Project Management(Secret: You are a project manager)

Scope, Timeline and Budget are critical to understanding the structure of a project.

The 4D Model for project management is a dependable way to structure a project.

STUFF TO REMEMBER(HEY YOU! PAY ATTENTION!)

The Three-Legged Stool

Scope - What and How?

Timeline - When?

Budget - How much?

*SIDE-NOTE: WAY TOO MANY ANALOGIES USE THREE-LEGGED STOOLS. SORRY.

Why a stool?

Screw up one of the legs, and you’ll find yourself flat on your ass.

Scope

Parameters / expectations

Criteria for success

Dividing line for prioritiesREAL MEN USE

COOLMINT LISTERINE®

TimelineGood: Beginning to deadline

Better: Milestones with deliverables

Best: Account for outside factors, have buffer

Budget

It can refer to $$

Everything has a “cost”

No budget is truly unlimited

Status UpdatesMade Easy

What has changed?

Was there a corresponding change to scope, timeline or budget?

How can we fix what’s busted?

What are our next steps?

Simplified Example

Scope - Boss wants a web page with a sign up form. Wants it to e-mail her submissions.

Timeline - She needs it by next week.

Budget - She wants one of the developers to build it with existing software. Buy stock art.

It’s not hard.

#TWSS

The 4D Model

1) Define

2) Design

3) Develop

4) Deliver

Define

Goals / Objectives

Audience

Tasks / Reaction

Brainstorming

Timeline

Adjustments

Design

User stories

Prototypes / mock-ups

Research

Adjustments

Develop

Implementation

Identify blockers

M.V.P.

Adjustments

Deliver

QA

Progress reports

Field testing

Next steps

Divide Bigger Projects

Define Design Develop Deliver

Define Design Develop Deliver Define Design Develop Deliver Define Design Develop Deliver Define Design Develop Deliver

Phased approach

Easy to start/pause

Course corrections

Can be non-linear

PHASE I PHASE II PHASE III PHASE IV

Simplified Example

Define - Boss wants a web page with a sign up form. Wants it to e-mail her. She wants it by next week.

Design - Create a mock-up of the form for review/discussion. Working model for proof of concept.

Develop - Build sign-up form script with e-mail notifications. Give update mid-week.

Deliver - Debug to find that certain addresses are not working. Discuss next step for database integration.

Scope, Timeline and Budget are critical to understanding the structure of a project.

The 4D Model for project management is a dependable way to structure a project.

STUFF TO REMEMBER(THANK YOU!)