
6. There is a change to the cost

for an activity.
7. Project needs to be done

two weeks sooner.
8. In completing her activity

on time, a team member
estimates that the desired
quality level cannot be met.
Exercise: Lessons Learned

Instructions: Work as a team. Discuss the lessons learned from class and the exercises.
Take notes below. Duration: 5 minutes
Lessons Learned
Project management-related lessons learned
Management-related lessons learned
Technical-related lessons learned
Exercise: What Will Be a Challenge to Implement?

Instructions: Work as a team. List 3 or 4 tools, processes, procedures, or techniques that will
be a challenge to implement in your real world. Determine 3 items you will discuss. Spend
time on each item. List how you can overcome those challenges. Duration: 20 minutes
Tools, Processes, Procedures, and Techniques How I Can Overcome These Challenges
APPENDIX
Tricks of the Trade: Is Your Lack of

Risk Management Hurting You? By Rita Mulcahy
In my study of 61 companies from around the world, I discovered that most companies have huge
misconceptions about the risk management process and what risk is. As a result, many companies
have wasted time, money, and resources. Let’s make sure this does not happen to you.
First, temptations to ponder:

• Do you want to control your project or have your project control you?
• Can you imagine going on vacation at the beginning of the executing of your project because
everything is under control?
• How would you like to prevent 45% to 90% of the problems on your project?
You can . . . if you use risk management.
Here are some of the greatest misconceptions about risk. How many did you not know?
• Risk identification cannot begin without having inputs to the process. These include creating—
or identifying—a scope, WBS, team, stakeholders, network diagram, budget, and schedule.
• Risk management is not completed using only a checklist or a Monte Carlo simulation. It
involves identifying risk for the project and by work package.
• Companies stop risk identification after only a brief effort, which results in a short list of risks
(20 or fewer). Because of the huge benefits of risk management in the real world, risk
identification should involve the stakeholders and result in identifying hundreds of risks.
• Risks should not be evaluated as they are identified. Qualitative and quantitative risk analysis
should be done later on in the process. Evaluating risks at the wrong time decreases the number
of total risks identified.
• The risks identified are not really risks. A risk is an event that is uncertain! If your project has too
few resources, this is not a risk. It is a fact and must be addressed in the project management
plan, not in risk.
• Risks are not properly stated. A risk of “poor communication” is too non-descript to be useful in
the risk management process. Risks should be described more fully, (e.g., “poor communication
of customers’ needs regarding installation of system XYZ will cause two weeks of rework”).
-Continued
Here are some of the greatest misconceptions about risk (Continued)
• Whole categories of risks are missed. Companies focus on only technology risks,
cost risks, etc., when there are also risks related to project management, various
departments, lack of knowledge, the marketplace, or any number of others.
• Only one method is used to identify risk, such as only using a checklist, rather than a
combination of methods. A combination helps ensure that more risks are identified.
• The first risk response strategy identified is selected without looking at other options
to find the best option or combination of options.
• Team meetings address everything but what they should be addressing—risks!
• Contracts are risk mitigation tools and must not be created and signed until the
project manager is assigned and a risk analysis is done.
• Companies forget that risks can be good or bad. Though they are sometimes called
threats and opportunities, the good things must be improved while the bad things
are diminished.
• I will save the biggest item for last: Most companies, through lack of knowledge,
equate risk management with adding a pad to the project time and cost. Proper risk
management will result in a “reserve,” but it is not a pad because it can be based on
analysis and calculation and can be justified.
Most of these items have a huge negative impact on the project. How well did you do?
What will you do to better understand the risk management process?
With a few Tricks of the Trade, any project manager can improve a project. Good luck!
Nine Things Your Boss Should Be Doing by Rita Mulcahy
1. Support the creation of historical records.

Historical records include, at a minimum, the WBS, estimates, risks, and lessons learned from
every past project. These records are used to better plan, estimate, and manage future projects.
2. Provide a project charter with clear goals and objectives.

Charters include a description of the project (one paragraph), the project manager’s name, clearly
defined quantitative goals and objectives (i.e., a 10 percent improvement), and an explanation of
why the project is being done. The project charter serves as a “target” for the project. The goals
and objectives provide a way to measure success.
3. Protect projects from outside influences, changes, and resource stealing.
4. Allow teams the time to properly plan projects.

Teams need time to plan projects to achieve substantial decreases in project length and cost.
A project schedule cannot be delivered in only a few days.
5. Ensure a finalized scope of work before the project starts.

There is little excuse for not having a finalized scope of work. Changes made later can cost
100 times more.
6. Prioritize projects within the company or department.

Everyone should know which projects are priority one, two, three, etc., at any time
within your organization.
7. Require that project management be done.

Your support of project management is critical for it to be used in your organization.
Focus on project charters, the WBS, and risk management.
8. Do not run at 100 percent capacity.

Overtime is not an option, because any one problem will cause massive problems in all projects.
9. You cannot get something for nothing.

Though you do not want to believe it, changes in scope, schedule, and cost will impact project
scope, schedule, and/or cost. Do not allow people to ask for little extras and not expect to “pay”
for them.
Exercise: Action Plan

Instructions: Work individually. Review the Problems on Projects form to help identify Action
Plan areas. Determine what you are going to implement right away, and then add those items
to your Action Plan. When you are able to cross off an item, add another to keep the process
going. Duration: 4 minutes
Action Plan
What specific actions will I take as a result of this class?
Who will be Who will be
What action? Why? By when? involved? affected? Status
-Continued
Exercise: Action Plan (Continued)
Action Plan
What specific actions will I take as a result of this class?
Who will be Who will be
What action? Why? By when? involved? affected? Status
START
STOP
CONTINUE
Questionnaire: Project Management
Name (Optional) Instructor:
Date
How did you hear about this course? (Check all that apply)
___ Referral ___ Social media site ___ PMI® or IIBA® newsletter
___ RMC e-mail ___ Internet ___ PMI® or IIBA® website
___ RMC website ___ Conference/Trade Show ___ PMI® or IIBA® local chapter
___ RMC ad ___ Direct mail ___ Other (please specify) ___________________
Which of the following motivated your decision to choose this class over another provider? (Check all that apply)
___ RMC’s reputation ___ Better content summary ___ Other (please specify) ___________________
___ More favorable pricing ___ Convenient date/time
What industry magazines, web sites, social media, or other resources do you utilize?
What annual conferences do you attend?
What topic in this course are you most worried about?
What topic in this course are you least worried about?
What are three specific things you want to get from this course (your objectives)?
(Please be prepared to ask questions in class to help you achieve your objectives.)
1.
2.
3.
When evaluating potential training, please rate the criteria you use to make your decision:
Not important Important
Instructor’s qualifications 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Class location (city/state) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Class schedule (date/time) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Reputation of the training company 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Cost of the course 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Please fill out the evaluation on the other side at the end of class
Evaluation: Project Management
What did you like most about the course?
What did you like least?
One suggestion for improving the content is:
Please rate the following aspects:

Legend: 1-2: Very bad 3-4: Bad 5-6: Below average 7-8: Average 9: Great (the RMC standard) 10: Outstanding
Course Content Very Bad Outstanding
How valuable was the content to you? 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Overall design appeal of the materials 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Relevance of activities 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Comments:
The Instructor Very Bad Outstanding
Knowledge of the content 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Used training materials effectively 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Presented analogies and examples that were relevant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Thoroughly answered the questions asked 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Overall competence 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
I will recommend this instructor to others ___Yes ___No
Comments
Thank you for your thoughtful comments. We appreciate the opportunity they provide us.
We look forward to seeing you again!

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Project Management

Tricks of the Trade ®

About This Course

Tricks of the Trade is a registered trademark of RMC Project Management, Inc.

This document contains proprietary materials

This document is not for use or disclosure outside

About RMC Learning Solutions

• Founded in 1991 by Rita Mulcahy

• International reach – Currently train in

Exercise: Problems On Projects

About your instructor …

Exercise: Good and Not-So-Good Practices

Instructions: Use a flip chart

Not Like Other Courses

• Choose a real-world project

• Focus on improving your

• Practice tools to be more

• Explore Tricks of the Trade®

• Become a more professional project manager

• Projects In Controlled Environments

• American National Standards Institute (ANSI)®

• Institute of Electrical and Electronics

• And many others

What do you want

What’s In It for Me?

• Amount of time spent solving problems

• This course will focus on

• Look for holes in your

• Learn or improve skills, tools,

Course Agenda (Continued)

How to Use This Workbook

This Workbook is not intended to be

To get the greatest benefit from this course:

Key Concepts In Project

Exercise: Understand Key Concepts

Instructions: Use a flip chart

• Beginning and an end

• Creates unique product,

• Has interrelated activities

• Length and/or complexity

A group of interrelated projects and

Includes a group of programs, individual projects,

PMOs and Governance

Project Management Office

Organizational Project Management

Project Management Is…

• A Process: Systematic series of actions

• Science: Collection of knowledge

• Art: Skill in using and

Why is project management

Benefits of Project Management

• Complete project faster, cheaper, with higher

• Get more done with less

• Obtain a better understanding of the project

• Provide a basis for monitoring and controlling

• Decrease development time:

Benefits of Project Management (Continued)

• Improve quality and reliability

• Increase results orientation in organization

• Improve interdepartmental coordination

• Achieve unexpected positive results

Review the list in your

Who are the primary