Project management part 4

Project ManagementPart 4

Manage Communications

“The process of creating, collecting, gathering, distributing, storing, retrieving, and the ultimate disposition of project information in accordance with the communications management plan.” (PMBOK 10.2)

Prepare reports and presentations as required throughout your project.

Confine formal reporting to factual “hard data.”

Include “soft data” rarely, and with care.

©2013 Project Management Institute A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide) – Fifth Edition

Written Reports

One extreme:“Need to know:”

• No information• No motivation• Creates chaos

Another extreme:Everything you know:

• Information overload• No one reads it all• Creates chaos

It’s best to seek the middle:• Start with a summary• Keep reporting brief• Tell the truth

Reporting Types• Text and data-oriented for your project team and others

needing detail.

• Analysis and graphical reports for sponsors, managers, and high-level stakeholders.

• For all reports, begin with a summary. Include additional data in order of descending value

• Generally, customize project reports by cutting, not rewriting.

3.3-5

Effective Communications

• Hold efficient meetings.

• Use informal communications.

• Maintain an information archive as part of your PMIS.

Efficient Meetings

3.3-7

• Always use an agenda. At project status meetings, limit discussion to project status.

• Start on time. End on time (or early). Keep it short.

• Invite people who need to participate, and get their commitment to attend.

• Record what happens during meetings, and distribute minutes.

Archive Project Information

3.3-11

Throughout your project, collect:• Project charter and definition documents• Project plans, charts, and diagrams• Status reports, change and issue logs, project

messages, and presentations

Provide current information for the project team in your PMIS, online whenever possible.

Manage Project Team

“The process of tracking team member performance, providing feedback, resolving issues, and managing changes to optimize project performance.” (PMBOK 9.4)

Throughout the project:

• Build teamwork

• Develop contributors

• Track and address performance issues


Build Project TeamworkTeam-Development Model—Dr. Bruce Tuckman

• Forming: Team initiates with few relationships and is merely a “list of names” on the project roster.

• Storming: Conflicts may arise as contributors (including the project leader) struggle for position.

• Norming: Roles and responsibilities are defined and accepted.

• Performing: Mutual trust builds respect and strong relationships enable project progress.

• (Adjourning: Team disbands at project end.)

Develop Project Contributors

Review your responsibility analysis and resource assignment matrix for gaps and problems.

• Develop plans for training to meet skills requirements.

• Identify mentoring opportunities within your team.

• Use leaning opportunities to build teamwork and contributor motivation.

Manage Performance IssuesWhen collecting status and noting variances, follow up with all owners responsible for significant activity slippage. Discuss:

• Responsibilities of accountable activity owners

• Root cause(s) for the delay or excessive cost

• Potential options for resolution

• Plans for corrective action and commitment to next steps

• Escalation (when required, or in response to persistent problems)

Manage Stakeholder Engagement

“The process of communicating and working with stakeholders to meet their needs/expectations, address issues as they occur, and foster appropriate stakeholder engagement in project activities throughout the project life cycle.” (PMBOK 13.3)


Control Stakeholder Engagement“The process of monitoring overall project stakeholder relationships and adjusting strategies and plans for engaging stakeholders.” (PMBOK 13.4)

For key stakeholders, periodically:

• Revalidate project objectives and expectations.

• Meet to discuss and validate the effectiveness of your reporting.

• Probe for changes and evolving needs.


Conduct Project Reviews

For projects longer than about six months:

• Examine plans and other data about twice per year

• Take a longer view

• Revalidate the project

• Motivate the team

Schedule ReviewsConduct a project review:

• At life cycle checkpoints, phase gates, major

milestones, or completion of a development

iteration

• Following a significant project change or

baseline reset

• When key team members leave

• After business reorganization

• At least every three to six months

Purpose of a Review

3.4-4

Periodic ‘maintenance’ for lengthy projects:

• Look forward in the project.

• Identify new risks and overlooked activities.

• Detect changes.

• Recognize contributions.

Review the Project

Allocate time for review.

Assemble the project team.

Prepare and use an agenda.

• Plan and analyze future work

• Update decisions

• Improve processes

• Revalidate assumptions

Capture decisions and action items in writing.

Follow-up and Project AdjustmentsAfter each review:

• Document the results.

• Apply your change management process.

• Present findings and make recommendations to your project sponsor and key stakeholders.

• Revisit the project baseline, if necessary.

• Update project plans.

• Thank and reward your team members

Validate Scope“The process of formalizing acceptance of the completed project deliverables.” (PMBOK 5.5)

Although scope verification is done at the end of a project (or phase/iteration), success depends on earlier work. As you approach completion, validate:

• Requirements for each project deliverable

• Tests and acceptance criteria

• Who will be responsible for evaluating results and formally accepting project deliverables


Close Project (or Phase)The process of finalizing all activities across all of the Project Management Process Groups to formally complete the project or phase.” (PMBOK 4.6)

•Verify scope and obtain project sign-off.

•Recognize accomplishments.

•Send a final project report to communicate that the project is done.

•Assess Lessons Learned.

•Archive project data.


Obtain Project Sign-offWithin your team, verify that all project deliverables at least meet all agreed-upon acceptance criteria.

Present your project results to the individual stakeholders who will evaluate them, and request formal sign-off.

If there are issues, work to resolve them promptly, through:• Fixing the problems• Negotiating scope changes consistent with delivered results

(If issues persist, propose project baseline changes for additional effort or budget needed to obtain sign-off.)

Recognize Accomplishments• Thank project team members in person, or at least in

writing, for their contributions to the project’s success.

• Praise people publicly (as culturally appropriate).

• Reward people using available recognition programs.

• Celebrate success. Schedule similar events for global teams

Send a Final Project Report

A final project report is similar to a typical status report, with particular attention to:

• Project completion and success.

• Significant results.

• Recognition for the work done by specific contributors.

• Final project statistics and other metrics.

Let people know you are done!

Assess Lessons Learned

• Prepare for a post-project retrospective analysis meeting.

• Capture key project learnings from all contributors.

• Document your findings and follow up on recommendations.

Prepare for Retrospective Analysis

• Schedule a meeting with your team to capture lessons learned, face-to-face if possible.

• Set an agenda in advance. Strive to:

• Allocate sufficient time to discuss the project.

• Include all aspects and phases of the project.

• End with final thoughts.

• Distribute the agenda and encourage participants to prepare thoughts in advance.

Capture Key Project Learnings• Ensure that needed project data is available.

• List positive results first.

• Then, list desirable changes (not “negatives”).

• Focus on processes, avoid blamestorming.”

• Select a small number of items for attention and formulate recommendations.

Document and Follow Up

• Document your lessons learned.

• Share your findings and recommendations with your peers, sponsor and stakeholders.

• Commit resources to improvement. (Plan - Do - Check – Act)

Archive Project Data

At project end, collect and save in your PMIS:

• Project plans, presentations, and documents

• Status reports, metrics, logs, and charts

• Significant project communications

• Final test results and project reports

• Sign-offs and approvals

• Lessons learned

Thank [email protected]

Project management part 4

Leadership & Management

Transcript of Project management part 4