Project ManagementStarting out

What makes projects different to BAU (Business as Usual)?

Change - Projects are the means by which we introduce change

Temporary - Once the change has been implemented, business as usual resumes and the project ends

Cross-functional - Projects often cross functional divisions and different organizations

Unique - Every project is unique on some way: a different team, a different customer, a different location

Uncertainty - Projects introduce risks, threats and opportunities over and above those found during business as usual

PRINCE2 Overview

Projectdeliver outputs defined in

business case, charter or other initiating documentation

Programmea group of related projects managed

in a coordinated way to achieve outcomes

Portfolioselecting the right balance of projects and

programs to best meet organisational objectives

(as defined in its strategic goals)

What are projects and programmes?

A project is a temporary organization that is created for the purpose of delivering one or more business products according to an agreed

Business Case.

A programme is a temporary flexible organization structure created to

coordinate, direct and oversee the implementation of a set of related

projects and activities in order to deliver outcomes and benefits relating to an organization’s strategic objectives. A

programme may have a life that spans several years

Definitions

PRINCE2 Overview

Major World Sporting Event

such as SWC

PRINCE2 Overview

Managing projects

Plan

Delegate

Monitor

Control

Managing projects addresses theplanning, delegation,

monitoring and control of various aspects of

project performance

PRINCE2 Overview

© Crown Copyright 2009. Reproduced under Licence from the Cabinet Office.

6 Aspects of Project Performance to be Managed

Costs - The project has to be affordable

Timescales - We need to know when the project will finish

Quality - The project’s products or outputs must be fit for purpose

Scope - Exactly what will the project deliver? There must be agreement and a detailed understanding of what is and what is not within the scope

Risk - How much risk is acceptable

Benefits - The Project Manager has to have a clear understanding of the investment purpose of the project

PRINCE2 Overview

What is project management?

Project management is the planning, delegating, monitoring and control of all aspects of the project, and the motivation of those involved, to achieve the project objectives within the expected

performance targets for time, cost, quality, scope, benefits and risks.

PRINCE2 Overview

Some Benefits of Effective Project Governance

Embodies established, proven best practice and governance that can be applied to any type of project

Widely recognized providing a common vocabulary

Provides for the explicit recognition of responsibilities

The product focus clarifies scope and responsibilities

Based on ‘management by exception’ providing for the efficient and economic use of management time

Ensures a focus on project viability via the Business Case

Ensures that stakeholders are well represented in planning and decision-making

PRINCE2 Overview

Triangular relationship between time, cost and quality

What is the relative priority for the organization? Is it more important to finish……

on time

on budget

to the right quality

TIME

COST QUALITY

SCOPE

Splitting projects into phases – a life cycle

Divides the project into manageable pieces of phases

Provides a mechanism to continually review what has actually happened, compared to the plan

To make sure that the business case is still valid

It ensures that the early phases of a project are not ignored

Phases are treated as mini-projects ensuring it is started correctly, planned, monitored and closed with lessons learned

It assists with planning, scheduling and estimating

Assists with better resource allocation

Encourages interim reviews at the end of each phase

Facilitates formal ‘go/no-go’ decision making

Project life cycle

Concept Definition ImplementationHandover and

closeout

Ensures that the pre-requisites for the definition phase are in place

Do we have a viable and worthwhile project to go into the Definition Phase?

Prevents poorly conceived projects as much as approving viable ones

Confirm business justification Put in place accountability structure Define and confirm scope Determine project approach Plan the next phase

Concept DefinitionImplementatio

nHandover and

closeout

Establish solid foundations for the project Reasons for doing project, benefits and associated

risks Scope of what is to be done How and when products will be delivered and at what

cost Who is involved? How will quality be achieved? Risk, issue and change management Monitoring and controlling Communication requirements

Project life cycle