Question: What is a project?

ANS: A project is generally defined as a programme of work to bring about a beneficial change and which has:-
o a start and an end
o a multi-disciplinary team brought together for the project
o constraints of cost, time and quality
o a scope of work that is unique and involves uncertainty

Examples of a project:-
The development and introduction of a new services
The development of a management information system
The introduction of an improvement to an existing process
Setting up a new care initiative
The creation of a large tender or the preparation of a response to it.
The production of a new customer newsletter, catalogue or Web site

Question: How is a project different to any other work?

Ans: A continuous process is not a project. The development of a new rent or lettings policy is a project but the subsequent day to day operation of that policy is a continuous process that is usually managed by an individual or a department. Initiation and close up of a Manufacturing site or building is a Project, but the daily process of production is not.

However one can however split these processes (wbs) to smaller projects to improve on results and management processes.

Q: Is Project Management relevant to me?

A: If you have been given a specific job to complete then you should consider using the principles of project management if it has the following features:-
A defined goal
Time, cost and quality (or functionality) constraints
Requires expertise and support from other functions
Involves a unique scope of work. There is a terminal date to complete the work and an expectation.
You should be able to do this with you project management skills..

Q: What is the Project Management Methodology?

A: If a project has a beginning and an end, what is its life cycle and how is it managed?
To be effective and workable project methodologies should be appropriate to the task and the organisation.
For simple projects in a small organisation, agreed milestones, a few checklists and someone to steer the project are all that are required.
For complex projects in a large organisation a more structured approach is needed, to set up and approve the project, monitor and guides its progress, solve its problems, deliver the end product (or gain) and close it down.
In order to understand the methodology we need to look at the project life cycle. The detailed life cycle will be dependent upon the size and type of organisation and the size and type of the project. However, in outline they all have very similar elements.

Q: Doesn’t Project Management stifle creativity?

A: No - in fact a well managed project will encourage cross functional creativity because that is what is needed in ‘change projects’. An experienced project manager will know when to tap into this creativity and when to drive the project forward. It is only when project methodologies become bureaucratic and override common sense that creativity can be stifled.

Q: So what does a Project Manager do?

A: Typically a project manager will be nominated to lead a project and will be expected to be fully accountable for meeting its objectives. The project manager will be the leader of the project team and will be responsible for ensuring the following are completed in a timely way:-
• Gaining approval for the project aim and terms of reference
• Selecting and leading the team and setting individual objectives.
• Ensuring a feasibility study is in place and completed.
• Ensuring that the project is planned in appropriate detail.
• Allocating and monitoring the work and cost.
• Motivating the team.
• Reporting progress back to the organisation.
• Helping the team to solve project problems.
• Achieve, through the team, the goals for which the he was put on the project.
• Reviewing and closing down

Q: What skills does a project manager need?

Very broad skills and a deal of experience are needed to manage a large project successfully. They include business knowledge, technical skills and individual and team leadership skills.

Individual Skills
The personal skills are likely to include good presentation and persuasive skills, good written skills but allied to goal orientation, high energy and credibility.
Note that Having high energy does not mean you play football five times a week but that you have the intellectual energy and commitment to deliver the project with a positive ‘we can do it’ team approach. Good project managers know their own strengths and weaknesses and will compensate for these in selecting the team.

Team Skills
They will appreciate the differing needs of both individuals and the project team at different stages of the project. They will be aware of different team types.

Technical Skills
They will have technical skills in setting objectives, planning complex tasks, negotiating resource, financial planning, contract management, monitoring skills, managing creative thinking and problem solving, as well as their own specialist topic.

Q: What tools and techniques are used?

A: Project managers use a number of tools and techniques during a project life cycle such as:-

Verifiable objective setting
This ensures that the objectives for the project can be measured and verified to ensure that they have been met.

Brain storming
This technique is used at all stages of the project to encourage creative thinking and solve problems.

Work Breakdown Structures
This is a technique to analyse the content of work and cost by breaking it down into its component parts. It is produced by :-
• Identifying the key elements
• Breaking each element down into component parts
• Continuing to breakdown until manageable work packages have been identified. These can then be allocated to the appropriate person.

Below is a work breakdown structure for the recruitment of a new person to fill a vacant post.



Project Evaluation Review Technique (PERT)
Network analysis or PERT is used to analyse the inter-relationships between the tasks identified by the work breakdown structure and to define the dependencies of each task. Whilst laying out a PERT chart it is often possible to see that assumptions for the order of work are not logical or could be achieved more cost effectively by re-ordering them. This is particularly true whilst allocating resources; it may become self evident that two tasks cannot be completed at the same time by the same person due to lack of working hours or, conversely, that by adding an extra person to the project team several tasks can be done in parallel thus shortening the length of the project.
Below is the PERT chart of the WBS shown above after network analysis as been applied.



Critical path analysis (CPA)
CPA is used in conjunction with PERT analysis to identify the tasks that are critical in determining the overall duration of the project.

Milestone Planning
Milestone planning is used to show the major steps that are needed to reach the goal on time. When several tasks have been completed the milestone is reached. It is often used at senior manager reviews.

What are Milestones? Why are they called Milestones?
Imagine you are walking along the road and you see a milestone that says 20 miles to London so you keep walking and later you see one that says 10 miles to London. Now you know that you are going in the right direction and you have made some progress. That is the principle of project milestones. For example, if the project is to build a house then completing each significant chunk of work could be considered a milestone on the road to building the house. For example the milestones might be:-
• Planning permission granted
• Foundations laid
• Walls constructed
• Roof built
• Fixtures, fittings and services completed
• Garden landscaped
• House inspected and approved
• House sold

For simple projects, a milestone plan may be the only plan required.

Accrued cost and earned value analysis
These measures enable the progress of the project to be monitored in financial terms.

Gantt charts
Gantt charts (named after the inventor) or bar charts, as they are sometimes called, are used to display and communicate the results of PERT and Critical Path analysis in a simple bar chart format that can be readily understood by those not involved in the detail of the project.

I hope aspiring project managers are learning a thing or two from my content. The essence is to bring to fore, the value and importance of project management and its methodologies in our everyday lives and activities.

It is hoped that this will help ginger both experienced and up coming project managers to better understand Project Management from a global point of view.

More FAQs and Answers to them on the way!!

cfola, PMP

Q: Who else is involved in Project Management & What would they do?

A: A number of people may be involved depending on the size of the project. They fall into a number of groups.

The Project Sponsor
The project sponsor should be a senior person in the organisation who has the most to gain from the project’s success and the most to lose if it fails.

The Steering Team
The steering team may only be one person on a small project (perhaps the project sponsor) who meets informally with the project manager. On a large project a formal cross functional senior team will be set up to meet regularly to review progress and provide strategic guidance.

Functional or line managers
The line manager of each team member will want to be kept informed about the progress of the project and be involved in setting of individual objectives.

The project customer
The project ‘customer’ should either be a member of the steering team or represented on that team.

All in All, all of these people are Called Project Stakeholders because they are one way or the other affected by the results of the project.

Q: What are the main roles and responsibilities?

A: There are three key roles in the management of projects whether they are service development projects, organisational change projects,IT, TQM projects, or facilities projects.

Top Management
Setting the conditions and culture such that the business can select and implement appropriate projects to support the business.

Middle management
Ensuring that all projects are selected, allocated, steered and closed down satisfactorily. Ensure that projects that are not approved are not worked on.

Operational staff
To use the tools and techniques to manage projects effectively.

Q: Is there a hierarchy of project managers in project management?

Yes - depending on the size of the project and the number of projects in the portfolio, an organisation may require several people to lead different projects or significant stages of a major project.

There are generally 3 management levels but the title ‘senior’ may be added to differentiate between experienced (or full time) project managers and those who have less experience or are part time project managers.

Programme Manager (sometimes known as a Change Manager)
The Programme Manager is responsible to the Senior Management for the portfolio of projects under his control. The role is a strategic one. He or she will have command of Project Managers and Project Leaders who report for individual projects. The Programme Manager is responsible for ensuring that the portfolio of projects deliver the beneficial business gain intended.

Project Manager
A Project Manager is experienced in the skills and disciplines of project management, may manage more than one project at a time and may have Project Leaders as directly reporting staff.

Project Leader
A project leader usually manages a project stage or a small project where his or her particular skills or expertise are a large part of the work. A Project Leader may report to a Project Manager or to the Programme Manager.

Q: Where can I Learn More?

A: Firstly, look inside your own organisation, you will be surprised at the knowledge and experience available to you if you just ask.

Other sources of help and learning about Project Management are:

• Project Management Institute, www.pmi.org
• King of CMS Consulting, (Managers of PMNigeria) www.pmnigeria.com

What is the Project Management Institute (PMI)?
The PMI is an international not-for-profit professional association for project management professionals. PMI’s vision is to be the leading worldwide professional association that develops and maintains standards for the practice of Project Managers and for the certification of practitioners.

What is King of CMS Consulting
KCMS is a Project Management consulting and training organization. Our focus is on providing world class project managers as Consultants to your projects to ensuring Project success with the required milestones achieved. Our core expertise is rooted in the field of IT/Telecoms Projects while not neglecting other fields where we possess the needed technical expertise to deliver to our clients using our soft skills to understand the Job.

We regularly provide training classes to aspiring project Managers towards securing their PMP/CAPM certification. We have our online portal, www.pmnigeria.com/elearning-portal1/ that provides remote Training for Participants from anywhere in Nigeria and around the world. We currently have promos running for NYSC corp members.

Hello everyone,

This is to inform all Project Management enthusiasts that the next PMP Exam preparatory class will be coming up on 4th-8th Febraury, 2013 (Weekday) and Jan 26 & 27, Feb 8 & 9, 2013 (Weekend Class)

The training course which is slated to hold during the week for Managers who are able to take the time off work and on weekends for busy professionals who are not be able to attend the weekday classes, will focus on:
* Project Management Body of Knowledge:
* Management Processes:
* PM Knowledge Areas:
* Examination Preparation towards passing the coveted PMI certification and attaining the PMP/CAPM status.

Participants will be taken through a rigorous training session on preparing and eventually passing the certification exams.

This Class is scheduled for Professionals/Business Managers from all sectors of the economy where projects are done and activities/processes can be run as projects.

We also have customised training classes for organisations that intend to provide their staff for Group trainings, this can be organized both in-house and offsite at the client’s premises.

For the two sessions of training holding at our site, a further discount of 20% is available for the first 10 participants to register for the class before 1th of February, 2013.

Heads of Human Resources in organisations that require our services are enjoined to reach us over phone or mail to discuss their requirements for their staff training needs.


Venue: 2nd floor, Gateway Savings & Loans Building, KM6, Idiroko Road, by Ogun State Industrial Estate, Ota

Accommodation: is available at very subsidized rates for participants who may require lodging.

Cost: N50,000

Email: info@pmnigeria.com
Phone: 039-600157, 07026002609

NB: If you are not able to make the venue due to distance factor, pl visit our online portal to run your course. The same certificate is awarded whether you attend the online course or the classroom course.
www.pmnigeria.com/elearning-portal1/

Que: What are the available Project Management Software available in the market to run your project?

Ans: MS-Project, Oracle's Primavera, BaseCamp, EGroupWare, Merlin, MS Sharepoint Server etc

Hey cfola,
I'm new to Project Management and would like to advance professionally in this field adding to my experience. I already manage small projects, and also taking a class on 'Leadership and Team Building" this semester.

BUT I'm in dire need of tutoring with MS Project and Primavera 6. Can you recommend self-help tutorials/books or offer online private tutorials?? I'm struggling! **I already purchased 'MS Project - The Missing Manual 2010 Ed."

Yvete: Hey cfola,
I'm new to Project Management and would like to grow professionally in this field adding to my experience in Global Supply Chain. I already manage small projects, and also taking a class on 'Leadership and Team Building" this semester.

BUT I'm in dire need of tutoring with MS Project and Primavera 6. Can you be of any help or recommend self-help tutorials/books? I'm struggling! Can you offer any online tutorials? **I already purchased 'MS Project - The Missing Manual 2010 Ed."

Unless you want me to be your home tutor.

imperiouxx: Unless you want me to be your home tutor.

Imperiouxx: You know I'm so HAPPY with you tonight! You always deliver! ((hugs))

Hey cFola, did you get my message?

Project management is a science and an art and it follows systematic process. The science of project management can be learned from text materials, from instructors and so forth, however the art depends more on the project manager's interpersonal skills. This can also be developed with time as a project manager get more experienced over the years.

Young project managers are often faced with the 'how to' handle project management activities or determine which sequence to follow as project progresses. Another challenge faced is the ability to ask the right questions and uncover key information from stakeholders which are necessary for project management planning. Most texts and instructors teach the science of project management, which provides the 'what to do', however the art of project management, which refers to the 'how to do' remain a gap for PMs.

http://pmcookbook..com