What is Project Management?
The management activities of planning, directing, and controlling resources (people, equipment, material) to meet the technical, cost, and time constraints of a project.
What are the characteristics of “Business as Usual”?
- Day to day / repetitive
- Operational
- Line manager reporting
- Ongoing
- Benefits from change
- Less risky
What are the characteristics of a Project?
- One-off / Unique–Delivering “things”
- Project Mgr. reporting
- Start and end time
- Bring about change
- Riskier
What is a Project?
A project is a temporary endeavor designed to produce a unique product, service or result with a defined beginning and end (usually time-constrained, and often constrained by funding or staffing) undertaken to meet unique goals and objectives, typically to bring about beneficial change or added value.
What are the five phases of project management in order?
- Conception and Initiation
- Definition and Planning
- Launch or Execute
- Performance and Control
- Project Close
What are the three types of project structures?
- Pure Project
- Function Project
- Matrix Project
What is a pure project?
A pure project is where a self-contained team works full-time on the project. (Refer to PowerPoint)
What are the advantages of a pure project?
- The project manager has full authority over the project
- Team members report to one boss
- Shortened communication lines
- Team pride, motivation, and commitment are high
What are the disadvantages of a pure project?
- Duplication of resources
- Organizational goals and policies are ignored
- Lack of technology transfer
- Team members have no functional area “home”
What is a functional project?
Housed withina functional division. (refer to PowerPoint)
What are the advantages of a functional project?
- A team member can work on several projects
- Technical expertise is maintained within the functional area
- The functional area is a “home” after the project is completed
- Critical mass of specialized knowledge
What are the disadvantages of a functional project?
- Aspects of the project that are not directly related to the functional area get short-changed
- Motivation of team members is often weak
- Needs of the client are secondary and are responded to slowly
What are the advantages of a matrix project?
- Enhanced communications between functional areas
- Pinpointed responsibility
- Duplication of resources is minimizedFunctional “home” for team members
- Policies of the parent organization are followed
What are the disadvantages of a matrix project?
- Too many bosses
- Depends on the project manager’s negotiating skills
- Potential for sub-optimization
What is a Project Objectives Statement?
The Project Objective Statement (POS) establishes a project’s scope, schedule, and resources. Clear, concise 25 words or less.
What are the four parts of defining a project?
- Statement of Work
- Project Milestone
- Activities
- Work Breakdown Structure
What is the Statement of Work?
A written description of the objectives to be achieved.
What is some information stored in the Statement of Work?
- Objectives
- Description of work to be completed–Task breakup
- The high-level work breakdown structure
- Proposed schedule
- Milestones
- Performance measures
- Acceptance/Signoff criteria
What is a Project Milestone?
Specific events in the life of the project.
What are Activities?
Pieces of work that consume time.
What is the Work Breakdown Structure?
Defines the hierarchy of project tasks, subtasks, and work packages. (refer to notes)
What is a task?
A further subdivision of a project – usually shorter than several months and performed by a single group or organization.
What is a
A group of activities combined to be assignable to a single organizational unit.
What is a Gnatt Chart?
Correlation of activities and the time allocated to them (refer to notes)
