Phases & Process Steps Flashcards
Four Phase Process
Thirteen Step Process
- Project Initiation
- Identify Activities, Responsibility & Duration
- Sequence Activities
- Assign Resources
- Assign Costs
- Calculate Schedule
- Verify Critical Path(s)
- Conduct Risk Management
- Communicate Plan
- Obtain Project Status
- Analyze Project
- Adjust Resources
- Close-out Project
The Project Charter
“A document issued by the project initiator or
sponsor that formally authorizes the existence
of a project, and provides the project manager
with the authority to apply organizational
resources to project activities.”
Project Contract (Scope) Definition
A project management communication tool:
- Establishes consensus among the project core team members on the project’s definition
- Establishes a documented agreement between the project team and the project owner(s)
- Establishes a scope baseline to control ‘scope creep’
- Provides a foundation for the work breakdown structure
- Ensures the project’s objectives are directly linked to the project’s mission
- Length 1 to 3 pages
Project Stakeholders
“Persons and organizations such as customers,
sponsors, performing organization and the
public, that are actively involved in the project,
or whose interests may be positively or
negatively affected by execution or completion
of the project. They may also exert influence
over the project and its deliverables.”
Source: PMI – PMBOK
Identify Stakeholders
Customer
Owner
Client
User
Sponsor (financial person)
Project team
– Project manager / leader
– Core team members
– Other team members
Other major stakeholders
Mission (Project Scope Statement)
A few concise statements that clearly defines
the purpose of the project
Do not include the project’s completion date
or budgeted cost in the mission!
What are we trying to do?
In-Scope & Out-of-Scope
Clearly defines the deliverables that will and will not be produced by the project
More detailed than the mission statement
Establishes the length and breadth of the project
Sometimes stating what is not within the scope of the project is very important
Objectives
Defines the success criteria of the project
All objectives relate directly to the completion
of the project’s mission
If completion of all the objectives then the
project should be complete
Defines how to complete the mission
Objectives
- Objectives should be SMART:
– Specific
– Measurable in quantifiable terms
– Agreed upon by all team members
– Relevant to the mission
– Time framed
- Objectives should start with the word ‘To’ and then end with an action verb
Assumptions
Clarifies any uncertainties in the scope
Provides the foundation of how the project is going to be performed
Constraints
Any limits that are placed on the project or project team
Constraints usually relate to either:
– Time
– Cost
– Performance
They may originate from the project environment, owner requirements or company policies
Major Risks
High level risks are risks that may cause project failure
Risks usually affects the time, cost or performance of the project
Assumptions produce risk
Project Core Team
Identify the members of the core team
– Name
– Title/position
– Department
– Phone numbers
– Email address
– Initials
Project Core Team
- This section is for the sign-off of this agreement between the project team and the project owners, sponsors, and other stakeholders
- Cannot be approved until all planning has been completed
Deliverable
“Any unique and verifiable product, result, or
capability to perform a service that must be
produced to complete a process, phase, or
project.”
Work Package
“A deliverable or project work component at
the lowest level of each branch of the work
breakdown structure.”
Decomposition
“A planning technique that subdivides the
project scope and project deliverables into
smaller, more manageable components until
the project work associated with
accomplishing the project scope and
providing the deliverables is defined in
sufficient detail to support executing,
monitoring, and controlling the work.”
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
- “A deliverable-oriented hierarchical decomposition of the work to be executed by the project team to accomplish the project objectives and created the required
deliverables. ” * “It organizes and defines the total scope of the
project. ” * “Each descending level represents an increasingly detailed definition of the project work.” - “The WBS is decomposed into work
packages. ”
Source: PMI - PMBOK
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
WBS can be sub-divided by:
– Phases
– Organizations
– Components
– Objectives
WBS is developed from the top down with emphasis on the reporting of cost data
WBS can be displayed in a graphical form or as an outline form
Activities vs. Tasks
Activity – “A specific task or set of tasks that
are required by the project, use up resources,
and takes time to complete.”
Source: Meredith & Mantel
Activity - “Effort that occurs over a time period
and generally consumes resources,
sometimes also called a ‘task’.”
Source: Fleming & Hoppelman
Identify Work Breakdown Structure
Use objectives to decompose project
elements into components that can be
managed in the project plan. This will be the
basis of the WBS.
