Successful Project

Management

NBCC Moncton

PROJ 1029
PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Instructor: Aynslie Croney

Objectives

 The “Triple Constraint”

 Success Factors
 Roles of the Project Manager
 Knowledge Areas
Managing Projects

Projects are less predictable and

are constantly impacted by the
dynamic, uncertain nature of most
organizational environments.
What do we mean by “managing
projects”

1. Applying both the science and art

to meet objectives
2. Process of defining, developing,
executing, monitoring, etc.
3. Process of managing the triple
constraints.
4. Process of leading a team
Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?
 What is Project Management?

Project management is “the application

of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques
to project activities to meet project
requirements”

so…
 What is Project Management?
Project managers
strive to meet the
triple constraint
and also facilitate
the entire process to
meet the needs and
expectations of
project stakeholders
 The Triple Constraint
 Every project is constrained in different ways
by its:

 Scope goals: What work will be done?

 Time goals: How long should it take to

complete?

 Cost goals: What should it cost?

 It is the project manager’s duty to balance

these three often-competing goals.
 Fifteen Project Management Job
Functions
1. Define scope of project.
2. Identify stakeholders, decision-makers,
and escalation procedures.
3. Develop detailed task list (work
breakdown structures).
4. Estimate time requirements.
5. Develop initial project management
flow chart.
6. Identify required resources and budget.
 Fifteen Project Management Job
Functions
7. Evaluate project requirements.
8. Identify and evaluate risks.
9. Prepare contingency plan.
10. Identify interdependencies.
11. Identify and track critical milestones.
12. Participate in project phase review.
13. Secure needed resources.
14. Manage the change control process.
15. Report project status.
How do they do it?
 Tools and Techniques
PM tools and techniques assist
project managers and their teams in
various aspects of project management
 Some specific ones include
 Project charter, scope statement, and
WBS (scope)
 Gantt charts, network diagrams, critical
path analysis, critical chain scheduling
(time)
 Cost estimates and earned value
management (cost)
Super Tools
“Super tools” are those tools that
have high use and high potential for
improving project success, such as:
 Software for task scheduling (such as
project management software)
 Scope statements
 Requirements analyses
 Lessons-learned reports
Super Tools
Tools already extensively used that
have been found to improve project
importance include:
 Progress reports
 Kick-off meetings
 Gantt charts
 Change requests
 Project Success
There are several ways to define project
success:
 The project met scope, time, and cost goals
 The project satisfied the customer/sponsor
 The results of the project met its main
objective
 What Helps Projects Succeed?*
1. Executive support
2. User involvement
3. Clear business objectives
4. Emotional maturity
5. Optimizing scope
6. Agile process
7. Project management expertise
8. Skilled resources
9. Execution
10. Tools and infrastructure
*The Standish Group, “CHAOS Manifesto 2013: Think Big, Act Small” (2013).
 What the Winners Do*
 Recent research findings show that
companies that excel in project delivery
capability:
 Use an integrated toolbox
 Grow project leaders
 Develop a streamlined project delivery
process.
 Measure project health using metrics
The Role of the Project Manager

Job descriptions vary, but most

include responsibilities such as
planning, scheduling, coordinating,
and working with people to achieve
project goals.

Remember that 97% of successful

projects were led by experienced
project managers.
Suggested Skills for Project
Managers

 Project managers need a wide variety

of skills.

 They should:
 Be comfortable with change.
 Understand the organizations they work
in and with.
 Lead teams to accomplish project goals.
 Suggested Skills for Project
Managers

 Project managers need both “hard”

and “soft” skills.

 Hard skills include product knowledge

and knowing how to use various project
management tools and techniques.

 Soft skills include being able to work with

various types of people. Communications!
Key Knowledge Areas
1. scope management
2. time management
3. cost management
4. quality management
5. human resource management
6. communications management
7. risk management
8. procurement management
9. stakeholder management
10. integration management
Ten Most Important Skills and
Competencies for Project Managers

• Conflict resolution, conflict management

• Critical thinking, problem solving
• Integrity, ethical behavior, consistent
• Leadership
• Listening
• People skills
• Strong at building teams
• Strong at building trust
• Understands, balances priorities
• Verbal communication

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In Class Discussion
 How do Project Managers do all of
this? Can 1 person do it all?
 What are their most important
skills? List top 3 in order.