Project Management

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Execute projects and achieve objectives (quality, on time, within budget). Examples of tools included are: Project Charter, Cost Benefit Analysis, Assemble High Performance Team, Project Roadmap, CPM/PERT, Contingency Planning, etc. 

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Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to a broad range of tasks in order to meet the requirements of the particular project. A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to achieve a particular aim.

 

Project management knowledge and practices are best described in terms of their component processes (Phases): 1. Initiating, 2. Planning, 3. Designing, 4. Implementing, 5. Controlling, and 6. Closing.  Since every project is different, it is not recommended that you answer every question or complete every template. Use only the ones that best fit your project needs.

 

Phase 1: Project Initiation

Phase 2: Project Definition & Planning

Phase 3: Project Design, Development & Testing

Phase 4: Project Implementation

Phase 5: Project Control & Maintain

Phase 6: Project Evaluation & Close

 

 

Phase 1: Project Initiation

 

Purpose:  The Project Initiation Phase includes the activities required to start a project. The objective is to achieve clarity in understanding of the scope of the project and its costs/benefits in order to obtain project funding. Below are the project management key facilitation questions to ask and tools to use. Choose the ones that best fit your needs.phase1

     Tools: Purpose

1.      Project Charter: Ensure understanding of the compelling reasons to embark on the proposed project.

2.      Balanced Scorecard – Dashboard: Align proposed project outcomes with strategic objectives. 

3.      Cost/Benefit Summary & Go No/Go: Develop estimated project costs/benefits to help decide if the project is justified.

4.      Status Reporting: Communicate on-going project status to all stakeholders

 

Phase 2: Project Definition & Planning

 

Purpose:  The objective of this phase the scope of the project gets clearly defined. All solution requirements are defined and planned for with customer (stakeholder) acceptance. Below are the project management key facilitation questions to ask and tools to use. Choose the ones that best fit your need.

phase2

     Tools: Purpose

  1. Assemble a High Performance Project Team: Get the right mix of people with complimentary skills to enhance team effectiveness.  
  2. Assign Responsibilities: This template is a planning tool to help organize tasks and responsibilities.
  3. User Requirements (Voice of the Customer): Used to define customer needs or requirements.
  4. Project Roadmap (Milestone Chart): High level goals and objectives are used to guide and monitor  project work efforts
  5. Gantt Chart: Graphically displays lower level project tasks as the benchmarks to measure a project's progress.

 

Phase 3: Project Design, Development & Test

 

Purpose:  This phase is like an innovation phase where end-user deliverables are turned into a practical design solution. A critical flaw in many projects is assuming what the user wants and waiting until the work effort is almost completed before reviewing deliverables. Note: Developing complex designs and deliverables are easy; the challenge is to develop simple designs.

phase3

     Tools: Purpose

  1. Change Management Request Process & Template: Change is inevitable. Use this template to help determine what changes to make or reject.
  2. Design Deliverables Facilitator Questions: Design the end deliverables. This minimizes re-work because Users/Clients make changes upfront.
  3. Test Deliverables Facilitator Questions: Test the design to uncover any fatal flaws that would prevent successful implementation

4.     Go/No-Go Decision: Continuously ask: “Why are we doing this?” and “Should we continue, stop or postpone the project?”

Phase 4: Project Implementation 

 

Purpose:  This phase involves the execution of each activity and task listed in the Project Plan. While the activities and tasks are being executed, a series of management processes are undertaken to monitor and control the deliverables being output by the project.  Below are the project management key facilitation questions to ask and tools to use. Do not use them all but choose the ones that best fit your need. phase4 task4

     Tools: Purpose

  1. Implementation Planning & Monitoring Facilitator Questions: While solutions require escaping organizational structure, implementation requires engaging it.
  2. CPM/PERT: Most appropriately used when the project has many interactive tasks. 
  3. Five Hows: The Five How’s technique is used to help identify the tasks (steps) necessary to implement a solution.
  4. Project Work Plan: Documents the activities, sequence, schedule and responsibilities necessary to complete a project.
  5. Contingency & Corrective Action Plan: Prepare for potential implementation problems rather than simply waiting and reacting to them.
  6. Conversion & Launch Plan: Sometime called a cutover plan, it details the activities associated with converting to the new solution

Phase 5:  Project On-going Control & Maintenance

 

Purpose:  The objective of this phase is to put in place feedback and control mechanisms to ensure the improvements are functioning and develop processes to maintain “new performance” levels and prevent reverting back to “old performance”. 

phase5

     Tools: Purpose

  1. Feedback Facilitator Questions: Identify feedback mechanisms to  make ongoing corrections or promote continuous improvement.
  2. Backup & Recovery Facilitator Questions: Even though an area has never been damaged, there is no guarantee that it will not happen tomorrow.

 

Phase 6: Project Evaluation & Close

 

Purpose:  The Project Evaluation phase involves releasing the final deliverables to the customer, handing over project documentation, releasing project resources and communicating the closure of the project to all stakeholders. The Post Implementation Review will help you to determine the level of project success and identify lessons learned for future projects.

phase6

     Tools: Purpose

  1. Review & Lesson Learned Facilitator Questions: Identify what project management changes should be implemented for future projects.
  2. Project Summary Template: Final Project Report
  3. Celebrate & Detach Facilitator Questions: Reward workers and celebrate successful work efforts and project completion.

 

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