Course Introduction

What is a project?

Key words: specific, time, unique
A project is a temporary endeavor (an attempt to achieve or gain)
undertaken to create a unique product, service or result
Operation on the other hand, is the work done in the organizations to
sustain business operations. Projects are different than operation in that
they end when their objectives have been reached or the project has been
terminated.
Project usually bring different sources and different fields all to achieve
one purpose
A project needs to have one primary sponsor
Project involves a lot for uncertainties
Project develops through time.
Projects are a means of focusing effort on a problem
o Goal driven
o Responsive to the situation
o Quick decision making
o Fast problem resolution
o Projects are flexible (Recruiting temporary staff, Easier to kill
project)

Project Attributes (characteristics)

A project has a unique purpose: each should have a well-defined
objective
A project is temporary: has a definite beginning and a definite end
A project is developed using progressive elaboration: broad definition
but becomes specific as time passes. Therefore, project should be
developed in increments. A project team should develop initial plans and
then update them with more details based on new information.
A project requires resources, often from various areas: people,
equipment, etc. Resources however are limited. They must be used
effectively to meet project and other corporate goals.
A project should have a primary customer or sponsor: to provide
direction and funding
A project involves uncertainty: due to its unique nature. It is sometimes
difficult to define the projects objectives clearly, estimate how long it will
take to complete, or determine how much it will cost. External factors also
cause uncertainty, such as supplier going out of business or a project team
member need an unplanned time off. This uncertainty is the one of the
main reasons why project management is so challenging, especially on
projects involving new technologies.

A good project manager is crucial to a projects success. Project manager
works with the sponsors, project team, and other people involved in a project
to meet project goals.

The Triple Constraints

For projects to be successful, a project manager has to balance three often-
competing goals: scope, time and cost
Scope: What work will be done as part of the project? What unique
product does the customer/sponsor expect? Scope: Includes the process
required to ensure that the project include all the work required and only
the work required to complete the project successfully.
Time: How long should it take to complete the project? What is the
project schedule? Include the processes required to accomplish timely
completion of project.
Cost: What should it cost to complete the project? What is the project
budget? . Include the process involved in planning, estimating, budgeting
and controlling costs so that the project can be completed within
approved budget.
Quality: Include all the activities of the performing organization that
determinate quality policies.
Client satisfaction: So that the project will satisfy the need for which it
was undertaken.

A good project management means meeting all three goals (scope, time and
cost)- and satisfying the projects sponsor! (Includes more than meeting the
triple constraints)


What is Project Management?

It is the application of applying knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project
activities to meet project requirements. Project managers must not only strive
to meet specific scope, time, cost and quality goals of projects they must also
facilitate the entire project to meet the needs and expectations of the people
involved in or affected by project activities.

Involves:
Planning, motivating, implementing, organizing, monitoring/controlling

Key elements of this framework include project stakeholders, project
management knowledge areas, project management tools and techniques, and
the contribution of successful projects to enterprise
.


When is formal Project Management necessary?
Are the jobs complex?
Are there dynamic environmental considerations?
Are the constraints tight?
Are there several activities to be integrated?
Are there several functional boundaries to be crossed?

Advantages of Project Management
Easy adaptation to an ever-changing environment
Ability to handle a multi-disciplinary activity within a specific time period
A multi-disciplinary decision making process
Give you methodology to be flexible.
Manage team effectively
Organize your resources in a way to produce a batter result.
Better orientation towards customer problems
Easier identification of activity responsibilities
Innovation in organizational design


Project Stakeholders

Stakeholders are the people involved in or directly affected by project
activities and include the project sponsor, project team, support staff,
customers, suppliers, users and even opponents of the project
(authorities who have power enough to stop your project), Neighbor (if
you are construct factory in rural area) and Government (constructed
villa in agricultural area instead of commercial area).
Often have different needs and expectations
Successful PMs develop good relationships with project stakeholders to
understand and meet their needs and expectations


Project Management Knowledge areas

Project management knowledge areas describe the key competencies that the
project managers must develop.

The four core knowledge areas of project management, which lead to specific
project objectives, are the following:
1. Project scope management involves defining and managing all the work
required to complete the project successfully
2. Project time management includes estimating how long it will take to
complete the work, developing an acceptable project schedule, and
ensuring timely completion of the project
3. Project cost management consists of preparing and managing the budget
for the project
4. Project quality management ensures that the project will satisfy the
stated or implied needs for which it was undertaken

The four facilitating knowledge area of project management, which is the
processes through which the project objectives are achieved, are the following:
5. Project human resources management is concerned with making
effective use of the people involved with the project.
6. Project communication management involves generating, collecting,
disseminating, and storing project information.
7. Project risk management includes identifying, analyzing, and
responding to risks related to the project.
8. Project procurement management involves acquiring or procuring
goods for a project from outside the preforming organization.

The 9
th
knowledge area project integration management is an overarching
function that affects and is affected by all the other knowledge areas. Project
managers must have knowledge and skills in all the nine of these areas.


Project Management Tools and Techniques

They assist project managers and their teams in carrying out work in all nine-
knowledge areas
Knowledge area/
Category
Tools and Techniques
Integration management
Project selection methods, project management methodology, stakeholder
analysis, project charters, project management plans, project management
software, change control boards, configuration management, project
review meetings, work authorization systems
Scope management
Project scope statements, work breakdown structures, statements of work,
scope management plan, requirements analysis, scope change control
Time management
Gantt charts, project network diagrams, critical path analysis, program
evaluation review technique (PERT), critical chain scheduling, crashing,
fast tracking, milestone reviews
Cost management
Net present value, return on investment, payback analysis, business cases,
earned value management, project portfolio management, cost estimates,
cost management plans, financial software
Quality management
Six Sigma, quality control charts, Pareto diagrams, fishbone or Ishikawa
diagrams, quality audits, maturity models, statistical methods
Human Resource
management
Motivation techniques, empathic listening, team contracts, responsibility
assignment matrices, resource histograms, resource leveling, team
building exercises
Communications
management
Communications management plan, conflict management, communications
media selection, infrastructure, project Web sites
Procurement
Management
Make-or-buy analysis, contracts, requests for proposals or quotes, source
selection, negotiating, e-procurement
Risk management
Risk management plan, probability/ impact matrix, risk ranking, Monte
Carlo simulation, top-ten risk item tracking

Project managers must work with key stakeholders to define what constitutes
success for a particular project and strive to complete their project successfully
by applying appropriate tools and techniques. In many organizations, project
managers also support an emerging business strategy of project portfolio
management, in which organization group and manage projects as a portfolio of
investments that contribute the entire enterprises success.



Project Life Cycle


1) Initiation: Include conception and selecting of project.

A) Conception the phase in which project idea starts to develop, come up
with idea a concept of the project.

B) Feasibility & selecting :(the state or degree of being easily or
conveniently done) is a study ensures that projects are technically and
legally possible, and are economically concept is a good one and so your
project to be selected.

2) Planning process: Include designing and developing a workable scheme to
ensure that the project will meet organization objectives.

Design and planning: The planning phase is where the project solution is
further developed in as much detail as possible and you plan the steps necessary
to meet the projects objective. In this step, the team identifies all of the work to
be done. The projects tasks and resource requirements are identified, along with
the strategy for producing them.


3) Executing: Take a lot of time but will save your time when you are doing the
project. (Physically constructing the facilities)


a) Development phase gives all aspects of the project, including what the
project will accomplish, who will do the work, how much time it will take,
and what it will cost. The project plan is put into motion and performs the
work of the project.

Conception
Feasibility &
Selection
Design &
Planning
Development
Closeout Operations
De-
commissioning

4) Monitoring and controlling process: Include regular measuring and
monitoring progresses to ensure that the project team meet the project
objectives.

5) Closing process: Include formalizing acceptance of project (reviewing the
project)
a) Closeout During the final closure, or completion phase, the emphasis is on
releasing the final deliverables to the customer, handing over project
documentation to the construction, Final Modification, final payment terminating
contracts, releasing project resources and communicating the closure of the
project to all stakeholders. The last remaining step is to conduct lessons learned
studies; to examine what went well and what didnt. Through this type of
analysis the wisdom of experience is transferred back to the project
organization, which will help future project teams. (Held up the project to the
client)
b) Operation a specific time in which the user use the project (house) also its
maintenance period and any modification.

c) Decommissioning withdraw from service (Break it Down)



Start with conception (came up with concept and idea does not need high effort)
then it is increasing until it reaches the high effort in Development (when you
physically construct the project). Then it starts to decrease in Operation, and
then in de-commissioning break it down and start again.



Project Quality, Reviews and Audits

Quality Control: involves monitoring specific project results to ensure
that they comply with the relevant quality standards while identifying
ways to improve overall quality. (Examine product for the project)
Quality Assurance: involves periodically evaluating overall project
performance to ensure that the project will satisfy the relevant quality
standards
Total Quality Management: Aimed at continuous improvement of the
organization and personal growth of its individual members
Project review: Examining the product from the project
Project audit: A thorough examination of the management of a project
(methodology & procedure, records, properties, budget & expenditure,
and degree of completion)
A project audit provides an opportunity to uncover the issues, concerns
and challenges encountered in the execution of a project. It affords the
project manager, project sponsor and project team an interim view of
what has gone well and what needs to be improved with the project to
successfully complete it. If done at the close of a project, a project audit
can be used to develop success criteria for future projects by providing a
forensic review. This review will provide an opportunity to learn what
elements of the project were successfully managed and which ones
presented some challenges. This will help the organization identify what
it needs to do so that mistakes are not repeated on future projects.
Project Review: What problems are there? When did they occur?
How severe?
Project Audit: mostly Why did the problems occur


Project Managers: Challenges

Relationship of the Project Team to the organization
Temporary nature (for a specific period of time)
Limitations on power and discretion (cannot fire any one, may one
project have many companies to complete the project. he can fire the
person from the project but not from his position in the company
Different backgrounds (different way of thinking and solving problems)
Client satisfaction (get his concept submitted at the dead line)


Project Managers:

1. Understand: the context of project management
2. Recognize: project team conflict as progress
3. Understand: who the stakeholders are and what they want (who is more
important?)
4. Accept and use: the political nature of organizations (without spoiling the
relationships)
5. Lead: from the front (control and give directions to the workers)
6. Understand: what success means (success for client and ensure that the
team understand)
7. Build and maintain: a cohesive team
8. Enthusiasm and despair are both infectious
9. One look forward is worth two looks back
10. Remember what you are trying to do
11. Use time: or it will use you (time management)
12. Plan, Plan, Plan (good planer)


Project Selection methods

Many ways to select projects
Non-numeric
Sacred Cow - project is suggested by a senior and powerful official in
the organization
Operating Necessity - the project is required to keep the system
running
Competitive Necessity - project is necessary to sustain a competitive
position
Product Line Extension - projects are judged on how they fit with
current product line, fill a gap, strengthen a weak link, or extend the
line in a new desirable way. (New project or you will be left behind)
Comparative Benefit Model - several projects are considered and the
one with the most benefit to the firm is selected
Numeric Numeric models seek to use numbers as inputs for the
decision process involved in selecting projects. These values can be
derived either objectively or subjectively; that is, we may employ
objective, external values (The bridges construction will require 800
cubic yards of cement) or subjective, internal values (You will need to
hire two code checkers to finish the software development within eight
weeks). Neither of these two input alternatives is necessarily wrong: An
experts opinion on an issue may be subjective but very accurate.
Profitability:
Payback period initial investment/ net cash inflows (The cash inflow can
include interest or money made on investments, sales, or any other operating
activity that can result in a monetary profit); shorter payback ideal
Average rate of return (The rate of return on an investment that is calculated
by taking the total cash inflow over the life of the investment and dividing it by
the number of years in the life of the investment.)
Numeric scoring methods Comparing project by compare the
characteristics.





References
Schwalbe, K. (2006). Information Technology Project Management (Fourth
Edition). Thomson Course Technology.

Ms. Samira Al Esry

Meredith and Mantel, Project Management: A Managerial Approach, 6th Edition



Project Management, a systems approach to planning, scheduling and
controlling, 9th edition, 2006, Harold Kerzner, Ph.D.

Done by: Eng. Amani Al-Busaidi & Eng. Nora Al Thanawi