Project Management credentials and the road map to be certified Presented by Bruce Bong March 20, 2014
Agenda Presenter Background Project Management credentials and the road map to be certified Overview of Project Management /Project Fundamentals Business Fundamentals Cultural Awareness & Limitations Balancing Roles and Responsibilities across most types of organizations Types of Users, Stakeholders, Clients, and Team members Your Strengths and Weaknesses over your Career Importance of Change
Presenter Background A Senior Project Manager with eight years of progressive leadership experience and twenty years of experience in the Information Technology field. Expertise spans outsourcing, off shoring, mergers, consulting, vendor management, change management, PMO, ITIL, PCI, Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), and the Military (including Top Secret Security Clearance). Responsibilities include managing global projects with geographically disbursed resources.
PMP Certification Who should apply? The PMP recognizes demonstrated competence in leading and directing project teams. If you re an experienced project manager looking to solidify your skills, stand out to employers and maximize your earning potential, the PMP credential is the right choice for you. PMP Eligibility Overview To apply for the PMP, you need to have either: A secondary degree (high school diploma, associate s degree, or the global equivalent) with at least five years of project management experience, with 7,500 hours leading and directing projects and 35 hours of project management education. OR A four-year degree (bachelor s degree or the global equivalent) and at least three years of project management experience, with 4,500 hours leading and directing projects and 35 hours of project management education (College/Work Training)
PMP Certification (Cont.) Study Aids 1. The PMP Exam: How to Pass on Your First Try by Andy Crowe. 2. PMP Exam Prep, Sixth Edition: Rita s Course in a Book for Passing the PMP Exam by Rita Mulcahy 3. The Q&A s for the PMBOK Guide by Frank Anbari, Ph.D 4. Head First PMP: A Brain-Friendly Guide to Passing the Project Management Professional Exam by Jennifer Greene and Andrew Stellman
PMP Certification (Cont.) Tips for the PMP Exam Deciding on one of the many PMP exam preparation books may be difficult, however, if you join a project management forum, as many PMP passers have recommended and read the PMBOK at least two times while complementing it with one text, you ll have a better chance of passing the PMP exam on the first try. It is also recommended that you take the time to study each day and don t skip a day. Set up a regular study time and don t vary from that from day-to-day to help you keep on schedule. Finally, read the Project Management Institute s Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct as approximately nine percent of all questions on the exam are part of this text
PMP Certification (Cont.) Testing Centers / Costs Type of Tests / Re-taking Tests As part of PMI s Continuing Certification Requirements program, a PMP credential holder will need to earn 60 PDUs per threeyear cycle. Even if you are not certified, you can attend these classes. Reference: http://www.pmi.org/certification.aspx
Project Management Overview / Project Fundamentals
Definitions Assumptions Unknown guess Risk Potential Problem(s) Issue Definite Problem Effort Time required to complete a task Duration date span to complete effort, equal to effort at a minimum plus contingency. Based on resource capacity (i.e. ½ time resource working on project ROM rough order of Magnitude estimate +/- 50%, given with project charter for planning purposes Budget Estimate +25%/- 10% given plan/analyze phase Detail Estimates + 10% / - 5% given during analyze/design phase
What is Project Management? Project Management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to achieve specific goals. A Project is a temporary endeavor with a defined beginning and end (usually timeconstrained, and often constrained by funding or deliverables)
What is Staff Augmentation? Staff Augmentation is an outsourcing strategy which is used to staff a project and respond to business objectives in the work process. Support / Maintenance is a operational activity performed by internal or external resources.
What is involved in Project Management? PM Area you wont see but should be provided to you by Client PM or Your Company PM 1. Integration Management Config & Change Mgmt, Change Project Plan 2. Scope Management Scope & Scope Creep Mgmt 3. Time Management Actuals, Remaining Work, Schedule 4. Cost Management Rates, Estimated Cost at Completion 5. Quality Management Testing and Quality Standards 6. HR Management Hiring and Managing People 7. Communications Management Communication Methods 8. Risk Management - Allowing for Risk and Mitigating 9. Procurement Management Equipment, Software, Vendors
What a Project Manager is NOT Does Secretary work, time entry, reporting, escalation to folks who solve problems, party planner heard cats, coordinates the easy activities and leaves the heaving lifting to upper mgmt.. Uses excel, email, IM and verbal methods to get the stuff done. Uses the git er done, stir the pot approach Agrees to stuff based on gut instincts
What a Project Manager Is Owners, Single Point of Contact/Ownership, manages and Plans the work, issue, risk, financial, procurements, configuration, resource mgmt activities Uses a methodology with templates and approval processes to manage expectations, schedule and cost, and scope creep. Provides an understanding, agreement, and governance for all stakeholders and project team members. Commits to dates and deliverables based on the facts, WBS, MS project plans, resource mgmt., other project artifacts.
Purpose 5 Key Deliverables Required by any project 1) Vision and Scope Business Requirements (What does the client Want and what was agreed to?) What Assumptions, Constraints and Dependencies are you considering What s out of Scope according to you Discuss all areas that should be considered I.e.. Build me a house
Purpose Key Deliverables Required by any projects 2) Requirements Functional and Non Functional Requirements that breakdown Business Requirements How should it function? what is required behind the scenes (non functional)? Can t show client non functional requirements Key to identifying Scope Creep (No Shades of Grey). If you can t test it; it s not defined well. I.e.. Make it with 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, in New York City, NY
Purpose Key Deliverables Required by any projects 3) Functional / Tech Spec How are you going to design it and architect it? What designs will support the functional and non functional requirements? I.e.. (functional) Each bedroom will be 10x12, with a incandescent lighting/brown carpet/tan paint. (non Functional) All Plumbing and Electrical will follow New York City Ordinance / Permits.
Purpose Key Deliverables Required by any projects 4) Test Cases / Scenarios How are you testing/validating each Business Requirements (Does it work?) I.e.. House Inspections by the City, Buyers sign off all scope changes and closing documents
Purpose Key Deliverables Required by any projects 5) Deployment Checklist What are you putting into QA and Production? Did you forget anything? How are you rolling it back if it fails? I.e.. Final Housing Inspections and walkthrough with Buyers, fix nix and scratches, finish painting, etc. Sell House to another buyer if needed.
Roles and Responsibilities Who s lens are you looking through? What's Important to Each Client Client Your Your Sales Your Admin Project Client Sponsor Person? Staff Vendor Company Team Team Manager Engineers Statement of Work/Contracts X X "Good Story with a Happy Ending" X X X X X Solution delivered on time X X X Solution delivered on budget X X X X Solution can be supported X X Company X is my competition X Solution is a "learning opportunity for new X X technology" Work / Life Balance X X X Billable Hours X X X X Resource Management / Next Gig X X Project Deliverables X Project Status Reports X Project Action log, Scope Changes, Project Closure X
Planning Tools to Manage Projects Communication Plan Weekly Release Meetings with Milestones and Financials Issue / Risk Mitigation Plan What are you going to do if problems occur? Work Overtime and Weekends to get caught Up??? Failure to Plan is a Risk
Project Plan Planning Tools to Manage Projects Work Breakdown with Tasks, Risks, Effort and Owners done by the owners MS Project Plan with Predecessors Milestone, Milestones, Milestones Project Closure Document Lessons Learned
Planning Tools to Manage Projects Action Log What additional steps need to be covered? Allow for this overhead in a project. i.e.. run to store for supplies, extra trip to bank for financing new home, paperwork, paperwork, paperwork. Validating Assumptions Vision and Scope will have Assumptions and impacts, if true. Additional Scope Creep will be realized.
Planning Tools to Manage Projects Resource Management Financial Management Timesheet, Work Order Management System, Invoicing, and Status Reports
Planning Who s got skin in the game? Estimating List all work you need to do (Tasks/Activities) List Risk for each of the Tasks/Activities Agree on what tasks can be done in parallel or must be done serially (use the 9 women can t make a baby in a month method) Once done add hours and calculate risk to get totals by tasks by project
Planning Who s got skin in the game? Scope Creep What s different than what you agreed upon with the client in the Vision and Scope and Requirements document? Did you miss some Milestones? You have scope creep or time management issues. 40 hours a week < > 40 hours of work Favors and other Good Deeds What has the client agreed to pay for????? Change Control Document Agreed/Disagree Log it
New Project Exercise - 5 minutes The client (Bruce Bong) has just asked you for a chocolate cake. Tell me the delivery date and cost of this project and what other considerations you need to take into account?
New Project Exercise - Key Points to Consider The client (Bruce Bong) has asked for a chocolate cake. 1) Bruce Bong lives in Excelsior, MN plus travels. 2) Who s going to eat the cake? 3) Bake or Buy? 4) Where s it to be delivered? Time/Place? 5) Did you rush to get it done assuming you know me reasonably well?
New Project Exercise Did you just do Step 1 & 8??? 1. Business Requirements 2. Functional Req. 3. Non Functional Req. 4. Assumptions 5. Tasks / Subtasks (8-80 hours) 6. Risks (10-50%) 7. Predecessors/Successors 8. Add Hour Estimates from Folks actually assigned to do the work
Estimating Estimating (ROM, Budget, Detail) Known work in 8 to 80 hour tasks Unknown work contingency for assumptions and risks Out of Scope State what you know you will not be doing State what your not going to do and let the client challenge this.
Estimating (cont.) Risks (10% to 50%) Effort (Realistic, Pessimistic, Optimistic) Be realistic based on your vendors and WBS I.e. 2 hours to build a software database Predecessors and Successors Schedule and Milestones Serial or Multi threaded I.e.. 9 women can t make a baby in a month
Estimating (cont.) Commitments Given (by vendors/workers) not created (for vendors/workers) Realistic based on Facts ONLY Validated only by Missed Milestones How to vet a bad Plan Denial, Lies, and Catch-up plans = Failure
Project Flow Every project will allow for these Initiation, planning, monitor &control, executing and closing Initiation: Project charter, approved budget, and sponsor Planning Planning, Analyze, Design V/S, Requirements, Issues, Risks, Assumption, Communication, PMO Governance and Stage Gate Reviews, Performance & Capacity Planning, Disaster Recovery, Architecture Review and Governance, Status Reporting, Financials, Margins, Resource Mgmt (On/Offshore), Procurement HW/Software/Licenses, Vendor Management Contracts/SOWs, Resources (skillsets), Functional Design, Technical Designs, Awareness for Test Teams and Support Teams Monitor and Control Status Report, Scope Mgmt, Change Mgmt (CRB/RFC), Change Mgmt (comm/training), financials burn rates, Resource Mgmt (onboarding/rolloffs/offshore/indirect report/vendors)
Project Flow Every project will allow for these Initiation, planning, monitor &control, executing and closing Executing Build/coding, code reviews, unit testing, mentoring, resource mgmt (roll on, roll off, vendors), financials burn rates, margins, metrics, PMO governance, issue /risk mgmt, design misses/changes, scope creep, creative liberties, communication Assembly Testing (1:1), Product Testing (Process/func), integration testing, performance testing, regression testing, bug fixes, scope creep, redesign, schedule delays, cost overruns User Acceptance Testing change mgmt (training/communication/help desk/release mgmt), change Mgmt (RFC/CRB), QA, Test Documentation updates, Support Team Knowledge Transfer
Project Flow Every project will allow for these Initiation, planning, monitor &control, executing and closing Closing Communication Go/No Go meetings, All Stakeholders, Upper Mgmt Deployment plan and checklist QA move Test /validations Production move Pilot + validation + rollback/not 10 locations, release schedule executed Validation along the way Project closure documents Project acceptance documents Lessons learns PMO governance closing processes Recognition / Celebration Release Teams Closing down project
Business Fundamentals Focus on the financials Revenue vs. Profits CapEx OpEx Shareholder value Measuring ROI SG&A and Expense
Cultural Awareness & Limitations Your growth will be limited by your companies culture Complacency and fear are equally damaging It s not your company Visitor Experience vs. Pay You re working for your next job
Balancing Roles and Responsibilities across most types of organizations Titles for multiple Purposes Small, Medium, and Large Companies Decision making / vendor management What you do and don t do warrants your role Success as a PM in one group/org doesn t always transfer. Taking a step backwards / Repurposing your experience What do you actually do everyday?
Types of Users, Stakeholders, Clients, and Team members Every Person serves a purpose / Adds value Building a team requires diverse skills Don t hire another you Results matter to everyone
Your Strengths and Weaknesses over your Career Self Awareness on Strengths and weakness Why vs. What
Importance of Change Good Change Winning the Lottery Lay offs Bad Change Lay offs Winning the Lottery Business & Personal Levers Adaptability, Failure, and Moving On.
Q & A???? Source for PM Templates and Examples Next Steps