Select a Dream
Use your dream to set a goal
Create a plan
Consider resources
Enhance skills and abilities
Spend time wisely
Start ! Get organized and go
One of the best way to meet needs of the
customers and stakeholders is to use an
integrated planning and control system that
requires selective information.
Five generic steps are used that provide a
structured approach for collecting the project
information necessary for project planning,
scheduling and controlling the project.
The old saying, we can control only what we
have [Link] defining the project
is the first step.
Scope is a definition of the end result or mission
of your project.
A product or service for your client / customer
Primary purpose is to define as clearly as possible
the deliverable for the end user and to focus
project plans.
Research clearly shows that a poorly defined
scope or mission is the most frequently mentioned
barrier to project success.
In a study of more than 1400 project managers in
the US and Canada..
Gobeli and Larson found that approximately 50% of
the planning problems relate to unclear definition of
scope and goals.
The scope to be developed under the direction
of Project manager and customer.
Project manager is responsible for seeing that
there is agreement with the owner on .
project objectives, deliverables at each stage of the
project, technical requirements and so forth.
Project check list
1. Project objectives
[Link]
3. Milestones
4. Technical requirements
5. Limits and exclusions
6. Reviews with customer
Project Objectives
1
st
step is to define major objectives to meet
customers needs
E.g., to design and produce a completely portable,
hazardous waste, thermal treatment system in 13 months
at a cost not to exceed $13 million.
Deliverables.
Next step is to define deliverables that is the
expected output over the life of project.
E.g., deliverables in early design phase might be a list of
specifications. In the 2
nd
phase deliverables could be
software coding and technical manual. The next phase
could be to test prototypes. It includes time, quantity,
and cost estimates.
Milestones.
Significant event in a project that occurs at a point in
time. It shows major segments of work.
It represents first , rough cut estimate of time, cost and
resources for the project.
The mile stone is built using the deliverables as a
platform to identify major segments of work and end
date.e.g., testing complete and finished by july 1 of
the same year.
Natural and Important control points in project.
Milestone identify which major organizational
divisions will assume responsibility for the major
segments of the work and provide the necessary
resources and technical expertise.
Technical requirements
A product or service ,will have technical
requirements to ensure proper performance.
E.g., the ability of pc to accept 120 volt AC or 240 volt
DC without any adopters or switches.
Another well known example is the ability of
911 emergency systems to identify the callers'
phone number and location of the phone.
Limits and Exclusions
The limits of the scope should be defined.
Failure to do so can lead to false expectation
and to expanding resources and time on the
wrong problem
Example: data will be collected by client not by
contractor; a house that will be built but no security
devices added; software that will be installed but no
training given.
Completion of the scope checklist ends with a
review with the customer.
Main concern is the understanding and
agreement of expectation.
Is the customer getting what he or she desires
in the deliverables?
Does the project definition identify key
accomplishments, budgets, timing and
performance requirements?
Are questions of limits and exclusions
covered?