Unit V

MGT 6302, Project Management Strategy and Tactics 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit V Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

3. Summarize the project management process groups. 3.1 Explain the tasks completed during the executing phase of the project.

4. Explore the knowledge areas of project management.

4.1 Summarize the key tasks occurring within project resource management and project communication management.

6. Evaluate productive project management techniques/tools.

6.1 Recommend tools and/or technologies that can facilitate project efficiency and increase project success.

Course/Unit

Learning Outcomes Learning Activity

3.1

Unit Lesson Part 1: Chapter 9, pp. 104-113 Part 1: Chapter 10 Part 2: Chapter 4 Unit V PowerPoint Presentation

4.1

Unit Lesson Part 1: Chapter 9, pp. 104-113 Part 1: Chapter 10 Part 2: Chapter 4 Unit V PowerPoint Presentation

6.1

Unit Lesson Part 1: Chapter 9, pp. 104-113 Part 1: Chapter 10 Part 2: Chapter 4 Unit V PowerPoint Presentation

Required Unit Resources Part 1: Chapter 9: Project Resource Management, pp. 104-113 Part 1: Chapter 10: Project Communications Management Part 2: Chapter 4: Executing Process Group Unit Lesson

Introduction Welcome to Unit V. In the last unit, we focused on the planning process group of the project. Once a project is planned, the project manager and the project team can start the project and focus on the executing process group of the project. During the execution process, the actual project activities are completed. However, this is not the only important part of this process; the project manager also needs to monitor and control the project while the execution process is underway. Almost the entire project’s budget will be spent during the execution processes, so ensuring that the project’s triple constraint (i.e., scope, time, and budget) are

UNIT V STUDY GUIDE Executing

MGT 6302, Project Management Strategy and Tactics 2

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monitored is essential to the overall success of the project. The main goal for the project team during the executing process group is to complete the project’s activities in an efficient and effective manner while monitoring the scope and meeting the schedule and budget requirements. This is often not an easy feat as the project team will also have to address any risks that arise and address any change requests from the project sponsors. As you can see, there is a lot of work that takes place during the executing process group, so let’s dive deeper into this phase.

The Tasks of the Executing Process Group

The executing process group is the heart and soul of the project since the project will be developed during this phase. There are several elements that take place at the same time during this process. These steps may not happen in the order listed and can often be revisited during the executing process group. The first step is to acquire the project team. If the project team was not a part of the planning process group, the project manager will need to assemble the best team possible to meet the project’s requirements. The project manager will have determined the necessary skills from the planning stage so the project manager is able to build a team of skillful individuals who can meet the expectations of the project. The project manager is responsible for clearly communicating the project’s goals, timeline, and budget with the team as to ensure that everyone is on the same page before the project tasks can begin. The second step is to begin completing the tasks that are listed on the project’s schedule. The project schedule will contain all of the activities, the duration, the team members who are assigned to specific activities, and the resources necessary to complete the activities. The schedule should be followed closely because it was created with project’s scope in mind. While completing the project tasks, the team members focus on the third task of monitoring the project for quality assurance. The project manager should conduct checks at different milestones to ensure that the project is free of any defects or issues that might keep the project from being accepted by the project sponsors. If any quality issues are present, the project manager must take corrective action and provide feedback to the project sponsors about what has taken place and what steps have been made to correct the errors. The communication with the project stakeholders is the fourth step in the executing process group. Open communication with the stakeholders is an important part of meeting their expectations and the project’s success. The sponsors will need to know the project’s progress and how closely aligned the team has stayed to the scope, schedule, and budget. Any changes to the scope, schedule, or budget need to be addressed and approved by the sponsors. Open communication also helps the project team to build trust with the sponsors. Communication is not only important with the sponsors, but it is also critical to remain in communication with the members of the project team. The team may not be working together since the activities have been divided out, so the fifth step in the executing process group is to hold progress update meetings updates with the entire team. Not only is this a great opportunity to bring the team together, but the project manager can address any issues that might have developed and provide the necessary information for the team to move forward. While monitoring and controlling the project, the project manager should be aware of any risks that have developed during the project. We will cover this in greater detail in Unit VI when we focus on the monitoring and controlling process group. However, it is essential for the project manager to be aware of the project risks that might develop during the executing process group. All of these steps noted above will continue until all of the project activities have been completed and the project team has developed a final deliverable that aligns with the project’s scope and meets the expectations of the project’s sponsors.

The Knowledge Areas of Project Management During the Executing Process Group Throughout this course, we have focused on the different knowledge areas of project management that are prevalent during each process group. In the executing process group, the knowledge areas are project quality management, project resource management, and project communication management.

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Project quality management includes “the processes for incorporating the organization’s quality policy regarding planning, managing, and controlling costs so the project can be completed within the approved budget” (Project Management Institute [PMI], 2017, p. 553). Project quality consists of three different processes. The first is quality management planning. During this process, the quality requirements are identified, and the standards for the project are determined. The quality management should be discussed with the project sponsors and shared with the project team to ensure that all team members know their delegated roles of responsibility in terms of quality. The second process is quality assurance. In this process, the project activities are continually audited to ensure that the quality standards are meeting the quality management plan. The final process is quality control. This process involves monitoring the quality and making a record of the quality activities to assess the performance of the team. Project resource management includes the processes to identify, acquire, and manage the resources required to successfully complete the project (PMI, 2017). The resources are essential to the project schedule. If the resources are not available when the activity is set to begin, the project schedule will not be followed, and the project will be delayed. During project resource management, the project manager coordinates with the sponsors to ensure that resources are purchased and delivered when the team needs them. The resources are what will keep the project moving forward and should be monitored closely. Project communications management includes the processes necessary to ensure that planning is timely and appropriate as well as to ensure that the collection, creation, distribution, storage, retrieval, management, control, monitoring, and final disposition of all project data and information is completed (PMI, 2017). Communication is an essential component of any project’s success. During the planning stage, the project manager creates the communication plan that has scheduled updates for the project sponsors. These communications allow the sponsors to keep track of the progress and provides them an opportunity to address any concerns that they may have regarding the project. In addition, communication needs to take place among the project team. The project team will not always be together, so scheduled meeting should take place to ensure that the team is informed of any critical information regarding the project and their assigned tasks. Focusing on these knowledge areas during the executing process group will help to ensure that the project remains on track and meets the scope, budget, and schedule.

Project Management Tools

As mentioned above, the executing process group is complex and is the heart of the project. Because of this, the project manager and the team will often rely on tools and technology to assist them with the different processes that take place during the execution phase. One of the most important elements of the schedule is time tracking. Time is not only one of the triple constraints, it is an area of the project that will be monitored closely by the project sponsors. When the team stays on schedule, this creates a certain level of trust with the project sponsors. Because of this, using a tool that tracks time in real-time will help not only the project team to be updated on the schedule, but it will also assist the project sponsors. With real-time tools, the clock never stops. This means that the clock will continually be moving forward from inception to completion of the project. Project members appreciate such access to the time tracking because this allows them to know how much time remains to complete their activities and to plan. These tools also allow the time to be stopped, if necessary. Below are a few of the most common time tracking tools used in the executing process groups. All of these tools are apps, which is important since the team will likely be on the move and not able to log into a computer system. Mobile tools have become more popular for this very reason.

• Toggl is a free app that can be downloaded to smart devices and laptops. The app has reporting functions and allows for multiple project members to view the same time system in real time.

• Harvest is a good time-tracking tool for larger teams. The system is built to handle a collaborative workload, and it is easy to use. There is a desktop app and a mobile app to make it easy for the project team to keep track of their time on every activity. There is a monthly fee with this app.

• Everhour is a tool used for viewing and managing team availability, along with tracking the project's schedule. This is an online-only time tracker and should be used for smaller projects with fewer activity times to track. Each team member can enter their availability during the duration of the project to make it easier to know when the members will complete their assigned activities. There is a monthly fee for this app.

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Conclusion The executing process group is the heart and soul of the entire project. During this process group, the planning that took place is realized. More upfront and detailed planning will yield a smoother transition for the project team into the execution process. During the executing process group, the project manager should monitor and control the scope, schedule, and time. These areas are known as the triple constraints and will be directly impacted by the success or failure of the project. In addition, quality standards should be identified before the team begins completing the activities. Quality should be monitored throughout the project to ensure the scope is met. Communication within the team and with the sponsors is essential. Open communication allows for all parties to be informed of the project’s progresses. Technology and tools also allow for real-time updates for the project team and sponsors.

Reference Project Management Institute. (2017). A guide to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK®

guide) (6th ed.). https://online.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781628253900 Learning Activities (Nongraded) Nongraded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to submit them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information. Visit the website YouTube, and perform a search for each of the following keyword search terms to view a wide variety of resources that offer additional insight into this unit’s topics. Note the channels or authors whose videos you find most helpful, and consider bookmarking or subscribing to them for continued professional development. It is suggested when looking for online resources, you choose those that are most recent, as they will offer the most up-to-date information. Keyword search terms for this unit are listed below.

• Project management execution • Project resource management • Project management communication