PROJECT MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

Agenda
Definition/Importance of Project Management

Staffing the Project

Organizational Ownership Creating a Practical Budget

Communications
Risk Management Project Management Tools Managing Multi-Agency Projects Warning Signs/Symptoms of Failure
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Project - Definition
Sequence of tasks with a beginning and an end that are bounded by time, resources, and desired results Specific desired outcome
Deadline or target date for completion Budget that limits project resources (people, supplies, money)
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Why is Project Management Important?

30% of all projects are canceled before completion 30% experience schedule delays

50% exceed original cost estimates

12% completed on time and on budget 1995 - $81 billion spent on canceled technology projects The Standish Group, 1995
Cats-Baril & Thompson, 1995

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Examples
A large

western state invested $260 million in a system to track dead-beat parents... As a result of ongoing setbacks, the legislature scrapped the Kavanaugh, 1997 project and started over.

In

1994, a southern state hired a well known firm to develop a child-support tracking system. After four years and spending more than $20 million, the system was unfinished and the contractor Rock Hill Herald, 1997 had stopped working. COPS IT Training Workshops

Staffing:
Finding the Right People

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Project Manager
Critical for success Must coordinate and facilitate all aspects of the project Takes full responsibility and accountability Manages project tasks, schedule, people, and budget

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Traits of a Good Project Manager

Enthusiasm for the Project Ability to Manage Change Effectively Tolerant Attitude Toward Ambiguity Team Building and Negotiating Skills Customer First Orientation Adherence to Priorities of the Business
Baker, 1998

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Motivating Team Members

Demonstrate Leadership
Exhibit a Positive Attitude Provide Challenging Opportunities Define Performance Expectations Praise Team Efforts

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Staffing the Project Team

Team members are critical to success of project Identify skill sets required for the project Evaluate in-house resources, availability Contract required skill sets Utilize surgical suite concept
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High Performing Team

Seek members with high-level skills; strong people will overcome difficulties throughout the project; the weak will not, without assistance Create small team - drastically reduces communication overhead and conflicts Avoid relying exclusively on a single team member (cross-train)

Consider member personalities as well as skills; will the team work well together, what are the potential points of friction
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High Performing Team

Create incentives - technically challenge each person on the project Select members interested in the project Provide training to increase skills, confidence and performance Assign areas of responsibility, rather than tasks Expect and anticipate turnover (be prepared) Insist on participative team approachIT Training Workshops COPS

Outsourcing / Contracting
Contract for required or specialized skills not otherwise available
Include opportunity for knowledge transfer Develop internal capacities Beware of excessive outsourcing; loses its effectiveness beyond 30%
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Do not believe in miracles. Rely on them.

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Organizational Ownership

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Organizational Ownership
The reason for any IT project is to add value to the organization
Organizational value comes from supporting the most critical business goals and helping the organization deliver on its business strategies Select projects to achieve the greatest net benefits for the organization Justify the project in light of the organizational goals
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Organizational Ownership
Strategic planning, IT planning, and
selection of projects are closely linked

Insist on an executive sponsor (chief); up to

83% dont, contributes to failure

Identify and involve all stakeholders Involve steering members in key decisions
and problem solving activities

Demonstrate a favorable cost/benefit

analysis

If you build it ... they will come!

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Creating a Practical Budget

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Creating a Budget
Break down each activity into individual tasks
Cost out each task as accurately as possible Include project management costs (consultants, software, documentation) Consult the individuals who actually perform the tasks; experts can provide more accurate estimates of actual costs Consider other factors that might impact budget (contractors, scope changes)
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Creating a Budget
Add 10-15% contingency for unanticipated expenses
Estimate 4-6 hours per day work time (factor in down time, e.g. administrative work, sick time, vacation, meetings)

Consider work space expenses, computers, additional phone lines, LAN connections, printing, travel Use a budget worksheet
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Project Manager as a Communicator

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Communication
Common ground of understanding Process by which information is exchanged between individuals through symbols, signs, or behavior Means of transferring information, emotions, or thoughts Includes verbal, written, and nonverbal means between two or more people Communication is only successful when message is correctly understood by intended message receiver
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Communication Methods:
Meetings
Reports/Memos

Presentations
Visits/Walk-Throughs

Phone, Email, Fax, Vmail, Web

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Risk Management

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Risk Management
The formal process by which risk factors are systematically and continuously identified, assessed, managed, and mitigated
All team members should be responsible for identifying potential risks Most problems can be anticipated and avoided Solutions can be prepared in advance

A problem resolved in advance is far simpler to resolve than one that occurs unexpectedly Reduces stress to team members
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Risk Magnitude
Risk Magnitude = (Severity of Impact) 1
minimal

(Probability of Occurrence) 1
not likely

10
catastrophic

10
highly probable

Example: Late delivery of server Severity = 9 (high) Probability = 8 (high) Risk Magnitude = 9 x 8 = 72
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Risk - Contingency Table

Maintain a running list of problems in a contingency table Sort by risk magnitude with most severe on top Focus on those with highest risk magnitude Review and update the list frequently (continuously)
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Risk Management - Activity

Using the worksheet in your notebook, develop a contingency table for a project you are currently involved with or are familiar with Identify five risks to the project description of the risk who is responsible for resolving potential severity of impact probability of occurrence calculate risk magnitude contingency plan date contingency must be in place
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Avoid Disasters
Project disasters can be avoided by an explicit early concern with identifying and resolving high-risk elements. . .

if you are not managing risk,

you are managing the

wrong thing !!!

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Project Management Tools

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Purpose of Project Management Tools

Maintain project control Allow for quick overview of the project View project details in different perspectives

Present relationships and order of project tasks

Display and communicate schedule in various ways Identify and manage the sequential flow of critical activities in a project Helpful for identifying and managing risks
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Project Management Tools

Quality Assurance Documentation Schedule Gantt Charts PERT Charts
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Quality Assurance
Publicly declare a departmental commitment to quality Implement training Set-up a measurement program Identify problem areas, look for solutions that will prevent recurrence Build quality into each interim deliverable The earlier project defects are identified, the less they cost to fix.
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Documentation
Specifications and Requirements - essential if the project is to meet the organizations goals Organizational Structure - project team Roles and Responsibilities - minimize misunderstandings and conflict Contingency Table (updated weekly) & Risk Forms

Change Requests
Regular Project Updates (weekly)
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Project Schedule
Essential for keeping the project on track Microsoft Project 98 - automated tool Schedule activities, milestones, critical path, resources, tasks Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Break each phase into individual tasks, with assigned responsibility and time Assists in identifying potential problems early
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MS Project 98 - Schedule

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Gantt Chart
1 2
Tasks

4
5
Time Planned schedule Actual schedule
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PERT/CPM Chart
PERT - Program and Evaluation Review Technique

CPM - Critical Path Method

Useful for large projects Identifies minimum project time based on dependent consecutive tasks
3 1 2 5 4
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Identifies concurrent tasks

If a task on the critical

path takes longer than expected, the entire project is delayed
6

Milestone - Definition
A clearly identifiable point in a project Summarizes the completion of an important set of tasks Commonly used to summarize the important events in a project Stakeholders dont want or need the details in a project plan

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Project Management Activities

Monitor the status of the project
Adjust budget, schedule, work plan Coordinate all project-related activities Document project status, project plan revisions

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Managing Multi-Agency Projects

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Multi-Agency Projects
Support of CEO from all agencies
Project goals are understood and shared Importance of mutual cooperation for project to be successful When conflicts threaten to impact the project, meet with the parties to find reasonable solution Make sure all agencies expect to benefit
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Warning Signs

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Symptoms of a Failing Project

Time, money, and resources have not been allocated to researching the problem; the problem remains poorly defined Objectives of the implementation project are vague and ambiguous; benefits are difficult to measure Little or no time is spent in preliminary planning
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Symptoms of a Failing Project

No standards to use in estimating preliminary costs or the duration of the project Project team is not properly staffed -personnel are assigned on an as available basis and cannot dedicate themselves to the project.

User groups to be served are not represented on the project team

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Ten Reasons for Failed Projects

Personnel Shortfalls Unrealistic Schedules and Budget Developing the Wrong Functions and Properties Developing the Wrong User Interface Gold Plating Continuing Stream of Requirements Changes Shortfalls in Externally Furnished Products Shortfalls in Externally Performed Tasks

Real-time Performance Shortfalls

Straining Computer-science Capabilities
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Summary
In summary, I fully realize that I have not

succeeded in answering all of your questions. . . Indeed,

I feel I have not answered any of them completely. The answers, I have found, only serve to raise a whole new

set of questions, which only lead to more problems,

some of which we werent even aware were problems. To sum it all up. . . in some ways I feel we are as

confused as ever, but I believe we are confused on a

higher level and about more important things.
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PROJECT MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

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