Project+/Initiating

IDENTIFY PROJECT PURPOSE

Key Points

• identify business objective i.e. stated goal of the project
• define the opportunity/problem

Goal

• desired end result
• often synonymous with objective
• may be a high-level objective that has less-than-complete definition

Objective

• something to be achieved
• desired outcomes of the project or any part of the project
• measued in in terms of concrete deliverables and behavioral outcomes
• it has to be visualisez before

EVALUATE BUSINESS JUSTIFICATION

Key Points

• Identify high-level business-related requirements, outcomes, and criteria for success
• identify low-level needs and expectations
• establish boundaries for project budget, duration, and risk

Triple Constraints

• scope
• schedule
• budget

Business Case

• the information that describes the justification for the project
• project is justified if expected benefits outweigh estimated costs and risks
• often complex
• may require
  • Financial Analysis
  • technical analysis
  • organization impact analysis
  • feasibility study

Request for Proposal (RFP) AKA Request for Quote (RFQ).

• describes
  • need for products and/or services
  • conditions under which product/services are to be provided

• purpose
  • solicit bids or proposals from prospective suppliers

IDENTIFY MAJOR STAKEHOLDERS & THEIR ROLES

Project Manager

• key stakeholder
• responsible and accountable for managing a project's planning and performance
• single point of accountability for a project

Customer or Client

• key stakeholder
• person or organization that is the principle beneficiary of the project
• Generally has a significant authority regarding
  • scope definition
  • whether the project should be initiated and/or continued.

Performing Organization

• key stakeholder
• company or group doing the work

Sponsor

• key stakeholder
• builds and maintains executive commitment
• allocates organization resources (capital, human, etc.)
• provides direction
• has authority to settle disputes between project staff & functional staff

Champion

• senior exec who promotes and defends the project

Project Steering Committee

• execs from functional areas that provide

• • guidance
  • strategic input and direction
  • enlist cooperation from their functional group
  • high level project approval

Project Team (decide later? In planning phase?)

• anybody who is doing work on the project
• includes contractors and consultants

Authority

• ability to get other people to act based on your decisions
• based on perception that a person has been officially empowered to issue binding orders

Power

• ability to influence the actions of others
• may come from
  • formal delegation of authority
    • charter gives PM this
  • reference power
    • personality
  • subject matter expertise
    • respect earned from skills
  • ability to influence rewards and penalties
    • rewarded or coercive authority
  • other sources.

Stakeholder

• anybody and everybody with a stake in the project
  • clients
  • sponsors
  • performers
  • general public
  • family and friends of direct participants
  • others?

Managerial Structures

• functional
• project
• matrix

Matrix Organization

• business structure in which people are assigned to
  • functional group
    • departments, disciplines, etc
  • projects or processes
    • cut across the organization
    • require resources from multiple functional groups.

DEFINE THE SCOPE OR THE PROJECT

Scope Components

• function
• performance

Five (scope?) Constants

• project end date
• project ownership
• completion criteria
• rigorous change control procedure
• "best practices" life cycle for this type of project

Statement of Scope AKA Statement of Work (SOW)

• description of the scope of a project
• centered on the major deliverables and constraints
• develops and confirms an understanding of project scope
• typically requires more time to create than WBS or charter
• review of the scope documents held before proceeding to project planning phase
• complete after the PM and the sponsor agree that objectives will be met
• establishes procedure to request changes to a project scope
• end-users representative approves technical changes

SOW-PROCS (mnemonic)

• (P) - Policies and Procedures
• (R) - Requirements
• (O) - Overview
• (C) - Criteria for Vendor Purchase
• (S) - Specifications

Scope: three dimensions

• product
  • full set of features and functions
• project
  • work that has to be done to deliver the product
• impact
  • involvement by performing and client organizations.
  • effect on performing and client organizations.

Scope Change

• any change in the definition of the project scope
• can result from:
  • changes in client needs
  • discovery of defects or omissions
  • regulatory changes
  • other

Scope Change Control AKA Scope Change Management

• process of making sure that changes to the scope are consciously evaluated
• making sure that implications are considered in making a decision to
  • make the change
  • postpone it
  • reject it

Scope Creep

• changes in scope over the life of a project
• unconscious growth of the project scope
• results from uncontrolled changes to requirements
• managed by implementing a rigid change control process

Scope Definition

• breaks down major deliverables into more manageable components
• makes verification, development, and project control, easier
• may be part of requirements definition and/or design

Scope Planning

• development of a statement of project's
  • principle deliverables
  • justification (business case)
  • objectives
• part of requirements definition

Scope Verification

• process to ensure that all project deliverables have been completed satisfactorily
• associated with acceptance of the product by clients and sponsors.

BUILD CONSENSUS AND OBTAIN WRITTEN APPROVAL (objectives)

Secure Written Confirmation Of

• customer expectations
• problem/opportunity
• deliverables
• strategy
• completion date
• Budget
• risks
• priority
• sponsor
• resources
• resources availability

- all the above documented in the charter?

Methods to build consensus

• negotiating
• interviewing
• meetings
• memos

Strategies To build And Maintain Senior Management Support

• involve mgmt in defining project concept
• involve mgmt in defining scope
• involve mgmt in reviewing and approving deliverables
• provide role for mgmt as spokesperson/advocate

Consensus

• unanimous agreement among the decision-makers
• requires conviction that the decision will adequately achieve objectives
• if one person is not in agreement then there is no consensus