Project Management Revision

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1. Initiating

4Project CharterThe Project Charter is a document that formally authorizes the existence of a project and provides the project manager the authority to apply organizational resources to project activities. The key benefit of this document is it creates a formal record of the project and a direct way for senior management to formally accept and commit to the project.

5Stakeholder Engagement Assessment Matrix

The Stakeholder Power/Interest Grid provides an analysis of the relation of stakeholder’s power and interest towards the project. Their awareness and involvement could be recorded into the Stakeholder Engagement Assessment Matrix which is further divided into Current (C) engagement level and the Desired (D) engagement level.

6Stakeholder Engagement LevelsCurrent

Engagement LevelDesired

Engagement Level Strategies Rationale

Unaware Supportive Push Communications

One-way engagement. Organisation may broadcast information to all stakeholders or target particular stakeholder groups using various channels e.g. email, letter, webcasts, podcasts, videos, leaflets.

Resistant Supportive Education Communicate progress updates to stakeholder. Introduce consequences if project fails to deliver.

Neutral Supportive ConsultationKept involved with updates. Limited two-way engagement: organisation asks questions, stakeholders answer.

Supportive Leading ParticipationPart of the team, engaged in delivering tasks or with responsibility for a particular area/activity. Two-way engagement within limits of responsibility.

Leading Leading PartnershipShared accountability and responsibility. Two-way engagement joint learning, decision making and actions

2. Planning

8Project Management PlanThe Project Management Plan (PMP) is a formal, approved document used to manage project execution. The PMP documents the actions necessary to define, prepare, integrate and coordinate the various planning activities. The PMP defines how the project is executed, monitored and controlled, and closed. It is progressively elaborated by updates throughout the course of the project. The PMP is also a communication vehicle for ensuring key stakeholders share an understanding of the project. The PMP is NOT a project schedule. A project schedule lists planned dates for performing tasks and activities to meet milestones identified in the project plan.

9Scope Management PlanScope management plan is a component that describes how the scope will be defined, developed, monitored, controlled and verified. The development of the scope management plan and detailing of the project scope begin with the analysis of information contained in the project charter, project management plan, organizational process assets and relevant enterprise environmental factors. This plan helps to reduce the risk of project scope creep.

10Business Requirements DocumentBusiness Requirements Document describes how individual requirements meet the business needs. Requirements may start out as a high level and become progressively more detailed as more about the requirements is known. Before being, baselined, requirements need to be unambiguous (measureable and testable), traceable, complete, consistent and acceptable to key stakeholders.

11Requirements Traceability MatrixThe Requirements Traceability Matrix is a grid that links product requirements from their origin to the deliverables that satisfy them. The implementation of a requirements traceability matrix helps ensure that each requirement adds business value by linking it to the business and project objectives. It proves a means to track requirements throughout the project lifecycle, helping to ensure that requirements approved in the requirements documentation are delivered at the end of the project. Finally, it provides a structure for managing changes to product scope.

Attributes associated with each requirement can be recorded in the requirements traceability matrix. These attributes help to define key information about the requirement.

12Project Scope StatementThe Project Scope Statement is the description of the project scope, major deliverables, assumptions and constraints. It documents the entire scope, including project and product scope. It describes the project’s deliverables and the work required to create those deliverables. It also provides a common understanding of the project scope among project stakeholders. It may contain explicit scope exclusions that can assist in managing stakeholder expectations. It enables the project team to perform more detailed planning, guides the project team’s work during execution, and provides the baseline for evaluating whether requests for changes or additional work are contained within or outside the project’s boundaries.

13Work Breakdown StructureThe Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and create the required deliverables. Each descending level of the WBS represents an increasingly detailed definition of the project work. The WBS is finalized by assigning each work package to a control account and establishing a unique identifier for that work package from a code of accounts. These identifiers provide a structure for hierarchical summation of costs, schedule and resource information.

Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

14Schedule Management PlanThe Schedule Management Plan is a component of the project management plan that establishes the policies, procedures and documentation for planning, developing, managing, executing and controlling the project schedule. It provides guidance and direction on how the project schedule will be managed throughout the project and also defines how schedule contingencies will be reported and assessed.

15Precedence Diagramming MethodFinish-to-start (FS): A logical relationship in which a successor activity cannot start until a predecessor activity has finished.Finish-to-finish (FF): A logical relationship in which a successor activity cannot finish until a predecessor activity has finished.Start-to-start (SS): A logical relationship in which a successor activity cannot start until a predecessor activity has started.Start-to-finish (SF): A logical relationship in which a successor activity cannot finish until a predecessor activity has started.

16Leads and LagsLead is the amount of time whereby a successor activity can be advanced with respect to a predecessor activity. Example, the landscaping could be scheduled to start 2 week prior to the schedule punch list completion.Lag is the amount of time whereby a successor activity will be delayed with respect to a predecessor activity. Example, the team can begin editing the draft document 15 days after they begin writing it.

17Estimate Activity DurationsThe accuracy of single-point activity duration estimates may be improved by considering estimation uncertainty and risk. The Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) uses three estimates to define an approximate range for an activity’s duration:• Most Likely: estimate of the activity duration• Optimistic: base-case scenario estimate of the activity duration.• Pessimistic: worse-case scenario estimate of the activity duration.

18Critical Path MethodThe Critical Path Method is used to estimate the minimum project duration and determine the amount of scheduling flexibility on the logical network paths. This schedule network analysis technique calculates the early start, early finish, late start and late finish dates for all activities without regard for any resource limitations by performing a forward and backward pass analysis. The critical path is the sequence of activities that represents the longest path through a project, which normally would have zero total float.

19Critical Chain MethodThe Critical Chain Method is a schedule model that allows the project team to place buffers on any project schedule path to account for limited resources and project uncertainties. It is developed from the critical path method approach and considers the effects of resource allocation, resource optimization, resource levelling, and activity duration uncertainty on the critical path.

The critical chain method adds duration buffers that are non-work schedule activities to manage uncertainty. Project buffer is placed at the end of the critical chain to protect the target finish date from slippage along the critical chain. Feeding buffers are places at each point where a chain of dependent activities that are not on the critical chain.

20Project ScheduleThe Project Schedule is a schedule model that presents linked activities with planned start & finish dates, durations, milestones and resources. The model is presented in tabular form with the following:• Bar Charts: Also known as Gantt Charts, represent activity

information that shows the start and finish dates.• Milestones: Represented by the diamond icon in the charts to

identify the scheduled start or completion of major deliverables and key external interfaces.

• Network Diagrams: Logic diagram that displays the relation of each activities and also the project’s critical path schedule activities.

21Cost Management PlanThe Cost Management Plan is a component of the project management plan and describes how the project cost will be planned, structured and controlled. The Cost Management Plan would usually contain the following:• Units of measure• Level of precision• Level of accuracy• Organizational procedures links• Control thresholds• Rules of performance measurements• Reporting formats• Process descriptions

22Estimate Costs• Bottom-Up Estimating: Cost of individual work packages are estimated and then summarized to higher levels for

subsequent reporting and tracking purposes.• Parametric Estimating: Uses statistical relationship between relevant historical data and other variables to

calculate the project work costs.• 3-points Estimating: The accuracy of single-point activity cost estimates may be improved by considering most

likely, optimistic and pessimistic estimations.

23Reserve Analysis• Contingency Reserves: Budget within the cost baseline that is allocated for identified risks which are accepted and

for which contingent or mitigating responses are developed. Contingency reserves may be estimated to account for known-unknowns that can affect a project.

• Management Reserves: Budget withheld for management control purposes and are reserved for unforeseen work that is within scope of the project. Management reserves are intended to address the unknown-unknowns that can affect a project.

24Cost Benefit AnalysisThe primary benefits of meeting quality requirements include less rework, higher productivity, lower costs, increased stakeholder satisfaction, and increased profitability. A cost-benefit analysis for each quality activity compares the cost of the quality step to the expected benefit.

25Cost of Quality (COQ)Cost of Quality includes all costs incurred over the life of the product by investment in preventing non-conformance to requirements, appraising the product or service for conformance to requirements, and falling to meet requirements. Failure costs are often categorized into internal and external.

26RASCI ModelA Responsibility Assignment Matrix (RAM) is a grid that shows the project resources assigned to each work package. In a RASCI chart, resources are assigned to individual work packages based on their roles to be responsible, accountable, supportive, consulted or informed. It is a useful tool to use when the team consists of internal and external resources in order to ensure clear divisions of expectations, roles and responsibilities.

27Communication Requirements AnalysisThe Project Manager should consider the number of potential Communication Channels as an indicator of the complexity of a project’s communications. The total number of potential communication channels is n(n-1)/2, where n represents the number of stakeholders.

28Risk Management PlanThe Risk Management Plan ensures that the degree, type and visibility of risk management are commensurate with both the risks and the importance of the project to the organization. It should included the following:• Methodology• Roles and Responsibilities• Budgeting• Timing• Risk Categories• Risk Probability and Impact Matrix• Stakeholders’ Tolerances• Reporting Formats• Tracking

29Probability and Impact MatrixRatings are assigned to risks based on their assessed probability and impact. Evaluation of each risk’s importance and priority for attention is typically conducted using a look-up table or a probability and impact matrix. It specifies combinations of probability and impact that lead to rating the risks as low, moderate or high priority.

30Risk Strategies4 strategies to deal with Threats: • Avoid• Transfer• Mitigate • Accept

4 strategies to deal with Opportunities:• Exploit • Enhance• Share • Accept

Threats

Avoid

Transfer

Mitigate

Accept

Opportunities

Exploit

Enhance

Share

Accept

31Procurement Contract TypesCost Plus Fixed Fee Contracts (CPFF): The seller is reimbursed for performing the contract work and receives a fixed free payment calculated as a percentage of the initial estimated project costs.Cost Plus Incentive Fee Contracts (CPIF): The seller is reimbursed for performing the contract work and receives a predetermined incentive fee based upon achieving certain performance objectives.Cost Plus Award Fee (CPAF): The seller is reimbursed for all legitimate costs but the majority of the fee is earned only based on the satisfaction of certain broad subjective performance criteria defined in the contract. Time and Material Contracts (T&M): Hybrid of both cost-reimbursable and fixed-price contracts. Used for staff augmentation, acquisition of experts and any outside support.Firm Fixed Price Contracts (FFP): Price of goods is set at the outset and not subject to change unless the scope of work changes. Any cost increase due to adverse performance is the responsibility of the seller.Fixed Price Incentive Fee Contracts (FPIF): Price of goods is set and the final price is determined based on seller’s performance.Fixed Price Economic Price Adjustment Contracts (FPEPA): A fixed price contract with predefined adjustments to the contract price due to external changed conditions.

32Stakeholders Engagement Assessment MatrixThe engagement level of all stakeholders needs to be compared throughout the project lifecycle. The engagement level of the stakeholders can be classified as: • Unaware: Unaware of project and its impacts.• Resistant: Aware of project and its impacts but are resistant to the change.• Neutral: Aware of project yet neither supportive nor resistant.• Supportive: Aware of project and its impacts and is supportive to the change.• Leading: Aware of project and its impacts and actively engaged in ensuring the project is a success.

3. Executing

34Project Management Information SystemThe Project Management Information System (PMIS) provides access to tools such as scheduling tool, work authorization system, configuration management system, information collection and distribution system and other automated systems. Automated gathering and reporting on key performance indicators (KPI) can be part of the PMIS.

35Quality ChecklistA Checklist is a structured tool used to verify that a set of required steps has been performed. Based on the project’s requirements and practices, checklists are available to ensure consistency in frequently performed tasks. Quality checklists should incorporate the acceptance criteria included in the scope baseline.

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Unclear on tasks Resistant to instructions

Developing cohesion Members are interdependent

Goals accomplished

No trust yet Internal conflicts occur

Trust builds High trust Efforts are recognized

Making connections with other members

Competition among members

Commitment from all members

Leverage on each other’s strengths and weaknesses

Awards given to appreciate the group

Not committed to the group

Personal attacks More motivated Highly motivated Proud of achievements

Guidance is needed Aggressive attitude towards fellow members

Openly debates and discuss on matters

Supportive of each other when help is required

Closing of the group

Passive attitude members

Boundaries are set Feedback is well received

Protects each other Members disengage from group

Avoids conflict Leadership is challenged

Leader reinforces the team

Decisions can be made without supervision

Sad to part away

Willing to learn Little to none team spirit

Relationships begin to form

Very efficient group Nervous of joining new group and roles

Orientation is required

Members feel uneasy Focus is high to reach goals

Goal oriented Sense of loss

Polite and distant to each other

Flaws and weaknesses are raised

Mutual agreement on resolving tasks

Group takes pleasure in success of the team

Work productivity drops

Tuckman’s Group DevelopmentTuckman’s Group Development Model explains on how a group being put together, acts passively and politely trying to avoid conflicts; then later on realizing their individual differences and begin to challenge each other; it shows how does the group react and progress (or regress) from the conflict; later on being in harmony and reaching the group’s full potential; finally to part away after achieving their goals.

4. Monitoring & Controlling

38Change RequestA Change Request is a formal proposal to modify any document, deliverable or baseline. When issues are found while project work is being performed, change requests are submitted which may modify project policies or procedures, project scope, project budget, project schedule or project quality. Change requests may include:• Corrective Action• Preventive Action• Defect Repair• Updates

39Requirements Traceability MatrixRequirements Traceability Matrix is a grid that links product requirements from their origin deliverables that satisfy them. It helps ensure that each requirement adds business value by linking it to the business and project objectives. It helps track requirements throughout the project lifecycle and ensures that requirements approved in the requirements documentation are delivered at the end of the project.

40Schedule CompressionSchedule compression techniques are used to shorten the schedule duration without reducing the project scope. Schedule compression techniques include:• Fast Tracking: A compression technique which

activities are performed in parallel for at least a portion of their duration. It may result in rework and increased risk.

• Crashing: A technique used to shorten the schedule duration for the least incremental cost by adding resources. It does not always produce a viable alternative and may result in increased risk and/or cost.

41Earned Value Management (EVM)Planned Value (PV): Project work that is expected to complete at a certain time.Earned Value (EV): Actual amount of project work performed.Actual Cost (AC): Realized cost incurred for the work performed.

Earned Value ManagementCost Variance

Schedule Variance

Cost Performance Index

Schedule Performance Index

Estimate At Completion

To Complete Performance Index

Estimate to Complete

Variance at Complete

CV = EV - AC

SV = EV - PV

CPI = EV / AC

SPI = EV / PV

EAC = AC + ETC

EAC = BAC / CPI

EAC = AC + (BAC – EV)

EAC = AC + (BAC – EV) / (CPI X SPI)

TCPI = (BAC – EV) / (BAC – AC)

ETC = EAC - AC

VAC = BAC - EAC

42Risk AssessmentControl Risks often results in identification of new risks, reassessment of current risks and closing of risks that are outdated. Project risk assessments should be regularly scheduled.

Risk Audits examine and document the effectiveness of risk responses in dealing with identified risks and their root causes, as well as the effectiveness of the risk management process.

43Procurement Performance ReviewA Procurement Performance Review is a structured review on the vendor’s progress to deliver project scope and quality within cost and schedule. It can include a review of vendor documentation and buyer inspections as well as quality audits conducted during the work. It helps to verify and evaluate the vendor’s work performances. The payments are processed by the accounts payable system of the buyer after certification of satisfactory work.

InspectionPayment

Records SystemChange Control

5. Closing

45Closure DocumentsProject or phase closure documents, consisting of formal documentation that indicates completion of the project or phase and the transfer of the completed deliverables to others.

During project closure, the project manager reviews prior phase documentation, customer acceptance documentation and exit criteria to ensure that all project requirements are completed prior to finalizing the closure of the project. It is then followed by handing over the completed project or phase for business as usual (BAU) activities.

46Lessons LearnedLessons Learned information are transferred to the lessons learned knowledge base for use by future projects or phases. This can include information on issues and risks as well as techniques that worked well applying to future projects.

47Procurement ClosureA process involves administrative activities such as finalizing open claims, updating records to reflect final results and archiving such information for future use. This activity ensures that the contractual agreements are completed or terminated formally.

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