Project Management16th November 2011

John PattersonCommercial Development Manager, Sage (UK) Limited

What is a project?

• Wikipedia says:• A project is a temporary endeavor with a

defined beginning and end (usually time-constrained, and often constrained by funding or deliverables), undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value.

Project Management Triangle

Quality of Outcome

Time

CostScop

e

Project Cycle

• Initiating• Planning• Executing• Controlling• Closing

(or Define, Detail, Develop, Deploy, Debrief, or…)

Phase 1: Initiation

• What is the project aiming to achieve?• Why is it important to achieve it?• Who is going to be involved and what are their

responsibilities?• How and when is it all going to happen?

Phase 1: PID (Project Initation Document)

• Background• Objectives • Scope• Constraints• Assumptions• Risks • Deliverables• Investment• Stakeholders

Phase 2: Planning

• When should activities be done, by whom• What order?• Estimating duration and effort• Agreeing quality control activities• Calculating overall cost• Producing project budget• Assessing the risks• Identifying management control pointsKey: What? When? Who? What needs to happen first?

2. Planning tasks: Sample Gantt Chart

2. Planning: Evaluating Risk

• Identify - what is the risk? • What is the probability of the risk happening?

1=Low, 5=High• What is the impact if the risk happens?

1=Low, 5=High• What is the product of probability x impact?

1-9: green10-19: amber20+: red

2. Planning: Responses to risk

• Probability v Impact– E.g. null hypothesis

Response DescriptionPrevention Complete removal of the riskTransference Specialist e.g. insuranceReduction Reduce likelihood or limit the

impactContingency Actions planned if risk happensAcceptance Tolerate the risk – perhaps

because of cost to treat, or because likelihood and / or impact are low

Phase 3: Execution

Managing a Project is about making things happen. The Project Manager must:• ensure that the project resources are focused

upon delivery of the expected outcomes• keep risks under control, keep the Business

Case/PID under review • carefully monitor any movement away from

the project scope and outcomes

3. Execution: What does this really mean?

• Leading the team• Meeting with team members• Communicating with stakeholders• Fire-fighting• Securing necessary resources• …..doing the work!

3. Execution: Managing Self

• Single consolidated to do list• Switch off the yellow envelope! – Schedule email sessions in Outlook

• Body clock• Group (‘chunk’) and schedule similar tasks• OHIO / 4 Ds• Prioritise– Urgent v Important! Outlook?– Avoid Student Syndrome… Don’t waste your buffer…

3. Execution: Managing through others

• Influencing• Specification

– Move the chair!• SMART objectives

– Specific– Measurable– Attainable– Relevant– Timebound

• Clarity – roles and responsibility• Communicate, communicate, communicate

3. Execution: The importance of the spec…

The ability to use a pen in space The ability to write in zero gravity

Space pen Pencil

$1 Million A little bit less…..

Phase 4: Controlling

• Managing the plan• Managing issues• Managing risks• Managing scope and exceptions – deviation

from plan• Monitoring results• Reporting

Controlling: Managing Stakeholders

Phase 5: Closing

• Completion…– Or not!– Emotional investment, letting go

• Review and learn• Documentation• Handover

Try to avoid…

• Overcomplicating• Overpromising and underdelivering• No contingency• Bad news late• Glossing over the planning stage• Assumptions around other people’s level of

understanding / buy-in (communication)

Terminology

• PRINCE2• Six Sigma / Lean manufacturing• Waterfall• Agile• QA

Useful Resources

http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_PPM.htm

Thank you!

Any questions?

Email: john.patterson@sage.com