elements of project management
TRANSCRIPT
Introductions
• Name• Where you work• A recent project you
were involved in:– 1 thing that went well– 1 thing that could
have been better
Objectives
• Apply concepts of project management to:– Write a basic project
charter– Implement projects– Harvest learning from
past projects through after action review.
Norms
• Confidentiality• Listening• Participation
Program Outline• Planning
– Project mission – Goals– Constraints– Risks– Stakeholder analysis
• Implementation– Milestones – The Planning Fallacy– Work breakdown and dependencies– Project team meetings
• Completion– After Action Review– Celebration
Definitions
• Project:a temporary group activity designed to produce a unique product, service or result.
• Project Management: the application of knowledge, skills and techniques to execute projects effectively and efficiently.
Agenda
Planning Implementation Completion Resources and next steps
Planning
• Project Charter– Mission– Goals– Constraints– Risks– Stakeholder Others
Project Charter
a statement of the scope, objectives, and participants in a project. It provides a preliminary delineation of roles and responsibilities, outlines the project objectives, identifies the main stakeholders, and defines the authority of the project manager.
Project Mission
• Describes why the project is being undertaken, and the benefits it hopes to achieve.
"If you don't know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else." - Yogi Berra
Example
• By developing a robust program of HR Analytics, we can:– Fulfill our role as strategic partners to Harvard Library
Leadership by identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats with regard to the development of the Harvard Library workforce.
– Prioritize and customize HR Programs and services to maximize their value to the organization.
– Make powerful impact statements about the nature, volume, and value of our work.
Your Turn!
• Write a mission statement for your project.• Pair up and share your statement with your
partner.• Get feedback on your mission statement from
your partner (strengths, opportunities for improvement)
Project Goals
• Goals are the concrete accomplishments that will fulfill the project’s mission.
Project Goal Example
• "upgrade the helpdesk telephone system by December 31 to achieve average client wait times of no more than two minutes"
Your Turn!
• Write one of the goals for your project. Make sure it meets all of the SMART criteria.
• Pair up with someone else, and share the goal you’ve written.
• Get feedback from your partner.
Constraints• Describe known limitations on the project, especially in
terms of:– Time
“We’ve committed to key stakeholders that the new admissions processing software will be online by DATE.”
– Money“Aside from already funded positions, there is no budget for additional manpower on this project. $X has been budgeted for materials; it may be possible to obtain additional funding if necessary.”
– Scope / Quality“By 2019, 32 million will gain health insurance.”
Triple Constraint
"Project-triangle" by Cosmocatalano - Own work. Licensed under CC0 via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Project-triangle.svg#/media/File:Project-triangle.svg
Your Turn!
• Describe any known constraints on your project.
Risks
• Risk: An event that would have significant consequences for the project if it were to occur.
• Risk Analysis: The identification, assessment, and prioritization of risks that may impact the project, in order to inform action planning.
Risk Likelihood and Consequences
Risks: Example
• Obamacare– States may not accept the subsidized expansion of
Medicaid that is a key component of guaranteeing universal insurance for all Americans.
– States may not create their own health insurance exchanges, greatly increasing the load on the national exchange website.
Risks: Your Turn
• Complete the risk worksheet for your project.
Project Stakeholders• Stakeholder: anyone that has
an interest in or will be impacted by the project.
• Includes the project team, customers, and others
• Stakeholders have various degrees of power and influence, attitudes towards the project, hopes and fears, strengths and limitations, etc.
• Communication is the key to stakeholder management
Project Team Roles: The Project Sponsor
• Project sponsor – Wants to see the project succeed– Has formal authority
• Can add additional resources to a project or influence those that aren’t doing their part.
• Many projects fail because sponsor is not deeply invested or committed to project success
Project Team Roles: RACI Chart
• For each significant piece of work, defines which team members are:– Responsible: The doers of the project, and especially
the project lead.– Accountable: The buck stops here. Often the project
sponsor. – Consulted: Stakeholders whose expertise is required or
whose needs must be understood.– Informed: Stakeholders who are not directly involved in
the project activity, but need to know what is going on.
RACI Chart Example
RACI Chart: Your Turn
• In the left column, fill in the main phases of your project.
• In the top row, fill in at least 3 key stakeholders of your project.
• Complete the RACI chart.
Stakeholder Analysis
• Stakeholder analysis is a process of systematically gathering and analyzing qualitative information to determine whose interests should be taken into account when planning or implementing a project.
Your Turn
• Complete the stakeholder analysis worksheet.• What did you learn? How will you
communicate with this stakeholder based on your analysis?
Agenda
Planning Implementation Completion Resources and
next steps
Implementation
• Milestones• Planning Fallacy• Work breakdown and task dependencies• Team meetings• Managing people
Milestones
• Mark the completion of key phases of the project.
• Aid in gauging the timeliness of project completion.
• Create an occasion for mini-celebrations
Example
PACK
PATCH&
PAINT
MOVE10/26
STYLE
OPEN HOUSE
11/3
ExamplePACK
PATCH&
PAINT
MOVE10/26
STYLEOPEN
HOUSE11/3
TODAY:Buy
Boxes and
Painting Materials
Your Turn!
• What are the key milestones of your project, and the deadlines associated with them?
Beware the Planning Fallacy• The first edition of the
Oxford English Dictionary was scheduled to take two years to complete...
• Five years later they had only reached the word “ant.”
• Psych. research has shown we systematically underestimate how long it will take to achieve goals.
Addressing the Planning Fallacy
• Others are more accurate at predicting than we are ourselves, so ask a colleague for a time estimate.
• Or:– Make a prediction now, later see how accurate it
was.– In the future, multiply your time estimate by your
personal planning fallacy multiple.
Work Breakdown and Dependencies
• Work Breakdown Structure• Dependencies: tasks that cannot be started
until other tasks are complete.• Track the task, dependencies, who is assigned,
due date, and current status.
Work Breakdown Structure: Your Turn
• Identify the top headings of your work breakdown structure.
• For at least one of them, create a detailed analysis.
Project Team Meetings
• With some regularity (daily, weekly, monthly), all team members gather to talk about:– What they have done since the last meeting– What obstacles they may have encountered– What they plan to do by the next meeting
• Choose someone to take notes and review action commitments at the end of the meeting.
When They Don’t Do What They’re Supposed To …
• People are complicated.• All projects mean change.• “Yes” does not always mean “Yes”.
Your Turn
• Think of a time (present or past) when someone didn’t do something they were supposed to do.
• Complete the worksheet.• If you answered “Don’t Know”, how could you
find out?• If you answered “Yes”, what could you do to
influence this factor?
Case Study
Agenda
Planning Implementation Completion Resources and next steps
Project Completion
• Post Project Review• Celebration
Post Project Review
• Most neglected part of projects.• Meet with project team, discuss and record:– What went well– What you might have done differently
Your Turn
• Pair Up– Talk about a past project• What went well?• What could have been improved?• If your project team will work on similar projects in the
future, how can you help the team learn and improve?
Celebration• Keep the team motivated and looking forward to completion• Leave people with a positive feeling about being on your project
team• Plan and budget your celebration like any other part of the project.• Ideally, go to your celebration right after your post project review.
Conclusion• Project Manager is:
– Cheerleader– Team Builder– Nudge– Politician– Time and Resource Engineer– Troubleshooter
• Every project you manage is an opportunity for you to develop and communicate values:– Accountability– Cooperation– Communication– Resilience
Agenda
Planning Implementation Completion Resources and next steps
Resources and Next Steps
• Course pages for project management
• Lynda.com video training library
Kevin R. ThomasManager, Training & Development
• Program evaluation link will be sent by email.• You’ll get a link to a course page with all the materials.