Guide to Project Management free essay sample

Project Management Guide What is in this guide? All development workers, and community organisations may at times work with development projects. This may bring you into contact with consultants, project teams and project managers. Whilst you may not manage specific projects is important that you understand both the technical and managerial aspects of project management. This will ensure that you and your organisation can make an informed contribution to the projects and can monitor implementation and outcomes. This guide has the follow ing sections: Chapter 1: Technical aspects to project management What is a project? What is project management? Project stakeholders T he project life cycle Defining the project o Defining the project scope o Creating the work breakdown structure o Estimating cost and developing budget Constructing a project network plan o Project schedule Chapter 2. Managerial aspects of project management Project manager Project risk management Project communication management Project quality management Chapter 1. Technical aspects to project management What is a project? A project is an assignment/task/job that has to be undertaken and completed within a set time, budget, resources and performance specifications designed to meet the needs of stakeholder and beneficiaries For example The Canadian International Donor Agency (CIDA) has donated R7. 5 million to provide RDP homes to 50 fam ilies living in the Joe Slovo inform settlement. On 6 February 2004, the agency al signed a contract with the Department of Housing to implem ent the project. The following requirem ents, am ongst others were set in the contract: 1. The RDP houses must meet specifications in line w ith government policy. 2. In order to ensure sustainability and affordability for the 50 families, the head of each of the 50 families m ust be given skills development training in sm business development and all small business start-up. This is to ensure that the families will be able to afford rentals, maintenance of the homes and to expand their hom to accommodate the grow th of the es families in the future. 3. The project m ust be completed within three years and the handover of the homes to the 50 families must be a high profile public event. From the example we see: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ a clear task build RDP homes for 50 families; a set time – within 3 years; a budget – R7. 5 million; performance specifications to meet the stakeholder needs – houses that meet the specifications in line with government policy, training for the head of each family; beneficiaries – 50 families; stakeholders – donor agency, Department of Housing What is project m anagement? Project Management is the use of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to plan and implement activities to meet or exceed stakeholder needs and expectations from a pr oject. Project stakeholders Project stakeholders are individuals and organisations who are actively involved in the project, or whose interests may be positively or negatively affected by the project. Key stakeholders in the example above include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Project Manager the individual responsible for managing the project; Project beneficiaries – 50 families who are going to receive the houses; Performing organisation – the Department of Housing whose employees are most directly involved in doing the work of the project; Sponsor – Canadian International Development Agency. In addition to these there are many different typical stakeholders: †¢ †¢ Suppliers and contractors – e. g. Construction companies, Skills development and education and training organisations, legal firms, events management company; Project team members and their families; †¢ †¢ Government agencies – e. g. local municipality. Community representatives and organisations The project life cycle Projects are usually divided into project stages (i. e. , definition, planning, execution and delivery stages) to provide better management and control. Collectively these project stages are known as the project life cycle. Figure 1-1 Project Life Cycle Definition Planning Execution Delivery Level of effort 1. Goals 2. Specifications 3. Tasks 4. Responsibil ities 5. Team s 1. Schedules 2. Budget s 3. Resources 4. Ri sks 5. Staffi ng 1. St atus report s 2. Changes 3. Qualit y 4. Forecasts 1. Train customer 2. Transfer document s 3. Release resources 4. Reassign staff 5. Lessons learned The project life cycle typically passe s through four stages, i. e. definition, planning, execution, and delivery. T he starting point begins the moment the project is given the go- ahead (when a contract agreement is signed). Project effort starts slowly, builds to a peak, and then declines to delivery of the pr oject to the customer. †¢ †¢ †¢ Definition stage – specifications of the project are defined, project objectives are established, project teams are formed and major responsibilities are assigned. Planning stage – plans are developed to determine the project steps, beneficiaries, timeframes, quality standards and budget. Execution stage – the major portion of the project work takes place – both physical and mental. Time, cost and specification measures are used for control. T he project managers have to ensure that the project is on schedule within the budget and meeting specifications. They have to also check if any changes are required Delivery stage – delivering the project pr oduct to the customer, may involve customer training and transferring documents. †¢ STAGE 1: Defining the project The three steps described below provide a planned approach for collecting the project information necessary for planning, scheduling and controlling the project. T hese are: Defining the project scope; Creating the work breakdown structure; Estimating costs and developing budgets. Defining the proj ect scope The project scope sets the stage for developing a project plan. It clearly states the project’s objectives and deliverables. Scope definition provides an administrative plan that is used to develop your operational plan, i. e. the plan for how you are going to run the project. Scope definition should be as br as possible, but complete. Poorly defined scope leads to project ief failure. The development of the scope must involve the project manager, sponsors, performing organisations and beneficiaries. SCOPE STA TEMENT Proj ect Obj ective To construct RDP homes for 50 families in the Joe Slovo informal settlement within 36 months at a cost not exceeding R 7,5 million. Deliverables †¢ 50 finished RDP homes as per specifications laid down by the Department of Housing †¢ Skills development and training for the head of each of the 50 families †¢ Hand over the finished homes to the 50 families at a high profile public event Milestones 1. Permits approved – 5 March 2004 2. Foundations poured – 28 January 2005 3. Bricklaying, shearing, plumbing, electrical and mechanical inspections passed – 4 July 2006 4. Final inspection of houses – 15 March 2007 5. 50 trainees receive training certificates – 15 December 2006 6. Handover to 50 families 21 March 2007 Technical Requirements 1. RDP homes must meet government specifications and local building codes 2. 50 trainees must receive recognised certificates after completion of training. Limits and exclusions DEFINITIONS Proj ect objectives T o define the major objectives of the project Deliverables T he expected outcomes over the life of the project – what is it that is going to be delivered Milestones A milestone is a significant event in a project that occurs at a point in time. The milestone schedule shows only major segments of work; it represents first, estimates of time, cost, and resources for the project. Milestones are important control points in the project. T hey should be easy for all project participants to identify. Technical Requirements A product or a service w have technical ill requirements to ensure proper performance Limits and Exclusions 1. T he homes will be built to the specifications and design of the original blueprints provided by the Department of Housing; 2. Contractors responsible for work done by subcontractors 3. Site work limited to Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 6:00pm Customer Rev iew Representative: Canadian International Development Agency Signature: T he limits of scope should be defined as they point to what can or cannot be done during the course of the project. Failure to do so can lead to unreasonable expectations and the wastage of resources and money. Rev iews with Customer Completion of the scope checklist ends with a review with your customer. In summary, close liaison with your customer is necessary to develop a project definition that meets all requirements of the customer. Clear scope definition ensures you will know when a change in scope occurs. A clear project scope definition is the most important requirement for development of your Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). Creating the work breakdown structure (WBS) Once the scope and deliverables have been identified, the work of the project can be subdivided into smaller work elements. T he outcome of this process is called the work breakdown structure. An example Final Project Deliverables Final insp ection of 50 RDP units Training completed High Profile Public event to hand over homes to Fixtures Electrical Appoint Ser vice Provi der f or s kills devel opment and training Appoint Ser vice provider f or events management Tender Process Plumbing Tender Process Shearing Brick laying Laying Foundati ons Approval of Permits Work Breakdown Structure Figure 1-3 All the elements/steps that make up WBS are called work packages. It is very useful as the structure clearly points to what has to be done and in what sequence (order). It divides the work and responsibility into individual work packages which makes it easy for the project manager to manage and monitor the implementation for the project by: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ making it possible to plan, schedule and budget; providing a framework for tracking and monitoring cost and work performance; defining communication channels; assisting in understanding and coordinating many parts of the project; pointing to problems and ensuring they are quickly addressed Estim ating cost and developing budgets Project status reports to stakeholders depend on reliable cost estimates and budgets. T he accuracy of the cost estimates are good w hen work packages are clearly defined, as in the WBS example above. At the work package level, estimates should be made by the people most familiar with the task. T hey will give an estimate based on their experience and best judgment. Here are typical kinds of costs found in a project: Direct costs – T hese costs are chargeable to individual work package in the WBS. o o o o Labour Materials Equipment Other Project Ov erhead Costs – represents project costs that cannot be tied to specific deliverable but serve the entire project. For example, a temporary shed may be set up that will be used to store tools and equipment of various contractors, host the training and the handing over function. General and Administrative (GA) ov erhead costs – these represent organisational costs incurred by the firm managing the project. GA overhead costs are usually allocated as a percentage of total direct cost and may vary from one project manager to another. The organisation of the budget into these three categories helps control the process and improve decision making. T he following is an example of a budget format: Direct Costs Obtaining permits Tendering Processes Building Contractors Laying Foundations Bricklaying Shearing Plumbing Electrical Fixtures Skills Development Training Contractors Events Managem ent Contractors Contingencies Project Overhead Costs Salaries: Project Manager team Temporary shed Travel General Administrative Costs 40% of Total Direct Cost GRAND TOTAL Rxxxxxx R xxxxx R xxxxx R xxxxx R xxxxx R xxxxx R xxxxx R xxxxx R xxxxx R xxxxx R xxxxx R xxxxx R xxxxx Rxxxxxx R xxxxxx R xxxxxx R xxxxxx Rxxxxxx R xxxxx Rxxxxxx STAGE 2: Planning Constructing a project network plan The project netw tool is used for planning, scheduling and monitoring project progress. The ork network is developed from the information collected for the WBS and is a graphic flowchart of the project job plan. The network shows the project activities that must be completed, the sequences (steps), the interdependencies (how individual steps rely on other steps for completion), and in most cases the times for the activities to start and finish along the longest path through the network – the critical path. The network is the framework that will be used by the project managers to make decisions concerning project time, cost and performance. Once the network is developed, it is very easy to modify or change when unexpected events occur as the project progresses. In summary, the network plan is used to: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ schedule labour and equipment; enhance communication that brings together all managers and groups in meeting the time, cost, and performance objectives of the project; provide an estimate of the time the project will take (duration); give the times when activities can start or finish and when they can be delayed; provide the starting point for budgeting the cash flow (when money needs to be received and spent on various elements) of the project. Figure 1-4 Project Net ork Plan w Tendering Skills Training Plumbing Start Foundati on Bricklaying Electrical Fixtures Finish Sheathi ng Tendering Event management This project network plan clearly illustrates that: †¢ †¢ Plumbing, electrical and sheathing activities can occur at the same time after bricklaying is completed; Start – Foundation – Bricklaying – Electrical – Fixtures Finish is the longest path, (critical path) – if one of the activities on this path is delayed then the whole project will be delayed by the same amount of time. Proj ect schedule The project netw plan will assist in drawing up a project schedule which clearly defines each ork task, how long it will take, when it will start and finish. It is an important tool used by the project manager to track and monitor the implementation process. Below is an example of a project schedule. Task Name Start Organize Permits Lay Foundations Bricklaying Plumbing Electrical Sheathing Fixtures Final Inspection Tendering for T raining Skills T raining Tendering for events management Event Management Duration Start 6 Feb 2004 6 Feb 2004 24 March 2004 15 Feb 2005 4 Jan 2006 4 Jan 2006 4 Jan 2006 28 July 2006 1 Jan 2007 3 May 2006 3 July 2006 8 Jan 2007 1 March 2007 Finish 21 March 2007 5 March 2004 28 January 2005 30 Nov 2005 4 July 2006 4 July 2006 4 July 2006 29 Nov 2006 15 March 2007 28 June 2006 9 Jan 2007 28 Feb 2007 21 March 2007 1 days 233 days 207 days 130 days 130 days 130 days 89 days 54 days 41 days 139 days 38 days 21 days Chapter 2. Managerial aspects of project management This section looks at some important aspects that are central to the management of projects. For any project to be successful there has to be a good project manager who is able to provide leadership and bring together different teams to work towards a common objective. In addition to being able t o manage people and budgets the project manager must be able to: †¢ †¢ Identify potential risks and develop back up plans; Effectively communicate with all stakeholders; Ensure quality that meets the expectations of stakeholders Project m anager The project manager performs the same functions as other managers. T he project manager is unique because s/he manages temporary activities and is usually an outsider brought into a business or government department to implement a specific project. A project manager is generally expected to be the projects’ leader who needs to motivate and inspire people working on the project. Project managers are expected to organise resources to complete a project on time, on budget and within specification. They provide direction, coordination, and integration to the project team and are responsible for performance. When things go wrong the project manager’s job is to get the project back on track by working out ways to solve problems and serving as peacemaker when tensions arise. Depending on the nature of the project, there are a number of different groups outside the organisation that influence the success of the project. To be effective, a project manager must understand how these groups can affect the project and develop methods for managing the relationship. Project risk management Risk identification consists of determining which risks are likely to affect the project and documenting the characteristics of each. For example, the project manager in the RDP homes project has to look at each package within the WBS and work out what is likely to go wrong. Once this is done the project manager has to develop a plan of how each problem will be addressed. Risk identification is not a one-time event and should be performed on a regular basis throughout the project. Risk identification should address both internal and external risks. Internal risks are things that the project team can control or influence, such as the performance of contractors, material wastage etc. External risks are things beyond the control or influence of the project team, such as changes in the exchange rate, new government legislation, bad weather etc. A risk management plan should document the procedur that w be used to manage risk throughout es ill the project. Project communication m anagement Project communication management is about how communication is carried out during the course of the project. Good communication ensures that all stakeholders are regularly kept informed about progress and problems. Project communication management is made up of the following processes: †¢ Communications planning – determining the information and communication needs of the stakeholders: who needs what information, when will they need it, and how will it be given to them; Information distribution – making needed information available to project stakeholders in an accessible and timely manner; Performance reporting – collecting and disseminating performance information. This includes status reporting, progress measurement and forecasting; Administrative (Proj ect) Closure – generating, gathering, and disseminating information to for malise phase or project completion. †¢ †¢ †¢ Project quality m anagement It is of no use completing a project within the set time and budget if the final product is of poor quality. The project manager has to ensure that the final product meets the quality expectations of the stakeholders. T his is done by good: Quality planning – identifying what quality standards are relevant to the project and determining how to meet them; Quality Assurance – evaluating overall project performance on a regular basis to provide confidence that the project will satisfy the relevant quality standards; Quality control – monitoring specific project results to determine if they comply with relevant quality standards and identifying ways to remove causes of poor performance.