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 Project Management
Best Practice
ISA Tech Talk
Creggan Court Hotel, Athlone, 27th May 2008
Tech Talk Agenda
• Audience details.
• Audience Participation.
• What is a project?
• What is a successful project?
• Why projects fail.
• Best Practice Tips.
• Case Study.
• Standish Survey Results.
• Summary.

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 Audience Details
• How many people here work on projects.
• Do you have a “Day” job or are projects what you do?
• What type of projects do you work on? Large or Small, construction or IT
or……………………
• Out of the people here working on projects - Who has formal Project
Management training?
• From the companies that you work for, which ones have formal PM
practices/methodologies in place.
• PM through the ages “The only certainty is that nothing is certain” Pliny the
Elder (Roman Scholar)
• Who said “Fail to Plan so Plan to Fail”?
Old Military saying made famous in Ireland by Roy Keane, Saipan, World
Cup 2006

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Audience Participation

From your experience executing projects,

can you indicate reasons why you think that
both large and small projects fail?

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What is a project?
PMI Definition of a project:
A Project is a temporary endeavour undertaken to
create a unique product, service or result.

So this would indicate that a project is:

Temporary – has a definite beginning and end so
project team only exists for the project.
Unique – Product/service or result is different from
others of it’s kind.

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What is a successful project?

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 What is a successful project?
• Meets and satisfies all the Users or Organisations
requirements.
• All stakeholders are satisfied.
• All close-out activities are complete.
• Lessons learned have been documented.
• Was completed on time.
• Was completed to budget.

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 Why Projects Fail.
• Poor Planning
• Unclear requirements
• Changing requirements
(Scope Creep)
• No Project Manager
• No Risk Management
• Conflicts for resources
• No PM standards in place
• No vendor management
NEVER
FROM A
LACK OF
EFFORT
• No Change Control
• Lack of training
• Project not strategic
• No Post-Mortems on
previous projects
• Poor Teamwork
• No User involvement
• Lack of communications
• No Management
commitment
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Starting with the end in mind!

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Starting with the end in mind!

Project Management Truism

There's never enough time to do it right first

time
but there's always enough time to go back
and do it again!

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Starting with the end in mind!
• Plan, Plan, Plan and when you are finished
planning, plan some more!
• Agree requirements as early as possible then
manage them using change control.
• Get the right team in place to manage and execute
the project.
• Communicate, communicate, communicate.
• Manage stakeholders expectations – always.
• Put some PM procedures in place.
• Get the user involved from the start.

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Best Practice #1:
Defining Scope/Requirements
• Have scope/requirements planning sessions.
• Ensure all stakeholders attend planning sessions.
• Conduct interviews with “absent” stakeholders.
• Hold “Requirements Review” sessions to ensure all
expectations have been identified.
• Manage “agreed” scope/requirements through
change control.
• Inform PM of all changes to scope/requirements.

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Best Practice #2:
Project Planning

Project Management Truism

The more you

plan the luckier
you get.

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Best Practice #2:
Planning – Is this a Project Plan?

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Best Practice #2:
Project Planning
• Don’t start the project until you write a plan.
• Plans require thinking, negotiation, balancing,
communications and listening, so worth the effort.
• Start the Risk Management process at the planning
stage to identify uncertainty in the project.
• Complete accurate Cost and Schedule estimates.
• Build training time into the plan.
• Plan time for project improvements.

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Best Practice #2:
Project Planning
• Project Plan should include:
• Description of the project, the approach to completing it and project
objectives.
• Work breakdown structure to substantial level
• Cost, schedule and resource estimates.
• Key milestones and target dates to complete.
• Performance measurement.
• Risk Management Plan including key risks
• Scope Management Plan
• Cost, Schedule, Quality & Communications Management Plan
• ………..and more!

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Best Practice #3:
Define Success Points
• Extended timelines lead to apathy and lost focus.
Base on effort not calendars!
• For large projects – Define “Intermediate success
criteria (ISC)”.
• Structure project schedules around ISC’s.
• Project Teams work to shorter objectives rather
than long term goals.
• Use ISC’s to motivate and reward project team.
• Use these ISC’s when reporting on project progress
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Best Practice #4:
User Involvement throughout
• Critical to have user involvement throughout the
scope definition process.
• Users help define the “Actual” end requirements
based on their understaning of how things work.
• Lack of buy-in to the project if Users not involved.
• Users motivation is in their involvement with the
quality of the finished project.
• Easier to get critical contributions throughout the
project.

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Best Practice #5:
Stakeholder Management

Project Management Truism

Diplomacy is the art of letting other people

have their way!

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Best Practice #5:
Stakeholder Management
• Stakeholders are anyone positively or negatively
impacted by your project (internal or external).
• Identify ALL stakeholders as early as possible and
determine ALL of their individual requirements.
• All stakeholder requirements must be met (or
negotiated!) to claim a successful project.
• Stakeholders requirements will conflict and need to
be managed by the PM.
• Stakeholders expectations need to be managed
through to the end of the project.

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Best Practice #5:
Stakeholder Management
• Stakeholders can positively impact your project by
providing support when you most require it (i.e.
resources).
• Communicate effectively with all stakeholders
throughout the project (Gauge your effort!).
• Different levels of stakeholders in an organisation
will have different levels of influence on your
project. Identify them and manage them!.
• On project completion – get their opinions!
• Know when to say “NO” to stakeholders.

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Best Practice #6:
Change Control
• Initiate change control once requirements have
been agreed.
• Detail who is responsible for reviewing/approving
changes.
• Agree ALL the project impacts prior to approving.
• Review Risk Logs each time a change is reviewed.
• Never agree to changes without agreeing the
impact on cost, schedule or resources.
• Once agreed manage all changes to closure.
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Best Practice #7:
PM Methodology

Project Management Truism

Some projects finish on time
in spite of
project management best practices.

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 Best Practice #7:
PM Methodology
• A PM Methodology is not a pre-requisite for success
but proceduralising some PM processes is.
• There are many PM methodologies on the market
but you do not need to implement one entirely.
• Pick and choose aspects of a methodology which
works for your projects and document it.
• Ensure your PM processes are used across projects
of varying complexity and size.
• Continuously improve your processes with lessons
learned on completed projects.
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 Best Practice #8:
Communications

Project Management Truism

I know that you believe that you understand
what you think I said,
but I am not sure you realise that what you heard
is not what I meant.

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 Best Practice #8:
Communications
Team members work more effectively when they
communicate with each other so:
• Set up weekly communication sessions with the
team.
• Define project status reporting requirements up-
front. Be honest with status reports.
• Report progress/activities to all stakeholders.
• Decide if you need a Communications Plan/Matrix?
• Get stakeholders input into what info they want,
how they want it presented, when and by who.
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 Best Practice #8:
Communications Communication Method and
Audience Purpose Frequency Information Source Delivered by Expected Result
Medium

CIO, Deputy CIO Status Update, Project management team Monthly and as Monthly meeting. Project Director, Project Ongoing project support.
accomplishments, presentation. Project plan needed if issues. Project plan, project Management Team Acceptance and approval of
last/next period, and document org structure doc; OTDA's project structure.
risks coverage various project Increased comfort level with
documents OTDA's project goals and
methodolgies.
HSM Steering Committee Status Update, Monthly Status Report Monthly and as Monthly meeting Project Director, Project Ongoing project support.
accomplishments, needed. Status Repts Management Team Assistance with risk
last/next period, and mitigation where appropriate.
risks coverage
OTDA Commissioner Status Update, Executive Staff One-on-One, Biweekly, As Project plan; various Project Director, Program Ongoing project support.
Milestones, Informal Meetings, memos, requested; Major project documents Project Manager (PPM), Assistance with risk
Approvals and Biweekly meeting, Official milestones DETS Current Issues DETS Deputy mitigation where appropriate.
Internal Document documents Matrix Commissioner
OCFS Executive Deputy Reviews
Status Update, Memos and Official Documents As requested; Status Reports Ongoing project support.
Project Director, Project
Commissioner, Milestones, Major milestones Schedules, various Management Team Assistance with risk
Approvals and project documents mitigation where appropriate.
Internal Document
Reviews
DOH Deputy Commissioner Status Update, Memos and Official Documents As requested; Status Reports Project Director, PPM Ongoing project support.
Milestones, Major milestones Schedules, various Assistance with risk
Approvals and project documents mitigation where appropriate.
Internal Document
Reviews
DETS Deputy Commissioner Status Update, Memos and Official Documents, As requested; Status Reports Project Director Ongoing project support.
Milestones Status Presentation, Monthly Major milestones Schedules Assistance with risk
DETS issues report, DETS/Project mitigation where appropriate.
Director periodic mtg.

Other Deputies Status Update, Executive Staff One-on-One, As needed Status Reports Project Director Ongoing project support.
Milestones Informal Meeting, In person status Schedules Assistance with risk
updates, memos mitigation where appropriate.

HSM Partnership Committee DOH, Status Update, Status Report Presentation Monthly and as Monthly meeting Implementation Lead, Exchange of information,
OCFS, OFT, OTDA accomplishments, Monthly meeting - 2nd Tues needed Status Report others as needed coordination with other
last/next period, and projects
risks coverage

Communications matrix
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 Best Practice #9:
Automate where possible.
• Large Projects - Use requirements tracking
software to aid traceability.
• Use collaborative workspaces to share information
with the project team. Great for remote teams.
• Use Intranet/Internet to share information with
the wider project audience.
• Use project scheduling applications to produce
status reports.
• Use technology to reduce manual tasks but don’t
forget to use your Project Notebooks!!.
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 Best Practice #9:
Automate where possible.
• Project Management Tools for:
• Developing Schedules.
• Developing work breakdown structures
• Managing team members time on a project.
• Project status reporting
• Risk Management.
• Endless project.
• Over 32 Million hits on Google so plenty to
choose from.
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 Best Practice #10:
Assign “Correct” Resources.
• A Project Manager should be assigned by the
Project Sponsor. Should be a leader, not just a
manager.
• PM should have negotiating, problem solving,
flexibility, communications skills………………….
• “Line” resources should be agreed with Functional
Managers (Planning of resources!!)
• Project Team members should be identified
through their qualifications and experience for all
tasks.
• Implement project specific training for the team.
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 Best Practice #11:
Correct project environment.
• Project Teams are not in it just for the money!!
• Try to pick the most cohesive team available
• Surveys suggest “rewarding work” and “being
appreciated” are more important.
• Allow Project Members to make mistakes (Once!)
• Organise rewards for team success (night out!).
• Ensure personal development is built into the
project (Can I add this to my CV?!).

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Best Practice #12:
Project Post Mortems
• Take time to carry out a post-project review.
• Carry out during and as near to the end of the
project as possible.
• Document findings in a “Close-Out” Report.
• Focus on what caused “project delays”.
• Use the “Close-Out” report as an input to your
next project.
• File all “Close-Out” Reports centrally for all PMs

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NASA Mars Orbiter 1999
• Orbiter disappeared en route to Mars.
• No official Project Manager was assigned.
• Two teams were involved in the development of the
orbiter.
• One team worked using the Metric system of measurement
and one team worked using the Imperial system.
• Results? Lack of scope definition, communications failures,
lack of training and no systems approach used for
complete mission
NASA’s - Faster, Better, Cheaper replaced with
Mission Success First.

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Standish Survey Results
• Survey conducted every year since 1994 in US.
• Survey relates to IT projects only.
• Project success is increasing year on year.
• Project success is still incredibly low.
Successful – Completed on time and within budget with all
features included.
Failed – Project aborted prior to completion.
Challenged – Completed and operational projects which were over
budget, over schedule and with reduced features.

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Standish Survey Results
Figure 1-1: Project outcomes history (1994-2000)

                                                                                                  

                                         

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Standish Survey Results

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Standish Report
• No universal diagnosis why projects fail as all
projects differ in size, complexity, people and
circumstances.
• Why do they Succeed?
– User involvement.
– PM had Management backing.
– Scope was clear cut.
– Expectations were realistic.

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 Summary
• There are many reasons why projects fail and
Massive effort is not one of them.
• There are also many tools and techniques to ensure a
project succeeds and not all are relevant to every project.
• A good Project Manager is critical to project success.
• Projects are always techically challenging but Organisations
fail to realise they are huge social undertakings.
• People make projects succeed through the application of
knowledge, skills, tools and techniques.
• Adopting a few techniques and tools will greatly enhance
your projects possibility of success.

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 Reference Sources
Web
• www.pmi.org (Project Management Institute)
• www.acentre.com (Some good PM psychology)
• www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk (Mars Orbiter)
Books
• “A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge”
PMBOK Guide 3rd Edition.
Software
• Microsoft Project 2000

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 ANY QUESTIONS?
For further Information on this presentation, contact:
Karl.lawler@biokinc.com

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