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Project Management Essentials

This document discusses key aspects of project management including defining a project and its attributes, principles of project management, requirements for a successful project, threats and ways to minimize them, determining a project strategy, and constraints and life cycles. It provides definitions for project management, programs, and program management. It also outlines learning objectives and various frameworks and models for project management.

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Shah Kamal
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383 views13 pages

Project Management Essentials

This document discusses key aspects of project management including defining a project and its attributes, principles of project management, requirements for a successful project, threats and ways to minimize them, determining a project strategy, and constraints and life cycles. It provides definitions for project management, programs, and program management. It also outlines learning objectives and various frameworks and models for project management.

Uploaded by

Shah Kamal
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
  • Principles of Project Management: Introduces the chapter by stating its title, setting the framework for the project management discussion.
  • Chapter Learning Objectives: Describes the key learning goals for understanding project management attributes, structures, processes, and strategies.
  • A Project and its Attributes: Defines what constitutes a project and its various attributes, following guidelines by the Association of Project Managers.
  • Definitions: Provides definitions for project management, program, and program management, outlining their individual roles and interconnections.
  • Requirement of a Successful Project: Lists the essential elements required for executing a successful project, focusing on stakeholder engagement and planning.
  • Threat & Ways to Minimize Threat: Identifies potential threats to projects and proposes methods to mitigate them using tools and structured approaches.
  • Ways to Determine a Project Strategy: Explores strategic planning and decision-making processes for project implementation and management.
  • Project Constraints: Discusses constraints such as time, cost, and quality, explaining how they relate and affect project outcomes.
  • The Project Life Cycle: Outlines the four phases of the project life cycle, illustrating the flow from inception to completion.
  • Five Project Management Process Areas: Breaks down the five core areas of project management processes that guide successful execution and closing.
  • 4d Project Management Model: Introduces the 4D project management model, correlating it with project lifecycle phases for comprehensive management.
  • An Alternative Project Life Cycle: Proposes an iterative process for the project life cycle, emphasizing continuous improvement and adaptation.
  • Project Structures: The McKinsey 7-S Model: Explains the McKinsey 7-S framework for aligning project structures with strategy and shared values.

Principles of

Project Management

Chapter 14
Chapter learning objectives
 Identify a project, a program and their attributes.

 Apply suitable structures and frameworks to projects


to identify common project management issues.

 Construct an outline of the process of project


management.

 Identify the characteristics of each phase in the project


process.

 Produce a strategy for a project


A project and its attributes
 Definition of a project: “A human activity that
achieves a clear objective against a time scale”
- The Association of Project Managers

• Project Attributes: • Additional Project


Attributes:
− Uniqueness
− Stakeholders − Schedules
− Finiteness − Quality
− Resources − Uncertainty
− Objectives − Change
Definitions
 Project Management:
The integration of all aspects of a project, ensuring that the proper
knowledge and resources are available when and where needed, and
above all to ensure that the expected outcome is produced in a timely,
cost-effective manner.

 Program:
A program is a portfolio of related projects that, together, help to achieve
a strategic objective. All of the individual projects will have their own
individual timescales and budgets, but will also be part of the overall
program targets.

 Program Management:
Program management is the overall direction and control of this portfolio
of projects. It includes the management of the inter-relationships between
the various projects, where appropriate, including the management of
shared resources, conflict resolution, high level reporting, etc.
Requirement of a successful project
 Consideration of stakeholders/ownership of project by key
stakeholders.
 Setting of SMART objectives.
 Identification of the required resources and any limitations
or constraints with resources.
 A time-scale agreed for completion.
 Quality requirements to be identified and measured.
 A financial plan.
 Risk assessment and scenario planning.
 A project manager with leadership and communication skills.
 A project team working as a team.
Threat & ways to minimize threat
Threat Ways of minimizing threat

Use of project management tools such as network analysis and


Poor planning Gantt charts

Few control Implement constant progress review, together with


mechanisms standardized reporting mechanisms

Specification User requirements should be thoroughly examined at the


changes systems analysis stage, using walk-throughs or prototyping

Unrealistic The critical activities in the project should be highlighted to


ensure that management’s attentions are concentrated on
deadlines achievement of these activities

Under-resourced Management should ensure that the budget (in terms of


finance and manpower) is correctly balanced to ensure that
budgets the project can be successfully completed

Training of project managers in management skills as well as


Poor management technical skills
Ways to determine a project strategy
 Determine the reason for the project being carried out
 Carry out analysis of the current situation and the desired
situation
 Consider the project stakeholders
 Carry out a SWOT analysis
 Consider a number of different projects
 Select the project which is to be implemented
 Agree the scope of the project
 Manage the key project objectives of time, cost and quality
 Implement & monitor the project
Project constraints
 Time and cost tend to be positively correlated in projects.
 However, if there is a degree of urgency in a project, it may be
possible to reduce the timescale to completion by allocating
additional resources, or by scheduling expensive overtime working.
 Project quality tends to be positively correlated with both cost and
time.

In additional to these three main


constraints, other constraints
such as legal, technological,
political, environmental and
ethical which will affect the
project’s delivery.
The project life cycle
 Phase 1 – Identification of a need
 Phase 2 – Development of a proposed solution
 Phase 3 – Implementation
 Phase 4 – Completion
Five project management process areas
4d project management model
Another project management model which links closely to the phases
of the project lifestyle is the 4D model. This comprises of 4 steps:

Define it

Design it

Develop it

Deliver it
An alternative project life cycle
An iterative process

 The project life cycle may be repeated several times before a solution is
agreed.
 Approximate requirements, the best ideas from competitors and the
best parts of previous projects may be built with customers into a
model or prototype.
 Key features of the proposed system are implemented in a simulated
operational environment that can be used as a ‘predictive model’.
 By trial use of the model, requirements are revised and the cycle is
repeated until agreement is reached.
 The feedback from this iterative process can identify risky parts of
project design or problems of integration and operation.
Project structures:
The McKinsey 7-S model
 Strategy. This will provide the high level requirements needed to fulfill the project
objectives.

 Structure. This reminds management that the nature of the appropriate structure
for the project needs to be determined.

 Systems. Systems are the methods for project work to be designed, monitored and
controlled.

 Staff. This involves the selection of staff to work on the project, along with
motivation, team management and staffing levels.

 Style. This refers to how the project manager leads the project and project team.

 Skills. These are the distinctive capabilities needed by staff working on the project.

 Shared Values. These refer to the guiding beliefs and the significant principles
guiding the project.

Principles of Project Management Chapter 14
Chapter learning objectives Identify a project, a program and their attributes. Apply suitable structures and frameworks to
A project and its attributes Definition of a project: “A human activity that achieves a clear objective against a time scal
Definitions Project Management: The integration of all aspects of a project, ensuring that the proper knowledge and resour
Requirement of a successful project Consideration of stakeholders/ownership of project by key stakeholders. Setting of SMA
Threat & ways to minimize threat Threat Ways of minimizing threat Poor planning Use of project management tools such as netwo
Ways to determine a project strategy Determine the reason for the project being carried out Carry out analysis of the curre
Project constraints Time and cost tend to be positively correlated in projects. However, if there is a degree of urgency in
The project life cycle Phase 1 – Identification of a need Phase 2 – Development of a proposed solution Phase 3 – Implement
Five project management process areas

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