Project ManagementProject Management

One of the missing pieces…

David J. Kearney

What is a Project?

• Temporary endeavor• Creates unique product, service, or result• Finite – Beginning & End

What is Project Management?

Application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet the project requirements.

Project Management Institute, Inc. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge – Fourth Edition, 2008.

Why Project Management?

• Control Costs• Enhance Communications• Understand Scope• Manage Resources• Understand and Manage Risks• Monitor & Control Project• Help Ensure Quality• Build Cohesive Team• Establish Internal Knowledge Base

Reasons Projects Underperform or Fail

• Unclear, ambiguous, misunderstood scope• Planning based on poor estimates, bad

assumptions, & incomplete data• No risks management strategies• Unmanaged resources• Poor communication• Lack of structured processes to manage

project

Project Management in Legal Can Benefit…

• Clients• Firm• Attorneys• Staff

Project Management in Legal Delivers…

Better Predictability of CostsHoursTimeRiskScopeResourcesCommunication

Nothing Radically New

Constraints and resources are managed and a strategy is planned an executed.

But…

Various Tools & Techniques to Enhance Projects

• Define Project, Satisfaction, & Completion• Risk Management • Work Breakdown Structure• Alternatives Identification• Estimating • Measure & Audit• Sharing Case Data and Status• Closing, Lessons Learned, & Debriefing

Define Project, Satisfaction & Completion

• Know exactly what the client is trying to resolve

• Know why the client needs to resolve an issue• Know what the desired outcome looks like• Know when completion is satisfied – DONE• Develop project scope• Develop project charter

Risk Management

• Mitigation – minimize likelihood or impact of negative event

• Exposure – plan for the costs of risks• Probability – estimate the chances of the risk• Contingency – develop alternatives for

uncertainty and consequence of risk• Utilize root cause analysis, diagramming

techniques, qualitative & quantitative analysis, & sensitivity analysis

Work Breakdown Structure

• Outline project to include ALL work• Itemize work packages/deliverables• Understand dependencies between tasks• Determine work package length• Assign resources to each work package• Associate costs of each package• Complete budget for project

Alternatives Identification

• Develop alternatives if project changes• Develop a change plan

Estimating

• PERT Analysis – calculates expected activity duration

• Parametric – uses historical data and other variables, such as quantity of work times rate

• Analogous – uses historical data• Expert judgment

Measure & Audit

• Cost Performance Measurements• Schedule Performance Measurements• Budget Forecasting• Performance Reviews

Sharing Case Data and Status

• Progress reports with team and clients• Helps keep project within scope and on-track

Closing, Lessons Learned, & Debriefing

• Accepted deliverables/results• What went right & wrong• Lessons learned• Preventative measure for future cases• Updating knowledge base

Where to Start

• Pick a tool, technique, or practice to use that isn’t already a part of your current case management strategy

• Add additional tools as you become comfortable with concepts

• Doesn’t have to be integrated all at once• Tools to be used, where needed

Firms that have Adopted Project Management Strategies

• Jenner & Block LLP• Seyfarth Shaw LLP• McCarthy Tétrault LLP • Eversheds LLP• Nixon Peabody

Project Management Resources

• Project Management Institute – www.pmi.org• Levy, Steven B. (2009). Legal Project Management – Control

Costs, Meet Schedules, Manage Risks, and Maintain Sanity. Seattle, WA: DayPack Books

• Legal Project Management: Thoughts, tips, and discoveries related to the management of legal Projects - http://legalprojectmanagement.info/

The End