COMM95 Project Planning Unit 4

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COMM95 Project PlanningUnit 4
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Project Planning

• Introduction
• Why plan?
• To eliminate or reduce uncertainty
• To improve efficiency of the operation
• To obtain a better understanding of the
  objectives
• To provide a basis for monitoring and controlling
  work

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The consequences of poor planning(in the order
they happen)

• premature project initiation
• wild enthusiasm
• disillusionment
• chaos
• search for the guilty
• punishment of the innocent
• promotion of the non-participants
• definition of the requirement

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Planning components

• Objectives
• a goal, target or quota to be achieved
• Programme
• strategy and major action to achieve objectives
• Schedule
• a plan to show when milestones will be reached
• Budget
• planned expenditure for the project

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Planning components

• Forecast
• a projection of what will/may happen when
• Organisation
• the projects management and personnel structure
• Policy
• a general guide to decision making and individual
  actions

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Planning components

• Procedures
• a detailed method for carrying out policy
• Standards
• a level performance defined as adequate and/or
  acceptable

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Planning Frameworks

• There are many planning and project frameworks
• Two examples are
• Step Wise
• A planning framework
• Does not cover monitoring and control
• Prince 2
• A project framework
• Step Wise is compatible with the planning section
  of Prince 2

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Step Wise

• Step Wise has 10 defined steps .
• Step 0 Select project
• called step 0 because it is outside main project
  planning process
• Step 1 Identify project scope and objectives
• Step 2 Identify project infrastructure
• Step 3 Analyse project characteristics
• Step 4 Identify project products and activities

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Step Wise

• Step 5 Estimate effort for each activity
• Step 6 Identify activity risk
• Step 7 Allocate resources
• Step 8 Review / publicise plan
• Step 9 Execute plan
• Step 10 Lower levels of planning
• Within each step are various sub-sections

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Step Wise

• Step 1 Identify project scope and objectives
• Identify objectives and measures of effectiveness
  in meeting them
• Establish a project authority
• Identify all stakeholders in the project and
  their interests
• Modify objectives in the light of stakeholder
  analysis
• Establish methods of communication with all
  parties

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Step Wise

• Step 2 Identify project infrastructure
• Establish relationships between project and
  strategic planning
• Identify installation standards and procedures
• Identify project team organisation

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Step Wise

• Step 3 Analyse project characteristics
• Distinguish the project as either objective or
  product driven
• Analyse other project characteristic's
• Identify high level project risk
• Take into account user requirements concerning
  implementation
• Select general life-cycle approach
• Review overall resource estimates

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Step Wise

• Step 4 Identify project products and activities
• Identify and describe project products (or
  deliverables)
• Document generic product flows
• Recognise product instances
• Produce ideal activity network
• Modify ideal to take into account need for stages
  and checkpoints

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Step Wise

• Step 5 Estimate effort for each activity
• Carry out bottom-up estimates
• Revise plans to create controllable activities

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Step Wise

• Step 6 Identify activity risk
• Identify and quantify activity-based risks
• Plan risk reduction and contingency measures
  where appropriate
• Adjust plans and estimates to take account of
  risk

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Step Wise

• Step 7 Allocate resources
• Identify and allocate all resources
• Revise plans and estimates to account for
  resource constraints

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Step Wise

• Step 8 Review/publicise plan
• Review quality aspects of project plan
• Document plans and obtain agreement

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Step Wise

• Step 9 Execute plan
• Step 10 Lower levels of planning
• There are no sub-sections for steps 9 10

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PRINCE 2

• PRINCE is an acronym for
• Projects IN Controlled Environments
• PRINCE was conceived and developed by the Central
  Computer and Telecommunication Agency (CCTA)
• A UK government department

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PRINCE 2

• PRINCE 2 defines three key elements they are
• Processes
• Components
• Techniques
• Each element has several fundamental constituents

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PRINCE 2

• Processes
• Starting Up A Project (SU)
• Initiating A Project (IP)
• Directing A Project (DP)
• Managing Stage Boundaries (SB)
• Controlling A Stage (CS)
• Managing Product Delivery (MP)
• Closing A Project (CP)
• Planning (PL) (also a Component and Technique)

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PRINCE 2

• Components
• Business Case
• Organisation
• Planning (also a Process and Technique)
• Controls
• Management of Risk
• Quality In A Project Environment
• Configuration Management
• Change Control

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PRINCE 2

• Techniques
• Product-Based Planning
• (planning is also a Process and Technique)
• Change Controls
• Quality Reviews

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PRINCE 2

• Example of actions within a process
• Controlling A Stage process actions
• Authorise work packages
• Assess progress
• Capture project issues
• Examine project issues
• Review stage status
• Report highlights
• Take corrective action
• Escalate project issues
• Receive completed work packages

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PRINCE 2

• Actions within the Planning process
• PL 1 Design a Plan
• PL 2 Define and analyse
• PL 3 Identify activities and their
  dependencies
• PL 4 Estimate effort for each activity
• PL 5 Schedule
• PL 6 Analyse risk
• PL 7 Complete plan

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PRINCE 2

• PRINCE2 can be a very powerful tool is used
  wisely
• It is not a panacea to all project problems
• But, it provides a good structure on which to
  base the management of a project
• PRINCE2 can become very prescriptive if you let
  it .. dont fall into this trap!
• Overall PRINCE2 is a good framework to use

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Conclusion

• Planning is important
• Planning Frameworks
• Project Frameworks