Improving Your Project

Management Skills
Second Edition
Larry Richman
American Management Association
Project Management
Foundation
MBA Program
Dunya University
Kabul Afghanistan
The Core Concept
PM Vocabulary
 Success requires that the project manager should serve as a
focal point of effective, timely and accurate communication
 Words and terms used in context of planning, scheduling and
controlling projects.
 A project is “temporarily endeavor undertaken to create a
unique product, service or result”
 Temporarily = definite start date and definite end date
 Unique = product, service or result is different in some
distinguishing way from product, service or result.
PM Vocabulary - continues
 Project Management = The application of knowledge, skills, tools
and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements.
 Program = Multiple projects grouped and managed together to obtain
benefits and control not available from managing them individually.
(In Mature firms)
 Portfolio = Multiple programs grouped and prioritized into portfolios
aligned around larger strategic organizational objectives.
 Portfolio Management = Centralized management of one of or more
portfolios which includes identifying, prioritizing, authorizing,
managing and controlling projects, program and other related work to
achieve specific strategic business objective.
Why Project Management
 Project Management stems from the need to plan and
coordinate large, complex and multifunctional efforts.
 Project Management is the solution for practical problems.
 Higher quality products
 More customized products
 Shorter time to market
 Global competition
 Easier information access
 Technology growth
 Global organization seeking uniform practices
Classic Functions of PM
 Planning = Understanding of current situation and the desire
future.
 Directing = Communicating the plan
Questions Documentations
What is to be done? Scope definition documents
Why should we do it? Business case or rational
How should we do it? Strategy and Work Breakdown Structure

In what sequence? Network diagram

Where work should be done?
When should work be done?
Who should do the work?
How much should it cost?
How do we judge process?
WBS
Schedule plan
Resources utilization plan
Cost plan or Budget plan
Milestone plan or earn value plan
Classic Functions of PM
 Organizing = Brings together the nonhuman resources
needed to achieve the project objectives.
 Staffing = Brings together human resources
 Controlling = Taking the necessary corrective actions to
achieve the objectives.
 Coordinating = The act of synchronizing activities to ensure
they are carried out in relation to their importance and with a
minimum of conflict.
Process in the life of a project
 Initiating = Defining and Authorizing the project
 Planning = Establishing the project scope, refining the
objectives, and defining the course of action to attain the
objectives.
 Executing or Implementing = Integrating people and other
resources to carry out the work defined in the project plan.
Process in the life of a project
 Monitoring and Controlling = Tracking, reviewing and
regulating the progress and performance of the project plan,
identifying where changes to the plan are required, and
taking corrective action.
 Closing = Finalizing all activities across all the process
groups to formally close the project.
Knowledge Areas
 Integration Management = Identifying, defining,
combining, unifying, and coordinating the various processes
and project management activities within the project
management process groups.
 Developing the project charter and plan.
 Directing and managing the project execution
 Monitoring and controlling project work
 Controlling change
 Closing the project
Knowledge Areas
 Scope Management = Ensuring that the project includes all
the work required, and only the work required, to complete
the project successfully.
 Collecting requirements
 Defining scope
 Creating a work breakdown structure
 Verifying scope
 Controlling scope.
Knowledge Areas
 Time Management = Managing timely completion of the
project.
 Defining activities
 Sequencing activities
 Estimating activity resources
 Estimating activity durations
 Developing schedules
 Controlling schedules
Knowledge Areas
 Cost Management = Estimating, budgeting, and controlling
costs to complete the project within the approved budget.
 Estimating costs
 Determining budgets
 Controlling costs.
Knowledge Areas
 Quality Management = Determining quality policies,
objectives, and responsibilities so that the project will satisfy
the needs for which it was undertaken.
 Planning quality
 Performing quality assurance
 Performing quality control.
Knowledge Areas
 Human Resources Management = Organizing, managing,
and leading the project team.
 Developing human resources plans
 Acquiring project teams
 Developing project teams
 Managing project teams.
Knowledge Areas
 Communication Management = Ensuring timely and
appropriate project information, including its generation,
collection, distribution, storage, retrieval, and ultimate
disposition.
 Identifying stakeholders
 Planning communications
 Distributing information
 Managing stakeholder expectations
 Reporting performance.
Knowledge Areas
 Risk Management = Conducting risk management
planning, identification, analysis, response planning, and
monitoring and control on a project.
 Planning risk management
 Identifying risks
 Performing qualitative risk analysis
 Performing quantitative risk analysis
 Planning risk responses
 Monitoring and controlling risks
Knowledge Areas
 Procurement Management = Purchasing or acquiring
products, services, or results needed from outside the project
team.
 Planning procurements
 Conducting procurements
 Administering procurements
 Closing procurements.
Qais Lakanwal
MBA
Lecturer
Lakanwal.qais@gmail.com
+93 (0) 781 47 92 47 (Cellphone)
+93 (0) 700 47 92 47 (Social Media)