Project Management Tools

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Project Management Tools

• Workshop on Gender Statistics Training Programmes
• Geneva, 9-10 October 2008

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Objectives

• What makes a project
• Key components of a project
• Some useful management tools

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Project Management
project (noun) 1 a specific plan or design
2 a planned undertaking management (noun) 1
the act or art of managing the conducting or
supervising of something 2 judicious use of
means to accomplish an end manage (verb) 1
to handle or direct with a degree of skill 2 to
work upon or try to alter for a purpose 3 to
achieve one's purpose
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Project characteristics

• Beginning and End
• Agreed, well defined outputs and outcomes
• Balance between time, cost and quality
• Interrelated tasks grouped into phases
• Temporary, often multidisciplinary project team
  brought together for the project
• Might entail involvement of people from other
  units or organizations

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Project components
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Projects in Gender StatisticsTypes of Projects
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Projects in Gender StatisticsAreas of work
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Projects in Gender StatisticsSome innovative
topics

• Database on Arab Women and Technology
• Mapping Womens Empowerment
• Workshop to Assess the Economic Contribution of
  Women and the Factors Affecting Contribution
• Research on Reconciliation of Professional and
  Family Life

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Project Management Cycle
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Concept Phase
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Option appraisal

• Is there an identified need for this project?
• -Look for good entry points
• What is the main objective of this project?
• What are the specific benefits of the project?
• Are there potential conflicts between this
  project and other current projects?
• Will the project receive the support it requires?
• If it is successful-will the benefits be
  measurable?
• Do we have (even rough/estimated) delivery dates
  and a budget for it?
• What are the risks for failure?

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Scoping the Project

• Gives clarity of the boundaries, objectives and
  success criteria of the project
• Consultation with relevant stakeholders upfront

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Objectives
High level objectives to which the project
contributes The projects central
objective The products of undertaken
activities Tasks executed as part of the project
to produce the projects outputs
Impacts
Outcome
Outputs
Activities / Tasks
Means
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Project Team

• Project Manager
• Project Board/Steering Group Members
• Team Members

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Stakeholders

• Individual/s, groups, institutions or firms that
  may have a relationship with the project
• They may directly or indirectly, positively or
  negatively affect or be affected by the process
  and the outcomes of the project

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Relevant Stakeholders

• Beneficiaries (impact level)
• Benefit from the implementation of the project
• Target group/s (outcome level)
• Group/entity who will be immediately and
  positively affected by the project
• Project Partners (output level)
• Those who help to implement the project

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Target groups
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Tool Stakeholder Analysis

• Who should contribute
• Who is the target group?
• Who are the beneficiaries?
• Who are the project partners?
• Where assets and barriers might be
• Who might have a positive/negative impact on the
  project?
• Actions to be taken before detailed planning
• Manage expectations

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Tool Stakeholder Analysis -Identifying assets
and risks
Stakeholder Support
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Tool Stakeholder Analysis -Managing expectations
Stakeholder Their interest / requirement What the project needs from them Perceived assets / risks Actions to take


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Risks

• Scope related risks Risk that the project will
  not meet its specifications (quality, quantity)
• Schedule related risks The project will not meet
  its deadlines
• Cost related risks Risks of exceeding the
  specified budget

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Tool Risk Assessment Matrix
LIKELIHOOD IMPACT IMPACT IMPACT IMPACT
LIKELIHOOD Major Medium Low Insignificant
Almost certain
Likely
Moderate
Almost zero
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Tool Risk Management Plan
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Milestones

• Important, clearly defined events in the course
  of a project
• End of a task
• Decision taken
• End of a project phase
• Represent the project progress
• Should take place on a specific date
• Crucial to the success of the project

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Tool Milestone Chart
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Tool Milestone Report
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Tool Critical Path Analysis
Activity Duration Required Predecessor
A Design guide on history teaching 5 months None
B Identify schools to participate in testing of the new guide. 1 month None
C Translate preliminary guide 2 months A
D Print and distribute guide to pilot schools. 3 months A, B
E xxxx 2 months A
F Train sample of trainers 3 months C
G yyyyy 4 months D
H zzzz 2 months B,E
I oooo 1 month H
J Write project report 1 month F,G,I
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Tool Gantt Charts
They are bar graphs that help plan and monitor
project development or resource allocation on a
horizontal time scale.
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Tool Project definition form

• Project Name
• Project Goals and Deliverables
• (what is the project designed to produce and to
  achieve?)
• Scope
• Constraints
• (Whats out of scope?)
• Team/ Resource roles
• (Who does what?)
• Project Risk Assessment
• (Which ones have we anticipated?)
• Project Milestones
• (What needs to happen when?
• Include project review dates in this section)

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Tool Checklist
What is the rationale for the project? Are the
project objectives clear and unambiguous? What
actions need to be done? When are those
actions going to be done? Who is going to do
them? What resources are required? What is
not going to be done? Are outputs and outcome
measurable? If so what measures should be
used? Is everything feasible and realistic?