Professional Documents
Culture Documents
LEARNER NOTES
1.3 Seek clarification from delegating authority of issues related to project and project
parameters........................................................................................................................ 8
1.5 Clarify relationship of project to other projects and to the organisation's objectives ..... 9
2.1 Develop the project plan in line with the project parameters ...................................... 14
2.5 Consult team members and take their views into account in planning the project ..... 27
2.6 Finalise project plan and gain necessary approvals to commence project according to
documented plan ............................................................................................................ 28
3.1 Take action to ensure project team members are clear about their responsibilities and
the project requirements ................................................................................................. 30
3.2 Provide support for project team members, especially with regard to specific needs, to
ensure that the quality of the expected outcomes of the project and documented time
lines are met ................................................................................................................... 30
3.3 Establish and maintain required record-keeping systems throughout the project ...... 32
3.4 Implement and monitor plans for managing project finances, resources and quality . 33
3.6 Undertake risk management as required to ensure project outcomes are met .......... 37
4.1 Complete financial record keeping associated with project and check for accuracy .. 39
4.2 Ensure transition of staff involved in project to new roles or reassignment to previous
roles ................................................................................................................................ 40
Source: http://www2.cit.cornell.edu/computer/robohelp/cpmm/PM-lifecycle-overall-
small.htm ........................................................................................................................ 43
A project is temporary in that it has a defined beginning and end in time, and therefore
defined scope and resources. A project is unique in that it is not a routine operation, but a
specific set of operations designed to accomplish a goal. So a project team often includes
people who don’t usually work together – sometimes from different organizations and
across multiple geographies.
Initiating
Planning
Executing
Monitoring and Controlling
Closing
This subject introduces the basic knowledge of project management, describes the
performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to undertake a straightforward a
project. It addresses the management of projects, including developing a project plan,
administering and monitoring the project, finalising the project, and reviewing the project
to identify lessons learned for application to future projects. Many practical tools, models,
and templates that are utilized in project management will be introduced too. Such as
Work Breakdown Structure, Responsibility Assessment Matrix, Gantt Chart, Failure Model
Effect Analysis, Budgeting and Variance Analysis, and so forth...
Notes:
What is a project?
A project is usually defined as a set of distinct processes and tasks and runs for a set period of
time, and delivers academic, business or technical objectives. According to the Project
Management Institute, “a project is a temporary endeavour undertaken to create a unique product,
service, or result” Therefore, a key feature of projects, as opposed to operations, is that they have
distinct beginnings and ends.
Market demand for a quality product or service (New product Research and
Development)
Technological advances (Use latest software or systems)
Solving a business need (Office reallocation or seasons big recruitment)
Request from a customer (Reduce processing time)
Ensure new laws and regulations can be complied with (Update or revise
organizational policies and procedures)
Response to competition (New promotional campaign)
There are numerous definitions of project management. Definitions may differ depending
on whether the focus is on organisational change management or on the delivery of
products goals or outcomes. Project management is a formalised and structured method
of managing change in a rigorous manner to meet these outcomes. According to the Project
management institute, 'project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools,
and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements'.
Wherever you work, the chances are that you will need to understand the language and
concepts of project management and to apply the skills you will learn in this course of
study.
It is the summation of all the deliverables required as part of the project including products,
services and results. It outlines what the project is expected to achieve, by when, as well
as what is NOT expected. It is a key part of every project plan and a clearly scoped
project ensures that the project stays focused.
Scope planning contains different levels according to the complicity of the project.
The scope baseline consists of the project scope statement, project milestones,
key deliverables, boundaries (Inclusions and Exclusions), and organizational
requirements.
All stakeholders must understand the scope baseline to minimize scope creep
during project execution.
The Project Scope pertains to the work necessary to deliver a product. Requirements
and deliverables define the project scope, and it is critical that the stakeholder is in
agreement with the information discussed in the proposed plan.
Any measurable, tangible, verifiable item that must be produced to complete the project. Often
used more narrowly in reference to an external deliverable, which is a deliverable that is subject to
approval by the project
Deliverables include intermediate products or services that are necessary for achieving the
project’s final results. Deliverables are always measurable because they can be counted or
observed in some way.
Apart from Project deliverables, other documents below need to accessed by project
team and closely monitored, Details of those documents will be discussed in other
elements :
Project resources
Quality standards for project
Timeframes for project.
Notes:
Anyone from the table above could be your project stakeholders, and they are either directly or
indirectly involved in your project. The project will have certain level of impacts ON / BY the
stakeholders.
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_07.htm
Notes:
Even "Super-You" needs help and support. There is no shame in asking for assistance.
Push aside the pride and show respect for the talent others can bring to the table. And,
remember that there is no such thing as a single-handed success: When you include and
acknowledge all those in your corner, you propel yourself, your teammates and your
supporters to greater heights. Therefore, as a Project Manager, you should choose the
right moment, delegate the right tasks to the right people, so that team members’
knowledge and skills could fully utilized, their confidence and motivation level could rise
and their true potential could be discovered.
On the other hand, if you are taking tasks from top management, clients or funding bodies,
it is crucial to clarify what exactly the objectives are, what outcomes they expect, any
deadlines, any resources available, report lines and so forth… in other words, it is
important to ensure you and your team has mutual understanding of Project Parameters.
Several key questions to help determine the information required for a project:
http://www.businessballs.com/delegation.htm
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_98.htm
Performance Criteria
Large group projects typically involve complex interactions between multiple team
members. Experience tells us that establishing roles and responsibilities helps eliminate
confusion as the project progresses. Creating and maintaining a responsibility
matrix defines the tasks, roles and accountability. To do this efficiently:
Source: http://voices.yahoo.com/defining-team-roles-responsibilities-group-projects-11962457.html
https://www.teams-and-leadership.com/clarifying-team-responsibilities.php
Performance Criteria
Notes:
As project managers, we sometimes get caught in the heat of the project management
“moment” and lose sight of the fact that projects are part of a larger initiative. The
objective of this article is to remind project managers of the important role they have in
bringing a company’s organizational strategy to fruition.
How many times as a project manager have you been tempted to say the following:
One of the reasons project managers worry so much is because they tend to accept the
projects assigned to them and don’t take the time to understand how the project aligns
with the company’s organizational strategy. It is certainly appropriate to assume that
“There must be a need for this project if someone is willing to pay for it.” However, the
project manager must recognize that this approach may not take into account what is truly
in the best interest of the client or company.
Organizational strategy alone is a rather broad topic. By its very nature organizational
strategy can apply to all business functions—Finance, Human Resources, Marketing, and
Operations being some of the most important to the project manager. This article focuses
specifically on the technical project manager and introduces a practical approach to help
the project manager to effectively align projects to a company’s organizational strategy.
Now for the million dollar question: How does a project manager recognize if a project
aligns with the company’s organizational strategy? Instead of “how”, perhaps it is better to
ask “at what point” does a project manager recognize their project aligns or may not align
with a company’s organizational strategy? The short answer is—anytime during the pre-
planning stage.
Project managers need to remind themselves that every project must contribute value and
is designed to meet the future needs of its clients. The key word is “value.” From a
management standpoint, it is essential to be able to relate the value of the project to the
organization’s strategy in both quantitative and qualitative terms. I believe everyone would
agree that the most successful companies have an organizational strategy. Unfortunately,
It is important that the project manager helps the client to recognize the risks associated
in selecting one alternative over another. You may even find that the client has, in his or
her mind, already selected the cheapest alternative. When informing a client about risks it
is imperative to be quick and competent in your response. This can be done in three easy
steps:
It is important to use common sense when speaking to the client and avoid using words
such as “in the best interest of the company” or “the best choice for long-term goals and
objectives.” Most clients are professionals in their field and they will always feel there is a
real business need to their request. The key is to give the client the perception that you
are working together with them to address this business need.
The project manager must actively engage the client and create an environment where
the client is a key participant in the decision making. Far too often the project team and IT
staff and will go behind closed doors, have little or no interaction with the client, and then
return to the client with the supposed perfect solution.
In order to effectively align projects with the company’s organizational strategy, it is critical
to create an open and honest dialogue. Make sure the client knows you want to include
them in determining the approach which best aligns with the company’s organizational
strategy. For example, explain that you held a 30-minute brainstorming session with the
SMEs to obtain a clear understanding of all technical options and the pros and cons of
each option. Remember to speak in business terms that will make sense to everyone
listening to the conversation.
Some may argue that the crucial factor to ensure the success of integrating organizational
strategy with projects lies in the company’s ability to create a process that is open and
transparent. As project managers, we have a similar responsibility to create an
environment with our client that is open and honest.
No matter what tools you use as a project manager, it is essential to be competent and
well informed when working with the client to ensure successful alignment between the
company’s organizational strategy and the project.
To sum up, how to relate project to organizational objectives, you and your team should :
Notes:
Human Resources (Staff who work within the organisation and experts who can
contribute to the business)
Capital (Initial investment, funds, equipments, buildings, offices)
Raw materials (Materials that directly being transferred to the final product, essentially
within manufacture business)
Information (Information that organization needs to plan, control and review its activities)
http://www.projectminds.com/Article15.html
Further details of implementing and controlling resources within the project will be discussed in
Element 3.
Once the project has been initiated, objectives are clear and agreed and options have
been evaluated the project can be planned.
Early in the inception of the project a Business Case might be required before the project
is approved. It is good practice to include a preliminary or high-level Project Plan in the
Business Case. The planning tools described in this section may be applied at high level
or they may be used to plan the project in detail once approval has been given to proceed
with the detailed planning of the project.
Performance criteria
The Project Plan is the basis for monitoring and controlling the project. All changes to
the project must be recorded against the project plan. In other words, the project plan is
the guidance throughout the entire project period and this master document must be
followed by all personnel involved in the project. It is a key communication and decision-
making document.
http://www.cio.com.au/article/166486/how_create_clear_project_plan/?pp=2
The work breakdown structure is the operative basis for the further steps in project
planning, for example, cost planning, scheduling, capacity planning as well as project
controlling.
Phases (logic-oriented)
By function (function-oriented)
By object (object-oriented)
Source: https://www.workbreakdownstructure.com/how-to-make-a-work-breakdown-structure.php
http://www.matchware.com/en/products/mindview/mindview2_be/wbs.htm
RAM determines
Clients who need to be notified when certain phases of the project are completed
Tips for setting up a RAM, (for large projects, a separate document should be developed for each
milestone or sub-project)
List the major activities in the project based on WBS (in the matrix rows)
List the stakeholder group (in the matrix columns)
Specify the involvement level, authority role, and responsibility of each
stakeholder by codifying the responsibility matrix
Incorporate the responsibility matrix into the project rules (the original version
of the responsibility matrix and all future changes in it must be approved by
project stakeholders)
There are various ways to create RAM based on project and tasks requirements, and also need
to take into consideration of organizational policies and procedures
WBS / Positions PM: David SPO: Sarah PC1: Lisa PC2: Michael
Milestone1
Key Task 1 A I R S P R P P
Sub-task 1 I A
Sub-task 2
Key Task 2
Sub-task 1
Milestone2
Key Task 1
Sub-task 1
Sub-task 2
Milestone3
Legend:
Performance Criteria
Notes:
In the late 1800s, Polish engineer Karol Adamiecki developed a visual work flow chart that
he called a "harmonogram." In around 1910, Henry Gantt, a management consultant and
engineer, took Adamiecki's concept to the next stage. His chart was designed to help
manufacturing supervisors see whether their work was on, ahead of, or behind schedule,
and it formed the foundation of the tool we use today.
Clearly state the commencement date and completion date of entire project
Clearly state the starting time and finishing time of each milestones, key tasks and
sub-tasks
Demonstrate the relationship (sequence) among tasks
Indicate the progress of each task at a particular timeline
In case of delays, reset deadline and/or re-allocate resources
Source: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/Gantt-Chart-Diagram-Example-1.htm
Free online Gantt chart creators available through the links below:
http://teamgantt.com/
http://gantto.com/
https://www.smartsheet.com/online-gantt-chart
Used to determine and monitor your costs for a project through evaluating, estimating,
budgeting, monitoring, forecasting and reporting all the cost information for the project
– Helps identify the sequence of tasks and timing that will be vital to
successfully complete the project on time
– Identify the activities or tasks that, if disrupted will have the most impact on
your ability
– Meet the project timeframe
– Method of project evaluation where all costs over the life of a project are
considered to be important. It involves capturing, recording and computing
all expenses associated with the project
– It also:
• Identifies and uses support systems
• Influences or assists with project activities
• Promotes early identification of potential support problems
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2008/11/13/15-useful-project-management-tools/
http://www.inc.com/guides/201102/20-essential-tools-for-project-management.html
Performance Criteria
2.3 Formulate a risk-management plan for a project, including work health and
safety (WHS)
Notes:
In any project, things don't always go as planned. Unexpected events can threaten your project
outcomes. Therefore, a detailed risk management plan plays significant role in ensuring project
being conducted properly and deliver the expected outcomes.
External factors:
Political, Economic, Social/Culture, Technology (PEST)
Conflicting contractor priorities
Partnering relationship
Increasing (global) competition
Variable contractor/supplier performance
Internal factors:
Poor project definition
Unreliable task estimation
Fast tracking decision-making processes
Availability of management
Poor tracking capability
Lack of reporting procedures
Communication bottlenecks
Managerial incompetence
Undefined quality requirements
Fluctuating commitment
Limited resource availability
Low-level skill sets
Lack of accountability
Variable stakeholder expectations
Personal issues Loss of key team member - not enough team members
for the project
Quality Doesn't meet standards
Project plan Increased project time and cost, impact on quality, poor
direction and communication
Other Risk management methods, such as FMEA, are widely used in modern business
environment.
Failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) was one of the first systematic techniques
for failure analysis. It was developed by reliability engineers in the 1950s to study
problems that might arise from malfunctions of military systems. An FMEA is often the first
step of a system reliability study. It involves reviewing as many components, assemblies,
and subsystems as possible to identify failure modes, and their causes and
FMEA is a systematic, proactive method for evaluating a process to identify where and how it
might fail and to assess the relative impact of different failures, in order to identify the parts of the
processes that are most in need of change. FMEA includes review of the following:
– Failure modes (What could go wrong?)
– Failure effects (What would be the consequences of each failure?)
– Failure causes (Why would the failure happen?)
– Failure detection (How difficult it can be detected?)
Five steps to controlling risks that you and your team need to identify:
http://www.haccohs.adhc.nsw.gov.au/risk_management_process
Notes:
The project budget is the estimate of the costs of the project. These costs will likely include
labour, materials, and other related expenses. The project budget is often broken down into specific
tasks, with amounts assigned to each task. Budgets are an essential part of good financial
management and are used to estimate your income and expenses over a certain amount
of time. Developing accurate budgets will help your organisation to provide better services,
successfully apply for grants and meet your financial reporting obligations.
Most organisations develop a budget that covers all of their income and expenditure for
the financial year. This budget will be based on your organisations planned activities for
the year developed by the management committee and staff. The budget for the
organisation will need to be approved by the management committee and should be
developed by someone with a good understanding of book-keeping.
Although the budget for the organisation will include projects that you want to run, you
might also need to develop a budget for each project. This will be essential if you are
applying for funding but it is also useful if you want to compare the budget with the actual
income and expenditure for the project. You may also decide to develop budgets for
different parts of your organisation. If you have paid staff, they may develop these
budgets before they are approved by the organisation.
Budget process:
Whether you are developing a budget for your organisation or a project, you will need to
identify the probable sources of your income, where your expenditure is most likely to
occur and an estimate for each of these amounts. It is also a good idea to estimate when
you will receive income and when you will have expenses to ensure that you will be able
to make payments when they are needed.
One way of estimating your organisations income for next year is to look at what was
received in the previous year and decide if this is likely to increase or decrease and by
what amount.
You will also need to determine the areas where the organisation will have expenses. The
larger items will usually include salaries and wages, rent, phone, electricity/gas, stationery,
postage, insurance, photocopying and other expenses. Your organisation may also need
to include amounts for items that might be needed, such as staff payments including long
service leave.
There are particular rules about how organisations budget for more expensive items such
as computers and if you are unsure about this, you should seek professional advice.
The amounts that were spent in the previous year can help you to determine your
organisation's budget expenditure for the next year. You will then need to decide if these
amounts need to be adjusted for increases in costs or additional expenses. Wherever
possible, you should also ask for one or more quotes for budget items.
Individual projects may have expenses across some or all of the same areas as your
organisation. When you are developing a budget for a project, some of your costs will
involve staff time and a proportion of the organisations costs such as electricity and rent.
You will probably also have other costs such as paying other people to work on the
project, catering, travel, venue or equipment hire and other items.
If you are applying for funding from a funding body, you may only able to include certain
expenses, so you will need to check before completing your application.
Unless the budgeted income for your organisation and projects equals or is greater than
your budgeted expenditure, you will have financial problems and should not approve the
budget.
http://www.ehow.com/info_7750008_budget-methods.html
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/create-a-project-budget-using-the-topdown-approach.html
Lack of clear roles and responsibilities with respect to the work of the team often causes
confusion, frustration and duplication of efforts within teams. Clarity of roles is often
assumed, yet not clarified. Effective teams clarify their roles at significant times such as
organizational change, new member(s) entering the team, team member(s) leaving the
team, new projects, etc. and these roles are captured in a clear and concise role
statement. As the project manager, it is your responsibility to ensure team members know
what is expected of them, have a thorough understanding of the scope of the project and
are clear about how the team will operate.
A roles and responsibilities matrix is used to capture the results of the discussion by
assigning codes to a roles-responsibility matrix using the P-A-R-I-S coding system
identified below.
PS: It is very similar as RAM legends introduced in “Develop Project Plan”. They both can
be used in clarifying project responsibilities.
Some tips to help team members to clarify their roles and responsibilities
Preparation:
Choose meeting time and location (when will it least impact productivity)?
o Send meeting notification, include agenda.
Ask each team member to describe their role.
o Why is this role important to the project?
o What is the measure of success?
Ensure that everyone agrees on their own and the role of other team members.
o Write roles and responsibilities on board.
o Review communication protocol.
o Review actions (deadlines and commitments).
Encourage camaraderie/collaboration.
Performance Criteria
Before you start implementing your project, make sure that you communicate the plan to relevant
stakeholders and that you are given the necessary approval for the project to go ahead. This may
include:
The key to project approval meetings is to be ready with options and alternatives for finishing
earlier, spending less money and using alternative resources. Good project managers are
eager to change the plan to fit senior management needs and preferences as long as the
scope, budget and duration are feasible. Remember, trade-offs are important!
One of the big challenges for a project manager is deciding how much independence to give
for each specific task. Stringent parameters and lots of checking are necessary for team
members who like clear instructions, but this approach may result in the kiss of death to
experienced, entrepreneurial and creative people. For the latter, they tend to prefer a wider
brief, more freedom, and less checking.
Manage people by the results they get - not how they get them. It is important for project managers
to differentiate in personality and working styles in their team.
Misunderstanding personal styles can get in the way of team cooperation (that's why their role
here is to enable and translate). Face-to-face meetings, when you can bring team members
together, are generally the best way to avoid issues and relationships becoming too personalised
and emotional. It is important to constantly communicate the progress and successes of the
project regularly to everyone.
Give the people in your team the recognition, particularly when someone high up expresses
satisfaction, while trying not to accept plaudits yourself. Conversely, a good project manager
must be able to stand up and take the blame for anything that goes wrong - and be sure to
never 'dump' problems or stresses on anyone in the project team. As project manager, any
problem is always ultimately down to you anyway.
Use empathy and conflict handling techniques, and look out for signs of stress and manage it
accordingly. A happy, positive team with a basic plan will outperform a miserable team with a
brilliant plan every time.
Notes:
You may want to commence implementation with a meeting to 'kick-off' the project and reiterate
the project details with the team.
An effective start-up meeting will ensure that all project team members have an
understanding of:
They should have a good handle on the details but may need to be refocused since considerable
time may have passed between planning and implementation.
People have spent their lives studying the dynamics of team interactions, how teams form
and develop, and the skills needed for team members to be successful. When thought
about from this perspective, it is hard to fathom how leaders can ever master these
complexities.
On the other hand, people have been working in groups for a very long time, and so while
complex, there are things people to do work together better, and so there are things that
we as leaders can do to support those efforts
It is difficult to expect people to come together as effective teams if there isn’t a clear and
definitive expectation of the importance of that. It may seem obvious to you, but you
probably know what assuming can do… if you want great teams, start by making your
expectations clear. Then make sure you are encouraging teamwork through your
conversations, feedback, recognition and rewards systems and more. Expectations are
Source: http://blog.kevineikenberry.com/leadership/six-ways-leaders-can-support-team-success/
The best teams are committed to their success and to each other. Are you committed to
both of those things? As the leader of a team you are also part of the team, too. Yes your
role is different, but are you all in for the team? If you aren’t, how can you expect them to
be? While being committed yourself is important, you must recognize the importance of
this commitment and engagement and encourage it in others as well. This may require
conversations, coaching and even conflict resolution, but doing the things that help teams
become more committed to the work and each other will pay huge dividends in results.
A team can be committed and “get along” and do great work, but if they aren’t moving in
a direction that is the desired direction for overall organizational success, they are less
effective than they could be. Whether you set the goals or involve them in setting them,
no team can succeed without them. Goals alone aren’t enough however. We must help
people connect their personal work to the goals of the team and the vision of the
organization. Our role as leaders is to help make that happen.
Often leaders make the mistake that if people get to know each other, they will get along
better and most, if not all, team problems will melt like the Wicked Witch of the West.
While many consultants make a living based on this basic premise, it is short sighted and
incomplete. That said, relationships among team members matter and will aid in team
development and success. If you want highly successful teams, be a relationship builder
and allow time and space for team members to build relationships while they accomplish
tasks.
Your team will need you, you are committed and are excited and believe in the goals of
the team. You must have time and invest time in your team. And . . . you must leave
them alone. Don’t micromanage them. People grow and learn with help, but you can’t do
things for them. Give them space, opportunity and be patient. Finding this balance may be
a challenge, but remember that as they learn and grow you are leveraging that learning
for the lifetime of the team.
Be supportive both of the team as a whole, which we have already talked about in several
ways, but also of the individuals on the team. Remember that a team is made up of
individuals, and when you support them you are building their confidence and creating
positive attitudes. Since you know that confidence and a positive attitude and energy will
improve individual (and team) results, it is important that you not only do this, but help
people do the same for each other. Creating this upward spiral or support and
encouragement will grow your team’s results as fast as almost any other thing, and it
starts with you.
Plans will only be effective if the project team members are consulted and the benefits
of their views, opinions and experiences are sought and used in the planning phrase
Performance Criteria
A certain amount of record keeping and core documentation is required in any project. We
have attempted to keep the proposed documentation to the minimum essential in order to
define and manage the project and measure its success.
Well-managed records will not only help you manage a project, they will help you and/or
others the next time round. Many projects are repeated or have certain aspects that have
been done or researched before. Well organised and accessible records allow people to
review what has gone before and either avoid pitfalls or see how to get out of them. Many
This includes the Business Case, Project Plan, Risk and Issue logs and possibly many
other documents. The possibility for error by having different versions of documents
‘floating about’ a project’s team members and management is too high not to address it
with a little formality. Even in today’s electronic environment, many people prefer to read
documents on paper and they will be printed out in multiple copies, put in desk drawers or
filing cabinets and pulled out again at some point whether the latest version or not.
In a large project it is probably best to ensure that someone within the team has special
responsibility for version control, storage of master copies of documents etc. In a small
project, the Project Manager may be able to fulfill this role. In an organisation running
many projects or programmes, this function can be handled by a dedicated Support Office,
with staff who will handle the files, logs and records for multiple projects or programmes.
Performance criteria
After you have developed your budget and it has been approved, you will need to ensure
that your income does not exceed your expenditure. Even if your budget was realistic, you
might have unexpected costs or earn less income than planned. To avoid serious
financial difficulties, it is important to monitor your budget regularly to make sure that it is
still accurate.
Project income and expenditure will be included as part of the organisations financial
reports but will also need to be monitored separately. Financial reports for the project may
be prepared by staff but will need to be checked by a manager or the management
committee. If the project is being funded by another organisation, they will usually expect
financial reports during or at the end of the project.
If there are differences between the organisations budget and actual amounts, you will
need to understand the reason why this has occurred and look at ways to either cut down
on your expenses or earn more income. If there are changes to your project budget, you
will probably be expected to let the funding body know as soon as possible and it might
affect the conditions of your grant.
Developing realistic budgets can help your organisation to run effective short-term
projects and continue to deliver services into the long-term future.
Managing Quality
We have previously mentioned Time, Resources and Quality as key factors in project
management. Assessing performance in terms of time and resources is relatively easy
but quality is harder to define and measure. A high quality project may be one whose
outputs:
These don’t all mean the same thing. The chances of the initial specification being correct
or indeed of the stakeholders being able to adequately articulate their real needs are
slight. We warned earlier of the dangers of hitting the targets but missing the point.
Managing quality is about keeping an eye on the bigger picture and aiming for outputs
that are in line with the second definition.
Many projects have some form of external quality assurance role built into the project
structure. This could be external to the organisation e.g. a third party consultant or simply
external to the project. Ideally such an assessor should be impartial and have experience
of project management. Remember this person is only evaluating quality the Project
Manager is responsible for quality.
Acceptance Criteria
For each phase of the project you are likely to need to define acceptance criteria that
allow you to determine whether the deliverables have been produced to an acceptable
standard.
There could be many elements to the acceptance criteria and it is likely that there will be
required quality standards for many sub-products in addition to the final project outcome.
As an example, a project to streamline a business process may have as sub-products: a
set of paper forms for capturing data, a computerised information system with
requirements for each data entry screen and a set of report outputs.
Acceptance criteria can take many forms, but a few examples could be:
target date
functions required
performance levels
capacity
downtime/availability
running cost
security levels
level of skill required to operate
In many projects, particularly those that involve system implementation or process review,
the assessment of product quality can be made via a formal User Acceptance Test (UAT).
A formal UAT involves defining a ‘script’ that gives an end-to-end test of the business
process or system. UAT is usually an iterative process rather than a one-off as users work
through the script and document any errors or issues. When all the issues are resolved
the test is formally signed-off. When implementing a system the UAT scripts are likely to
be largely based on the test scripts used to select the system in the first place..
Defined and measurable acceptance criteria and formal sign-off procedures, based on
fitness for purpose, are important if you are to avoid the scope-creep associated with
users trying to introduce ‘nice-to-have’ features at the last minute. Involvement in UAT
also helps to give users a feeling of ownership and to manage their expectations of the
project.
Notes:
It is the time to complete project reports and communicate progress with stakeholders. Project
report is an essential document to keep stakeholders up-to-date, in regards to:
Project objectives
Project scope
Key milestones and deliverables
Timeline/Schedule
Budget
Resource allocation
Risk management plan
Project progress
And any major changes need to inform all stakeholder
A status report is often a one- to two-page document that provides an overview progress on a
project. The format normally incorporates the following three sections.
The report is formatted to allow stakeholders and team members to quickly assess a project's
status, progress, and key current activities.
Many project managers use special software (such as MS Project) to track progress on project tasks
as well as for project reporting
Performance criteria
Notes:
Based on the risk management plan formulated at project planning stage, we are now able to
undertake risk management to ensure the plan has been thoroughly followed, risk events have
been correctly assessed and mitigation plans are properly conducted.
In order to effectively manage risk it is important that each risk is allocated to an identified
owner. This should be someone within the project team whose responsibility it is to keep
an eye on the situation and ensure that the necessary mitigating actions are actually
carried out. Responses to the initial risk assessment may include:
Risk Transfer – move the risk to someone more able to deal with it e.g. contract
out the supply and support of the hardware infrastructure
Risk Deferral – alter the plan to move some activities to a later date when the risk
might be lessened e.g. wait till a statutory change has ‘bedded-in’ before changing
a related process
Risk Reduction – Either reduce the probability of the risk occurring or lessen the
impact e.g. increase staffing resource on the project
Risk Acceptance – Sometimes there’s not a lot you can do other than accept the
risk and ensure that contingency plans are in place
Risk Avoidance – Eliminate the possibility of the risk occurring e.g. use alternative
resources or technologies
It is important to ensure risk management plans remain current and become a regular aspect of
the performance reporting and review of a project, with responsibility for particular risk mitigation
activities assigned to individuals who are accountable to the programme or project owner
Risks identification should continue to occur to take account of changing circumstances so the risk
plan should identify who is responsible for its maintenance and at what points it will be reviewed.
Managing risk is an ongoing process. The nature of the risks you are facing will alter as
the project progresses e.g. staff recruitment may be a big issue at the start of a project
whereas staff retention is the issue as the project draws near to an end. At the very
minimum you should review your risk assessment and management plan at each stage
boundary before moving into the next stage of the project.
Notes:
On time
Under budget
To agreed specifications
Therefore, a critical aspect of managing projects is to ensure that project activities are properly
executed and controlled. Items to manage therefore include:
Time
Costs
Communication
Project monitoring is a process. It needs to be done regularly and consistently. Setting the
boundaries of the monitoring process is critical from the outset of your projects. Plan how you
will monitor progress right along with how you will accomplish the work. Set the process in
motion and keep it moving from the beginning.
And to ensure the success of the project and the value of lessons learnt, project closure
involves three processes: commissioning, handover and project evaluation. Project
closure should be planned.
Project closure can be a very hectic time when reporting is on a daily (or even more
frequent) basis and the manager is working at a much lower level of detail than previously
(probably with itemised check-lists) to ensure that all loose ends are tied up but planning
for this phase must commence much earlier on.
Performance Criteria
Notes:
Projects are about achieving certain goals using limited and predetermined resources within a set
period of time. Financial records must be finalized to ensure that:
– Financial data have been maintained in accordance with your project plans and
according to any guidelines or standards you have been asked to follow
– The data is in a state that will make it possible to accurately compare planned and
actual expenditure
– All financial records are prepared and presented in accordance with legislative
requirements
– Internal audits
– External audits
In some circumstances it is mandatory that financial records are audited by a
certified public accountant external to the organisation to determine whether the
records and reports are accurate and valid, comply with any relevant legislation
and fairly represent the project’s operation and financial position.
Notes:
The end of the project is also the start of routine use of the outcomes. The handover to
staff who will carry out normal operations must also be planned so that those staff feel
ownership of the project outcomes and are ready to champion them.
Where personnel have been seconded to a large project for a period of time there can be
a significant adjustment period on return to their normal working environments. This can
be due to the different pace. Projects can create exciting and intense work environments.
Alternatively it can be due to anxiousness over the viability of returning to a previous
position in the organisation and loss of contact with former colleagues and with the
department.
When personnel are seconded on a full-time basis to a large project from elsewhere in
the organisation it is important that they are permitted to maintain links with their
functional unit, by attending regular meetings and staff functions.
Performance Criteria
4.3 Complete project documentation and obtain necessary sign-offs for concluding
project
Notes:
Once all remaining activities have been completed, and you are confident all project outcomes
and deliverables have been achieved and the financial data associated with the project has been
checked for accuracy, it is time for the project to be signed off and formally concluded. It will then
be reviewed and analysed for future learning and continuous improvement purposes
Depending on the nature and scope of your project, you may need to obtain sign-off for the
project from numerous individuals or groups such as clients, customers, funding bodies,
management or project sponsors. Project managers need to identify the sign-off protocols and
requirements during the planning phase. If the organisation received funds for the project, you will
have to submit a financial acquittal statement to show where the money was spent. This may
require specific forms and procedures you need to follow such as having the finances
independently audited
5.1 Review project outcomes and processes against the project scope and plan
5.2 Involve team members in the project review
5.3 Document lessons learned from the project and report within the organisation
Notes
In many cases the benefits (or unexpected problems) of a project can’t be assessed until
the change has been in place for some time. The review process is therefore incomplete
without a post project review and evaluation. This is required to check whether:
The Project Sponsor has overall responsibility for ensuring that the desired business
benefits are achieved and it may be the Sponsor who leads the review, particularly if the
Project Manager has gone on to other duties.
The review will also highlight any unanticipated issues and highlight any further changes
required.Perhaps it will even provide the stimulus for your next project…
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uALSqWke3UbMhd33LwmASBtgDjk8ckZ8rZc1UwdxUdg/edit
Knowledge Management
The final phase of the project provides the opportunity to capture and transfer project
knowledge for use in future projects.
Evidence suggests that of the information captured on projects only a very small
percentage is stored appropriately and even less converted to useful data to inform future
projects.
Once the project has been completed provision should be made to archive the
A ‘Lessons Learned’ report gathers all information that may be useful to other projects. It
documents what went well and what went badly and why. It describes methods used to
estimate, to plan, to manage and control the project and how effective/efficient they were.
It contains any recommendations for future projects to either take up, or avoid, ways of
working and should contain some measurement of how much effort was required to
produce the various products or process changes.
The Issues and Risk logs will be of immense value in producing this report. A further
technique is to interview various stakeholders and members of the Project Team, Project
Board and User Group to ask for their opinions
Source: http://www2.cit.cornell.edu/computer/robohelp/cpmm/PM-lifecycle-overall-small.htm
Project statement
To undertake a scoping study to identify the current food environment and context,
programs, resources and communication practices in Pacific Island countries.
The project will inform the identification of possible niche areas of focus for the
Pacific Senior Health Officials Network, with the aim of contributing to improved
governance and a more strategic approach to the promotion of healthy eating.
The project has been funded under the Pacific Governance Support Program (PGSP)
by the Australian Agency for International Development (AUSAID). The PGSP was
established to provide funding for governance activities linking Australian Government
Agencies directly with Pacific counterparts and supporting shared regional governance
approaches.
1 28/07/05 L White
Project scope
Purpose
Benefits
Rationale
Type 2 diabetes
coronary heart disease
stroke; and
some cancers, just to name a few.
Yet, chronic disease due to poor diet is largely preventable. That’s why
we need to promote healthy eating and physical activity, especially to
young people, before their behaviours result in unhealthy weight or
disease.
The Nutrition Project was proposed to address these areas of interest and
to help with progress against the Tonga Commitment.
Objectives
Strategies
Assumptions
That all stakeholders will be actively involved and support the PSHON Nutrition
Project.
That funding will be available to implement recommendations.
Constraints
Exclusions
The project will not be able to address issues around economic trade
and import/export of food between Pacific Islands and Australia or New
Zealand. This has been raised as a significant issue but is outside the
scope of the project.
The preparation of nutrition strategies for countries without them is
also outside the scope of the project.
Related activity/projects
Project partners/clients/stakeholders
Partners/clients
Other stakeholders
WPRO – WHO
Secretariat of the Pacific Community
Universities and Training Institutes
Food industry
NGO’s: Diabetes Australia, ANF, Heart Foundation
DAA
PHAA
Local Governments in Pacific
Pacific Island Governments/Agriculture and Fisheries Departments
Pacific Island Governments/ Environmental Departments (health)
Pacific Island Governments/Education Departments
Project timeframe
Costs
Project costs
Item Costs1
+/- 5%
Governance
a) St ruct ure
This project will be managed by the Nutrition Section, DoHA in
collaboration with the Pacific Island Regional Expert. Advice will be provided
to the section through the Pacific network staff involved.
b)
Project role Name/s Responsibilities
Project Sponsor Pacific Senior Provide representation on behalf of their
Health Officials country.
Network Advise country contacts.
Consider recommendations provided.
Project Officer Leticia White Develop and agree project objectives and brief with
AusAID and Network members.
Collaborate with identified Pacific Island
stakeholders to undertake the project.
Provide nutritional expertise.
Visit selected countries to inform preparation of the
report.
In collaboration with the Network member
countries develop a report with
recommendations on possible areas of focus for
the Network.
Pacific Island Wila Saweri Work with the Australian Health Department
Regional Expert project officer to provide expertise, information and
advice on existing activities.
Assist in developing a program of appointments for
the detailed analysis in nominated countries.
Take part in the study tour of up to three
selected countries.
Work with the small group and the Australian
Health Department project officer to develop
recommendations on possible further work for
consideration by the Network.
Collaborate with the Australian Health
Department project officer to prepare and
comment on the report.
Tuvalu
Manager Lesley Paton
New Zealand Provide day to day supervision and guidance.
Liaison Point Policy & Provide liaison point to PSHON.
International Provide liaison point with AUSAID.
Branch Provide advice on international liaison.
Manage funds provided for project and travel.
Beth Slatyer
Anna Bauze
Quality management
Quality standards/benchmarks/guidelines
Communication management
Communication
What How With/To Whom When/how often
PIC Contacts Email/fax As needed
Project Advisory Group Teleconference? Monthly?
meetings Email As needed
Progress Reports Email/paper As scheduled
Information management
Procurement
N/A
Costs
Name: Signed:
Position: Date:
Comments:
Comments:
Resources approved?
Parameters of project manager authority
No Cost:
N/A Quality:
Other:
Name: Signed:
Position: Date:
Agile & Project Management Resources: cPrime project management resourses, books
and recommendation readings. https://www.cprime.com/training/online/project-
management-professional-pmp-online/
Mullaly, M E. (2003). The Accidental Project Manager: Coming in from the Cold.
Ganthead. http://www.gantthead.com/article.cfm?ID=165059
http://www2.cit.cornell.edu/computer/robohelp/cpmm/CPMM_Guidebook.htm
http://www.1000ventures.com/index.html
http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/infokits/project-management/