Project management triangle -> ACTIONS / Planning

Project life cycle

From idea to project :
In order to qualify as a potential project, the idea should at least :

1. correspond to a need identified by the company, for its customers or for itself
2. be consistent with its strategy
3. be workable in principle
4. be economically viable

• Initiation

1. Advisability study / Factors to be taken into account : the market, competition, the company’s needs and strategy, other projects under way etc.
2. Feasibility study / Factors to be taken into account : the objectives of the project, technical, financial and timing constraints, possible risks
 / Requires : imagining what the product would be and how to get there, a summary project description, a summary project plan
3. Business case /  Information package for decision-makers describing the project’s purpose, benefits, summary plan, risks, profit & loss (P&L), evaluation

• Preparation

1. Charter = Reference document, also called project mandate, project definition, project initiation document (PID), project overview statement (POS), terms of reference (TOR) of the project describing in particular the project’s scope, budget and schedule, the outcome of the project (summary requirements), the PM’s responsibilities and level of authority
2. Planning

• Execution / Creation of the resulting product : implementation, development, project documentation, product documentation...

• Closure / Launch of the product (usually), resource release, contracts termination, “post-mortem” analysis...

Project manager

A project needs to be managed !

The project owner / sponsor and the project executor

Maîtrise d'ouvrage (MOA), maîtrise d'œuvre (MOE)

Project manager’s role :

• Successful completion of the project in compliance with its scope, schedule, budget and quality requirements,

• Satisfaction of customer expectations

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Set SMART objectives :

• Specific

• Measurable

• Attainable

• Realistic

• Time-bound

The project manager :

• Should be involved at the earliest possible stage

• Take full responsibility until completion

• Is not necessarily the initiator of the project BUT should actively participate in the design phase of the project

• Is not an expert (editing or developing or marketing or...) BUT

• Should be familiar with the functions of the various contributors to the project

• Should speak their specialist languages

Keywords : 

imagine, evaluate, anticipate, devise, plan, write, organize, coordinate, mobilize, motivate, supervise, monitor, control, measure, react, arbitrate, resolve, participate, ensure, negotiate, decide, interface, communicate, manage, direct, head, lead.

Project management diamond

Project management triangle

Project management / definition

Project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to project activities to meet project requirements.

Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, and managing resources to achieve the specific project objectives.

Result of a project

The result (outcome) of a project is generally something new (product, service, system...).

Whatever its characteristics, a project needs to be managed in order to produce the expected result.

Project vs product - process - program

Characteristics

• Uniqueness

• Defined timescale

• Well-identified resources

• Specific budget

• Element of risk

• Beneficial change

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Real life example

Getting from A to B ?

• How do we get there ?

• What does it require ?

• How long will it take ?

• How much will it cost ?

• What are the risks ?

• How should the project be executed, monitored & controlled ?

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Definitions / Project

Cambridge : 
A piece of planned work or an activity which is finished over a period of time and intended to achieve a particular aim.

Oxford : 

A planned piece of work that is designed to find information about something, to produce something new, or to improve something.

Webster’s : 

Any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted ; a planned undertaking.

A project is the set of actions leading from an idea to its concrete realization.

A project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service, or result.

A project is a unique endeavor to produce a set of deliverables within clearly specified time, cost, and quality constraints.

Thank you to Mr Neil Minkley !

First things first !

Before starting this blog about project management, I want to thank Mr Neil Minkley for three reasons :

- giving me the opportunity to teach in one of the best French universities ;
- giving me access to his high quality class material, which helped me a lot to build my own curriculum ;
- teaching me the basics of project management, when I was a young graduate and he was my boss !