a short workshop on project management

Project Management

What is Project Management?According to the Project Management Institute:

“The application of knowledge, skills, and techniques to execute projects effectively and efficiently.”

Project Management processes fall into 5 groups:• Initiating• Planning• Executing• Monitoring and Controlling• Closing

• Planning and Defining Scope• Activity Planning and Sequencing• Resource Planning• Developing Schedules• Time Estimating• Cost Estimating• Developing a Budget• Controlling Quality • Managing Risks and Issues

• Creating Charts and Schedules• Risk Analysis• Benefits Realisation• Scalability, Interoperability and

Portability Analysis• Documentation• Team Leadership• Strategic Influencing• Customer Liaison

What does a PM do? A Project Manager (PM) has ultimate responsibility for all project management

processes. Specifically, they do the following:

Purpose of this Workshop!

• Manage team projects in classes, work, extra-curriculars• Better self-management and time management skills• General overview of how large projects work in the “real world”

Purpose of this Workshop!

Initiating

Define ScopeScope – A list of specific project goals, deliverables, tasks, costs, resources,

constraints, deadlines, and the major players.

Simple Example: The outcome for this project is as follows: an easy-to-use web portal where users can upload text (.txt) files for conversion to

Daisy/MP3 audio files which can then be downloaded and stored on SD cards for playback on an economical Daisy Audio player.

Planned features for the web portal include:● Record keeping of what files users upload, convert, and download● Database of files that have been uploaded and converted previously● Producing an audio file which allows user to skip to different sections in the audio file. These sections are denoted by the

given text file

Planning, Monitoring and ControllingCharts and Timelines

PERTPERT - Program Evaluation and Review Technique

A graphical representation of the predicted course of a project. Used to schedule, organize, and coordinate tasks within a project.

Gantt ChartA chart in which a series of horizontal lines shows the amount of work done or

production completed in certain periods of time in relation to the amount planned for those periods.

PERT• Can see task dependencies• Emphasizes relationships

between tasks• Can do CPM analysis

Gantt• Easier to read project status• Emphasizes time between tasks• Shows Big Picture

PERT vs. Gantt

ExecutingOne step at a time...

Closing

ClosingOnly 2 options:A) All tasks completedB) Project canceled

In Either Case:• Evaluate

o Resultso What can we do better next time?o Next Steps?

• Write a detailed report to sponsors, customers, stakeholders, etc.• Celebrate!

ConclusionTake what you just learnedAnd throw it away! (aka agile project management)

Don’t need to follow every stepMost important thing: Project Scope

A well defined objective = key to success

ActivityDraw a Gantt or PERT chart for the following project scope:

New Software Training Workshop:With the completion of development of new internal application CoolPMTools,

we now need to plan and execute a workshop to train employees on its use. We plan to have all employees trained within the next 4 weeks. The life cycle for this project will be as follows:

• Selection of Workshop Leaders - variable time• Training of Workshop Leaders - 1-2 weeks• Workshop Preparation and Practice - 1-2 weeks• Scheduling of Workshops (at least 1 week in advance of any single

workshop date) - variable time• Advertising Workshop - variable time• Workshop Execution (5 separate workshop dates) - variable time• Workshop Review - 1 day

Questions?