Download - Managing LRC Projects Managing LRC Projects
Managing LRC Projects
Examples of projects are:
• New LRC building
• Refurbishment
• Piloting a new service
• New catalogue
• Research
• Documentation
Managing LRC Projects: Aims and Objectives
Aim: To deliver techniques and tips to improve the project management skills of LRC staff
Objectives:•To become aware of basic project management skills.
•To recognise and understand the stages of a project.
•To recognise the importance of project planning.
•To improve own project management skills.
•To become aware of Microsoft Project.
Definition of Project Management
• Project management is the discipline of organizing and managing resources in such a way that these resources deliver all the work required to complete a project within defined scope, time, and cost constraints. A project is a temporary and one-time endeavor undertaken to create a unique product or service.
• The first challenge of project management is ensuring that a project is delivered within the defined constraints. The second, more ambitious, challenge is the allocation and integration of the inputs needed to meet those pre-defined objectives. The project, therefore, is a carefully selected set of activities chosen to use resources to meet the pre-defined objectives.
• See Wikipedia, Project management, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_management
Project Management Diamond
Project management is often summarised as a diamond, with time, cost, scope and quality the four vertices and customer expectations as a central theme.
• Projects must be delivered on time. • Projects must be within cost • Projects must be within scope • Projects must meet customer quality
requirements
The fundamental basis of good project management is that the project manager’s challenge is to effectively balance the components of time, cost, scope, quality, and expectations using effective project planning.
Time
Quality Cost
Scope
Expectations
Project Management Diamond
Project Management Diamond
Project management is often summarised as a diamond, with time, cost, scope and quality the four vertices and customer expectations as a central theme.
• Projects must be delivered on time. • Projects must be within cost • Projects must be within scope • Projects must meet customer quality
requirements
The fundamental basis of good project management is that the project manager’s challenge is to effectively balance the components of time, cost, scope, quality, and expectations using effective project planning.
Project Life Cycle
A project goes through four phases during its life:
•Project Definition: Defining the goals, objectives and critical success factors for the project •Project Initiation: Everything that is needed to set-up the project before work can start •Project Control: Ensuring that a project stays on track and taking appropriate action to ensure it does •Project Completion: Disbanding of all the elements that were required to run the project
Project Life Cycle
1Definition
4 Completion
3 Control
2 Initiation
1. Project Definition
A project definition describes exactly the common understanding, its extent and nature, among the key people involved in a project. The definition provides a foundation upon which successful projects are built.
A project manager drafts a project definition, but its development is a team effort. The definition is an agreement among key participants in a project, and must have input from all of those participants. All projects need to go through the definition process.
Lack of a definition leads to unclear and ambiguous goals, confusion, misunderstanding, and poor communication. Failure to formalize and document scope, goals, and expectations puts a project at risk before it even begins.
1. Project Definitionincludes:
Scope Goals & Objectives
Deliverables Assumptions StakeholdersExpectedBusinessBenefits
Costs &Duration
What is & is not to be included
What will be achieved & what will be delivered: specific &
measurable
What is being
produced: be specific
& measurable
Establish the environment
& expectations
before the project can
begin
Individuals / organizations
involved in the project, or
whose interests may be affected
by the project
How the service will be
improved
The length of the project & the total cost
Risks
Procurement
Documents Budget
Time
Resources
2. Project Initiation
What people, time, materials, space,
energy, communications are needed?
What are the key project
dates & timescales?
What are the main areas of
expenditure and income?
What paperwork needs to be completed &
signed e.g. contracts.
Do a comprehensive risk log for the project.
What needs to be
purchased in advanced
& what systems will
be used during the project?
3. Project Control
Project Plan: A detailed plan showing all the activities and milestones will be the key mechanism for monitoring your project.
Detailed Budget: A detailed budget showing all capital and revenue income and expenditure should be updated weekly to monitor the budget accurately.Communication: Regular project team meetings and action notes to ensure everyone knows what is going on.
Monitoring & Evaluation: A comprehensive evaluation strategy designed in conjunction with the project to prove the business value and success of the project.
Progress Reports: Regular reports, e.g. Monthly Highlight Report, to the Project Board, funders and other stakeholders highlighting progress and issues.
Project Board: A decision-making body with responsibility to strategically guide and monitor the project.
Project Plan
Work Work breakdownbreakdownstatementstatement
ActivitiesActivities
GANTTGANTTchartscharts
MilestonesMilestones
Critical PathCritical Path
Key reviewKey reviewdatesdates
3. Project Control
Project Plan: A detailed plan showing all the activities and milestones will be the key mechanism for monitoring your project.
Detailed Budget: A detailed budget showing all capital and revenue income and expenditure should be updated weekly to monitor the budget accurately.Communication: Regular project team meetings and action notes to ensure everyone knows what is going on.
Monitoring & Evaluation: A comprehensive evaluation strategy designed in conjunction with the project to prove the business value and success of the project.
Progress Reports: Regular reports e.g. Monthly Highlight Report to the Project Board, funders and other stakeholders highlighting progress and issues.
Project Board: A decision-making body with responsibility to strategically guide and monitor the project.
Microsoft Project
Microsoft Project is project management software developed and sold by Microsoft. It helps you manage projects and resources, establish repeatable processes and ensure organization-wide collaboration on projects.
You can:•Create, staff and manage projects using step-by-step guides,•Develop plans•Assign resources to projects and tasks,•Maintain accurate records of work completed,•Track progress•Analyse workloads•Manage budgets
See an example of a project GANTT chart using Microsoft Project.
Clients are happy & sign off the project as completed
What lessons have been learnt & how would you do things differently next time?
Project evaluation is completed & reported
Project report is completed & circulated to all
stakeholders
4. Project Completion
Potential Barriers
Problems can be caused in a project by:
• Poor communication • Disagreement • Misunderstandings • Personality conflicts • Poor management • Poorly defined goals and objectives• Bad weather (building projects)
More information
•Free Microsoft Project 2003 Tutorials
For further help and information on project management:
•LSN’s E-learning Continuing Professional Development Framework: Unit 11 ‘Undertake an e-learning development project’
Activity
•Try out some of the things you have learnt by thinking about a project you need to undertake. This can be a simple project or a complicated project.
•You can use a project initiation document for this project. Try to fill in as much information as possible as this will form the basis of your project planning.
•Discuss the document with your colleagues.
•Keep a copy and review it as your project progresses.