“How to fail in project management without really trying” –J.K. Pinto and O.P Kharbanda

• Ignore the project environment—including the stakeholders• Push a new technology to market too quickly• Don’t bother building in fallback options• When problems occur, shoot the one most visible• Let new ideas starve to death from inertia—Xerox example• Don’t bother conducting feasibility studies—ready, fire, aim• Never admit a project is a failure• Over-manage project managers and their teams• Never conduct post-failure reviews—insanity= doing the same thing

in the same way and expecting a different result• Never bother to understand project trade-offs• Allow political expediency and infighting to dictate crucial project

decisions• Make sure the project is run by a weak leader

What is a project?

• A sequence of tasks with a beginning and end

• Bounded by time, resources, and desired results– Has a specific desired outcome– Must be done by a deadline– Has a budget that limits amount of people,

supplies, and money that can be used

What is project success?

• Balance among:– Time– Resources– Results – Perceptions (customer satisfaction)

What is project management?

• The discipline of combining systems, techniques, and people to complete a project within established goals of time, budget, and quality

Good project goals

• Specific

• Realistic

• Have a time component

• Measurable

• Agreed upon

• Responsibility for achievement identified

Project scope

• Size of the project– Avoid “scope creep”

• Statement of work—formal project management document– Purpose statement– Scope statement– Project deliverables– Goals and objectives (Criteria for success)– Cost and schedule estimates– List of stakeholders– Chain of command– Assumptions and agreements– Communication plan

Risk

• Known risks

• Predictable risks

• Unpredictable risks

• Need for contingency plans

Constraints

• The budget

• The schedule

• The people

• The real world

• Facilities and equipment

terminology

• Task—cohesive unit of work on a project

• Milestone—completion of an important set of tasks or completion of an important event in a project

• Deliverables—clearly defined results, goods, or services produced during the project or at its outcome

Work plan

• Work breakdown structure (WBS)– A hierarchical chart used to organize tasks of a

project into related areas• Tree diagram or outline• Milestones and tasks clearly defined• Tree method or outline method• WBS organization based on functional disciplines, or on

organizational structure of the company, or on physical location, or on systems and subsystems

• WBS should at each level provide measurable deliverables

Project diagram

• Logical representation of tasks that defines the sequence of work in a project– List tasks– Establish relationship between tasks– Identify milestones – Lay out the tasks and milestones as a

network– Review logic of network– Identify critical path through project network

Potential problems

• Floating start date• There’s not enough time for everything• Too many reports, not enough communication• They always need it faster—desires to shorten the

schedule• 90% done syndrome• Moving target objectives• The key person always quits• Costs spiral out of control• The staff has more enthusiasm than talent• The impossible remains impossible

Lessons to be learned

• Projects often involve risk and always upset the organizational status quo

• Past failures should not discourage future efforts

Project failure

• Not enough resources

• Not enough time

• Unclear expectations– Necessary changes are not understood or

agreed upon by the stakeholders– Disagreements among stakeholders

The 12 rules of project management

from “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Project Management”• Thou shalt gain consensus on project outcomes• Thou shalt build the best team you can• Thou shalt develop a comprehensive, viable plan and keep it up to

date• Thou shalt determine how much stuff you really need to get things

done• Thou shalt have a realistic schedule• Thou won’t try to do more than can be done• Thou will remember that people count• Thou will gain the formal and ongoing support of management and

stakeholders• Thou must be willing to change• Thou must keep others informed of what you’re up to• Thou must be willing to try new things• Thou must become a leader

Five processes of project management

from “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Project Management”• Project initiating • Project planning• Project executing• Project controlling• Project closing

• These embody the three general functions of project management: definition, planning, and control

Project initiating process

• Recognize that a project needs to be done• Determine what the project should accomplish• Define the overall project goals• Define general expectations of all stakeholders• Define the general project scope• Select initial members of the project team• Write and agree on a statement of work or

contract of the project• Establish the rules for the project—levels of

authority, communication channels, chain of command

Project planning process

• Refine the project scope (balance required among results, time, and resources)

• List tasks and activities that will lead to achieving the project goals

• Sequence activities in most efficient way

• Develop a workable schedule and budget

• Get the plan agreed to and approved by the stakeholders

Project executing process

• Procure necessary resources (money, people, equipment, time)

• Lead the team

• Meet with team members

• Secure the special talent and expertise needed

• Communicate with stakeholders (ongoing process)

Project controlling process

• Monitoring deviation from the plan• Take corrective action• Receive and evaluate project change requests from

stakeholders and team members• Reschedule project as needed• Adapt resource levels as necessary• Change the project scope• Return to planning stage when necessary to make

adjustments to goals and get them approved by stakeholders

• Fire-fighting (conflict resolution) to resolve problems

Project closing process

• Acknowledgement of achievements and results

• Shutting down the operation and disbanding the team

• Learning from the project experience• Reviewing the project process and its

outcomes with team members and stakeholders

• Writing a final project report