EP 704 Unit 2

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EP 704Unit 2

• The Project Management Context

Dr. J. Michael Bennett, P. Eng., PMP UNENE,
McMaster University, The University of Western
Ontario Version 2K4-XI-01
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Change Control

• 2K4 XI 01 Initial Creation

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EP 704 Road Map

• Unit 1 Introduction to Project Management
• Unit 2 The Project Management Context
• Unit 3 Project Management Processes
• Unit 4 Project Integration Management
• Unit 5 Project Scope Management
• Unit 6 Project Cost Management
• Unit 7 Project Time Management
• Unit 8 Project Quality Management
• Unit 9 Project Human Resource Management
• Unit 10 Project Communications Management
• Unit 11 Project Risk Management
• Unit 12 Project Procurement Management

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Unit 2 RoadMap

• 2.1 Project Phases and the Project Life Cycle
• 2.2 Project Stakeholders
• 2.3 Organizational Influences
• 2.4 Key General Management Skills
• 2.5 Social Economic Environmental Influences

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2.1 Project Phases and the Project Life Cycle

• 2.1.1 Characteristics of Project Phases
• 2.1.2 Characteristics of Project Life Cycles
• 2.1.3 Typical Life Cycles

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2.1.1 Characteristics of Project Phases

• Each phase is demarcated by one or more
  deliverables
• A deliverable is a tangible, verifiable work
  product (feasibility study, requirements
  document, piece of code etc)
• Conclusion of a phase is called a phase exit,
  gate, kill point, etc

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Gate Activities

• Determine if the project should continue into its
  next phase
• Review project quality
• Review deliverables
• Detect, report and correct defects
• Gates are defined by the Project Life Cycle

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2.1.2 Characteristics of Project Life Cycles

• Life cycle models are useful in
• Determining complete set of activities
• Determining if we are tracking appropriately
• Estimating costs overruns
• Estimating schedule overruns
• Note that most follow a Rayleigh Curve

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Life Cycles

• Phases a system or product goes through
• E.g. product life cycle
• E.g. software life cycle
• Uses
• Management and planning
• Task and result identification
• Study and improvement

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Why use a Life Cycle?

• Increasing size and cost
• Social implications
• Because software engineers are ENGINEERS and
  that's what engineers do

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Phases of the Engineering Life Cycle

• Requirements
• Specifications
• Design
• Implementation
• Integration
• Testing
• Maintenance
• Retirement

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A Rayleigh Curve
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Typical Life Cycles

• Hump often is shifted towards the end (in most
  projects)

Initial Phase
Intermediate Phases
Final Phase

time
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Life Cycle define (generally)

• What technical work is to be done at each phase
• Who is involved at each phase

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PM LC Common Characteristics

• Cost/staffing is low at beginning and end rises
  towards the end to maximum
• At the start, Probability of Failure and
  Likelihood of Risk are highest fall slowly as
  the project proceeds
• Ability of stakeholders to change product
  characteristics is highest at start and falls
  towards completion

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2.1.3 Typical Life Cycles

• Defense acquisition project
• Software construction project
• Construction project
• Pharmaceutical product

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2.2 Project Stakeholders

• What IS a SH anyway?
• individuals and organizations that are actively
  involved in the project or whose interests may be
  affected, or-, by the project or its
  completion.
• The PM must identify all stakeholders

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Key Stakeholders include at least

• Project manager
• Project team members
• Customer
• Client
• Performing organization
• Sponsor

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Other Categorizations

• Internal/external
• Owners/funders
• Sellers and contractors
• Team members and their families
• Government agencies and media outlets
• Individual citizens
• Lobbying groups

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Managing Stakeholders

• Must be identified and managed
• Keep them informed of progress or lack of it
• Identify especially the champion that sits on the
  Money Board

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2.3 Organizational Influences

• 2.3.1 Organizational Systems
• 2.3.2 Organizational Cultures
• 2.3.3 Organizational Structures
• 2.3.4 The PMO

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On Organizations...
... We trained hard... but it seemed that every
time we were beginning to form into teams, we
would be reorganized... I was to learn later in
life that we tend to meet any new situation by
reorganizing and a wonderful method it can be
for creating the illusion of progress while
producing confusion, inefficiency and
demoralization.
Petronius Arbiter 60AD
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2.3.1 Organizational Systems

• Project based orgs
• those who perform projects
• The projectized org
• Non project based orgs
• Makes PM more difficult
• eg Federal Government or any hierarchy
• Key point how does the org treat projects?
• If functional depts are rewarded for staffing
  projects be sure they arent parked. No Beach
  Bunnies!

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2.3.2 Organizational Cultures

• Is the org a risk taker?
• Is it rigidly hierarchical?
• Must match project to culture

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2.3.3 Organizational Structures

• We identify 5 types of orgs
• 1. functional
• 2. weak matrix
• 3. balanced matrix
• 4. strong matrix
• 5. projectized

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Organizational Structure Influences on
ProjectsPMBoK page 19
OS
Proj Chars
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Functional Organization
Project Coordination
PHB
Staff
Staff engaged in project activities
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Weak Matrix Organization
PHB
Staff
Project Coordination
Staff engaged in project activities
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Strong Matrix Organization
PHB
PM
Project Coordination
Staff engaged in project activities
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Projectized Organization
PHB
Staff
Staff
Staff
Staff
Staff
Project Coordination
Staff engaged in project activities
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2.3.4 The PM Office

• All the way from Stinky using Excel to an office
  of a 1000

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2.4 Key General Management Skills

• 2.4.0 General Management
• 2.4.1 Leading
• 2.4.2 Communicating
• 2.4.3 Negotiating
• 2.4.4 Problem Solving
• 2.4.5 Influencing

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2.4.0 General Management

• Financial and accounting, sales and marketing
• Strategic planning, tactical operation
• Organizational structures, behaviour, personnel
• Managing work relations
• Managing oneself
• Next set are specific to a PM

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2.4.1 Leading

• Note difference between leading and managing
• Need both
• Managing is about producing good results
• Leading is
• Establishing direction
• Aligning people
• Motivating and inspiring
• Reducing personnel conflicts

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2.4.2 Communicating

• Must be proficient at written and oral
• Estimated that 90 of the PMs time is spent
  communicating
• Internal and external communications
• Vertical and horizontal
• Note necessity of the PM being the ONLY
  spokesperson for the team!!!!!

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2.4.3 Negotiating

• Necessary to achieve cooperation from others
• Network in the org
• Give so that you can get at a later date
• Will negotiate at least
• Scope, cost, schedule
• Changes to above
• Contract terms and conditions
• Assignments
• Resources
• People conflicts

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2.4.4 Problem Solving

• Problem definition
• Decision-making
• Is done all the time
• You must be FAST at this
• Timing is everything

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2.4.5 Influencing

• You do this to get things done
• Must understand the ol patch
• Need to exercise both power and politics
• Note that both have their evil twin

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2.5 Social Economic Environmental Influences

• 2.5.0 General
• 2.5.1 Standards and Regulations
• 2.5.2 Internationalization
• 2.5.3 Cultural Influences
• 2.5.4 Social Economic Environmental Sustainability

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2.5.0 General

• You must understand the milieu that you are in

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2.5.1 Standards and Regulations

• A standard is a document approved by a
  recognized body, that provides, for common and
  repeated use, rules, guidelines or
  characteristics of products or services with
  which compliance is not mandatory (ISO)
• A regulation is a document, which lays down
  product, process or service characteristics,
  including the applicable administrative
  provisions, with which compliance is necessary
  (ISO)

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2.5.2 Internationalization

• Time-zone differences
• National and religious holidays
• Telephonic and communications infrastructure

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2.5.3 Cultural Influences

• Can sandbag you
• Examples from Saudi Arabia and Japan

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2.5.4 Social Economic Environmental Sustainability

• You can be accountable for impacts resulting from
  a project
• A civil engineer might dig up some ruins
• Environment putting in a road could ruin a
  pristine environment