Project Management Context
- Project Phases are marked by the completion of a deliverable
- Tangible, verifiable work product
- Review of deliverable and approval/denial are “phase exits, stage gates, or kill points”
- Phases are collected into the Project Life Cycle
- Set of defined work procedures to establish management control
- Project Life Cycle defines:
- Technical work performed in each phase
- Who is involved in each phase
- Project Phases can overlap – “Fast Tracking”
- Common Characteristics of Project Life Cycles:
- Cost and Staffing levels are low at start and move higher towards the end
- Probability of successfully completing project is low at beginning, higher towards the end as project continues
- Stakeholder influence is high at the beginning and progressively lowers as project continues
- Stakeholders: individuals and organizations who are actively involved in the project
- Often have conflicting expectations and objectives
- In general, differences should be resolved in favor of the customer – individual(s) or organization(s) that will use the outcome of the project
- Stakeholder management is a proactive task
- Project Mangers must determine all stakeholders and incorporate their needs into the project
- Stakeholders are:
- Project Managers
- Customers
- Performing Organizations, owners
- Sponsor
- Team
- Internal/External
- End User
- Society, citizens
- Others: owner, funders, supplier, contractor
- Organizational Systems: Project based vs. Non-Project Based
- Project Based – derive revenues from performing projects for others (consultants, contractors),”management by projects”
- Non-Project Based – seldom have management systems designed to support project needs (manufacturing, financial services)
- Organizational Structures
- Functional (classical) marked by identifiable superiors. Staff grouped by specialty . Perceived scope of project limited by function (Engineering, HR). Typically have part-time Project Manager
- Projectized Organization –blend functional and projectized characteristics. Mix cross-department personnel with full-time Project Manger
- Project Management Skills
- General Business Management (consistently producing results expected by stakeholders)
- Leading (establishing direction, aligning resources, motivating)
- Communicating (clear, unambiguous, and complete)
- Negotiating (conferring with others to reach an agreement)
- Problem Solving (definition and decision making)
- Distinguish causes and symptoms
- Identify viable solutions
- Influencing Organization (understanding power and politics)
- Socioeconomic Influences
- Standards – document approved that provides common, repeated use, rules and guidelines
- Compliance is not mandatory
- Regulations – document that identifies products, services or characteristics
- Standards often become “de facto” regulations
- Internationalization
- Cultural Influences
- Functional Organization
- Specialists – More emphasis on functions
- 1 supervisor – No career path in PM