1. Project Management . The Change Agent
Some Good practices in Project Management
Vijay Prasad M.Tech, PMP
Visiting Ukraine in partnership with SoftServe
4 March, 2011

2. Strategic: Projects steer the global economy
• More than 20% of gross global product is spent on
fixed capital projects
• Add projects in IT, new product and service
development, and other knowledge work
• 20 million people worldwide work on project
teams full-time or part-time
Source: PMI

3. The Word Is Out
• 50% of project failure
traceable to poor (or no)
project management:
– Bad estimates/deadlines
– Scope changes
– Poor resource planning
• “80% of higher-performing
projects use a certified
project manager
• More innovative
organizations extend
PricewaterhouseCoopers survey, 2007
project thinking to
program and portfolio
management Source: PMI
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4. Reality…
In General
3 out of 10 satisfied customers will tell
others how good we are
…
6 out of 10 dissatisfied customers will tell
others how bad we are...

5. Project Management Competencies

6. Project Management

7. PMI identifies 5 competencies for effective Project
Management
Project Management Knowledge
Organization
practices & Personal
Knowledge Competency
Industry /Domain Performance
Functional Competency
Competency PMI Competency Development Framework

8. Project ecosystem

9. The Project ecosystem
External Customer Performing
Organization
Management
Business Partner PMO
Quality
Project Manager Finance
HR
Other
Solution Partner Project
Account Manager
Team

10. The Project ecosystem
Internal Customer
Performing
Organization
Management
PMO
Project Manager
Quality
Finance
HR
Other
Solution Partner Project
Team

11. Some suggestions for Project Managers for
driving projects to success

12. Project Manager
Understand Big Picture
Understand clearly the requirements, objectives,
functions, scope, quality standards, timelines, budget
Understand clearly all risks
Understand Stakeholders ‘ requirements and their
position
Understand clearly contractual obligations
Understand clearly constraints
Record any assumptions
Understand deliverables acceptance & project success
criteria.
Understand the methodology
Develop Project Charter and conduct Kick-off meeting

13. Project Manager
Develop WBS ACCURATELY
Re-plan if taking over a previously planned project
Establish/seek escalation path in your organization as
well as in customer’ organization
Establish effective Change Control Procedures
Identify Team Members and clearly communicate
Project requirements, objectives, functions, scope,
quality standards, timelines, budget, risks,
Contractual obligations, Stakeholders ‘ requirements &
their position, methodology, deliverables acceptance
& project success criteria. and project ecosystem

14. Project Manager
Visualize upfront deliverables and “changed state”
after project completion
Understand the change management required
PLAN, PLAN, PLAN
Plan for training needs
ESTIMATE ACCURATELY CONSIDERING ALL
CONTINGENCIES
COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE, COMMUNICATE
Communicate upfront and seek agreement on Plan,
methodology, all communications, report formats,
frequency, distribution list, Change Control procedures

15. Project Manager
Assign Team roles and responsibilities
Inspire Team, explain your style, and seek
commitment
Emphasis and follow on Professionalism, ethical
behavior

16. Project Manager
Establish SLAs with all participants in Project
ecosystem
Communicate plan to relevant participants in
ecosystem and seek their commitment
Encourage peer-reviews
Establish and communicate Customer QA and QC and
audit processes
Establish, communicate, and enforce monitor and
control processes
Establish, communicate and enforce governance
Establish frequency of reviews

17. Project Manager
Monitor, measure progress accurately
Communicate progress timely and TAKE CORRECTIVE
ACTIONS
ESCALATE judiciously and timely, and seek required
help
Create Knowledge Repository and record Lessons
learned and best practices from Day 1

18. Project Manager
Ensure all deliverables developed to scope, QC all
deliverables
Seek acceptance from customer of all deliverables
Start each phase with approval and Close each phase
with sign-off
Close project with customer sign-off and as per legal
Requirements
Create excitement
Celebrate each win with team and ecosystem players
Recognize performance in public and reprimand,
mentor in private

19. Project Manager
Effective Project Managers understand that projects
are born Red, and they have to constantly bring them
into Green
It is not Project Management, it is Project
Management & Leadership
Lead with motto of Prevention is better than cure
And “like an apple a day keeps the doctor away”,
project review and action a day keeps the project
problems away
Lead to make this project a case study for your
Organization

20. Project Manager
Lead as if this the last project, and last opportunity to
demonstrate your ability to drive the project to
success

21. Project Manager
Project Manager’s Daily Check list:
1. Are we on target to deliver next deliverables to
the scope and quality?
2. Are we exceeding customer expectations?
3. Are we under budget?
4. Is the team motivated?

22. Project Manager
Project Manager’s Daily Check list:
5. What problems we foresee?
o Customer satisfaction
o Scope
o Schedule
o Cost
o Quality
o Team
o Risks
o Process/Methodology

23. Project Manager
Project Manager’s Daily Check list:
5. What actions I have to take today?

24. Project Manager
Seek support from:
Your management
Your team
Your support teams – PMO, Quality, HR, Finance, and
others
Your Solution Partner
Your Account Manager
Your Business Partner
And although Customer is the King, seek support from
them to serve them better

25. I congratulate SoftServe and local
Project Managers in Ukraine for
starting the
Project Management Community

26. Thank you
My Contact Details
Vijay Prasad
vijayprasad001@gmail.com
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Mobile: +91-98490-06070