Project Management: Getting Started

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Project ManagementGetting Started

• CS31
• Winter Term
• 2006

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What is Project Management?
Project management is the planning, scheduling,
and controlling of project activities to meet
project objectives. James P. Lewis,
Fundamentals of Project Management
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What is Project Management?
Project management is the application of
knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to
project activities to meet project
requirements. Guide to the Project Management
Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) -- Project
Management Institute (PMI)
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Project Management and Software Product Life Cycle

• The software life cycle and associated
  methodology set standards for the phases and
  deliverables associated with the software product
  itself
• But there are other tasks that must be managed
  well to enable the software production work.
  These enabling and facilitating tasks are
  referred to as project management.

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Project Management Tasks

• Determining project goals and objectives
• Obtaining agreement on these goals and objectives
• Managing client or customer interactions and
  expectations
• Insuring proper involvement of other stakeholders
  Resource allocation
• Team leadership
• Resource and schedule planning
• Risk management
• Change management
• Monitoring the progress of the work and adjusting
  the work plan accordingly

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Project Management and Product Life Cycle

• These enabling tasks are handled through
  organized project management
• Project management and system development
  methodologies are complementary
• They work together, reinforcing one another, to
  optimize the chances of a successful outcome

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An Important Distinction

• Systems development methodologies and project
  management address different, although related,
  aspects of the work to be done on a software
  project
• This division of labor makes sense
• The systems analysts and developers can
  concentrate on the technical work to be done
• Project leaders can focus on the overall
  planning, executing, and controlling of the
  project
• The skill sets for these two jobs are not the same

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What is a Project?
A project has

• Requirements (Specific Goals and Objectives)
• A Schedule
• A Budget
• Closure Criteria

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Characteristics of a Project

• A project is unique -- it is done once, as
  distinguished from operations
• A project is temporary it has definite start
  and end points
• The project team is transitory it exists only
  for the duration of the project
• Quality guru Juran defines a project as a problem
  scheduled for solution/completion

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Project Management Balancing Constraints
Scope
Cost
Performance
A Balancing Act
Time
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The Five Basic PM Processes
Initiating
Planning
Executing
Controlling
Closing
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The Five Basic PM Processes
Initiating
Planning
Executing
Defining project mission, objectives Identifying
major tasks required to achieve the objectives
Controlling
Closing
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The Five Basic PM Processes
Planning the execution of these tasks by a
project team Scheduling the tasks to be performed
Initiating
Planning
Executing
Controlling
Closing
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The Five Basic PM Processes
Initiating
Planning
Insuring the executionof tasks
Executing
Controlling
Closing
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The Five Basic PM Processes
Initiating
Planning
Executing
Controlling
Closing
Monitoring and controlling the tasks Updating
the plan
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The Five Basic PM Processes
Initiating
Planning
Executing
Controlling
Closing
Closing the project when the objectives have been
meet
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PM Processes Spanning Entire Project
Initiating
Planning
Executing
Controlling
Risk Management Team
Building
Communication
Closing