Project Management

The art of making things happenBased on Prince2 Principles

Introducing…

Prince 2

• What is it and why is it any good:• Government accepted technique• Works through managing by exception • Uses management tools • Provides a solid structure for project

management from beginning to end.

What is…

• A project – and do you have one to manage?‘An individual and collaborative enterprise planned and designed to achieve an aim.’

A fundraising event at the Union. A campaign to win and election. Moving In Weekend. The trip to Disneyland Paris…

Who decides if you have a project to manage?

• You have an idea• You create a business case• You suggest it to the committee• The committee agrees to it• Now you have a project.• The rest depends on how the project goes

Who makes a good Project Manager?

• A good project manager?What qualities do you think it’s important to have in a Project Manager?InfluencerOrganisedDoesn’t panicIsn’t responsible for the projectDoesn’t get to give the go aheadDoesn’t get to cancel the project

How will you know what you’re doing?

• You agree what you will deliver and what it will be like

• You sort out how you will measure if you’ve done a good job

• That way you know when you’re deviating from the measures you put in place from the start.

Perfect planning prevents poor performance

• When you get the go ahead – that’s when you plan (not until you get the OK)

• You write the overall project plan• With a big project, you plan in stages • Eg : the olympics. • (tolerances and exceptions are very important

in Prince2)

Planning challenge

Your society is the ‘have fun for free’ society.Your idea:‘The Students’ Union could hold a free festival to celebrate the Olympics next year.’Your committee:You are elected as events coordinator on your committee.Arrange the statements in order to show how you would plan out the project.

Let’s look at risk

• A risk is an uncertain event that, if it occurs, will effect the achievement of the objectives.

• Threats/opportunities.• Every risk has a cause, which may result in a

‘risk event’, which may effect an objective.• The risk cause: concrete for building the

olympic stadium is delayed. The risk event: the stadium build stage is delayed. The effect: there will be a delay to the project.

How do you manage risks?

• Decide how you will look after risks at the beginning.

• Create a risk register• Keep some spare money in a ‘risk budget’• Remember your project tolerances• Keep the business case in mind

Responding to a riskThreat responses Opportunity responses

Avoid

Reduce

Fallback

Transfer

Accept

Share

Exploit

Enhance

Reject

Share

Which response is this…

• There is a risk that people will get lost arriving on campus to move in.

• Make more signs and provide more Freshers’ Angels.

• Write the risk down but don’t change the plan.

• Give the University responsibility for signage at a planning meeting.

Dealing with change

• Tolerances, exceptions and issues.• Project example – Moving In Weekend.• Milestone : Angels must be recruited by the end

of term. Tolerance (one week each side).• Milestone: Supervisor training must be ready

one week before delivery (two days each side)• Breaking tolerances – exception planning• Change which doesn’t break tolerances – issue

raising.

Watching it all happen

• The ideal world – manage only by exception• The real world – you may responsible for

delivering and managing• Managing up and down the project• Deciding the best method for you• You might have teams• Divide tasks into chunks

Managing in stages

• How many stages should a project have?• All projects have a minimum of two stages

(initiation stage, and project delivery stage).• Project manager updates the plans throughout

the project.• Continually refer back to the original business

case.• What do you do if the project will no longer

meet its objectives at the start?

The end

• Closing the project:• Evaluate the project • Give the next committee something to go on• Decide if you’ll do it again• Tie up loose ends.