IT Project Risk Assessment and Control

Or…..

Why bad things happen to good IT projects

If everything is going exactly to plan, something somewhere is going

massively wrong.

http://www.project-training-uk.freeserve.co.uk/page1.htm

What is a Project?

• “a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.” PMBOK® p. 5

Characteristics of a Project PMBOK®

• Temporary• Unique Product, Service, or Result• Progressive Elaboration• What is the difference between projects and

operational work?

What is Project Management?

• “the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements” PMBOK® p. 8

Project Management Includes... PMBOK p. 8

• Identify requirements• Establish clear and achievable objectives• Balance competing demands for quality,

scope, time, and cost.• Adapt the specifications, plans, and approach

to the different concerns and expectations of the various stakeholders.

Why Study Risk Management?

• If you don't attack the risks, the risks will attack you. http://www.project-training-uk.freeserve.co.uk/index.htm

Why Study Risk Management?

• “What’s worse than having a pricey project collapse? Knowing it could have been prevented” http://www.pmi.org/Pages/Risk_Identification.aspx

• Risk management key element of project management.

• This July (2008), PMI launched the Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP)SM credential.

Why Study Risk and IT?

• http://ravenyoung.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!17376F4C11A91E0E!1574.entry

• http://www.lessons-from-history.com/Level%202/Project%20Success%20or%20Failure.html

• http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/releases/n02-10.htm • http://infotech.fanshawec.ca/gsantor/Computing/Famo

usBugs.htm

• http://www.it-cortex.com/Stat_Failure_Cause.htm • http://blog.brodzinski.com/2007/03/chaos-report-2006.

html

Why Study Risk and IT?

• http://ravenyoung.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!17376F4C11A91E0E!1574.entry

• http://www.lessons-from-history.com/Level%202/Project%20Success%20or%20Failure.html

• http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/releases/n02-10.htm • http://infotech.fanshawec.ca/gsantor/Computing/Famo

usBugs.htm

• http://www.it-cortex.com/Stat_Failure_Cause.htm • http://blog.brodzinski.com/2007/03/chaos-report-2006.

html

Why Study Risk and IT?

• Complexity• Ambiguity/Intangible• 90% Syndrome – http://magheap.com/article/20636/On-Our-Projec

t-Were-Always-90-Done.aspx

What are the Project Life Cycle Phases?

1. Wild enthusiasm2. Disillusionment3. Confusion4. Panic5. Search for the guilty6. Punishment of the innocent7. Promotion of the non-participants

http://www.project-training-uk.freeserve.co.uk/page2.htm

Project Life Cycle Phases, according to PMBOK®

• Initiation• Planning• Executing• Monitoring and Controlling• Closing

Project Life Cycle and Product Life Cycle

Project Management

Project Life Cycle Product Life Cycle

SDLC (Analyze, Design,

Implement)Agile RAD

Sources of Risks

• Practices / Processes (following a bad process or badly following a good process) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfgfnZZdMlI&NR=1

• Technology– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvBiSW5QFKY

• People– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDu5Wo8Yh1k

Project Management Knowledge AreasPMBOK®

1. Project Integration Management2. Project Scope Management

There is no such thing as scope creep, only scope gallop.

3. Project Time Management "I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they

make as they go by.“ Douglas Adams

4. Project Cost Management5. Project Quality Management

If an IT project works the first time, it is wrong. http://www.project-training-uk.freeserve.co.uk/page2.htm

Project Management Knowledge AreasPMBOK®

6. Project Human Resource Management Managing IT people is like herding cats.

7. Project Communications Management8. Project Risk Management9. Project Procurement Management

http://www.project-training-uk.freeserve.co.uk/page2.htm

Common Laws and Principles Associated with Project Management

• Murphy’s Law– If it can go wrong, it will

• Parkinson’s Law– Work expands to fill the time available for its

completion• 80/20 Principle– What 20% sources of risk are causing 80% of your

project problems

More Laws and Principles• O’Malley’s corollary to Murphy’s Law - If it can’t

possibly go wrong, it will.• Sod’s Law - It will go wrong in the worst possible way.• If there is a 50% chance of something going wrong then

9 times out of 10 it will.• A two year project will take three years, a three year

project will never finish - (anyone know who's law this is?)

• Murphy, O'Malley, Sod and Parkinson are alive and well - and working on your project.

http://www.project-training-uk.freeserve.co.uk/page2.htm

Sources of Risks

• Practices / Processes (following a bad process or badly following a good process) – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfgfnZZdMlI&NR=1

• Technology– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvBiSW5QFKY

• People– http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDu5Wo8Yh1k

References

• Information Technology Project Management, 4th edition. Kathy Schwalbe– Murphy’s and Parkinson’s Law

• The 4-Hour Workweek, Timothy Ferriss– 80/20 Principle

• “Understanding the ‘90% Syndrome’ in Software Project Management : A Simulation-Based Case Study” the Journal of Systems and Software (8:4), 1988, pp. 319-330.