Project Management for Non-Project Managers UTC Telecomm 2008 May 4, 2008
Overview This session will discuss the best practices for successful project management at utilities. I will teach you how to organize and manage resources to get the project accomplished - on time and on budget. Starting at the beginning, I will discuss how to plan, including scoping out the project, budgeting and planning for resource use. This session will help you avoid common pitfalls in project management and increase your value to your utility.
Why do project management? Is it really important? What does a project manager do? How can I make this work for me? 3
What is a Project? An inter-related set of activities and resources whose combined performance by a specific date accomplishes desired objectives. It is a temporary endeavor with a specific beginning and end and operates according to a plan. 4
Project Management, what s the big deal? Only about 28% of projects are really successful. An average project takes 50% longer than expected and costs 20% more than planned. 5
Why do projects fail? No Sponsor Identified Unclear Vision (fuzzy deliverables) Poor Requirements Definition Scope Creep Undefined Budget Poor Communication Unclear Roles & Responsibilities Lack of Ownership Poor or No Project Management Lack of Organization and Planning! 6
Utilizing Project Management Practices: What s In It For Me? Successful Projects! On Time Within Budget Happy Clients Less Stress You know what to expect. Your manager knows what to expect. Your client knows what to expect. 7
W O R R Y Shifting The Worry Curve SHIFT T I M E Deadline 8
Lifecycle of a Project Idea or a business need Project Planning Project Execution Project Control Project Acceptance and Close-out 9
What does a PM do? Project Planning Project Control Communicating Project Leadership Customer Relationships Negotiating 10
Planning, Control & Communications Planning Charter (Scope of Work) What are we doing and why? Schedule and Budget (Time & Resources) Who does what and when? How Much $? Control Tracking team progress Managing Issues Managing Scope Documented change control process Communication Regular status reports to project stakeholders 11
What s in a Charter (a.k.a. Scope Document)? Scope / Objectives Do what? Assumptions & Constraints Expect what? High Level Schedule When? Stakeholders Who Cares? Team Organization Who do you need? How do we work together? Change Control Process Communication Plan Message/Format/ Audience/Frequency 12
Exercise: The Betty Crocker Initiative Objective To make a two layer white cake with homemade chocolate icing for Donald as part of the going away celebration planned by the team. 13
Scope In Scope Make Cake Decorate Cake Purchasing Paper Plates & Napkins, etc. Cleaning Kitchen Out of Scope Purchasing Candles Providing Matches Purchasing Ice Cream Serving the Cake 14
Assumptions/Constraints Assumptions: Start with Clean Kitchen All Ingredients are available in the kitchen All utensils are available in the kitchen Constraints: Donald is allergic to nuts No refrigeration available for ice-cream cakes Cake cannot exceed $20.00 Cake must be completed by 5/4/2008 at 12:00 PM EST 15
Determining Tasks Develop a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) You want me to do what? Breaks project into Chunks of Work By Phase or Deliverable Possible Tools: Microsoft Visio or MS Project 16
WBS BCI Cake Icing Preparation Mixing Baking Read Recipe Gather Ingredients Add Ingredients Mix Batter Pour Batter Into Pan Bake in Oven Preheat Oven Cool Cake 17
Initial Task List (Start with a verb) # Cake Tasks Resource Work 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Read Recipe Gather Ingredients Preheat Oven Add All Ingredients to bowl Mix Ingredients Grease Pan Pour In Batter Bake in Oven 30 minutes Smith Doe Doe Collins Collins Smith Collins Smith 5m 5m 1m 10m 5m 3m 1m 30m 18
Tools Project Planning Tools Microsoft Project Tasks Resources Timeframes Milestones Budget $$$ Notes/Documents Other Tools Spreadsheets Excel Word Processors Word 19
Project Resource Sheet 20
Project Gantt Chart 21
Project Resource Usage 22
Controlling the Project Tracking Task Progress Identifying & Tracking Issues Managing Scope Managing Risk Providing Schedule Deviation Feedback to project Stakeholders Updating/Modifying the Project Plan Updating the Project Budget 23
Communications Compile task and issue updates prior to the project control meeting so that the team can focus on upcoming work Facilitate and lead the project control meetings Update Stakeholders of Project Status Develop Project Information Location Shared Drive Intranet Site 24
What s in a Status Report? What was done since the last report? What was due but not completed? What is the impact of uncompleted tasks? What should be complete by the next report? Are there any major roadblocks or issues that your sponsor should know about? Budget Information 25
Project Leadership Success = Teamwork! Facilitate Honest, Open Discussion Encourage Cross Functional Interaction Create Team Identity Name Logo/Symbol Motto/Slogan 26
More Thoughts Who can be a project manager? What does it take? Can I just do it? 27
Project Manager Soft Skill-Set The ability to influence without necessarily having authority. The ability to lead through fair weather & storms. The ability to pay attention to details without losing sight of the big picture. The ability to establish an open, communicative environment while remaining down-to-business. A propensity to hope for the best but plan for the worst. 28
Tips & Hints Always write a project charter! Determine the critical path. Track progress. Communicate regularly. 29
12 Easy Steps to Success 1. Determine the Objectives 2. Determine the Scope 3. Identify the Assumptions & Constraints 4. Put a Team together 5. Develop a Charter 6. Identify the Deliverables 7. Determine the necessary Tasks 8. Assign the Tasks to the team 9. Ask the team member for Time Estimates 10. Develop a Schedule 11. Find the Critical Path 12. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate! 30
Ten Commandments of PM Thou shall have a project with a goal. Honor thy project objectives. Thou shall commit to the Project schedule Remember thy checkpoints. Thou shall ensure that ownership for all tasks has been appropriately assigned. Identify the Critical Path. Honor thy team members Thou shall commit thyself and thy team to the project (Blessed are they that take ownership.) Thou shall document and keep thy team informed Thou shall encourage creativity 31
Questions? 32