This document provides an overview of key areas of project management. It begins by defining a project according to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) as a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result. It then discusses the five main processes of project management: initiation, planning, executing, controlling, and closing. Finally, it identifies some of the top reasons for needing project management, such as controlling scope creep, delivering on time and budget, and defining the critical path. The document provides a high-level introduction to fundamental concepts in project management.
1. Key Areas of Project
Management
Prepared By: Rakesh Satpathy
Business Analyst
HireCraft Software Private Limited
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2. The formal definition of a “Project” as per the
Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)
defines a project as a temporary endeavor
undertaken to create a unique product, service or
result.
The temporary nature of projects indicates a definite beginning and end. The end
is reached when the project’s objectives have been achieved or when the project is
terminated because its objectives will not or cannot be met, or when the need for
the project no longer exists.
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3. 2. WHAT IS PROJECT MANAGEMENT?
Project management is a methodical approach to planning and
guiding project processes from start to finish. According to the
PMI, the processes are guided through five stages: initiation,
planning, executing, controlling, and closing.
1. Scope
2. Time
3. Cost and
4. Quality
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4. 3. What is the Need for Project Management?
The Top Ten Reasons Why we Need Project Management
1. Control scope creep and manage change:
- Small changes in demands occur on every project. Individually, they may appear
acceptable, but collectively these project demands can add up to a significant project
expansion (referred to as “scope creep”) that can overrun your budget.
2. Deliver project results on time and on budget:
- Project planning starts with a well thought out business case justification that-
usually includes some type of cost calculation associated with Return On
Investment (ROI).
3. Focus the project team on the solution:
- The project team can easily drift off topic and spend too much time on the wrong
tasks. A good project management keeps the project team focused by using a clear
and concise project charter & resolving barriers.
4. Obtain project buy-in from disparate groups:
- As President Lincoln once said, “Public sentiment is everything. With it, nothing
can fail; without it, nothing can succeed.”
In the initiation phase of project management to collect user requirements, project
constraints, and a feasibility study to build a strong business case justification.
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5. 3. What is the Need for Project Management? Contd..
5. Define the critical path to optimally complete your project;
Every project is made up of a series of connected activities, each of which has its own
constraints. The project manager identifies the critical path of activities — the
optimal sequence of actions that best ensure the project’s successful completion.
6. Provide a process for estimating project resources, time, and costs;
Using project management software, previous project experiences, and a solid project
initiation phase can provide the discipline needed to reduce project estimating
errors, increasing the likelihood that the project will finish on time and on
budget.
7. Communicate project progress, risks, and changes;
As a project progresses, stakeholders must be kept informed of the outcomes,
changes, stumbling blocks, or successes that the project experiences. Project
management creates a project communication plan to address
these communicationissues, provide a format, and lay out a process for
execution.
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6. 3. What is the Need for Project Management? Contd..
8. Surface and explore project assumptions:
Relying on too many unconfirmed assumptions can invalidate a project schedule or,
worse, sink the project.
9. Prepare for unexpected project issues/risks; and:
10. Document, transfer, and apply lessons learned from your projects:
The last phase of project management focuses on “closing out” the project. the next
project.
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7. 4. Project Management Processes
Projects are composed of processes. A process is “a series of actions
bringing about a result”. Project processes are performed by people are:
Project Management Processes are concerned with describing and organizing the
work of the project.
Processes are as follows:
1. Initiating Processes: recognizing that a project or phase should begin and
committing to do so.
2. Planning Processes: devising and maintaining a workable scheme to
accomplish the business need that the project was undertaken to address.
3. Executing Processes: coordinating people and other resources to carry out the
plan.
4. Controlling Processes: ensuring that project objectives are met by
monitoring and measuring progress and taking action when necessary.
5. Closing Process: formalizing acceptance of the project or phase and bringing it
to an orderly end.
Note: The Process Groups are linked by the results they produce – the result or
outcome of one becomes an input to another.
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9. 5. Communication Flow: How the improper communication
can be a hindrance in Project Delivery
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10. 6. Project Management Skills
1. Start with a Solid Foundation
2. Do More Listening Than Talking
3. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions
4. Be Patient with Your Explanations
5. Explain Your Reasons and Thought Processes
6. Give Advice When Needed
7. Avoid Technical Jargons
8. Avoid Assumptions
9. Use Examples Whenever Required
10. Put it in Writing(Documentation)
11. Keep it Professional
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11. 7. Why are Soft skills essential in Project
Management?
Introduction
Success at the workplace for any professional is determined primarily
by two skill sets. The first are the hard skills and the second are the
soft skills. Before we can take the discussion further, it
is important to understand the difference between the
two.
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12. 7. Why are Soft skills essential in
Project Management?
Hard Skills Vs. Soft Skills
Hard Skills : These are the technical skills that are
associated with a respective profession. For example for a
software engineer it would be his or her proficiency level
with a programming language. For an implementation
engineer it would be the proficiency in implementation.
Soft Skills: Soft skills are also referred to as people skills as
these are the skills that determine a persons interactions and
dealings with coworkers, clients and people in general.
Examples of soft skills are ability to think critically,
leadership skills, attitude and motivation to specify a few.
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13. 7. Why are Soft skills essential in Project
Management? Contd..
With the soft skills you can excel as a leader. Problem solving, delegating,
motivating, and team building are all much easier if you have good soft skills.
Knowing how to get along with people – and displaying a positive attitude – are
crucial for success.
Some of them are as follows:
People Skills/Management
Delegating
Motivating & Team Building
Listening actively and effectively
Soft Skills are what are termed as people skills or interpersonal skills. These
determine an persons attitude towards his work, organization, clients and
colleagues.
Soft skills is not just about communicating, but includes ability to manage
stress, ability to organize, ability to provide solutions etc.
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14. 8. Risk Identification & Mitigation
Risk Management is the name given to a logical and
systematic method of identifying, analyzing, treating and
monitoring the risks involved in any activity or process.
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15. Identify the risks
Defining types of risk, for instance, ‘Strategic’ risks to the goals and
objectives of the organization.
• Identifying the stakeholders, (i.e., who is involved or affected).
• Past events, future developments.
Monitor and review
Communicate & consult
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16. 8. Risk Identification & Mitigation contd..
Analyze the Risks
How likely is the risk event to happen? (Probability and frequency?)
What would be the impact, cost or consequences of that event occurring?
(Economic, political, social?)
Monitor & Communicate &
Review Consult
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17. 8. Definitions of Risk Headlights contd..
Headlight Risk Mitigation plan
n Low Defined
Green
n Medium Defined, but waiting to see evidence of
Yellow
effectiveness.
n High Risk of delay to milestone Mitigation plan is ineffective
Red or key deliverable
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19. 9. Project Controls contd..
- Maintaining proper control really requires that you
consider three parameters: (a) where you are, compared with
where you’re supposed to be; (b) what lies ahead that can
affect you; and (c) where you’re going to end up, compared
with where you said you would end up.
- Different Project Controls:
1. Milestones
1.1 The project should be divided into major and minor
milestones which will act as
checkpoints to reduce the risk of failure and to ensure that
any issues or
projected timeline slippages are highlighted at the earliest
juncture.
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20. 9. Project Controls contd..
1.2 Status Reports
- Twice weekly reports on Monday and Wednesday are to be
submitted to
illustrate the following:
1.2.1 Actions Planned: with estimated start dates, duration,
resource
requirements and dependencies
- 1.2.2 Actions Performed: with time / resources spent, estimate of
percentage
task completed and estimate of time left to complete; along with issues
that have been encountered, resolved or that remain outstanding
- 1.2.3 Actions Pending: With explanation why action is pending and
steps
required to resolve any issues.
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21. 10. Major Causes of Project Failure
There are 10 major causes of Project Failure:
1. Lack of Change Management:
Problems:
- Not having a method to handle or recognize changes.
What to do?
- Document the change management process to be used and followed by
the Project Team
- Educate the Project Team to recognize
- Follow the Change Management Process
2. Poor Communications:
Problems:
- Team Members do not have inputs when they need it.
- Project Reporting
- Issues or Changes do not get escalated
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22. 10. Major Causes of Project Failure contd..
What to do?
- Who needs the information?
- What do they need to know?
- How do they want it?
- When and how often do they need it?
- How should it be delivered and by whom?
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23. 10. Major Causes of Project Failure contd..
3. Poorly Defined Requirements:
- What the Customers want not clearly documented?
- The Customers did not sign off the document
What to do?
- Find out and document exactly what the customer
wants.
- Inform Everybody of the Project Scope
- Document Business, Functional and Technical
Requirements and get it signed.
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24. 10. Major Causes of Project Failure contd..
4. Poor Risk Management:
Problems:
- No formal Risk Management
What to Do?
- Identify what can go wrong for each piece of work
- Prioritize Each Risk (High/Medium/Low Probability)
5. No Time For Project Management
Problems:
- Planning is poor from start
- Underestimation of the Challenges
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25. 10. Major Causes of Project Failure contd..
5. No Time For Project Management contd..
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26. 10. Major Causes of Project Failure contd..
6. Improved Project Management Skill Sets
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27. 10. Major Causes of Project Failure contd..
6. Improved Project Management Skill Sets contd..
Problems:
- People Often don’t know what they don’t know
- Their Projects are out of control but they don’t know why?
What to do?
- Learn the methods, tools and techniques of Project Management.
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28. 11. Stakeholder Analysis
Understanding Key Stakeholders
Key questions that can help you understand your stakeholders are:
1. What financial or emotional interest do they have in the outcome of your
work? Is it positive or negative?
2. What motivates them most of all?
3. What information do they want from you?
4. How do they want to receive information from you? What is the best way
of communicating your message to them?
5. What is their current opinion of your work?
6. Who influences their opinions generally, and who influences their opinion
of you? Do some of these influencers therefore become important
stakeholders in their own right?
7. If they are not likely to be positive, what will win them around to support
your project?
8. If you don't think you will be able to win them around, how will you
manage their opposition?
9. Who else might be influenced by their opinions? Do these people become
stakeholders in their own right?
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29. 11. Stakeholder Analysis
A very good way of answering these questions is to talk to your stakeholders
directly – people are often quite open about their views, and asking people's
opinions is often the first step in building a successful relationship with
them.
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