Project Management and Scheduling

Transcription

1 Question 1: What are the triple constraints of project management? Answer 1: The triple constraints deal with the time, cost, and scope of a project. Time is the duration between the project start and the expected completion of all results or deliverables. Cost deals with the expenditure or consumption of resources. Scope outlines what the specifications of the acceptable project deliverables will be (Project Management Institute, 2013). Common theory states that if one of the constraints is altered, it may have an effect on either or both of the other constraints. For example, if the project schedule or the time is extended, this may affect the project budget or cost. Question 2: Who determines what the project constraints will be? Answer 2: The constraints are usually worked out between the project sponsor and the end user or client. Normally, there are meetings set during the project initiation process where the project feasibility and needs assessment are decided. At this point, a preliminary scope statement is produced and a rough schedule and budget may be set. Throughout the duration of the project, any project stakeholder can make suggestions for changes to the project's constraints by submitting a change request document to the project manager. The project manager will then examine the request and possibly request a meeting with key members of the project to determine whether to incorporate the changes. Question 3: What is the difference between a project and a product? Answer 3: A project is a unique undertaking that has a specific start and end: It will usually have a finite budget and limited resources (Project Management Institute, 2013). 1

2 A product is the end result of a series of activities that accept input and are manipulated and delivered as output. A product may be the end result of a project's efforts but is usually associated with ongoing production operations. Question 4: What are the benefits of using project management techniques? Answer 4: In The Case for Project and Portfolio Management: Best Practices for Missouri State Agencies (n.d.), the Missouri Office of Administration says of project management: Private industry experts estimate that about 40% to 75% of all IT projects end in failure, abandoned in one way or another. In many cases, the blame can be laid at the managers' feet, through their failure to plan, monitor, and account for progress on the project. Project management techniques give you the tools needed to plan, monitor, and control all aspects of a project, thus giving you the best possible chance for successfully completing your project to the satisfaction of the project's sponsor and client. Question 5: How do project managers get picked to do their jobs? Answer 5: According to PSA Project Management Online, two thirds of project managers are selected for their projects without regard to their level of competence. "It is not surprising that 58% of the surveyed project managers agreed that their projects rarely meet time and cost targets" (2002). If you want to get involved in project management at your organization, it is strongly suggested that you first take several training programs and then inform your supervisor (and any other employees who may be responsible for selecting project managers) of your qualifications. Question 6: What are the skills needed to become a successful project manager? 2

3 Answer 6: According to the PMBOK Guide, successful project managers will have multiple areas of expertise. These include the following (Project Management Institute, 2013): A thorough understanding of the PMBOK Guide The ability to apply project management principles General management knowledge and skills Interpersonal skills Many individuals elect to study for and pass the rigorous Project Management Institute's (PMI) exam for a Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification. This test consists of 200 questions drawn from the PMBOK Guide. General management knowledge can come from both studying management principles in school and from working on the job. The interpersonal skills that the project manager will be expected to have include the ability to communicate effectively, solve problems through leadership and negotiation, and motivate people over whom they may have no authority. Question 7: Why are projects split into distinct phases? Answer 7: Projects are usually split into distinct phases for control over the project and the allocation of resources. During the execution of any particular phase, if some event happens that results in the project plan needing rework, the project manager can halt progress and cycle back to a previous phase. If it turns out that the project is experiencing something that will definitely result in project failure, it is easier to make a termination decision at the conclusion of a phase instead of proceeding forward. 3

4 Question 8: Why is it so important to conduct a project after-action review? Answer 8: During the management of a project, there are many hard-won lessons that have been learned by the project manager and project team, such as which vendor provides the most reliable supplies, how to juggle competing requirements for limited resources, and why project plans must be constantly updated. These lessons have expended company resources in the form of money and time while being learned. If they are not documented, those resources are wasted. It may be quite some time before the project team or company tries a project of a similar type. If the lessons learned are made available through some form of archive, the next team to take on a project can read the documents and learn from its predecessors instead of completely starting over. This will not only save significant money but keep the level of stress and anxiety down as well. To capture and document the lessons learned, it is suggested that the project manager hold an after-action review meeting. During this meeting, the team should concentrate on process and personal improvement without spending any time pointing fingers or accessing blame. Upon completion of the review process, all documents, including the final version of the project plan, should be archived for future project teams. Question 9: Where is the majority of a project manager's time spent? Answer 9: This will greatly depend on the individual project, the project manager, and the areas chosen for focus. Many project managers come from a technical background, and they feel comfortable writing software code or piecing equipment together: This may be at the sacrifice of other more important areas of the project management process. The project manager must also track the project's progress to ensure that the project is staying on schedule and, at the same time, watch the project's cash flow to ensure that the project does not go over budget. In very large projects, there may be a team of project helpers who are assigned these various tasks. In that case, the project manager may spend 4

5 most of the time ensuring that individual workers have the resources they need and are producing output based on the project's scope statement. The larger the project, the more time the project manager will also spend communicating with all of the different people interested on the project's outcomes. Question 10: How do you know if the project was a success? Answer 10: First and foremost, during the initiation and planning phases of the project, the project manager, sponsor, and end client should develop a document that outlines just what the project deliverables will be. This document should go into quite some detail to spell out specifically the scope of the project. Scope outlines what the specifications of the acceptable project deliverables will be (Project Management Institute, 2013). A second document will determine what the duration of the project will be. This is the schedule that shows how long the project should take to be complete and what activities need to be accomplished at set intervals. Third is the project's budget. This lays out how much money should be spent, where it is to be spent, and when. If each of these documents is adhered to and the client is satisfied and accepts the final output, the project should be considered a success. References Project Management Institute, A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge, (PMBOK Guide), Fifth Edition, Project Management Institute, Inc PSA Project Management Online. (2002). The accidental project manager. Retrieved from The case for project and portfolio management: Best practices for Missouri state agencies. (n.d.). Retrieved from Missouri Office of Administration Web site: PM-WP Short.doc 5