Intro To Project Management for Entrepreneurs by Ben1st 10/7/2009 7:08 AM
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Intro To Project Management for Entrepreneurs
by Ben1st
SOuth African Business Hubs
Intro To Project Management for Entrepreneurs
By: Ben Botes [Link]
One of the greatest benefits of projects in an organisational context is their ability and
effectiveness in the achievement of goals. The success or failure of projects is largely
related to the way that managers develop tactics or plans for the projects and how
these plans can be effectively monitored and controlled through the various stages of
the project lifecycle. It is a basic premise that the successful implementation of a
project requires the development of a set of action plans together with subsequent
tactics by the project manager. The planning stage of the project will define issues
such as the project goal, targets and other milestones, as well as the establishment of
a relationship with the clients or stakeholders of the project. The tactical aspects of
the projects will include activities such as verifying the projects technical abilities,
resources needed such as personnel and equipment and putting systems in place for
the monitoring and control of the project. Although these planning and tactical
activities are carried out through the duration of the project careful attention should
also be given to the human issues and its influence on the project.
More and more organisations are using a project management approach for the
effective execution of critical operations. Projects are often carried out in four
phases, namely the defining, planning, executing and delivering of the project.
How do I get started on learning how to manage projects?
It is important to take part in the exercises that are given here. Many of us read
trough modules like these as an overview without going through the practicality of it.
Its all in the doing. Watching someone having a great experience on the television, or
reading about it in a book is not the same as being there ourselves.
Although some project managers use a five step model for the managing of projects,
our project model have four steps.
Step 1
Get clear about your project (conceptual planning phase)
The conceptual planning process aims to define the project as accurately as possible.
The phase starts of by identifying the needs of those whom initiated the project,
which are usually a client, management or stakeholders. This process determines not
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Intro To Project Management for Entrepreneurs by Ben1st 10/7/2009 7:08 AM
only the customer's criteria for acceptance of the final outcome, i.e., one of the
project's success measures, but also identifies the starting point for the planning and
performance of future activities. The company's main business objectives and
strategies need to be identified and understood so that the project goals can be in line
with them. Depending on the size of the business, the organisation may appoint a
high-level executive who serves as a champion for the project. The project manager
can use this person as a resource, coach, advocate, or sounding board during the
project.
During this initial phase, the planning team, once appointed identifies risks associated
with the whole project and how to respond to them. Conceptualising often involves
an initial feasibility decision requiring management to answer questions such as, what
is the problem, and what are the alternative solutions or projects? Selection
techniques or decision-making procedures should ideally be put in place for the
making of difficult decisions. Typical questions to be asked may include, what are the
specific goals of the project? How do these goals match with the organisational
mission? How do they meet the users' requirements? What is the general level of
resource required? Are these resources available or must they be acquired? What are
the technical requirements of the project? All these questions need to be addressed
when evaluating and selecting a project’s undertakings. Milestones should be
identified by which progress can be monitored. Informed estimates of time, cost and
performance expectations can now be made. The project team will use these
estimates to determine whether the project is, feasible and should continue, or
impractical and be discontinued. The steps to be followed in the first phase could be
as follows. It may vary from one project to another.
Convene a meeting with the author of the Request for Proposal or the customer who
requested the project.
Gather additional information and identify proposed solutions.
Assign a project manager to assist in proposal development.
Identify potential team members required to support the proposed solution.
Convene a proposal review meeting with potential team members to identify:
proposed creative approach scope of work, potential number of effort days resource
requirements technical requirements and other issues to be addressed in the proposal.
Produce a work breakdown diagram, proposed budget and resource requirements list.
Produce a draft proposal that will be forwarded to the author of the Request for
Proposal for review.
Convene a proposal review meeting to finalize or adjust the proposal.
This phase is extremely important. A good carpenter always measures twice and cut
once. This step is about specifying what the measures will be.
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Step 2
Project Organising
Ensuing the conceptual planning phase, the second stage aims to accomplish two
main types of activities, those dealing with detail planning and those dealing with the
project team. Some of the well-known planning functions of this phase are the
construction of a network diagram, selection of project personnel, determining the
availability of resources and selecting contractors if needed, making project location
decisions, and determining budgets.
The decisions made in the first stage together with the work breakdown diagram, act
as a guideline for this phase. A detailed activity plan or network diagram is the first to
be compiled. Information is gathered from the work breakdown diagram and the
graphic flow chart of the project plan. The network lays out the logical sequence of
activities to be completed together with the start and finish times of each activity.
The following steps can be taken during this phase, although, once again they may
vary depending on the project. Form the project team.
Create team member work plans.
Produce Statements of Work and sub-contracts for sub-contractors.
Produce a detailed project management plan which includes a detailed schedule,
resource requirements, budget, quality assurance methods, communications,
administrative procedures, reporting, project change process and other details needed
to effectively initiate and manage the project in accordance with the approved
proposal and contract.
Assess potential risks and produce risk management plan.
Procure required resources and personnel requirements.
Review draft project management plan with the project steak holders.
Conduct project kick-off meeting and sign-off the approved Project Management
Plan.
Meet with the customer's subject-matter-experts, and other participants to gather all
relevant data.
(As required) Train or provide detailed briefings to members of the project team and
supporting customer personnel.
Finalize all contractor agreements with all sub-contractors.
Form and brief the project team about their work packages.
Step 3
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Implementation and Control
The main activities of this stage include securing the necessary resources to perform
the project work, executing the activities identified in the project planning,
monitoring and reporting on project progress, and re-planing if needed. This phase
will normally require the most time and effort. The project team will often acquire
resources from outside the organisation to facilitate the timely completion of the
project. Performance capabilities are continually tested to ensure that the project is
carried out as intended. Management may be faced with important decisions such as
equipment selection, project management software selection, choosing among various
project compressing/crashing options if there is a need to finish earlier or overcome a
delay related to for instance the installation of telephones. Alternative solutions to
possible project problems or challenges also need to be in place.
Regular progress evaluations and reports are key to this phase. For this purpose,
information and knowledge about the project progress were continuously circulated
to the various project constituents. Accurate measures needed to be developed to
track progress. Change control processes were to put in place to handle any requests
for change. All requests for change might not be accepted and it is up to the project
manager to make a decision taking resources and time constraints into consideration
together with the overall impact on the success of the project. The steps to be
followed in the first phase could be as follows. It may vary from one project to
another.
The project team produces the products in accordance with the Project Management
Plan and Quality Assurance Plan.
A process to track and report the completion of all scheduled tasks and the
achievement of the planned milestones to the customer on a monthly basis is created.
Ensure the effective and timely use of all resources.
Control the expenditures of all budgeted funds.
Proactively measure the identified risks to the project and in conjunction with the
project team and customer, produce plans to eliminate or reduce the identified risk.
Recommend to the customer and effectively execute all approved changes to the
project objectives, plans, schedule, resources, and budgets.
Ensure products and services meet or exceed all quality standards as defined in step
one.
This stage is concluded when the customer formally accepts the output from the
project.
Step 4
Project Evaluating and System Improving
Last but not least, the final stage is a valuable yet underused project stage.
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The project review should look at the processes used in the project, the outputs from
the project, and the work performed by the team members and other individuals.
Important decision analyses in this phase include project audits and evaluations,
personnel appraisal, and feedback from stakeholders. Both the project management
system and people involved can be improved by the lessons learned. Resources that
were secured for the project are now released, and the project is transferred to its
intended users. The final evaluation report is seen as the closure document for this
phase sometimes be called the project history should completed as thoroughly as
possible and kept for future reference and projects.
The Closing Phase normally takes a few days. During the Closing Phase the project
manager will ensure the following tasks are completed:
Review the original contract and supporting documents to ensure all contract items
and product specifications have been completed.
Deliver all final products to the customer.
Conduct a project close-out meeting with the customer, stakeholders and team
members.
Update and close-off the final master project schedule.
Archive all project materials including deliverables, files, the Project Book, reference
materials and other supporting documents.
Backup up and electronically archive all project electronic files.
Debrief all team members and contractors about their performance assessments.
Document the project team lessons learned.
Produce a final project report.
Celebrate the success of the project with team members.
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Learn more at [Link]
Ben Botes MSc. MBA, is an Entrepreneur, Speaker, Writer, Coach and
academic. He is the founder of [Link], South African Business Hubs
Join the [Link] Reseller Program and earn 40% referral
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Intro To Project Management for Entrepreneurs by Ben1st 10/7/2009 7:08 AM
Contact Ben at [Link]@[Link]
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Ben Botes MBA MSc
SA Business Plan ConsultantsÂ
Read Ben's blog at [Link]
Ben is an Author, Lecturer, Coach and Entrepreneur.
Originally published on [Link] for Ben1st Friday, July 29, 2005
Article Source: Intro To Project Management for Entrepreneurs
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