PRJ566 :Project Planning and Management

Project Initiation Document: Scope, Constraints, Legal, Moral and Ethical Issues, Risk Management

What is a project? temporary—specific timeframe a goal: a product/service/result (scope) activities (scope, plan) resources (scope, plan) Budget (CBA) specifications (scope)

A project has: Scope

Includes the goal of the project Describes the project perimeter (what deliverables the

project includes) A plan

Includes activities/tasks, resources (who does what), milestones, deadlines, quality assurance

A budget For human resources and other costs

Risks

Project Challenges Common Problems and Causes

Scope too big (“scope creep”) or not well defined Tasks take longer than planned (“effort creep”)—

usually due to poor estimating, planning and management

Developers add “gold plating” (“feature creep”) E.g. very flashy user interfaces

Top Reasons for project failure… Poor specifications Poor planning/estimating Poor risk management of “use of new

technology” risk Poor project management

This includes poor communication Poor risk management of “lack of skills”

risk

In PRJ566 and PRJ666… Poor specifications Poor planning/estimating Poor risk management of “use of new

technology” risk Poor project management

This includes poor communication Poor risk management of “lack of skills”

risk

Examples Ontario’s Welfare Computer System

“riddled with errors” Incorrect actions and data (threatening letters sent

to innocent clients) Very high down time Workers developed new and creative ways to

“work around” the computer system in order to get cheques mailed on time

Source: Toronto Star, July 10 & 13/2004

Examples cont’d Ontario’s Welfare Computer System

Cost of down time? $2M in lost productivity (16 working days)

Cost of errors? $10M to Accenture PLUS cost to clients, workers

to fix error that did not allow increases

Source: Toronto Star, July 10 & 13/2004

Examples cont’d Ontario’s Welfare Computer System

The total cost for this system to date--$500M What it could have been built for--$5M

(as per Robert Bernecky, Snake Island Research) Real cost is100 x what it should have cost and far

over budget.

Source: Toronto Star, July 10 & 13/2004

The Project Life Cycle

Scope Plan Execute

Control

Close

The Project Life Cycle Scope

Create a baseline “SCOPE” by gathering requirements, doing analysis

Manage changes to SCOPE Create a project plan

Carry it out and manage it making changes as required Finish the project

Lessons learned?

You need to manage Scope Time Budget Quality COMMUNICATION People Risks …and so on

The Pain Curve

Pain

Time

GoodScope/Plan

PoorScope/Plan

Project Initiation Document

Date Submitted:

January 6, 2008

Team Number: 1

Team Members: Tom Tank / Anna Ko / Connie Long / Lee McKinnon

Project Title:

Client Information:

Ms. Freda Energy (Owner)

Target Completion Date:

Scope of System being developed:

Functions/features that the will computerize for the client 1. Generate specified forms and reports Echocardiography study form Vascular study form Diagnostic report Billing status report Patients/physician report Pathology tracking report 2. Maintain patient and physician data Add/delete/view/print 3. Maintain system security and data integrity Maintain/add user access privileges Database backup Synchronize remote and local databases Read/store OHIP health card information 4. Static self-promotional Web site

Project Initiation Document

Scope of System being developed (cont’d):

Systems the new system is to be designed to interface with No current computerized system Manual form/report generation Manual storage of patient/physician data as Word 2000

documents Any special requirements or processing OHIP card reader Self promotional Web site (targeted to US clients) Cross-referencing of data for medical studies (pathology

tracking) Mobile access (laptop) with system Include everything that you should do for the client to put the system into place (e.g. are there any networking requirements? who will set the network up?) Will install the system at both client locations: 111 King Street

and 222 Bloor Street Will create a quick update function to allow the client to enter

initial data quickly. Will train the client

Project Initiation Document

Constraints Constraint is a limitation imposed on motion

or action Constraints that apply to the System

Constraints that apply to the system are factors that restrict how you run your project, how you build your system, or what methods and tools (hardware/software) you use. For example, the client might have specific software that you must use (E.g. Microsoft Access). Must use Windows Vista operating system Must use MySQL database Software language will be based on the knowledge of the

developers

Risk Management

A risk is some future happening that results in a change, either positive or negative, to a project

Risk is usually associated with a loss which can be estimated

Estimation is a combination of two factors: The probability that the event will occur The severity of the loss if the event occurs

Risk Management

As a project manager, need to mitigate (lessen) the risk and reduce the loss that could occur

Need to identify the risks, identify the probability they will occur and determine how the losses can be reduced or eliminated

Goes on throughout the whole life cycle of the project.

Risk Management

PlanEstimate

Initiate Close(Re)Schedule

Carry out tasks

Monitor, adjust

Execute

For each phase of system development life cycle (SDLC)

Risk Management

Identifying Risks

Lack of user involvement Lack of management support Poor definition of Scope Lack of proper planning Unrealistic expectations

Identifying Risks

Too much new technology Lack of required skills Poor communication Poor estimating Poor project management

Risk Symptoms

You know you are in trouble when: Scope starts creeping... Time starts to slip…critical path! “This isn’t what I asked for!” (client) “I’m really busy…can we meet later?” (client) “By the way…I can’t afford all

that stuff you said you needed...” (client)

Risk Response Control

Scope creeps Review; negotiate Time slips Review estimates, resources Deliverable unacceptable

Revise; re-plan

Can’t get hold of client

Negotiate; Give something for client to critique – email?

Client budget gone

Renegotiate scope

What do you do?

Risk Symptoms You know you are in trouble when:

“I don’t want to work with HIM/HER…” (team)

“Oops…this isn’t quite how I thought this technology would work…”

“I’m too busy to attend the project management meeting….”

I’m too busy to update the wbs, create the meeting minutes, update the project status…”

Risk Response Control

Team interaction problems

Revisit contract; team rules/training; new team members?

Technology problems

Consult an expert; review plan

Team members too "busy"

Reinstate planning meetings; Reinstate control; New project manager?

What do you do?

Risk Response Control

Risk tracking - part of project status Risk Assessment and Planning

In this section list all risks that you may encounter in carrying out your project. For each risk list how you plan to address it (to either minimize its impact or to eliminate it). Note: A risk is a circumstance that exists, or for which there is evidence that it may occur in the future, that has the potential of affecting the delivery of the project on time, on budget and with the agreed upon deliverables. Unfamiliar hardware (e.g. card reader)

Remedy: Arrange for training on how to use harware Team member inexperience with project scale, development

tools, etc. Remedy: Provide training to team members and track progress through weekly project status meetings

Risk Response Control Risk

tracking - part of project status

Risk Management Types of Projects:

Implementing a new POS system in a national retailer

Implementing a new online trading system for a financial institution

Moral/Ethical/Legal Issues Moral

concerned with the distinction between right and wrong

Ethics treating of moral questions science of human behaviour

Legal Recognized by law

Moral/Ethical/Legal Issues Ethics

many professions have a code of ethics, e.g. doctor’s, investment dealers, lawyers, accountants

CIPS standards: http://www.cips.ca/ethics Ethics and software development:

http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/rational/library/may06/pollice/index.html

Moral, Ethical and Legal Issues

These are issues to consider in minimizing moral or legal complications during system creation or after system completion. All patient data will remain confidential Not responsible for post system implementation data

integrity/loss System ownership: System will belong to Super Solutions

Moral/Ethical/Legal Issues

Moral/Ethical/Legal Issues Types of Projects:

Online Clinic Implementing a new student records processing

system. (Move mainframe-based data to pc servers available online)

Implementing a new online trading system for a financial institution