delivering successful projects - mayen effiong · 2021. 5. 6. · delivering successful projects...

DELIVERING SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS


Copyright © 2021 Mayen Effiong

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any

form or by any means, electronic, , photocopied, recorded, scanned or otherwise, except the

use of brief quotations in a book review, without the prior written permission of the author.

Requests to the author for permission should be addressed to the following email:

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


About the Author

Mayen Effiong is a Certified Project Manager,

Business Analyst, and Change Manager with

several years’ experience managing diverse

operations and projects. She has a Bsc. in

Computer Science and Economics from

Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria, and

an MBA from Warwick Business School,

United Kingdom. She has managed several

Technology, Business Startup, Business

Transformation and Social Impact projects in the public and private sectors.

She seeks to provide Business Managers with an easy-to-read Reference

Guide that will improve their understanding of project management

fundamentals and explain the importance of their role in enabling project

success.


1

Table of Contents Click the topic you want to read to go directly to it

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Who Is This Book For? ..................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Why do Entrepreneurs, Managers and Executives need Project Management Skills? ................... 6

Glossary ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 8

1. Projects Versus Operations ...................................................................................................................................... 10

2. Understanding The Project Management Life Cycle Model ......................................................... 12

3. Building Efficient Project Teams ......................................................................................................................... 15

4. Every Project Needs an Effective Sponsor .................................................................................................... 18

5. Defining Project Objectives and Scope

6. Defining Project Deliverables and Requirements

7. Planning Projects: The Project Management Plan

8. Keeping Stakeholders Informed and Happy: Communication and Stakeholder

Management

9. Managing Time: Task Estimation and Project Schedules

10. Managing Cost: Project Budgets and Performance Trackers

11. Managing Quality and The Triple Constraint.

12. Managing Project Procurement

13. Identifying and Managing Project Risks

14. Project Execution: Direct, Monitor, Control.

15. Managing Changes to Scope and Requirements

16. Managing Issues When Things Do Not Go As Planned

17. Successful Transition from Project to Operations: Change Management

18. When and How to Close a Project

19. The Impact of Technology on Project Management Efficiency.

20. Common Causes of Project Failure and How to Avoid Them


2

Appendix: Project Management Templates.

I. Scope Statement II. Stakeholder Matrix

III. Communication Management Plan IV. Project Schedule V. Action Items List

VI. Risk Register VII. Issue Register

VIII. Expense Tracker IX. Change Log X. Lessons Learned Register


3

Introduction Developing new products and services or improving existing products is an

essential part of managing any business if that business is to remain relevant.

Processes or products may require transformation to meet changing

customer needs or market trends. While some may be minor tweaks, others

may need significant change thus requiring a project. Projects facilitate the

change process with minimal disruption of routine business activities hence,

Project Management is integral to the management of business.

As a smart entrepreneur, manager or executive, whether you manage your

projects yourself or hire people regarded as professionals to do so, you need

to understand the fundamentals of managing projects and your role as a

sponsor, subject matter expert, or project champion. This will enable you to

become an asset to the project rather than one who enables project failure

unintentionally. A Manager who oversees projects must portray effective

leadership, actively supporting the project rather than be alienated, giving

instructions from a distance. Inability to understand the dynamics of

managing and supporting projects may result in the waste of time, resources,

and even project failure.

Sometimes managers serve on project teams. As a project team member, you

need to understand how to minimise team conflict and contribute effectively

to the achievement of project objectives. Team members must understand

their roles and how they impact overall project success. These may include

technical, professional or project management responsibilities.

This book will help you learn how to support projects effectively and

understand what you should expect from the professionals who run

projects you participate in or supervise. It will also serve as a reference manual

that will guide you on how to manage various aspects of your projects and

resolve issues that may arise during the project.


4

Every project is unique and how the principles in this book are applied will

depend on several parameters including but not limited to the

product/service being developed, the size and scope of the project, the

funding and time constraints, and the chosen project methodology. While

the principles in this book apply in most cases, it’s important to note that

there is no “One Size Fits All”.

To make this book practical, I have reinforced the principles discussed with

examples and provided project management templates with explanations on

how to use them.


5

Who Is This Book For? This book is useful for Business Owners who manage projects themselves but

do not have the requisite project management training or experience.

Managers and Executives who need to understand the role they must play

to ensure that projects under their purview are successful.

Project Team Members who are assigned to take part in project delivery and

need to understand project management fundamentals so they can

contribute effectively to the project.

Aspiring Project Managers including those who may already occupy middle

management positions and need to determine if developing extensive

project management skills will be beneficial to their current career or if the

project management career path is one that they want to tow.

New or Rookie Project Managers who have minimal hands-on experience

and need to improve their contribution to projects and better understand the

role of Managers and Executives in achieving project success.

You will learn:

To plan and execute projects successfully and to identify projects which you can manage yourself and those for which you need professional help.

To understand and use fundamental aspects of Project Management methodologies, principles and templates.

Practical tips on how to manage a real-life project.

To select and develop the best team to execute your projects.

How to recognize common causes of project failure and avoid them.

The importance of the role of Business Managers in enabling project success.

Note: In subsequent sections of the book, the word ”Managers” has been used

to refer to Entrepreneurs, Business Owners, Managers, and Executives since

they all have the primary responsibility of managing resources.


6

Why do Entrepreneurs, Managers and Executives need Project

Management Skills? At various points during your career as a Manager, you may be required to

lead a change initiative. This may involve overseeing project managers

coordinating your projects or actually managing projects yourself.

A project may be too small to justify the cost of hiring a project manager and

knowledge of project management fundamentals improves the ability of

managers to manage projects efficiently and deliver projects successfully,

thus reducing project costs.

Most times, Managers act as subject matter experts and understand product

requirements, funding constraints, time to market urgency, the big picture,

impact of project outcomes on the company’s bottom lines etc. better than

those managing the project. It’s important for managers to communicate the

required information and support the project effectively throughout the

project duration. To do this, you need to understand the principles and

processes being used by Project Managers.

Managers need to:

• Estimate resources required realistically and allocate resources

efficiently so team members don’t burn out trying to achieve the

project scope within almost impossible timelines and budgets.

• Provide clear requirements and specifications for the product or service

being created.

• Help remove bottlenecks including those imposed

by organisational bureaucracy. It’s crucial that you are available or

delegate adequate authority to remove bottlenecks and resolve issues

quickly.

• Resolve conflict between the project team and business units and

between project team members.


7

• Track project progress towards specified target completion dates,

milestones and objectives ensuring that reports provided by project

managers match actual project progress.

• Identify and manage risks in order to reduce uncertainties that

may cause project failure.

• Know when and how to initiate and close projects.


8

Glossary Acronyms

SME: Small & Medium Scale Enterprise

PMI: Project Management Institute

PMBOK: Project Management Body of Knowledge

Definitions

Project A Temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product,

service, or result. PMI (2017)

Project Methodology A a set of guidelines, practices, techniques, and

procedures for managing a project.

Project Scope Defines the work that needs to be accomplished to deliver a

product or service with the specified deliverables, features, and

functions.” It defines the boundaries of the project. PMI (2017)

Stakeholder: “Individuals and organisations who are actively involved in the

project, or whose interests may be positively or negatively affected as a

result of project execution or successful project completion. PMI (2017). These

may include Customers, Employees, Investors, Suppliers/Vendors,

Communities, Government.

Deliverable A product or service that a project produces for and delivers to its

clients or stakeholders Roseke, B (2016, Nov)

Project Requirements Conditions that must be achieved to ensure

successful completion of the project. Raynor, G (2017, May)

Product Requirements: Details that describe a product or service, how it

should look, feel, function and work.

Quality The degree to which a product complies with specified requirements

(PMBasics101.com)


9

Project Champion: A project advocate within the organization

implementing a project who motivates and inspires buy-in and generates

stakeholder and organisational support for the project to ensure successful

implementation.

Subject Matter Expert An individual with a deep knowledge and

understanding of a particular job, function, process, and/or technology.

Project Risk an uncertain event or condition that, if it occurs, has a positive or

negative effect on a project’s objective. PMI (2017)

Project Issue an unplanned event that occurs while executing a project that

may impair the successful completion of the project. This may include

technical, material, or human failures or shortages.

Lessons Learned Documented information that highlights the learning

gained from the process of performing the project. PMI (2017).

It reflects both the positive and negative experiences of a project and

identifies what needs to be improved. Rowe, S. F. & Sikes, S. (2006).

Matrix Organizations usually have two or more chains of command or

reporting lines. One along functional lines and the other along project,

product, client, or geographical lines. Project staff in Matrix Organizations

report to both their functional manager and to the project lead.

Stuckenbruck, L. C. (1979)

Resistance to Change Action taken by individuals and groups when they

perceive that a change that is proposed or occurring is a threat to them.

(ChangingMinds.com)

These actions may be active or passive, overt or covert, individual or

group, adhoc or organised


10

Projects Versus Operations

Do I need a Project to Achieve this Objective?

Let’s start by understanding the difference between projects and operations.

Projects

PMI defines a Project as” a Temporary endeavour undertaken to create

a Unique product, service or result”. PMI(2017) PMBOK Guide, 6th ed.

Note two keywords – Temporary and Unique.

Unique assumes the objective is to create a new product or service that has

not existed before and thus, there are several uncertainties. The scope, time,

costs, and other inputs required to create this product can be estimated but

are uncertain, thus increasing the risk of not achieving the project objective

within the initial estimates defined at project commencement.


11

Project details become clearer and estimates more accurate as the project

progresses. This is known as Progressive Elaboration.

Temporary assumes that projects have a beginning and an expected end.

Once the objective, product, or service for which the project was set up is

achieved, the project is closed or terminated. Usually, the product or result of

a project is phased into operations and is deployed to meet a Business Need

or Customer Requirement.

Operations

Operations are Routine, Ongoing Business Activities undertaken to sustain

the business. Operations are repetitive with defined procedures

utilising known inputs to achieve expected outputs. Inputs, costs and time

required to deliver the expected results are well known thus minimising risk.

Answering a few questions will help us determine if a project is required to

achieve an objective or create a product/service.

1. Have you created the same product/service before?

2. Are you certain about the procedure, inputs, and time required to

create the product?

From the definitions above, a project is required if you intend to create a new

product/service or change an existing product significantly and are uncertain

about the procedure, inputs, and time required to achieve the objective. This

ensures minimal disruption to existing business operations which are

presumably running smoothly and enables the assignment of a project team

to focus on delivering the required result successfully. If you have designed

and produced something very similar before, you may be able to tweak an

existing process. Note however, that even minor changes to a product or

service may be better achieved by a project team. After the required product

update is achieved, it is integrated into operations ensuring minimal

interference. Projects don’t have to be large or take a long time. The size of a

project depends on the desired objective or product to be created.


12

Understanding The Project Management Life Cycle Model

It’s important to understand what is required to deliver a project and count

the cost before commencing. The Phases of the Project Management Life

Cycle defined by PMI provide the opportunity to carry out due diligence on

the business problem or opportunity to ensure that creating the proposed

product is indeed feasible. It also enables adequate planning before project

execution begins.

The 5 phases which are discussed below include Initiation, Planning,

Execution, Monitoring & Control and Closure.

Project Initiation Phase:

This is the formal start of the project. The project objective should be clearly

defined and a business case to justify why the project is required prepared.

Based on the business case and feasibility studies, project sponsors and other

decision-makers decide whether or not to proceed and commit resources to

the project.


13

Project Planning Phase:

This involves creating a Project Management Plan that clearly describes how

all aspects of the project will be managed and identifies deliverables and

activities required to achieve the project objective. The plan serves as a

roadmap which sets out the steps required to achieve the desired outcome

and provides clarity for all stakeholders. Note that a time schedule showing

project activities/tasks and associated duration is not a Project Management

Plan. A Project Management Plan includes the following:

• Scope Statement

• Work Breakdown Structure

• Project Schedule

• Human Resource Management Plan

• Communication Management Plan

• Cost Management Plan

• Quality Management Plan

• Risk Management Plan

• Procurement Management Plan

The components of the Project Management Plan may be simple guidelines

or very detailed blue prints depending on the complexity of the project, the

resources available and the project management maturity of the

organization. Topic 7 discusses Project Planning in more detail.

Project Execution Phase:

During this Phase, project deliverables are developed in line with the Project

Plan. On some projects, to save time, the Initiation and Planning Phases are

omitted and the project commences with the Execution phase. This usually

results in ambiguous project objectives, undefined paths to achieve the

desired outcomes, poor estimates for time, funding and other resources

required to deliver the project successfully amongst a myriad of other issues.

Adequate planning leads to fewer issues during the execution phase.


14

Benjamin Franklin’s popular quote “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail” is Spot-

On regarding Project Management. Without a properly designed plan, the

project team may be attempting a journey to a “destination never travelled”

without a roadmap. Trivialising the Initiation and Planning Phases for any

project size, may result in dire consequences, including project failure.

Project Monitoring and Control Phase:

According to the PMBOK, “Project Monitoring and Control is performed to

observe project execution so that potential problems can be identified in a

timely manner and corrective action taken, when necessary”. This phase

which runs concurrently with the Execution Phase and involves monitoring

project progress, measuring project performance against the plan, ensures

that project implementation is within the approved scope, time and cost.

Variances between the plan and actual status are determined and corrective

measures implemented to keep the project on track.

Project Closure:

A project is usually closed after the project objectives are achieved and

deliverables are completed. However, a project may be closed when the

objectives and/or scope cannot be achieved within acceptable time, budget,

and quality constraints. Whatever the case, projects must be properly

closed and this involves handing over completed deliverables to the project

owners or end users, closing contracts with vendors, reassigning project team

members and carrying out a post mortem to highlight what worked well and

what did not. The post mortem ensures that mistakes are not repeated and

what worked well can be replicated in future projects.


15

Building Efficient Project Teams

The Right Team is critical to the success of any project. When team members

cannot fulfil their assignments, there is a high probability that the project will

fail or the project result will be suboptimal.

In a nutshell, projects require someone to plan/coordinate project

implementation (Project Manager), someone to fund and champion the

project (Project Sponsor), Subject Matter Experts (Process/Product Experts)

and Technical Experts. Every project type requires certain project team roles.

For example, key roles required for construction projects include a Project

Sponsor, an Architect, a Civil/Structural Engineer, Mechanical/Electrical

Engineer, a Quantity Surveyor, a Project Manager and Subject Matter Experts

especially for specialty or commercial projects. Web App development

projects usually require a Project Manager, Subject Matter Experts, a Business

Analyst (to define process/product requirements), a Designer (for User

Interface/ Experience Design), a Developer, a Tester (for Quality Assurance)

and a Project Sponsor.


16

While more than one role may be carried out by a single individual, it’s

important that the required skills are adequately represented in the project

team. Attempts to implement a construction project without an Architect to

document the client’s requirements and convert same to architectural

drawings, with expectations that the builders will discuss with the client,

make a few sketches and build, usually do not end well.

This may seem extreme, but there are several cases where Business Owners,

Managers, Executives have attempted to implement projects with teams that

were ill-equipped to deliver the expected project result. This usually results in

a lot of rework, loss of time, increased cost, and a poor quality product.

When we attempt to reduce cosets by utilising ill-equipped teams, we shoot

ourselves in the foot. There are rework costs, and they usually erode any

savings we attempt to make by cutting corners. We need to commit

funds, time, and the right skilled resources if we expect our projects to

succeed.

Below, I have suggested a few simple steps to resource projects efficiently.

Note that this is not exhaustive and there are definitely other ways to achieve

the same objective.

• Define the skills required for successful project delivery and outline the

roles and responsibilities of project team members. If you don’t have

the experience required to do this, it is wise to get help from a

professional who has managed or led a similar project.

• Onboard resources with the required skills and the right qualities to fit

the roles defined.

• If you do not have the required resources/skills in-house to implement

the project optimally, carefully outsource the role to an external service

provider. Thoroughly examine the vendor’s portfolio, samples,

professional certifications and speak to the vendor’s clients to ensure

that they have successfully completed similar work. Don’t make a

choice solely on price.


17

• Explain role responsibilities and expectations to the people occupying

each role and ensure that they understand their role and how it

contributes to project success

• Empower project team members with the right tools required to

deliver exceptional results.

• Allow adequate time for team members to participate effectively in

projects. Don’t spread project team members thin and across several

competing responsibilities.

• As the project progresses and evolves, project team members may

require additional skills to work optimally. Provide opportunities for

knowledge improvement and skill development.

• Ensure that the project has the right Project Leadership or Sponsor.

Without the right leader championing the project, it will be prioritised

low by project team members and other stakeholders. Effort and

attention required for project success will be lacking. Inadequate

support from leadership is a leading cause of project failure.


18

Every Project Needs an Effective Sponsor

The Project Sponsor is a person who provides resources and support for the

project and is accountable for enabling success. (PMBOK, 6th Edition). The

Project Sponsor acts as the project owner on behalf of the owner or

client organisation and has overall accountability for the project.

He provides the project vision, ensures that the project scope is aligned with

business objectives, and clarifies project success criteria. (Schibi, O & Lee, C

(2015). He ensures adequate funding, efficient resource allocation, and

establishes the priority of the project within the organisation.

He champions the project and ensures buy-in from relevant stakeholders. He

provides final approval of project deliverables and integrates them into the

owner organization. (Hartney, J (2016) It is important to note that the Sponsor

is not responsible for the daily management of the project. That is the Project

Managers’ role. Effective project sponsorship is required for projects to be

successful and ineffective sponsorship ranks very high amongst the reasons

for project failure. Irrespective of whether the sponsor is the Owner-Manager

of an SME or an Executive in a large corporation, project sponsors

must participate actively and visibly throughout the project duration, not only


19

early in the project, otherwise project team and stakeholder support for the

project will diminish over time (Hiatt, 2006).

Project sponsors must be credible and senior enough to maintain the

required influence with project team members and stakeholders. It’s

important that Project Sponsors understand that delegating sponsorship

to lower-level managers who do not have the requisite influence usually leads

to reduced buy-in, increased resistance to change, and may undermine

project progress.

A project with ineffective sponsorship sets the project up to fail because it will

lack the funding, resources and prioritisation by management and project

team members required to enable project success.

A Project Sponsor Must:

• Be perceived as credible and competent

• Empower the project manager to make decisions so as to prevent

authorisation delays which hinder project progress.

• Ensure that timelines and costs allowed for project delivery are realistic,

agreed with the project team and sufficient to complete the

deliverables. When project teams do not contribute to timeline

estimates or agree with timelines allocated to tasks, timelines may be

unrealistic and it is unlikely that schedule targets will be achieved.

• Ensure that project team members are not stretched thin amongst

multiple projects.

• Remove roadblocks and protect project team from distractions (Schibi,

O & Lee, C (2015). Especially in Matrix organisations, where project team

members may report to managers who are not directly involved with

the project, it is important to ensure that managers prioritise the project

as established by the project sponsor and project team members are

allowed to focus on the project as required.

• Facilitate effective conflict resolution for project teams and

stakeholders.


20

PRE-ORDER OFFER Pre-Order this book at 30% Discount

Click on the button below and proceed to the Pre-Order Section

Note that full price will resume on the Release Date

PRE-ORDER NOW

https://www.mayeneffiong.com/







delivering successful projects - mayen effiong · 2021. 5. 6. · delivering successful projects...

Documents