2. Project management foundations for researchers and HDR students
Mikail Ruutu, National Manager, Project Portfolio Office (PPO)
27 July 2018
PPO | Office of the Deputy COO

3. Contents Project – structure Project? What??? Life of a project
Stages to go through
Running a research project
Similarities – differences
Keep things under control (project control)
Keep improving (review)
Things to keep in mind
PPO | Office of the Deputy COO

4. Project? What??? Project is a temporary…
“organisation that is created for … delivering … business products according to an agreed Business Case.” (Prince2)
“endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.” (PMI PMBOK)
In research: “…to produce results for a paper, publication, book, etc”
Key attributes
A specific outcome (hypothesis)
Timebound
Dedicated funding
Assigned resources
Structured
Controlled
PPO | Office of the Deputy COO

5. Is research cyclical or linear?
Life of a project
PPO | Office of the Deputy COO

6. Stages to go through PM stage Purpose Outputs
Research artefacts [PM artefacts]
Plan
Pre-initiate
WHY, WHAT?
Define the idea / concept.
Literature review, initial analysis
 Approval & funding
Research Plan (objectives)
Funding applications
[Business Case]
Initiate
HOW, WHEN, WHO?
How are we going to research this?
Governance & oversight starts
Research Plan (implementation)
[Project Initiation Document (PID)]
Finalise plans, get ready
[Schedule, budget,
risk & communications & other plans] Do
Implement
Apply your research methods to create the results (deliverables)
Lab/research diary, individual results
Papers, publications, etc
[Deliverables, reports, registers]
Finish
Close
Review & report on the work,
finalise everything
Reports to funding sources
[Post-implementation Review,
Pay any final invoices]
PPO | Office of the Deputy COO

7. Similarities – differences
PM stage
Similarities & differences
In research projects
Plan
Pre-initiate
WHY, WHAT?
Define the idea / concept
Feasibility analysis
Approval & funding
Research Plan (objectives)
Literature review, initial analysis
Funding applications
Initiate
HOW, WHEN, WHO?
Define your approach
Governance & oversight starts
Difference: distributed oversight
Research Plan (implementation)
Faculty internal controls
Finalise plans, get ready
Difference: mobilise team & contractors Do
Implement
Implement your plans
Refine as you go (control change)
Difference: external reporting
Lab/research diary, individual results
Regular reports to funding sources
Papers, publications, etc
Finish
Close
Review & report on the work,
Finalise everything
Final reports to funding sources
PPO | Office of the Deputy COO

8. Stay on top of it! Good tracking and forecasting is…
It is based on how the Research Plan itemises your work.
Aspects to capture and use
History
Done and ready Effort spent
Costs incurred
Future
Remains to do Effort left
Cost of completing work
Funds left
$ and  still left?
prudent
responsible
professional
predictable
easy
Maintain your Research Plan
Opportunities
Risks
Issues
Funds
Work
Extra support
Threats to your research
Current challenges
Your budget
Work done & coming
PPO | Office of the Deputy COO

9. Keep things under control
Tools?
Excel workbook
Microsoft Project
Office 365 Planner
PPO | Office of the Deputy COO

10. Keep improving At the end, review your research project
What worked well, is worth repeating?
What could have been done differently?
What should not have happened?
What lessons do we take out of this?
Assign the lessons as tasks, do the changes
Share lessons within the faculty / portfolio
Workshop with all or key people
Discuss the outputs, development of them
Relationships, teamwork
Stakeholders, support, direction & governance
PPO | Office of the Deputy COO

11. In summary Project Why Control Improve Distinct result / outcome
One-off, ends when you have the result
Dedicated time, $, resources
Structured, controlled
Why
Why needed, what will you find out?
Control
Work, time, money, risks & issues
Look ahead, forecast
Improve
Review at the end, change for next ones
PPO | Office of the Deputy COO

12. PPO | Office of the Deputy COO