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Project Management Basics

 

Project management is the process by which a proposed project is developed within a rigorous framework. The subset of project management that this lecture will focus on is 'project scheduling', that is the process by which the various activities that need to be undertaken during a projects lifetime should be scheduled. There are a range of activity management tools that are commercially available.

 

Let’s see some Project Management Basics in details:

 

What is project management? Project management begins with planning, which includes getting the definition of success from key stakeholders (CEO, your boss etc.) before the project starts. The project manager needs to understand the desired results in order to develop the project budget, define project deliverables and communicate what success will look like for the people who will be doing the work. There are two types of project management - strategic and tactical. Tactical project management involves planning, organizing and managing a single project within an organization. Strategic project management, usually a management function, kicks in when several projects are being run at once, and involves prioritizing current and forthcoming projects to meet with larger business objectives.

 

Who make the best project managers? The project manager is responsible for the success or failure of a project. The project manager must rally the troops to get the job done. Morale must be kept up and a sense of urgency maintained so that nobody loses sight of the objective. A good project manager will be well organized with excellent logistical, estimating and follow up skills. He or she will be a first-rate communicator, both written and verbal, who can clearly communicate ideas to team members, management and the client. A strong problem-solving and multi-tasking ability is a must, and an iron hand in a velvet glove is a plus when dealing with unrealistic expectations.

 

Project Management Basics—managing a project: Regardless of size or nature, there are three major phases involved in managing a project:

 

  • Planning - Defining the project, breaking it up into its component tasks, defining the resources that will be required to complete it, and making sure that your allocated budget can do the job.
  • Scheduling - Defining the relationship between tasks and resources and results in the project plan.
  • Ongoing management - Making sure that the project runs to plan, overseeing scope changes and managing client expectations.

 

Project Management Basics—Planning: Following are the steps in that phase:

  • The whys and the wherefores -- There cannot be enough said about the importance of thorough up-front planning. Planning may seem of intangible benefit when management is pushing for results that the client can see, however it's the project manager's job to ensure that this vital step is given due attention. The better the planning process, the fewer unexpected problems you can anticipate along the way.
  • Define the project -- Defining the project and specifying its scope helps develop a common vision of what the project is and will deliver.
  • Defining the quality standard -- The quality of the project will ultimately be measured by the client. It's the project manager's job to understand the client's expectations, and then to define the level of quality that the budget and deadline will in fact allow, and to communicate this to the client and the team.
  • List and sequence the tasks -- Once the project definition document has been approved and signed off, it's time to make a list of the tasks that comprise the project. You may find that some tasks (summary tasks) can be broken down further into sub-tasks. This can assist your estimating efforts and help to clarify what needs to be done.
  • Define your resources -- Resources can be people, equipment or money. People may be internal resources, i.e. your existing staff, or external resources such as vendors supplying a specific service, additional labour or expert consultants such as lawyers or accountants.
  • Estimate the time required for each task -- If you've completed a similar project in the past and then estimating should be fairly simple. Otherwise, perhaps you can benefit from the experience of those around you. Ask your colleagues if there are records of similar projects that you can base your estimate upon. If you've already decided who your resources should be, you can consult with them regarding the amount of time they feel they will need. Remember to add project management time, as well as contingency hours to reflect the risk associated with the estimate.

 

Project Management Basics – scheduling: Once you've planned your project, it's time to turn your attention to scheduling and build your project plan.

 

Following are the steps in that phase:

  • Make sure your resources are available when you need them
  • Create milestones to measure progress -- It's a good idea to set milestones - measurable objectives that signal the completion of a major deliverable and indicate that you have reached a significant point in the project. Milestones can help you quickly establish whether your project is on schedule and can be an effective way to report project status to management and clients, as well as providing periodic sign-off points if these are required from the client.
  • Build your project plan -- The complexity of the project plan you build will depend on the size of the project, as larger projects demand greater planning and structure than smaller ones.

 

Project Management Basics – managing communication: The project manager's job doesn't stop with planning and scheduling. Once the project is underway there's the tricky business of making sure everything goes according to plan and that any problems that arise are dealt with quickly and efficiently.

 

Project Management Basics – Ongoing management: It is the job of the project manager to make sure that the project stays on track and the deliverables meet the specifications detailed in the project definition document, as well as to manage client expectations by keeping all relevant parties informed about the project's status. The project has a greater chance of success if the client is to some extent actively involved.

 

Project Management Basics – Managing communication: Effective communication with the relevant parties is the key to a successful project. The project manager should thus develop a communications plan in order to effectively gather progress information from the team, supply timely reports and gather feedback from management and the client.

 

Project Management Basics – Hold a kick-off meeting: You should start the project off with a well-organized kick-off meeting with your team to discuss the project plan as a group, to assign roles and responsibilities and to iron out any issues that team members may have. The main point of this meeting is to discuss the project definition and plan and to make sure that all team members share a clear understanding of the end goal and quality of deliverables.

 

Project Management Basics – Collect regular status reports from team members: It is necessary to regularly communicate with individual team members in order to evaluate the status of their work and to deal with any questions they have or issues that need to be resolved. There is no need to waste your team members' time by insisting on written reports when you can gather all the information you need in a brief conversation. Your status 'reports' can thus take the form of face-to-face meetings, email, telephone calls or voice mail. The most important thing here is that these reports are gathered at regular intervals, at least on a weekly basis, and that any issues raised by your team are dealt with quickly, before they develop into larger issues.

 

Project Management Basics – Project status meetings: Project status meetings gives the team, including management and the client representative, an opportunity to evaluate the project's status as a whole and to highlight issues that the team as a whole need to deal with. These meetings should be kept brief and to the point. They are not problem solving sessions, but rather a vehicle to deliver status and flag issues that concern the big picture. Issues should then be noted and dealt with at a later time.

 

Project Management Basics – Status reports to management and the client: Depending on the size of the project, status reports should be submitted to management and the client to keep those who do not attend the project status meetings up to speed. These may not be necessary for small projects, but for medium and large projects bi-monthly or monthly reports would be appropriate.

 

Project Management Basics – Tips for managing client expectations: Managing client expectations can be one of the more challenging of the project manager's tasks and also one of the most essential. It's no good for the project team to hold a common vision of the project's objective if it is different to that held by the client.

When you, as a project manager, accept responsibility for a project, you accept the schedule, timeline, deadlines, resources, and expectations set out at the start. Now you can make sure you're asking the right questions for each project by utilizing the tools, checklists, and information from projectmanagementsurvival.

Now you can manage your risk project according to best practice standards. You'll have the details and plans in place to handle whatever arises during a project's duration—setting appropriate expectations for timelines, milestones, and deliverables. And, ensure success for each and every project with resources on:

  • Ensuring you have the necessary equipment and resources available
  • Properly documenting all project activities
  • Identifying staff skills by roles needed
  • Putting quality controls in place
  • Identifying and estimating indirect costs
  • Documenting and prioritizing requirements
  • And much more

Start and end each project on a positive note—order your Templates and Tool Kits for Project Managers today!

Explore the templates and toolkits HERE

  
   
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