Offender Learning and Skills elearning programme Project Management Day

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Offender Learning and Skills e-learning programme
Project Management Day
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Overview of project management

• Few information systems projects fail for
  technical reasons
• Most IT projects fail because they are not
  effectively managed
• The successful running of any project depends
  mainly on the efforts of staff
• In short projects are about managing people

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Overview of project management

• Projects are always unique
• They necessarily involve uncertainty and risk
• They will require all of ones flexibility and
  ingenuity if they are to succeed
• Thats whats exciting and challenging in
  managing a project!
• More detailed information and advice is available
  _at_ www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/infokits/project-managemen
  t

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Characteristics of a project

• The OGC (Organisation of Government Commerce)
  considers a project
• as a unique set of co-ordinated activities,
  planned and defined
• with definite start and finish points
• undertaken by an individual or team to meet
  specific objectives
• Usually undertaken within defined time, cost and
  performance parameters

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Characteristics of a project

• Instruments of change
• Non-routine
• Unique
• Composed of inter-dependent activities
• Carried out by workers who do not normally work
  together
• Temporary with defined start and finish
• Intended to achieve specific outcomes
• Frequently risky and involving uncertainties

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What can we learn from research findings (1)?

• In 2003 a KPMG study, covering 134 listed
  companies in the UK reported
• 56 of firms have had to write off at least one
  project in the last year as a failure
• Only 9 of organisations felt that delivering
  projects within budget is their most important
  measurement for success
• 21 of organisations concluded that being on
  time was the prime driver

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What can we learn from research findings (2)?

• This study cited the following reasons for
  project failure
• Inadequate planning at the outset by the project
  manager of project management team
• Poor project management skills
• Poor communication between members of the project
  team
• Lack of clarity about roles and responsibilities
  of project workers
• Inability to overcome obstacles ie the behaviours
  and attitudes of others who did not support the
  project

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What can we learn from research findings (3)?

• In 2004 the International Management Consultancy
  PA Consulting Group found in their study of 85
  projects within 38 UK companies from a cross
  section of industries that
• 70 of organisations are consistently failing to
  deliver project outcomes timescales being the
  poorest aspect of performance
• It is alarming to find that whilst an increasing
  proportion of business is conducted through
  project work, poor management was the critical
  competence
• In most cases of poor performance, they found an
  over-reliance on techniques and insufficient
  leadership skills were prominent

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What can we learn from research findings (4)?

• This contrasted starkly with successful projects
  where a strong team spirit and clear direction
  existed and the project manager was competent and
  showed strong leadership skills
• Although most organisations applied good project
  management principles at the outset of a project
  they found maintaining discipline and managing
  change throughout the life of the project proved
  much harder to achieve
• 60 of respondents reported that they had secured
  an active sponsor and had effective partnerships
  with other organisations
• 60 maintained that their projects were well
  defined at the start

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What can we learn from research findings (5)?

• However, after these initial successes,
  enthusiasms for their projects seems to tail off
• Only 45 of projects within this study believed
  that once their projects were up and running,
  that changes were managed and controlled
  effectively
• Of IT projects in particular
• 77 did well in meeting the project objectives
• 30 performed well on budgetary control
• 40 performed well on schedule management
• 80 reported that managing and controlling change
  was their greatest difficulty

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What can we learn from research findings (6)?

• This study found that companies that performed
  well in delivering their project outcomes,
  regardless of size, excelled in four key areas
• Effective project management with a strong
  emphasis on leadership skills
• Good project definition at the outset, clearly
  stating the objectives and meeting timescales for
  delivery
• Supportive influences from senior management to
  overcome obstacles, particularly from others
  within the organisations who felt threatened by
  change
• Effective change management allowing
  flexibility to meet changing demands

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Any questions