Project Management How to access the power of projects! Your Name

Objectives At the end of this session you will be able to: Avoid the major pitfalls of project management Initiate and plan a project Implement and monitor a projects lifecycle Review and close a project Develop you own project management structure 2

Project Management Case Study At regular intervals during the training course you will be asked to complete different exercises as part of your very own case study. Pick something you know a little about – at the very least – details are not vital - Pick a project with a defined conclusion Choose something across all groups to enable ongoing discussion Bear in mind that each workbook exercise is one more step in developing your own project management structure 3

Project Management Course outline Project experience. Why is structure important? How to avoid project pitfalls The 3 phases of project management Initiation and planning Implementation Review and project closure 4

“We’re spending money on that?” 1. Project experiences Negative comments associated with poor project management. “Too Slow” “Even if it works it won’t help me out” “No-one asked me so why should I care?” “Just another hair-brained idea that will go nowhere.” “We’re spending money on that?” “Who knows what they do? They never tell us.” “Those people are looking to fire all of us, I can see it in their eyes.”

2. Where is project structure important? Communication Timeline / Deadlines Budgets Complexity Issues To retain focus – “tendency to wander” Accountability and Responsibility 6

3. How to avoid the usual project pitfalls Communication is vital before a project has even begun Talk to those involved Challenge preconceived solutions Discuss breadth and focus Identify “must haves” vs. “nice to haves” Talk to as many people as the project scope allows Fear of change is often endemic however when communicated correctly a beneficial outcome can remove many potential barriers 7

3. How to avoid the usual project pitfalls (2) Listening to the involved parties will take some time but save a lot of headaches: Be realistic Be positive Remain objective Nurture your networks Communicate issues immediately 8

4. The three phases of Project Management Review Plan Implement 9

4 The Project Team Once the project plan is approved the hard work starts: Establish a project team. The roles below need to be assigned however they may all reside with one person or be split. Project sponsors. Project manager. Project team. End users / clients. 10

4. Initial discussions Who? What Why? How? When? During the planning phase certain key questions need to be considered. Who? What Why? How? When? The specific questions will vary with each project but each of these questions needs to be answered prior to the project being accepted and a more detailed plan established. 11

4. Project Deliverables Project Mission Statement The broad sections that need to be considered are as follows: Project Mission Statement Financial Considerations Breakdown of actual deliverables IT, product development, product testing, process and documentation… etc. Personnel required / involved The specifics will need to be tailored to each specific project. 12

4. Project Timeline Plan Implement Review = + + Of all the aspects of project planning timelines are one of the most difficult. Sufficient time should be allowed for resource or infrastructure issues. If the project is working to a fixed deadline then a realistic (minimum) implementation scenario should be developed to ensure completion. 13

4. Work-stream management It is vital to identify dependent and independent sections of the project. Dependent tasks Independent tasks X, Y, Z, Week 1 A Task A must be completed prior to B&C Week 2 B C D Task B&C prior to E, task D prior to F Week 3 E F Task E, And F completed prior to G, F by itself prior to H Week 4 G H I G & I prior to J Week 5 J Dependent tasks have to be completed on time in order for the project to continue. Independent tasks still have to be completed but can be done at any time during the project 14

Cash-flow of potential 4.1 Budgets Budgets are both financial and physical. New hires? Human resources Budget per deliverable Direct project costs Projected savings / gains Cash-flow of potential savings / gains IT / Infrastructure Cost of project delays Re-training / education Market / Consumer activity Marketing costs Cost of doing nothing? Budget planning is both art and science but with a rigorous and realistic approach a solid budget can be established avoiding difficult conversations during implementation 15

4.1 Detailed Project Plan Once pre-planning has been completed and the project is preliminarily approved a more detailed assessment is required – this is the start of the Implementation phase. Cost/Benefit analysis Prioritisation of project components End user / customer impact Establishment of project team (already completed) Lines and periodicity of communication Issue escalation Timeline established for planning, implementation and review cycles Once the above has been completed the project plan needs to be presented to the Project Sponsors. The project sponsors should receive a cohesive document detailing scope, budgets, personnel, detailed objectives, benefits and risks of the project and timeframes. 16

4. Monitoring and reporting There will always be issues. The decision is not whether to communicate but how and when. Update meetings / calls Report to Project sponsors Name and shame. But be constructive. Be flexible. Adjust the timeline as you go. Have individual discussions prior to meetings 17

4.3 Review Once completed there is a great deal that can be learnt from a project. Organise a final meeting. Ask people for honest feedback If possible get the team together. Create or add to the project management process. Set a future date for a post implementation review 18

Always remember - 70% of the initial plan after 3 months is a success. 4. And Finally Always remember - 70% of the initial plan after 3 months is a success. If your still at 75% a year later it is rapidly becoming a failure. Focus on what you need to achieve and get it done – it’s a project, not a lifetime in servitude. 19

Objectives At the end of this session you will be able to: Avoid the major pitfalls of project management Initiate and plan a project Implement and monitor a projects lifecycle Review and close a project Develop you own project management structure 20