The document discusses key aspects of IT project management including defining problems, developing clear objectives, and assessing risks. It emphasizes that properly defining the problem is critical to solving it. The real mission of every project is to achieve the customer's vision by satisfying their needs. Objectives should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound. Identifying potential risks helps minimize threats to schedules, budgets, quality and satisfaction.
2. Defining the problem
• Every project solves a problem of some kind, but people are inclined
• to skip over the definition of the problem. This is a big mistake.
• The way you define a problem determines how you will
• solve it, so it is critical that a proper definition be developed.
3. Confusion of Terms
• is that the person has no way to get to work—or so he says.
• But could he ride the bus, go with a coworker, or ride a bike until
• he has the money to have the car repaired? It is true that having
• no money to repair the car is a problem, but it is important to distinguish
• between the basic or core problem and those at another
• level.
4. The Real World
• Your boss or project sponsor will say, “Here is your mission,”
• without any mention of a problem statement. It is possible
• that some discussion of the sponsor’s vision of the end result will
• take place, but even that may be fairly sketchy
5. The Real Mission of Every Project
• I said earlier that the mission is always to achieve the vision.
• I should add that the vision you are trying to achieve is
• the one the customer holds. Another way to say this is that you
• are trying to satisfy the customer’s needs. That is the primary objective.
• Your motive may be to make a profit in the process, but
• the mission is always to meet the needs of the customer.
• 1. What are we going to do?
• 2. For whom are we going to do it?
6. Developing Project Objectives
• Once a mission statement has been developed
• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Realistic
• Time limited
7. vision
• A Vision Statement describes the desired future position of the company.
•
• A vision statement provides strategic direction and describes what the
owner or founder wants the company to achieve in the future.
8. mission
• A Mission Statement defines the company's business, its objectives and its
approach to reach those objectives.
• A mission statement describes an organization's purpose and answers the
questions "What business are we in?" and "What is our business for?
9. Objectives
• a thing aimed at or sought; a goal
• Objectives are specific, measurable steps that can be taken to meet the goal
• An objective specifies a desired end result to be achieved. A task is an
activity performed to achieve that result. An objectiveis usually a noun,
whereas a task is a verb.
10. Assessing Project Risks
• This will help you to minimize the risk
• The schedule
• ! The budget
• ! Project quality
• ! Customer satisfaction
11. Key Points to Remember
• The way a problem is defined determines how you will solve it.
• ! A problem is a gap between where you are and where you
• want to be, with obstacles making it hard to reach the goal. A
• goal by itself is not a problem. Obstacles must exist for there
• to be a problem.
• ! Vision is what the final result will “look like.” It defines “done.”
• ! The mission is to achieve the vision. It answers the two questions
• “What are we going to do?” and “For whom are we
• going to do it?”
